Individual Contractor - Regional CEED Programme Support, LACRO, Panama (9 months)

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, dedication

How can you make a difference?

Background

The Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region is composed of 33 countries of which 16 are Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Most countries in the region have reached macroeconomic standards which label them as middle or upper middle‐income countries. However, there is still a high and persistent level of poverty in most countries, despite sustained economic growth over the last decade. The Human Development Index (HDI) varies greatly across the region, and persistent economic inequalities translate into unequal access to land, water, adequate housing, infrastructure and services, particularly for the most vulnerable groups. Rapid urbanization rates exacerbate existing socioeconomic challenges. The probability of being affected by climate‐related events and climate change is strongly modulated by the pre‐existing conditions of poverty and inequality. For example, extreme events will strongly affect the rural and urban poor who often reside in informal settlements in high‐risk areas (e.g., flood plains and steep slopes). Besides being extremely vulnerable to natural hazards (both climate and non‐climate‐related), LAC has become increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of environmental hazards, including those imposed by climate change; according to the available scientific information the region will be severely affected even under lower levels of global warming.

The climate change crisis is no longer a purely environmental issue but, instead, a socio‐economic crisis, and, in particular, a child rights crisis. There is a collective moral responsibility to scale practical solutions to climate change with real potential to make a difference for children and youth to survive, grow, and thrive. The coming years will be critical to promote concrete solutions with the potential of securing large‐scale impact, particularly through catalysing partnerships (public, private, etc.) for climate resilience. With the recent growth in youth climate action, UNICEF and its allies have a unique role to play to ensure that children and youth voices are adequately heard and responded to by decision makers, empowering children and youth as changemakers.

The new Strategic Plan for 2022–2025, Goal Area 4, will aim to ensure that every child, including adolescents, uses safe and equitable WASH services, and lives in a safe and sustainable climate and environment. Work under this Goal Area, including in humanitarian crises and fragile contexts, will contribute to environmental, resilience and gender components of the 2030 Agenda.

In response to these challenges and the new SP, UNICEF LACRO a has been developed a new Regional Office Management Plan 2022 – 2025 to articulate the key shifts and programmatic realignment, which will be required to accelerate results for children in the LAC region over the next 4 years. The results structure follows the alignment with the SP goal areas, so that, in all contexts, including humanitarian and fragile settings, every child, including adolescents: (1) survives and thrives, with access to adequate diets, services, practices and supplies; (2) learns and acquires skills for life and work; (3) is protected from violence, exploitation, abuse, neglect and harmful practices; (4) has access to safe, resilient water, sanitation and hygiene services and lives in a safe and sustainable climate and environment; and (5) has access to inclusive social protection and lives free of poverty.

Under Goal Area 4 (Safe and Resilient WASH and Sustainable Climate and Environment), programming is grouped around water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services and systems strengthening, and climate, environment, energy, and disaster risk reduction (CEED) for children. Whereas UNICEF and partners will focus in the advocacy for child sensitive climate and environmental policies, the promotion of youth engagement on climate action, and the implementation of comprehensive programmes from a sectoral and cross‐sectoral approach. More specifically, this GA4 will support national stakeholders’ capacities to apply a risk analysis in sectorial decision making and to develop child‐sensitive risk informed programmes that reduce risks and climate impacts on children. This will include technological innovation (e.g., renewable and efficient energy and resilient water system solutions for off grid communities) and providing scalable solutions that ensure: 1. Access to safe and sustainable water and adequate sanitation and hygiene; 2. Quality and continuous education, both in time of stability and crises; and 3. Climate and environmental risk resilient primary health care system (including air pollution). Collectively, these efforts will improve equity and strengthening the resilience of basic services, children and their communities.

Purpose of the Assignment

Nature of Individual Contract: Individual Contractor to support the implementation of CEED programmes in LAC.

The consultant will work under the overall supervision and guidance of the UNICEF LACRO Regional Climate Change and Sustainable Development Advisor. The consultant will also work closely with relevant UNICEF LACRO sections, LAC Country Offices and HQ teams.

The individual contractor will be expected to deliver the following products:

1. Technical assistance to integrate CEED‐related topics into UNICEF country offices planning and programming. 2. Technical assistance to advance key CEED programmatic areas. 3. External Partnerships and Fund Mobilization 4. Monitoring of progress on child centered regional CEED actions. 5. Knowledge Management of key CEED resources.

Specific Tasks

1. Technical assistance to integrate CEED‐related topics into UNICEF country offices planning and programming.

• Development of information materials on key climate change and environmental policy, mechanisms and processes (UNFCCC, SDGs, Sendai) relevant to UNICEF’s sectors (WASH, Health, Nutrition, Social Protection and Education) and COs in LAC.
• Support COs to review, discuss and include CEED‐related areas in key planning milestones and in line with UNICEF’s 2022‐2025 Strategic Plan.
• Provide technical assistance to COs to develop CEED‐related interventions, programmes and initiatives building upon national, regional and global experiences.

2. Technical assistance to advance key CEED programmatic areas.

• Advance key CEED programmatic areas at Country Office level of work by compiling, analyzing and synthesizing information, experiences and recommendations related to the following areas:
  • Climate‐Resilient WASH
  • Climate‐Resilient Education Systems (Climate‐Smart Schools)
  • Child Rights to a Healthy Environment and Environmental Justice
  • Children and Youth Engagement in Climate Actions
  • Shock‐responsive Safety nets
• Establish and foster technical and thematic partnerships to advance the CEED agenda in LACRO and at CO level.

3. External Partnerships and Fund Mobilization

• Develop strategic partnerships with financing and development partners, Regional Development Banks and the private sector to enhance CEED programming in the region.
• Support fundraising on climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction and building climate resilience in line with UNICEFs key thematic areas.
• Systematically pursue climate finance (global climate funds, bilateral, private sector) for UNICEF by mapping opportunities, preparing documentation and establishing partnerships with relevant focal points and partners.

4. Monitoring of progress on child centered regional CEED initiatives

• Support mapping and monitoring UNICEF CEED initiatives at country, regional and HQ levels.
• Support mapping and tracking in‐country, regional and global CEED advocacy and programming opportunities for UNICEF priority areas.

5. Knowledge Management of key CEED resources:

• Development and implementation of a CEED knowledge management plan.
• Regular provision of updates and support for organization of webinars and knowledge/training sessions with LAC Climate and Environment Focal points.
• Support facilitating the LAC Country Offices Climate and Environment Focal points network and maintaining regular and effective communication.
• Support the development and dissemination of LAC knowledge products on child‐centered climate‐resilient policy, finance and programming.

Expected Results

The following outputs are listed below but may change subject to the evolving situations and needs of the LACRO’s WASH‐CEED Section:

• Draft information materials tailored for country offices on key climate change and environmental policy mechanisms and processes.
• Matrix and narrative summary of mapping and monitoring of UNICEF CEED actions at country and regional levels.
• Support research and draft concept notes and project proposals on CEED‐related topics with a child‐sensitive focus.
• Matrix and narrative summary of mapping and tracking of in‐country, regional and global climate advocacy and programming opportunities for UNICEF priority areas.
• Preparation of relevant UNICEF presentation materials on climate change and environment for internal and external stakeholders.
• Preparation of a regional CEED knowledge management plan covering innovative approaches and good practices to support CEED programming in the region.
• Webinars preparation and training sessions materials for LAC Climate and Environment Focal points.
• Maintain SharePoint, Teams channels and other knowledge management forums for the LAC Country Offices Climate and Environment Focal points network.
• Background research notes and technical input to LACRO knowledge products on child‐centered climateresilient policy, finance and programming.
• Consultant will prepare a report at the end of each month on assignments performed during the month.

Deliverables

DescriptionDuration [in days]Expected deadlineMonthly report on activities and results30July 31, 2022Monthly report on activities and results30August 31, 2022Monthly report on activities and results30September 30, 2022Monthly report on activities and results30October 31, 2022Monthly report on activities and results30November 30, 2022Monthly report on activities and results30December 31, 2022Monthly report on activities and results30January 30, 2023Monthly report on activities and results30February 28, 2023Monthly report on activities and results30March 30, 2023To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Minimum Requirements and Qualifications

Education

• Advanced university degree (Masters or higher) in areas related to climate change, environmental policy, environmental economics, environmental health, water resource management, social sciences and public policy.

Work Experience

• A minimum of seven years of international professional experience related to climate, energy, environment, disasters, water management related programmes in developing countries is required.
• Experience working in LAC is considered as an asset.

Languages

• Fluency in Spanish and English is required. Knowledge of French or Portuguese will be considered an asset.

Technical knowledge

• A minimum of seven years of international professional experience related to climate, energy, environment, disasters, water management related programmes in developing countries.
• Knowledge and technical expertise in international climate policy and finance.
• High capacity in coordination, analysis, and synthesis.
• Good understanding of the climate action and development context in Latin America and the Caribbean region.
• Familiarity with UNICEF programming and planning processes is an asset.
• Knowledge and technical expertise in one or more of UNICEF areas of global sectoral responsibility is an asset.

Other Skills and Attributes

• Ability to clearly define objectives and plan activities and work on results‐based approaches and methodology.
• Demonstrated ability to be flexible and adapt to shifting conditions and work demands.
• Ability to work efficiently under tight deadlines.
• Must be detail oriented and creative and possess strong communication skills
• Able to work effectively in a multicultural environment and establish harmonious working relations.
• High level of integrity and commitment to UNICEF's mission and professional values.
• Sets high levels of quality and productivity.

Administrative details

Supervision

The contractor will work under the direct supervision of the LACRO Climate Change and Sustainable Advisor and in collaboration with LACRO’s advisors and specialists.

Workplace

This assignment is office-based.

Duration

This contract is expected to start on 1 July with an estimated duration of 9 months.

How to Apply

Application should be submitted online and should include: Resume, Cover Letter and Financial proposal. Qualified candidates are requested to submit daily, monthly and total fees in their financial proposal.

Travel

The consultant will be based in the Panama UNICEF Regional Office. The consultant may be required to travel to perform the assigned tasks in discussion and agreement with supervisor.

If travel is involved, it will be covered by UNICEF as per policy.

• Travel costs will be estimated and added to the contract once they are determined based on UNICEF Financial Rules and Regulations.
• For agreed country visits, the contractor/consultant will be responsible in administering their own travel. UNICEF will reimburse travel related expenses based on actual costs or on the below criteria whichever is lower and upon presentation of receipts.
• Any travel involved should be budgeted according to UN Travel Standards as a ceiling.
• UN Secretariat Administrative Instruction on Official Travel, ST/AI/2013/3: Sect. 4, para. 4.2, numerals (d) and (e)
• For information on Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA), can be found on the International Civil Service Commission website (all countries and destinations can be found by navigating on the map).

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 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.

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. The candidate may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid).