Consultancy on Child-Centred Climate Risk Mapping and Assessment of Children’s Access to Services in Communities in Selected Provinces and Regions in Viet Nam

Contract

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For every child, social policy and governance

Background:

Viet Nam is ranked the sixth most affected country by climate change globally. Under the high emissions scenario, temperatures are projected to rise by 3.3-4.0oC in the North and 3.0-3.5oC in the South. Depending on the emissions scenarios, about 6–12 million people could potentially be affected by coastal flooding by 2070–2100 without effective adaptation action. Human-induced climate change has significant impacts, especially on the lives of vulnerable children, their families, and communities, jeopardizing hard-earned development gains.

Climate change can lead to the increased risks of vector-borne and infectious diseases, increasing the likelihood of outbreaks and spread of diseases such as diarrhoea, cholera, dysentery, malaria, dengue fever, viral encephalitis, and Japanese encephalitis. As a result of the climatic shifts, there will be an increase in climate-sensitive diseases. It is estimated that there is likely to be about 23-62 per cent increase in diseases burden by 2030 in northern and central areas with dengue fever, and a projected 10-15 per cent increase by 2030 in some areas in the central parts of the country with diarrhoea.

In the past five years, large scale climate change-related disasters hit Viet Nam, including the prolonged droughts in Central Highlands and drought and saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta region in 2015-2016 and 2019-2020, causing shortages of domestic water supplies for 2 million people; the loss of livelihoods for 1.75 million people; the risk of water-borne diseases for 400,000 people; malnutrition for 27,500 children and 39,000 women in areas with a low socio-economic development status. In addition, the devastating Typhoon Damrey in 2017 killed more than 107 people. In 2020, within October and November, seven consecutive storms made landfall in the Central Region caused devastating cascading floods that killed 291 people, 66 people missing, more than 330,000 homes damaged, impacting 2,5 million children and 1,5 billion USD in economic losses.

The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the effects caused by climate change. The pandemic, coupled with the increasing frequency and intensity of climate-related shocks such as the ones in 2020, jeopardises hard-earned development gains and has significant human impacts, especially on children’s well being, health, nutrition, education, and WASH services protection.

In Viet Nam, data and information on the risks and the impacts of climate change and disasters on children are incomplete and fragmented. Thus, appropriate interventions cannot be formulated by the decision-makers due to insufficient data on the situation. For example, information and data on the situation of children and climate change are limited in the Mekong Delta and the central coastal region of Viet Nam, which are two areas particularly at high risk of climate change. This assignment will provide Viet Nam Disaster Management Authority (VNDMA) and three provinces with child-centred climate risk maps and will assess how climate change and natural disaster impacts children’s access to essential services and how government and communities could provide an appropriate response. This will help strengthen risk-informed planning, investment and policy changes.

Purpose and Objectives:

The purpose of the assignment is to: (i) identify children’s and their community’s exposure and vulnerability to various climate and environmental hazards, shocks and stresses; and develop risk maps; (ii) assess the extent to which and how children access essential services (social protection and child protection service, health care centres, schools and WASH including school WASH) when climate change shocks take place; and (iii) provide evidence for increased child-focus in improved multisectoral multi-hazard risk-informed planning in the targeted provinces and the Mekong Delta; (iv) provide training for Viet Nam Disaster Management Authority (VDMA), concerned line agencies on the risk mapping and analysis methodology and how to use vulnerability and risk mapping and analysis for making disaster plans child-centred; (v) disseminate the result on the National Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control website and social media platforms, to 63 provinces and in national events such as National and International DRR day.

Methodology:

In order to complete this assignment, it is advised that the international consultant should, in consultation with Viet Nam Disaster Management Authority (VDMA) and UNICEF, directly hire a national consultant to help her/him in the completion of this consultancy. This will include supporting data mining, compile indicators and information, review GIS hazard data, data processing using excel or appropriate statistical software, translation, fieldwork and associated materials for the assignment.

The proposed methodology is quantitative and qualitative in nature. On the quantitative side the consultant shall engage with General Statistics Office (GSO) to access data at all administrative levels from national to commune levels. In addition, the consultant will review and analyse existing datasets, especially the 2019 population census, 2020 Viet Nam Household Living Standard Survey (VHLSS), UNICEF’s Multi-Indicators Cluster Survey (MICS) 2021 and conduct a desk review of the relevant research and studies such as Climate Landscape Analysis for Children (CLAC) and the Children’s Climate Risk Index. Furthermore, the consultant will review existing global methodologies used as part of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Assessment Report in 2014 and UNICEF’s Children’s Climate Risk Index in 2021.

On the qualitative side, the consultant(s) may use participatory techniques such as focus group discussions (FGDs), key informant interviews (KIIs), process mapping, stakeholder analysis as appropriate. The consultant(s) is expected to conduct field visits to meet with the regional, provincial, district, and commune authorities in three selected provinces. In addition, KIIs will be conducted with selected key partners, including ministerial members of the National Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control (NCNDPC) officials, International and local NGOs.

While analysing the dataset and the findings from the interviews and consultations, the consultant could refer to the conceptual risk framework introduced in the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) 2014.

The consultant may suggest and agreed with UNICEF on a revised methodology at the inception phase.

Full Tasks and Deliverables as attached Consultancy Notice and TOR.pdf

Performance indicators for evaluation:

- The quality of deliverables meets the standards set by UNICEF and specifications outlined in the contract.

- Deliverables are submitted timely as indicated in the contract.

- Technical assistance delivered in a contextualized and tactful manner, drawing on the inputs from the partners.

- Performance evaluation will be completed at the end of the assignment.

General Conditions****:

The following general conditions shall apply:

- Workstation: home-based

- Official travel within the country: Soc Trang, Ca Mau and Quang Tri.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Qualification/Specialized Knowledge and Experience:

International consultant:

- Advanced degree in climate change, disaster risk reduction and other relevant fields.

- Over 15 years of experience in providing advisory support in climate change, disaster risk reduction with Government, development partners and UN agencies. Experience working with UNICEF is an asset.

- Excellent statistical skills, with knowledge of the latest global methodology on child-centered vulnerability mapping, risk assessment and analysis.

- Extensive experience in working with the Government of Viet Nam on this sector; have profound knowledge of Viet Nam’s socio-economic context, including the national climate change and disaster risk-management mechanism. In addition, a profound understanding of linkages of climate change and DRR to children and UNICEF position in the relevant areas are essential.

- Good listening skills as well as written and communication skills in English.

- Excellent teamwork skills.

National consultant:

- Advanced degree in climate change, environment, disaster risk reduction and other relevant fields.

- Over 05 - 10 years of experience in climate change, disaster risk reduction at both national and subnational level, especially data processing, excel spreadsheet, statistical and analytical skills.

- Good knowledge and understanding of Viet Nam’s government system, socio-economic context, including the data collection and management system. Knowledge of linkages of CC, DRR to children, as well as UNICEF position in the relevant areas would be a valuable asset.

- Good listening skills as well as written and communication skills in English.

- Excellent teamwork skills.

Assessment criteria:

For evaluation and selection method, the Cumulative Analysis Method (weight combined score method) shall be used for this recruitment: Technical Qualification (max. 100 points) weight 70 %

- Advanced degree in climate change, disaster risk reduction and other relevant fields, 30 points.

- Over 15 years of experience in providing advisory support in climate change, disaster risk reduction with the Government, development partners and UN agencies in Viet Nam. Experience working with UNICEF is an asset, 40 points.

- Extensive experience in working with the Government of Viet Nam on this sector; have profound knowledge of Viet Nam’s socio-economic context, including the national climate change and disaster risk-management mechanism. In addition, a profound understanding of linkages of climate change and DRR to children and UNICEF position in the relevant areas are essential, 30 points.

The passing score for the technical assessment is 71.5 or 50%.

Financial Proposal (max. 100 points) weight 30 %

The maximum number of points shall be allotted to the lowest Financial Proposal that is opened/evaluated and compared among those technical qualified candidates who have attained a minimum 71.5 points score in the technical evaluation. Other Financial Proposals will receive points in inverse proportion to the lowest price.

The Contract shall be awarded to candidate obtaining the highest combined technical and financial scores, subject to the satisfactory result of the verification interview, if needed.

Submission of applications:

Interested candidates are kindly requested to apply and upload the following documents to the assigned requisition in UNICEF Vacancies: http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/

1. Letter of interest and confirmation of availability;
2. Technical proposal which clearly explains the outline on how to deliver the tasks and deliverables (less than 5 pages);
3. Performance evaluation reports or references of similar consultancy assignments (if available);
4. Financial proposal: All-inclusive lump-sum cost including consultancy fee, travel, accommodation and miscellaneous costs for this assignment as per work assignment.
5. CV/P11 form (UN Personal History Form) P 11 form.doc

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

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UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.