Individual Consultancy - Local Consultant (Maldivian) Climate Resilience

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.

ADVERT- Local Consultant (Maldivian National) Climate Resilience

TOR Reference Number: TOR/2022/31

Background and rationale:

The UNICEF Maldives Country Office (MCO) engages in strategic and high-level advocacy to achieve results for children in the Maldives, especially for the most vulnerable. The new 5-year country programme (2022 – 2026) has been developed and includes climate action and disaster risk reduction as major cross cutting areas, focusing on empowering young people for climate action.

MCO has successfully conducted two pre-COP26 events, and also facilitated the governments’ participation in various international fora. A Climate Investment case was developed and is being used to pitch investment ideas with public and private sector agencies. In addition to this, MCO is also developing an assessment of the situation of the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector in the country aimed at identifying key advocacy issues in this field.

To support taking this climate change resilience building and environmental protection agenda forward, MCO is seeking to recruit a national consultant to engage with the government, island communities and other partners in the implementation of the work plans.

Objectives and Scope of Work

UNICEF Maldives is looking for a national consultant to support UNICEF’s programs in the area of Climate Change, Disaster Risk Reduction and WASH. The main objectives are:

• To support government in building capacity to design and implement child and adolescent-friendly/sensitive climate change, and disaster risk reduction and WASH policies, legislative frameworks, sectoral and multisectoral plans, and participatory platforms.
• To raise understanding and participation through climate-change education.
• To mobilize, engage and elevate the voices of young people on climate change through innovative national and international platforms.
• To support MCO in designing and implementing behavior change campaigns to engage youth on climate action/environmental protection, Climate innovations, digital platform, and climate resilient school programs.

To support MCO in generating and using evidence on climate, environment, energy, and WASH to inform results for children.

Duty station: Maldives, Male

Supervisor: Social Policy Specialist with close collaboration with Social & Behaviour Change Officer UNICEF Maldives. The staff will also work closely with other UNICEF staff members.

Major tasks

Key Deliverables

1. Support UNICEF and partners to manage a digital platform for young people who are interested in climate action, and mobilize them for action
2. Support UNICEF and partners in functioning of the Climate Innovation lab and facilitate young Innovators to continue engage in the lab.
3. Support UNICEF and the government to develop a framework on Green Islands and jointly develop a work plan of activities
4. Support the government in developing policies that are linked to its commitment to climate action and environmental protection
5. Support the government and partners to implement behavior change campaigns in communities and schools

• A digital platform with 100 young people
• 6 Monthly interactions with young people
• Climate Innovation Lab is functional
• Green Island framework has been tested in few islands
• Information for Climate Resilient Schools
• Behaviour change campaign for schools is developed.
• Draft Policy document on climate action or environmental protection.

6. Support MCO in generating and using evidence on climate, environment, energy, and WASH to inform results for children

• Compiled information on climate, environment, energy, and WASH

7. Provide necessary technical support to the MoECCT and NDMA and other partners to facilitate implementation of activities
8. Provide knowledge management services on Climate change and DRR aspects

• Monthly report on activities implementation in coordination with MoECCT and NDMA.
• 5 Good practices and case studies/human interest stories

Estimated duration of contract: Nov 2022– Oct 2023 (11.5 months)

Official travel involved : The consultant will be expected to travel to various islands across the country as per the needs

Qualifications or specialized knowledge and/or experience required

1. Education:

• Advanced university degree (Masters) in a relevant area such as climate and environment science, development, economics, social science, or related field of disaster risk management.

2. Work Experience:

• A minimum of five years of professional experience in areas related to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene; environmental sustainability, climate change, disaster risk management and international development.
• Experience in community mobilization around climate action, disaster risk reduction and related areas.
• Experience of working with the government, UN agencies and/or civil society agencies

3. Additional Skills:

• Demonstrated ability to be flexible and adapt to shifting conditions and work demands.
• Above average writing and communication/presentation skills
• Good interpersonal and networking skills
• Understanding or interest in climate change and related areas will be a definite asset

4. Functional Competencies

• Builds and maintains partnerships
• Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
• Innovates and embraces change
• Drive to achieve results for impact
• Manages ambiguity and complexity
• Thinks and acts strategically
• Works collaboratively with others

5. Language Proficiency:

• Fluent in English and Dhivehi, both spoken and written

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.