International Consultancy- Climate Landscape Analysis for Children (CLAC)

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, education

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

Climate change, energy access and environmental degradation are equity issues, with children and young people often being the most vulnerable and affected. Addressing climate change, energy access and environmental degradation is therefore vital for building a more sustainable future for children. In addition, it is imperative that we integrate our actions on the SDGs and our humanitarian responses. Each of the core sectors UNICEF has been engaging in health, nutrition, HIV, water and sanitation, child protection, social inclusion and education - is affected in some way by climate change and/or environmental degradation. Fortunately, each stream of UNICEF work also presents opportunities to take action on climate, energy and/or the environment in order to deliver more sustainable results. There are major implications of climate change, lack of energy access and environmental degradation for children and UNICEF has strong potential to strengthen the response to these issues.

UNICEF has made a systematic effort to step up its work on climate, environment and sustainable energy for children. Climate, energy, environment, and disaster risk reduction (DRR) are cross-cutting priorities as well as a dedicated result area in Goal Area 4 - Every child lives in a safe and clean environment. The new Strategic Plan recognizes that climate change and environmental degradation are existential threats to a child’s ability to survive, grow, and thrive and that all levers of the organization need to work together in a coordinated fashion. The new Strategic Plan draws stronger links between responses to climate change with disaster risk reduction as children increasingly need holistic solutions that address both sudden-onset impacts of disasters, including those that are exacerbated by climate change — such as hurricanes and floods — and resilient solutions that promote climate-smart development for the long-term.

UNICEF Georgia is planning to conduct a Climate Landscape Analysis for Children (CLAC), examining the baseline situation of climate, energy and environment-related issues affecting children and how they relate to UNICEF’s priorities.

The objective of the CLAC report is primarily to generate awareness on dimensions of climate, environment and energy (CEE) topics and the impacts on children, including from a gender perspective. The report will contribute new knowledge by focusing on key CEE topics that affect children in Georgia and assessing how inequalities exacerbate these impacts. Further, this report aggregates data related to CEE engagement among multiple sectors in Georgia, allowing readers to gain a holistic perspective of the CEE agenda and implications for children, which was not previously available. These findings will allow for evidence-based decisions and action to child-sensitize Georgia’s CEE agenda going forward. The report is expected to provide recommendations on how UNICEF Georgia could further incorporate and strengthen work on climate, energy and environment-related issues in its Country Programme.

The selected consultant will be required to cover all the regions: Kakheti, Kvemo- Kartli, Shida Kartli, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Imereti, Guria, Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, Racha-Lechkhumi-Kvemo Svaneti, Adjara, and Abkhazia, with field visits to selected regions, to be agreed prior to commencement of the work and subject to travel restrictions.

Scope of Work:

The incumbent will lead the production of Climate Landscape Analysis for Children (CLAC) and provide direction and support to UNICEF Georgia to programme its recommendations.

S/he will be responsible for a combination of primary and secondary data collection, compiling and reviewing key resources (web-based), conducting interviews, gathering in-country information, and undertaking key-stakeholder analysis. In addition, the incumbent will work closely with UNICEF Georgia management and technical staff to identify and develop programming options and recommendations for the successful integration of climate, energy and environment (CEE) issues in the country programme cycle.

If needed, the incumbent will liaise with the Senior Programme Specialist on Climate Change and Environment in UNICEF Regional Office and/or the climate, energy and environment team in HQ/NY for support, feedback and coordination.

Expected results: (measurable results)

1) Inception phase: Adapted outline of the generic template for the CLAC report developed, tailored to UNICEF Georgia’s needs

• Initial desk review with 1) a summary of the relations between climate change, children and youth, and key sectors, 2) inventory of available data/ information and gaps, 3) initial list of stakeholders
• Develop a conceptual framework for the analysis of policies and programmes.
• Develop tools to assess institutional capacity building needs and stakeholder analysis
• Present the conceptual framework and tools to UNICEF and key stakeholders to achieve an in-depth common understanding of the framework
• Present inception report, including finalized conceptual framework and methodology.

2) Research and writing report

• Desk review and provide overview of climate, environment and energy (CEE) baseline

• Conduct a desk review of the CEE issues (including projected changes), stakeholders and policies in the country (Association Implementation Report on Georgia, 2021; Association Agreement between the EU and Georgia: European Implementation Assessment (update), 2022; the Socio-economic Development Strategy of Georgia, 2020; UNECE 3rd Environmental Performance Review of Georgia, Georgia Programme Strategy Note 2021-2025; UNICEF Georgia Country Programme Document (CPD) 2021-2025; UN Joint Work Plan 2022-2023, etc.)

• Collect information and reports from different sections in UNICEF Georgia about the office’s work and linkages to CEE.
• Collect available information and reports from relevant development partners in Georgia. Compile information on ongoing programmes related to CEE
• Provide a brief synthesis of the above, and general implications for the country’s sustainable development, with a focus on issues as they relate to UNICEF’s mandate
• Review key policy documents related to climate, energy and environment and UNICEF’s corporate priorities with a view of assessing child-rights and CEE linkages
• Compile and evaluate list of recent and on-going and planned CEE activities (against the Country Programme Document, https://www.unicef.org/executiveboard/documents/georgia-draft-country-programme-document-2021 and the work plan)
• Identify knowledge and information gaps
• Collect, incorporate and triangulate comments from all stakeholders with reference materials from the desk review
• Analyse CEE interventions for relevance to UNICEF programming, including identifying direct threats to current program activities
• Conduct interviews & meetings with key stakeholders in the area of CEE and child rights
• Identify and collect data and information gaps related to children, environment and energy issues to be filled through interviews
• Conduct interviews with UNICEF sections, external partners and stakeholders on CEE issues affecting children, including but not limited to:
  • National Center for Disease Control and Public Health, Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Affairs, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Ministry of Education and Science, UN agencies
• Provide an overview of the child-CEE nexus, including analysis of implications for UNICEF sectors (i.e. Health, WASH, Child Protection, Nutrition, Education, Social Policy, Social and Behaviour Change)

3) Identify priority entry points for UNICEF engagement and programming of CEE

• Identify partnership and funding opportunities to support UNICEF programme recommendations
• With reference to climate finance mechanisms, bilateral funding and/ or Government budgets, identify funding opportunities to support CEE-child
• Identify appropriate CEE-child rights linkages and evaluate relevance for potential UNICEF programming options and identify new CEE-Child nexus issues/ themes
• Prepare and present a summary presentation of findings for UNICEF Georgia and relevant Government and development partners
• In close collaboration with UNICEF Georgia staff, identify and evaluate potential entry points for UNICEF engagement with CEE
• With UNICEF Georgia staff and management, develop and define priority areas for UNICEF engagement
• Propose options for prioritization of issues and entry points and facilitate the decision-making process
• In coordination with the UNICEF Georgia management team, conceptual how CEE could be integrated into the UNICEF Georgia programming cycle

Propose how to strategically place UNICEF in complementarity and coordination with other UN Agencies on contributing to CEE in the framework of the CPD.

Duration: 1/09/222 -01/12/2022

Location: The consultant will mostly work remotely but will have to pay one visit to Georgia (subject to possible travel restrictions) to interview key stakeholders and visit selected regions of Georgia (to be agreed prior to commencement of the work and subject to travel restrictions). The visit to last approximately 2 weeks.

Work Assignment Overview

Tasks/Milestone:

Deliverables/Outputs:

Timeline:

Inception report

Inception document with elaborated methodology, work plan (and schedule), including milestones and outputs, and draft data/information collection plan and tools, literature list

1/09/2022 – 30/09/2022

Draft report

Draft report (including a separate chapter on Abkhazia) for review and comment by UNICEF

1/10/2022 – 07/11/2022

Final report

Final report with corresponding summary document for advocacy purposes & recommendations

14/11/2022 – 01/12/2022

Minimum Qualifications required:

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

• Advanced university degree in environmental science, environmental health management, natural resource management, social and economic development, or related areas.
• At least 8 years of relevant professional experience in research and expertise in WASH, child rights and climate/environment-related issues
• Excellent writing skills required
• Excellent research and analytical skills required
• Demonstrated expertise in child rights or any of UNICEF’s main areas of work (health, WASH, nutrition, child protection, social policy, education, gender, HIV/AIDS) is considered an asset
• Previous work experience with UNICEF is an asset, in particular in climate-resilient services provision, CEE policies and/or UNICEF climate landscape for children assessments
• Previous work experience in the Europe and Central Asia region 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 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.