Consultant Climate Change, Sanitation and Water for All (SWA), 150 working days in 12 months, REMOTE, Req: 567988

Contract

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UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, CLEAN WATER

Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) is a global alliance of over 200 national governments, donors, civil society organizations and other development partners working together to catalyse political leadership and action, improve accountability and use scarce resources more effectively. The ultimate goal of the Partnership is to achieve universal access to water supply and sanitation.

UNICEF hosts the Secretariat of the Sanitation and Water for All partnership, which is responsible for supporting the Chair and the Steering Committee (SC) as well as other members of the Steering Committee and organizes the bi-annual global High Level Meetings and Partnership Meetings.

SWA has proven to be highly successful and the work of the Chief Executive Officer and Secretariat has become progressively more demanding. For example, it has been identified that SWA global multi-stakeholder partnership can play a key role in connecting SDGs 6 and 13, while recognizing that the ability to meet these SDGs directly affects and is affected by almost all of the other SDGs, including poverty, food, gender and inequality. Furthermore, as the partnership is increasing its focus at country level, SWA can contribute to the success of the Paris Agreement by providing partners with a solid background on why and how countries can integrate mitigation and adaptation interventions related to sanitation and water.

The work of the Chief Executive Officer and Secretariat is enhanced by high level advice from experienced and knowledgeable specialists in the WASH policy sector to address specific issues that arise from time to time and to analyse opportunities to achieve the objectives of the partnership. Specifically, climate change is a priority theme in the context of the SWA Strategic Framework 2020-2030 and cuts across its three strategic objectives to:

• Build and sustain political will to eliminate inequalities in water, sanitation and hygiene
• Champion multi-stakeholder approaches towards achieving universal access to services
• Rally stakeholders to strengthen system performance and attract new investments

Therefore, the additional support of a consultant will be indeed key to give continuity and advance the work around climate change integration into key SWA initiatives, provide inputs to climate platforms to which SWA has become partner, represent SWA Secretariat at key climate events, provide technical support to the SWA Climate Task Team, provide technical support to countries, do a follow up analysis of climate commitments made by partners to the SWA Mutual Accountability Mechanism, support communications related to climate action, and to support resource mobilization with focus on climate.

How can you make a difference?

PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

Support the SWA Secretariat with advocacy and development of knowledge management products on climate change, providing technical advice on resource mobilization, the coordination and management of climate change capacity building initiatives, particularly at country level; preparation for, and potentially, representation of SWA in climate related events and other key events where climate change inputs are needed.

EXPECTED RESULTS:

The consultant will provide technical expertise to SWA Secretariat and broader partnership on climate change related aspects of advocacy, knowledge management, capacity building, strategic resource mobilization, and preparation for key events and processes. Specifically, the consultant will:

• Develop 4 climate financing case studies to feed the preparations of the Finances Ministers meetings in Latin America and Caribbean, and in Asia.
• Provide climate change technical inputs to 4 draft country compacts related to Heads of State Initiative.
• Participate in monthly meetings, including providing technical inputs to the following climate initiatives: UNFCCC High Levels Champions Race to Resilience; Climate Resilience Sanitation Coalition; COP28 Initiative on Urban Water Resilience; Nairobi Work Programme; and Water Initiative for Net Zero (WINZ)
• Participate in the monthly or bimonthly COP29 Water Pavilion Steering Committee, develop COP 29 WASH key messages and briefings for delegations, facilitate global advocacy sessions, coordinate technical sessions in at least 2 regional climate weeks, follow up selected climate negotiations tracks, attend to Bonn intersessional meetings in June 2024 and prepare at least 3 sessions at COP29 by the end of 2024.
• Provide technical advice to SWA Climate Action Task Team, including drafting technical inputs for consultation of the task team, coordinate climate action among SWA constituencies, manage partner consultations.
• Provide technical advice on climate action, in coordination with SWA Regional Coordinators, to selected countries (anticipated 5 countries minimum) upon request.
• Analyze climate commitments made through the SWA mutual accountability mechanism and provide support to at least 2 partners with its implementation.
• Develop climate updates to be featured on SWA website and social media, as well as inputs to at least 2 op-eds by SWA Chief Executive Officer.
• Map bilateral donors providing support to climate resilient WASH and develop a mobilization strategy; provide technical inputs to funding proposals, and join meetings with potential donors when requested.

Indicative activities and deliverable(s)****Duration (Days)****DeadlineClimate Change integration into key SWA initiatives: - Develop 4 climate financing case studies to feed the preparations of the Finances Ministers meetings in Latin America and Caribbean, and in Asia. - Provide climate change technical inputs to 4 draft country compacts related to Heads of State Initiative.

2206/2024SWA inputs to climate initiatives and platforms - Participate in monthly meetings and provide technical inputs on key documents to 5 climate initiatives: UNFCCC High Levels Champions Race to Resilience; Climate Resilience Sanitation Coalition; COP28 Initiative on Urban Water Resilience; Nairobi Work Programme; and Water Initiative for Net Zero (WINZ)2210/2024Climate negotiations and attendance to key events - Participate in the monthly or bimonthly COP29 Water Pavilion Steering Committee, develop COP 29 WASH key messages and briefings for delegations, successfully organize 2 webinars to raise awareness about COP with SWA partners, develop proposals and coordinate partners for technical sessions in at least 2 regional climate weeks, monitor climate negotiations tracks and ensure partnership contributions at key intervals, participate at Bonn intersessional meetings in June 2024 and prepare at least 3 sessions at COP29 by the end of 2024.3412/2024Technical support to SWA Climate Task Team - Provide technical support to SWA Climate Action Task Team, including drafting at least 2 documents for endorsement of the task team as technical inputs key climate processes, coordinate climate action among SWA constituencies, manage partner consultations.1511/2024Technical support to SWA country partners

• Hold at least 5 meetings with country partners, in coordination with SWA Regional Coordinators, in order to understand climate action support needed, and design strategy for delivering such support.

3010/2024MAM follow up analysis and support to implement climate commitments - Analyze climate commitments made through the SWA mutual accountability, both as commitments are made on a rolling basis, as well as in an analytic brief ahead of COP29; and directly engage with at least 2 partners to support MAM commitment implementation.1406/2024Advise to SWA Communications on climate action - Develop climate updates to be featured on SWA website and social media, as well as inputs to at least 2 op-eds by SWA Chief Executive Officer.309/2024Advise on SWA fundraising strategy with focus on climate action

- Map bilateral donors providing support to climate resilient WASH and develop a mobilization strategy provide technical inputs to funding proposals, and join meetings with potential donors when requested

1006/2024TOTAL

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

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in environmental studies, engineering, international development, geography, or other related field.
• A minimum of 10 years of relevant professional experience in the areas of policy and strategy development or strategic planning, with a core competency in strategies to mitigate against, adapt to climate change.
• Preferably, the consultant should have WASH sector experience at global level and knowledge of key sector developments, global policy direction, research and best practices – including in the areas of water, sanitation, hygiene promotion, WASH in Schools, environmental programming and/or programme integration with health and education. Experience of policy issues in other related sectors (health, education, environment etc.) is also desirable.
• Experience at country level in providing policy advice to government or programme management is an asset. Experience in more than one continent is considered especially valuable.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

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:

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.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.