Individual Consultancy - Climate Change Expert, Part-time, 3.5 months, Home-based or MENARO Office-based, MENA Regional Office - Jordan

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, commitment.

• Consultancy title: Climate Change Expert
• Duration: 3.5 months (35 working days) - Part time
• Duty Station: Home-Based

How can you make a difference?

Assignment Purpose:

Climate change, environmental degradation, limited access to energy sources, and disasters directly threaten a child’s ability to survive, grow, and thrive. Children are and increasingly have been affected, with the most vulnerable already losing their homes, health, education, and livelihood prospects during and after disasters and slower-onset events, especially in the Middle East and North Africa Region (MENA), where climate change impacts impose a major threat to the development of the region and are warming at twice the global average.

In MENA, climate change is one of the complexes sets of interrelated challenges facing the region. Armed conflict, violence, crises, and natural disasters, aggravated by climate change and COVID-19, are endangering the lives and well- being of 41 million children in the MENA region, including millions of refugees and over 5 million internally displaced children. Climate change is also not gender neutral but rather amplifying already existing gender inequalities in relation to land rights, livelihoods, health, domestic labour and safety.

The UNICEF 2022-2025 Strategic Plan recognizes climate change, disasters and environmental degradation are

existential threats to a child’s ability to survive and thrive. It activates all UNICEF’s levers of impact to tackle the associated issues, including global programmes, advocacy and communications infrastructure, operations, and supply chains. As a result, and to ensure the systematic approach to reflect on facts/current actions of each of the programme areas that are relevant to climate change and children, and to identify areas for improvement/gap; UNICEF MENA Regional Office seeks to conduct a systematic desk review on the current impacts of climate change on children in the region.

The systematic review of pre-existing quantitative data on the impacts of climate change on children in the MENA

region is essential to advance children’s rights. This analysis is expected to provide insights into the current impacts of climate change on migration and displacement or access to services. Then, based on existing climate models, will

predict future trends and what UNICEF’s role will be to address these issues. Gendered dimensions of climate change will be considered throughout the analysis. It is intended to contribute to the knowledge base and help UNICEF/ decision-makers/ stakeholders identify or refine their priority actions and strategies in view of ensuring a healthy and sustainable future for children in the MENA region.

Scope of Work

Objective****Deliverables Timeline 1Approved Workplan detailing below deliverables and frameworks 1 day2Identify similar related studies done in the region and globally, including UNICEF reports5 days 3develop and present a literature review, with a view to guiding development of the outline of the study2 days 4Develop initial outline of the study (including proposed chapters) for review based on literature review and discussions with UNICEF MENA5 days 5Draft report submitted for review15 days6Development of final report with all comments integrated for validation by UNICEF; In addition, submit summary 4 pages stand-alone report5 days7Presentation of the final report via webinar (with comprehensive ppt).2 days

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

• An advanced university degree in relevant areas such environment, climate change, public health, water resources, or other related fields.
• A minimum of five years of relevant work experience in areas related to climate change adaptation and mitigation, environment.
• At least five years of experience undertaking climate risk and vulnerability assessments preferred.
• Advanced knowledge of climate change adaptation and water security solutions required.
• Specific expertise in developing climate rationale, programme/project formulation, implementation and monitoring related to climate change adaptation preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to work harmoniously in a multi-cultural environment and establish harmonious and effective working relationship both within and outside an organization.
• Excellent analytical and writing skills, advocacy and presentational skills an asset.
• Knowledge on climate change impacts, climate risk assessments, and adaptation solutions required.
• Fluency in English is required. Working knowledge of Arabic considered a strong asset
• Prior experience in the MENA Region considered a strong an asset.
• Prior experience or familiarity with UNICEF programming a considered advantage.
• 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, and Accountability (CRITA).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

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 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.