• Country: New York, USA
• No of vacancies: N/A
  
• Salary: N/A 
• Organization: UNICEF
• Gender: Both 
• Deadline: 2024-01-02

Purpose of Assignment:

This consultancy will focus on specific steps of the climate shift: assess climate risk to WASH and set the climate rationale for UNICEF interventions; screen, assess and manage the potential impacts of UNICEF climate resilient initiatives, linking proposed solutions to adaptation and mitigation benefits; and develop fundraising concepts and proposals.

It will be funded by FCDO for Rwanda, Uganda, Madagascar, Malawi, State of Palestine, Chad, Bangladesh, Nepal, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone and Pakistan; ASWA-Accelerated Sanitation and Water for All for Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Somalia, and Tanzania; and EU for Colombia, Ethiopia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Programme Group WASH does not have funding to cover all planned activities until the end of 2026. Some deliverables will be completed if additional resources are available.

Scope of Work:

The consultant will review, draft, and finalise climate proposals, especially when there is a weak climate rationale and science basis that needs strengthening. Consultant tasks:

• Validate Climate Rationale and Science basis:
  • Utilize climate datasets from internationally accepted and validated climate sciences sources
  • Calculate GHG emissions for baseline emissions
  • Review Climate Modelling to forecast potential future scenarios; incorporate insights into climate proposals
  • Analyze existing tools/sources of information for use in climate risk analyses
• Strengthen Current Climate Proposals:
  • Examine current climate proposals to identify weaknesses in the climate rationale and its linkage to the proposed Outcomes, Outputs, and Activities
  • Outline assumptions for the proposed interventions, ensuring they are evidence-based and aligned with the broader context  and UNICEF SP 2022-2025
  • Propose options to address identified shortcomings. Draft the Theory of Change
  • Based on country level proposals, develop Country reports each with a robust/ strengthened climate rationale and a summary of feedback on reviewed climate rationales
• Develop Climate Concept notes and project proposals:
  • Based on climate data analysis and climate modelling available, draft climate proposals to enhance the climate rationale with concise, and persuasive project description
  • Support development of climate proposals based on needs/priorities, that emphasize a strong climate rationale, ensuring coherence with the intended development outcomes
• Ensure Stakeholder Engagement:
  • Collaborate with in-house and external stakeholders, including potential co-financiers and partners to refine proposals
  • Engage with project teams and project beneficiaries for a grounded understanding and alignment of the climate proposal.
  • Support UNICEF Programme Group to determine relevant climate science related global and regional partnership
• Follow-up Market Analysis:
  • Monitor global climate modelling and climate sciences trends including opportunities and challenges
  • Provide periodic updates/ recommendations to the management on emerging areas of interest in climate sciences
• Maintain Quality Assurance:
  • Document all changes, and enhancements to the climate rationale and  climate proposals with relevant citations to internationally accepted and validated sources in climate sciences
• Collaborate with UNICEF internal climate experts

The Consultant will conduct capacity building and quality assurance training to UNICEF or to external partners. Tasks include:

• Assist the government in enhancing their capacity to manage and implement climate initiatives
• Facilitate knowledge transfer/ skill development among UNICEF, and climate change external partners
• Ensure all outputs and deliverables meet UNICEF’s quality standards

Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables:

1) Inception report with workplan, deliverables, and methodology

By 10 Feb 24

2) Comprehensive report detailing the different data options, and recommendations for low- and middle-income countries to get access to relevant climate data for use to determine climate risks in the WASH sector. Report shall incorporate recommendations of data gaps and practical recommendations to bridge the gap between climate data and needs by WASH practitioners

By 10 Apr 24

3) 11 Country Reports each with:

i)3-5 pages of a robust/ strengthened climate rationale, and

ii)1-page summary of feedback on reviewed climate rationales in proposals (weaknesses and strengths) and recommended changes made to the climate rationales to get robust climate rationale

By 10 Jul 24

4) 4 Country Reports (detail needed same as deliverable 3) By 10 Mar 25

5) 8 Country Reports (detail needed same as deliverable 3)

To be added later-funding to be confirmed By 10 Jul 25

6)7 project concept notes, and/or project proposals (Readiness, GCF SAP and full proposals) with robust climate rationale/ climate science basis

By 10 Oct 24

7) 2 Project ideas on climate resilient WASH By 10 Oct 24

8) 4 project concept notes, and/or project proposals (detail: refer to deliverable 6) with robust climate rationale/ climate science basis  By 10 Jan 25

9) 2 Project ideas on climate resilient WASH By 10 Jan 25

10) 3 project concept notes, and/or project proposals (detail: refer to deliverable 6) with robust climate rationale/ climate science basis  By 10 Nov 25

11) 2 Project ideas on climate resilient WASH By 10 Nov 25

12) 7 project concept notes, and/or project proposals (detail: refer to deliverable 6) with robust climate rationale/ climate science basis.  By 10 May 26

13) 2 Project ideas on climate resilient WASH.  By 10 May 26

14) 1 Presentation with case studies from countries (to include key findings, recommendations, and changes made to the climate proposals). By 10 Nov 24

15) 1 Presentation (updated from previous presentation) with case studies from additional countries (detail: refer to deliverable 14). By 10 Dec 25

16) 1 Presentation (updated from previous presentation) with case studies from additional countries (detail: refer to deliverable 14) By 10 Aug 26

Qualifications

Education:

• Master’s degree/advanced degree in Climate Studies, Environmental Science, Social Science, or related fields. PhD will be an advantage

Languages:

• Fluency in English (ability to communicate in French a strong advantage)

Work experience:

• A minimum of 7 years of experience drafting and reviewing climate-related proposals/ projects. Experience with IFIsadvantageous
• Proven experience working in (1 or more) social sectors of interest to UNICEF (WASH, Education, Nutrition, Health, etc.), including renewable energy generation and access

Competencies/Knowledge:

• Strong knowledge and proficiency using and interpreting climate datasets/ climate models
• Strong analytical, communication, and writing skills
• Ability to work collaboratively with multi-cultural teams and stakeholders

APPLY NOW