National Consultant- to support UNICEF Maldives on climate change advocacy efforts of the country office, NOB, 6 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.

Advert: National Consultant- to support UNICEF Maldives on climate change advocacy efforts of the country office

How can you make a difference?

Maldives has a sensitive environmental profile, most people, especially adolescents and young people do not have a good understanding of climate change and its effects as well as have capitalised on available spaces to engage their communities around climate action. A study on the effects of climate change on children in the Maldives (UNICEF, 2017), found that children associated the gradual increase in temperature and associated health issues to changes in the climate but required further engagement to build their knowledge on climate change and disaster risks associated. Some schools have environment clubs which allow students to engage in participatory-activities related to environmental protection such as island and beach clean-ups and recycling.

It has been observed that adolescent girls and boys and young people are to link the effects of climate change such as increased coral bleaching events, extended dry period resulting in drinking water shortages, and continued rise in vector-borne diseases associated with the rainy season such as dengue epidemics (especially during flooding events). Hence, it very important for them to build their knowledge on climate change, particularly in the context of the Maldives, get involved in protecting the environment, and addressing environmental issues that impact them and their communities and/or how to give adolescents a voice on climate change. Getting their participation is vital to successfully implementing the Climate Emergency Act (May 2021), which requires both behaviour change and investments to ach. With more young people getting engaged in environmental advocacy, due to the increase in infrastructure projects with potential impacts on the environment, participation of young people in the national development agenda armed with the right knowledge is paramount to influence positive change in their societies and the country.

The Purpose of the assignment:

Support UNICEF Maldives on its climate change advocacy efforts including:

• Engagement of adolescents and young people (AYP) to build their knowledge and promote climate action,
• Work closely with civil society organisations and private sector partners to promote learning and action around climate change,
• Providing technical support to UNICEF, Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Technology (MoECCT) and partners on joint climate change-related initiatives.

Duty station: The consultant will be based in UNICEF MCO, and will work under the supervision of Communication for Development Officer.

Supervisor: Communication for Development Officer, UNICEF MCO

Key Tasks for the Assignment:

The consultant will support UNICEF Maldives on climate change advocacy efforts of the country office and and will undertake the following tasks:

• Provide technical support to develop UNICEF-MoECCT/partners joint initiatives around climate change.

• Pre-COP26 learning/experience-sharing event for AYP with key partners and international participants.

• Provide technical support to UNICEF to engage adolescents and young people (AYP) to build their knowledge around climate change and promote climate action, including:

• Youth Challenge – AYP teams to participate to develop community-based solutions to address impacts of climate change.

• Scale-up of AYP learning sessions on climate change and ideation for climate action in island communities.

• Develop key messages from IPCCC, global and national documents / research to develop communication materials for advocacy on climate change as a child rights issue.Develop key messages from IPCCC, global and national documents / research to develop communication materials for advocacy on climate change as a child rights issue.

• Engage with CSOs in the Maldives to promote learning and action around climate change.

• Identify and create opportunities to work with CSOs to advocate for AYPs engagement around climate action.

• Estimated duration of contract: 145 working days (between Sep 2021 – Mar 2022)

Deliverables:

• Monthly reports consisting of the following:

• Minimum 100 young people (across islands) are reached with information on CC actions and opportunities to participate in youth challenge and advocacy efforts.

• 15 adolescent girls and boys from diverse locations in Maldives are identified and actively participate in the advocacy workshop for COP26 and COY16.
• The Climate cChange learning toolkit manual prepared in 2019 is updated with new information and data as well as advocacy messages post-COP26 and COY16.

• The Ministry of ECCTMoECCT is supported in refining its strategies for youthadolescent/young people’s engagement and inclusion of children and young people and the impacts of CC on their lives in national climate change policies/strategies.

• Final report summarizing the achievements, challenges and recommendations. Additionally, details about the engagement with AYP in communities should be included.

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

• Master’s Degree or equivalent in Science, Social Science with specialization in Environmental/Natural Resource Management, Climate Change, Disaster Reduction, and/or Development Studies.
• Minimum 2 years of experience in relevant areas of work on environment and climate change.

• Hands-on experience in working with island communities (community mobilisation) would be an advantage.

• Knowledge of environment, natural resource management and climate change issues globally, regionally and at the national level.

• Knowledge of development and environmental issues in Maldives.
• Proven experience in developing community engagement tools and strategies.

• Previous experience in working with UN agencies will be an added advantage.

• Good analytical and communication skills (both oral and written).

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are...

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

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.