International consultancy on Climate Landscape Analysis for Children in Uzbekistan

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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, safety!

BACKGROUND & RATIONALE

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you. 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 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. The organization has issued an Executive Directive on integrating a climate, sustainable energy and environment focus into country programming, and established environmental issues as a core pillar of its 2022-2025 Strategic Plan (Goal Area 4 – Safe and Clean Environment – that focuses on creating a safe and clean environment for children, addressing environmental challenges, and ensuring that children are protected from environmental hazards to promote their overall well-being and development) including commitment to work on climate change under the Common Chapter with various stakeholders, including governments, civil society organizations, and other UN agencies, to advocate for policies and programs that prioritize children's environmental health.

The Climate Landscape Analysis for Children (CLAC) is of utmost importance for Uzbekistan due to the country's vulnerability to climate change impacts. Uzbekistan faces significant risks from hydrometeorological hazards and natural disasters, which have a detrimental impact on the economy, as well as the well-being and health of the entire population, with a particular emphasis on children and women. The country's vulnerability to various climate change-related issues is increasing, including droughts, high temperatures, heat waves, dust storms, desertification, land degradation, heavy precipitation, mudflows, mass movements, floods, and avalanches. Additionally, Uzbekistan is grappling with one of the most prominent disasters of the 21st century, the Aral Sea catastrophe. Despite being classified as a country with a low-risk index according to the 2023 Inform Global Risk Index, an open-source risk assessment for humanitarian crises and disasters, Uzbekistan remains susceptible to droughts (scoring 6.6 out of 10), floods (scoring 6.3 out of 10), earthquakes (scoring 8.1 out of 10), epidemics (scoring 6.1 out of 10), and other hazards. Moreover, in the Europe and Central Asia region, including Uzbekistan, more than 83% of children are exposed to ambient air pollution. These challenges directly affect the well-being and rights of children, who are among the most vulnerable groups in society. The CLAC will provide valuable insights into the specific climate risks faced by children in Uzbekistan, enabling policymakers, practitioners, and stakeholders to develop targeted strategies and interventions to protect children's rights, enhance their resilience, and ensure their overall well-being in the face of a changing climate. The findings and recommendations of the CLAC will serve as a crucial foundation for evidence-based decision-making and the formulation of climate-resilient policies and programs that prioritize the needs and rights of children in Uzbekistan.

UNICEF Uzbekistan CO is planning to conduct a Climate Landscape Analysis for Children, examining the baseline situation of climate, energy and environment-related issues affecting children and how they relate to UNICEF’s priorities. The report looks at stakeholders, government policies and relevant programmes in Uzbekistan. It will also provide recommendations on how UNICEF Uzbekistan CO could further incorporate and strengthen work on climate, energy, and environment-related issues in its country programme.

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

The incumbent will be responsible for the developing the Climate Landscape Analysis for Children (CLAC) and providing direction and support to the country office to programme its recommendations.

S/he will be responsible for collecting, compiling, and reviewing key resources (web-based), gathering in-country information, and undertaking a key-stakeholder analysis, including the analysis of the subnational risk data collection. In addition, the incumbent will work closely with CO management and technical staff in relevant sections within the CO to identify and develop programming options and recommendations for the successful integration of climate, energy, and environment (CEED) issues in the country programme cycle.

If needed, the incumbent will liaise with the climate, environment, energy, and disaster risk reduction and recovery (CEED) team in RO and HQ/NY for support, feedback, and coordination.

Scope of Work: 1) Generate a baseline CEED and children report

Adapted outline of the generic template for the CLAC reports developed, tailored to UNICEF Uzbekistan CO’s needs - Review example reports from other country offices and the global guidance materials - Propose any changes needed to accommodate the national context and CO priorities

Desk review and provide overview of climate, environment, energy, disaster risk reduction and recovery (CEED) baseline - Conduct a desk review of the CEED issues (including projected changes), stakeholders and policies in the country, including UNICEF and UN CEED programming (UNSDCF, CPD, RWP/AWP, joint programmes, etc.) and country specific documents e.g., NAP, NDC, DRR National Strategy, climate change policy frameworks, socio-economic policy frameworks, related national development plans, etc. - 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 - Conduct stakeholder mapping to identify potential partners, such as governmental, multilateral, bilateral, CSOs, private sector entities, youth organizations, youth-led organizations, and academia, whose priorities and strategies directly address climate change issues impacting children and young people - Review key policy documents related to climate, energy and environment and UNICEF’s corporate priorities with a view of assessing child-rights and CEED linkages - Compile and evaluate list of recent and on-going and planned CEED activities - Identify knowledge and information gaps - Collect, incorporate, and triangulate comments from all stakeholders with reference materials from the desk review - Analyse CEED interventions for relevance to UNICEF programming, including identifying direct threats to current program activities - Analyse CEED related national and subnational data collection, analysis, and reporting mechanisms.

Conduct interviews & meetings with key stakeholders in the area of CEED and child rights - Conduct interviews with UNICEF sections, external partners, and stakeholders on CEED issues affecting children - Provide an overview of the child-CEED nexus, including analysis of implications for UNICEF sectors (i.e., Health, WASH, Child Protection, Nutrition) - Identify partnership and funding opportunities to support UNICEF program recommendations - With reference to climate finance mechanisms, bilateral funding and/ or Government budgets, identify funding opportunities to support CEED-child nexus activities - Identify appropriate CEED-child rights linkages and evaluate relevance for potential UNICEF programming options and identify new CEED-Child nexus issues/ themes for CO consideration - Prepare and present a summary presentation of findings for CO and relevant Government and development partners

2) Identify priority entry points for UNICEF engagement and programming of CEED

In close collaboration with UNICEF country office staff, identify and evaluate potential entry points for UNICEF engagement with CEED - With CO sections 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 collaboration with the PME section, provide support for the integration of CEED into the country programme document (CPD) for Uzbekistan, covering the period from 2021 to 2025, while also offering recommendations for its continued integration beyond 2025.

Provide summary report including an assessment of the climate change situation of Uzbekistan and how it relates to child survival and development, including: - The impact of climate change issues on children and young people (including children and young people living with disability, and gendered dimensions of climate change and its different impacts on boys and girls, etc.). - Observed and projected changes in climate in the country and related impacts, including high exposure areas (this will likely be several maps for various climate change parameters — e.g., floods, droughts, heat or cold waves, water scarcity hotspots, etc.). - Other relevant environmental issues affecting boys and girls include environmental degradation, air pollution, chemical pollution, the aquatic environment, and the mining/extractive industry. - Vital gender considerations in relation to households’ roles and responsibilities in regard to water management, exposure to climate change hazards, safety dimensions (including increased gender-based violence [GBV]) and women’s and girls’ engagement in decision-making processes on climate change solutions (including girls’ leadership). - Status of the integration of climate education in school curriculum and barriers of access for boys and girls. (Can also include the integration of the Comprehensive School Safety Framework (CSSF) - The energy situation for children (e.g., at home, school, health clinics, public lighting, etc). - Initial thinking on comparative advantage of UNICEF on climate change issues in the country context.

Work Assignments Overview - Deliverables/Outputs - Timeline

1. Preparatory work

- Adapted and annotated outline of CLAC document, literature list December 20, 2023 (10 days) - List of proposed meeting partners, resource persons January 5, 2024 (5 days)

2. Draft Climate Landscape Analysis for children

• Draft CLAC document February 15, 2024 (30 days)
• Revised & formatted final report, incorporated comments February 25, 2024 (5 days)
• Draft recommendations and options for prioritization March 1, 2024 (5 days)
• Facilitation of internal meetings, workshops for capacity building and/or consensus building as needed March 7, 2024 (5 days)
• Facilitation of external meetings/roundtables, presentations March 14, 2024 (5 days)
• Final report

March 29, 2024 (3 days)

Total: 68 days

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

• A bachelor's degree in geography, environmental science, natural resource management, social and economic development, or a related field is required. A master's degree in any of the aforementioned areas would be considered an asset.
• Alternatively, an advanced degree in communications or journalism with demonstrated expertise on environment-related issues can also be considered.
• Minimum of five years of working experience in the relevant field
• Experience in working with an international aid organization is highly desired
• Experience in Uzbekistan and in the SIDS will be an asset.
• Excellent analytical and writing skills
• 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
• Advocacy and presentational skills are an asset Excellent research skills required
• Familiar with children's rights and gender in the context of shocks and stresses

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.