Programme Officer (Climate Change and Environment focus on Adolescents)

Contract

This is a UNV National Specialist contract. This kind of contract is known as National UN Volunteer. It is normally only for nationals. More about UNV National Specialist contracts.

Mozambique is a climate hotspot and powerful effects of climate change affect large populations of poor and vulnerable communities – over half of which are children. The country is highly prone to recurring natural disasters, especially floods, cyclones, and droughts, which are intensifying with climate change, and the central and southern provinces are particularly drought prone.

According to UNICEF’s Children’s Climate Risk Index (2021), Mozambique is one of the countries where children are most vulnerable to environmental stresses and extreme weather events. For children living in regions impacted by flood and drought, the risk of deprivation, threat of displacement, and loss of belongings caused by climate-driven disasters is compounded by the lack of household-level resilience and preparation for disasters and appropriate response. Negative coping strategies that affected households apply when facing crises include an increased incidence of child labour, child marriage, and selling of assets. According to a UNICEF U-report poll, children and youth in Mozambique are worried about the impacts of climate change – but they also want to be part of the solution. The overwhelming majority of respondents wishes to have an active role in the green transition, with “lack of knowledge and skills” being the most prominent barrier they perceived.

In response, UNICEF Mozambique aims to: i) Protect children from the impacts of climate change through adaptive and green basic and social services; ii) Prepare children and youth for a future with climate change through education, skills and opportunities for engagement; iii) Prioritize children in climate-focused programmes and policies; iv) Green UNICEF’s own programmes and operations.

This United Nations Volunteers (UNV) assignment will be a critical part of UNICEF Mozambique’s work towards the above-mentioned objectives, outlined in the Climate Action for Children in Mozambique Programmatic Framework 2022-2026 and UNICEF’s Global Sustainability and Climate Action Plan (SCAP).

As a national Youth UNV, the incumbent will be well-positioned to support climate activism in the country and strengthen especially the Action for Climate Empowerment Agenda. S/he will expand access to volunteer, learning and engagement opportunities, leveraging and strengthening UNICEF’s existing collaboration networks and partnerships. In addition, the incumbent will have the opportunity to work on programme development and advancing programme implementation together with programme colleagues (e.g health and nutrition, child protection, social protection, education, WASH, innovation, social and behaviour change, disability inclusion, gender, adolescent engagement).

Research, evidence generation and development of knowledge products. - Support the generation, collecting and systematizing of evidence on climate change impacts on children and child-centred basic and social services. - Co-lead the development of analysis and monitoring system(s) to capture climate change adaptation and environmental sustainability of child-centred basic and social services. - Supporting the development of knowledge products on climate, energy, environment, and disaster risk reduction, including drafting policy briefs, guides, investment cases and reports. - Support the development of contextualized guidance and recommendations for child-sensitive climate and environment, DRR and energy policies. - Provide research support regarding environmental and climate education and climate-resilient basic and social services. - Lead, review, develop and/or contextualize child- and youth-friendly learning on climate, energy, environment and DRR issues. - Lead the development of child-friendly versions of key national climate change documents. - Support the implementation of climate-related campaigns in collaboration with Government partners and produce communication, outreach and visibility materials on climate change.

Programme Development related to climate, environment and DRR. - Support fundraising on climate change mitigation and adaptation, disaster risk reduction and climate resilience in line with UNICEFs mandate and national commitments towards the Paris Agreement (NDC/NAP). - Liaise with Programme section focal points on planning, implementation and of the Programmatic Framework and reporting progress towards climate-focused indicators and provide technical support as needed. - Document and analyze existing experience of climate programming (e.g. cyclone-proof schools, youth engagement, build-back-better approach in WASH).

Engagement of Adolescents and Youth - Conduct a mapping and analysis of adolescent and youth-led climate action in Mozambique, barriers and support needs. - Develop an adolescent friendly package of materials for local actions that adolescents can take - Develop short (up to 1 day) capacity building modules for community outreach through different platforms to engage adolescents and youth in climate action - Facilitate participation of children and adolescents in national and sub-national policy and planning processes. - Work with UNICEF Youth Advocates, Adolescent Platform members and national youth delegation on Climate Change by strengthening their capacities in climate and environment, - Support youth advocates’ communication products and campaigns on climate change.

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

• Climate change adaptation, climate change education, Disaster Risk Reduction or environmental protection or other relevant community-based programmes; experience with renewable energy is an asset, as is experience working in the UN or other international development organization; • Excellent oral and written skills; excellent drafting, formulation, reporting skills; • Accuracy and professionalism in document production and editing; • Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members, religious and youth organizations, and authorities at different levels; familiarity with tools and approaches of communications for development; • Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel; • Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various Microsoft Office applications (Excel, Word, among others), email, and internet; familiarity with database management; and office technology equipment; • Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; ability to work with tight deadlines; • Sound security awareness; • Have affinity with or interest in child rights, adolescent and youth participation (fill in relevant area of the host agency’s work), volunteerism as a mechanism for durable development, and the UN system.

As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials. This position is based Maputo. National UN Volunteers are part of the malicious insurance plan. National UN Volunteers are expected to be culturally sensitive and adjust to the prevailing culture and traditions.