International consultancy – Climate Landscape Analysis for Children (CLAC) in South Sudan for 5 months

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, Care

Purpose
The overall objective of this assignment is to lead and manage the development of a Climate Landscape Analysis for Children (CLAC) in South Sudan, working in collaboration with a national consultant as part of a team The CLAC will inform the needed programmatic shift for UNICEF South Sudan by applying the climate lens to all aspects of the country programme.

The development of the CLAC aims to understand the overall Climate, Environment and Energy (CEE) landscape in South Sudan in terms of data availability and gaps, existing laws, policy and regulations, risks to children and their caregivers/parents, opportunities, and potential benefits of climate actions. It will also investigate child-sensitive approaches to inform UNICEF’s mainstreaming of climate change and environmental actions into ongoing and future programmes in the country. The international consultant’s role is pivotal in providing a unique perspective that complements the local insights provided by national consultants, thereby enriching the programmatic framework and ensuring a robust adaptation to global climate challenges.

S/he will be responsible for leading the collecting, compiling, analysing, and reviewing key resources (e.g., literature review), gathering in-country information, and undertaking a key-stakeholder analysis (e.g., stakeholders’ interviews, qualitative and quantitative data analysis as necessary), and strategic documents development. In addition, the incumbent will provide strategic guidance and closely collaborate with Country Office (CO) management and technical staff in relevant sections to identify and develop programming options and recommendations for the successful integration of climate, energy and environment, and environmental sustainability (CEE) issues in the country programme cycle.

The international consultant will provide recommendations to UNICEF South Sudan, with a focus on Environment and Climate Action programme, by identifying a set of actionable opportunities to integrate climate, environment, and energy-related development issues into UNICEF’s sectoral programmes and cooperation with South Sudan government agencies.

Background
For more than 70 years, UNICEF has been working in 190 countries and territories to promote children’s survival, protection and development. As the world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, safe water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation and HIV 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, disaster risk, 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 five Outcomes Areas of the UNICEF Strategic Plan 2022-2025 – health, nutrition, education, child protection, WASH and social protection- is affected in some way by climate change, disaster and/or environmental degradation. Fortunately, each stream of UNICEF work also presents opportunities to act on climate, energy, environment and/or disaster risk reduction (DRR) in order to deliver more sustainable results. There are major implications of climate change, disaster, lack of energy access and environmental degradation for children. UNICEF has strong potential to strengthen the response to these issues.

South Sudan ranks among the countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, posing significant threats to the health, education, and protection of its young population. According to the Children’s Climate Risk Index (CCRI) published by UNICEF, South Sudan is having a CCRI score of 8.2 and ranked 7th out of 163 countries, classifying the children in South Sudan as at “extremely high” risk with their exposure to climate hazards and environmental shocks. The nation’s children are particularly susceptible to heatwaves, vector-borne diseases, air pollution, water scarcity, riverine flooding, and pollution (soil and water). However, investments in social services, especially in Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), and child health and nutrition can substantially mitigate these.

Children’s exposure to disease vectors includes PF malaria (stable) (99 percent), aedes (99 percent), dengue (72 percent), and zika (24 percent) with an expected increase in disease outbreaks due to climate change – placing an additional burden on the already stressed South Sudan’s health sector. While 68 percent of children in South Sudan are exposed to heatwaves, 43 percent are exposed to water scarcity and 32 percent are exposed to ambient air pollution.

The recurrent climatic adversities, including severe flooding (affecting 7 out of the 10 states and 3 administrative area) and drought (3 states), exacerbated by conflicts over dwindling natural resources, have instigated a cycle of displacement, food insecurity, and health challenges that disproportionately affect children. To address this, there must be an understanding of the impact of these climatic exposures on children, upon which and advocacy strategy and action plan will be developed for implementation. A notable lack of comprehensive data and insights hinders the development of effective child-centric climate resilience and adaptation strategies.

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

Scope of Work:
The incumbent will lead the development of Climate Landscape Analysis for Children (CLAC) and provide direction and support to UNICEF South Sudan to develop management responses to the recommendations to be incorporated into the country programme.

S/he will take a leading role in collecting, compiling, analysing, and reviewing key resources (to be discussed with UNICEF during inception) and coordinating the information gathering and review processes. S/he will supervise a national consultant to undertake key informant interviews with key stakeholders as well as consultations with children and adolescents on the topic, making sure voices are heard from male and female children and adolescents and young people with disabilities. The international consultant will provide a comprehensive framework to analyse the information and support the formulation of the recommendations for the country office.

The scope of work is, as follow:
• Develop the CLAC for UNICEF South Sudan based on available information and data, and country context.
• Hold consultations with key in-country stakeholders and partners for data collection, analysis, and validation. The in-country stakeholders should be those who actively work in the climate change, environment, and energy sectors.
• Provide UNICEF South Sudan with recommendations and a set of actionable opportunities to integrate climate-, environment-, and energy-related development issues across UNICEF programmes and partnerships.
• Based on identified actionable opportunities, develop a strategic document that sets out resource mobilization strategies to respond to the adaptation needs for South Sudanese Children (Climate Finance Strategy for Children).

The final outputs of this consultancy will be a print ready CLAC and Climate Finance Strategy.

Note that the recruited international consultant will be working with national consultant as a team.

CLAC report
Draft CLAC report:
• CLAC report drafted in line with global CLAC guidance.
• Climate finance strategy for UNICEF (incluidng potential business cases tailored or that can be tailed to specific donors).

Validation and dissemination workshop:
• Validate the report with stakeholders in a one-day workshop, ensuring the participation of youth groups that provided inputs to the consultant.
• Views and perspectives of both internal and external stakeholders collected during the workshop and comments addressed.
• The invitees, venue and the agenda to be approved by UNICEF.

Final CLAC report
Based on the views and perspectives of both internal and external stakeholders, incorporate changes to a final version of the internal CLAC report. The revised, formatted and referenced final report will include and executive summary (not longer than 4 pages) with key findings and recommendations. The consultant shall ensure the CLAC is as concise as possible and aim to not exceed 50 pages with
the final CLAC report.

Based on the final approved CLAC, the consultant will prepare the following additional documents:
• Summary PowerPoint presentation (max. 20 slides)
• Message matrix on climate inclusive communication
• A set of communication materials based on the CLAC (e.g. press release, info-note, social media assets, email outreach, internal briefing etc.)
• A 4-page policy brief presenting the main findings from the report with infographics and engaging language, incl. separately key data set in response to climate financing needs. See Policy Brief Climate Landscape Analysis For Children In Viet Nam (UNICEF, 2021).

An external-facing, shorter CLAC report that removes internal recommendations and reflections. This report will be used to clearly articulate the situation for children with respect to the climate crisis and highlight UNICEF’s key areas of response. The audience of this report is government and development partners and should be a sub-set of the full CLAC report.

Administrative and planning support

The consultant will closely coordinate with the Climate Resilient WASH team at UNICEF CO.
• Assignment to be a combination of office/desk work; with frequent consultations, meetings and, if needed, site visits in country.
• The consultant is expected to be able to work independently to organize and facilitate internal meetings, external meetings/roundtables, presentations stakeholder meetings.
• The consultant is required to provide his/her own computer and communications equipment (laptops, telephones, etc.).
• The consultant must be aware of the conditions of the location of the research. In some circumstances, particular security and logistic arrangements are required. Therefore, in presenting proposals, bidders should take these elements into serious consideration. UNICEF is not responsible for any unexpected additional cost or arrangement required during the implementation of the assignment, unless the request is outside the scope of the initial project design that the consultant/contractor based their bid on.

Methods

The incumbent will follow UNICEF’s CLAC guidance note which will be shared by UNICEF. A thorough desk review will be required to examine country specific working documents, reports, studies, research, regulations and other legal frameworks in force related to climate action. The desk review will also include UNICEF’s global and regional reports as well as country specific data detailed in these for the country (i.e. reports such as the Children’s Climate Risk Index (CCRI), mapping and analysing of NDCs, etc.). Interviews with key stakeholders will include Government officials, United Nations agencies, donors, civil society (incluidng youth, people with disability and women’s organizations), and the private sector. The national level consultations will take place in Juba. If required, field offices will be visited by the incumbent for further consultation of field office staff and local stakeholders. Analysis and additional research will be conducted to answer specific questions and, if necessary, to fill information gaps. Gendered dimensions of climate change will be considered throughout the analysis. Analysis, collection of data, and results will be validated in workshops.

Deliverables and Schedule of Payments
The payments will be delivery-based on progress submitted by consultant as per the major
deliverables as follows:

Deliverable Payment
Inception Report with a detailed workplan and data collection tools 10 % Upon satisfactory delivery
CLAC baseline assessment report
20% Upon satisfactory delivery
Draft CLAC report, and draft document on Climate Finance Strategy
20% Upon satisfactory delivery
Stakeholders’ consultation event 10% Upon satisfactory delivery
Second Draft Report
A draft PowerPoint presentation
A second stakeholders’ consultation and validation event 20% Upon satisfactory delivery
Final CLAC report package
• Final CLAC Final Report, including internal and external.
• Final climate finance strategy for children document.
• Policy brief.
• Communication materials.
• Final Power Point presentation 20% Upon satisfactory delivery

Involvement of key stakeholders
UNICEF will assist with the coordination of key stakeholder’s contribution to the work. The latter will
be listed, reviewed and agreed with the selected consultants during the presentation and validation of
the inception report.

Supervision of the study
The Study will be supervised by the WASH Specialist, in coordination with the Chief WASH

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:
• Advanced university degree in environmental science, climate policy, environmental health management, natural resource management, social and economic development, or related areas.
• Over10 years of relevant professional experience in international climate change policy, environmental advocacy, or global program management for climate resilience.
• Proven track record in policy advising and development with outcomes that have influenced national or international climate policies.
• Exceptional communication skills, with fluency in English required Excellent research and analytical skills in synthesizing complex climate data and translating it into strategic actions and policy recommendations that align with child protection and sustainable development goals.
• Demonstrated expertise in designing and leading large-scale climate change initiatives and strategies within complex and diverse international settings.
• Ability to facilitate high-level workshops and seminars, effectively engaging and transferring knowledge to diverse international and local teams.
• Experience 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’s assessments.
• Previous work experience in the Africa region is an asset
• Experience working in conflict-affected or high-risk regions, with a sensitive approach to navigating cultural complexities in a professional setting.

All applications MUST be accompanied with very detailed technical and financial proposal.

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.