The proposed assignment aims to advance UNICEF’s global child-responsive Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) programmes.

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, hope.

Consultancy Title: CEED Programme Consultant

Section/Division/Duty Station: Programme Group, Climate Environment Energy & Disaster, UNICEF NYHQ

Duration: 25 November 2024 to 24 November 2025

Home/ Office Based: NYHQ / Remote

About UNICEF 

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. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/ Assignment:

Climate change, environmental degradation and disasters threaten the progress made in child survival and development, with over a billion children facing extreme risks from hazards such as heatwaves, floods, and cyclones. To protect children, countries must build climate-resilient, low-carbon social services in sectors like WASH, healthcare, and education.

UNICEF’s Sustainability and Climate Change Action Plan (SCAP) 2023-2030 aims to prioritize children’s needs in climate action, strengthen their resilience, and integrate sustainability across UNICEF’s work.

The proposed assignment aims to advance UNICEF’s global child-responsive Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) programmes. Key tasks include:

1. Facilitating the global implementation of SCAP Area of Acceleration 1 (AoA1) climate-informed risk reduction, humanitarian action, and resilient disaster recovery.
2. Enhancing internal monitoring and reporting mechanisms to track progress and impact on DRR and CCA programmes.
3. Supporting interagency partnerships to enhance collaborative efforts in DRR and CCA.

Scope of Work:

Under the supervision of the Programme Officer for Disaster Risk Reduction, the CEED Programme Consultant is expected to perform the following tasks for the CEED team, supporting the SCAP while working closely with other team members and UNICEF divisions:

Objective 1: Facilitating the global implementation of SCAP Area of Acceleration 1 (AoA1) climate-informed risk reduction, humanitarian action, and resilient disaster recovery.

To support the CEED DRR Programme Officer to effectively oversee the implementation of SCAP AoA1, through technical support and knowledge generation across all levels of the organization.

• Develop Communication Materials: Prepare written and designed communication products for AoA1 including the AoA1 brochure, executive summary, talking points and slide decks for internal and external use. 
• Resource Mobilization Support: Provide technical inputs for resource mobilization needs for AoA1, including a detailed costing exercise, development of investment cases, and inputs into funding proposals.
• Programmatic Toolkit for AoA1: Develop and distribute a 10-page programmatic toolkit for Country and Regional offices on AoA1, including updates to the SCAP menu of options.
• Programmatic Checklists Development: Refine and develop programmatic checklists for UNICEF sectors and cross-sectoral areas on CCA and DRR in collaboration with Programme Group focal points.

Objective 2: Global Monitoring and Reporting on DRR and CCA

The consultant will compile and analyze quality inputs to ensure effective documentation of DRR and CCA activities across UNICEF’s internal monitoring systems.

• Quality Inputs for Global CEED Reporting: Provide high-quality inputs for CEED in key internal reporting mechanisms, including Core Standard Indicators, the Global Annual Results Report, and SCAP reporting.
• Analysis of UN Plan of Action for DRR Reporting: Review Regional and Country Office inputs for Analyse the Regional and Country Office inputs for the 2024 UN Plan of Action for DRR reporting and develop an executive summary of UNICEF’s results for internal and external use.
• Prudential DRR Grant Support: Prepare annual and biannual reports for the Prudential DRR grant, in collaboration with Regional and Country offices.
• Compilation of Best Practices: Compile country-level best practice examples of UNICEF’s DRR and CCA programs across seven regions for internal knowledge-sharing and external use.

Objective 3: Interagency Partnership Support for Child-Responsive DRR and CCA.

The consultant will enhance UNICEF’s engagement in key DRR platforms and interagency processes through technical inputs and developing evidence and advocacy materials on child responsive DRR and CCA.

• Technical Contributions and Partnership Support: Provide quality technical inputs into interagency processes and develop partnerships with external counterparts including the Capacity for Disaster Reduction Initiative, UNDRR Focal Points Group, Risk Informed Early Action Partnership, and Early Warnings for All.
• Coordination of UN SLG Working Group: Providing coordination support for a joint UN working group on the 2023-2030 UN SLG’s DRR and CCA child responsive commitment.
• Preparations for International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2025: Assist in organizing UNICEF’s participation in the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2025, including developing advocacy materials.
• Support for Global Platform for DRR 2025: Support UNICEF’s internal preparations for the Global Platform for DRR (GP2025), including managing an internal working group, developing talking points and a global advocacy brief.

Please note that these tasks may require travel, which will be covered by UNICEF in coordination with and upon approval from the supervisor.

Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables:

Objective 1: Facilitating the global implementation of SCAP Area of Acceleration 1 (AoA1) climate-informed risk reduction, humanitarian action, and resilient disaster recovery

Deliverable 1: Develop Communication Materials. Prepare at least 4 written and designed communication products for AoA1, including 1 executive summary, 1 talking points document, and 2 slide decks for internal and external use (25 December 2025)

Deliverable 2: Resource Mobilization Support. Develop 1 detailed costing exercise for DRR and CCA programmatic interventions, development of 1 investment case, and inputs into at least 2 funding proposals (25 September 2025)

Deliverable 3: Programmatic Toolkit for Country and Regional Offices. Develop and distribute a 5-page programmatic toolkit for Country and Regional offices on AoA1 (25 August 2025)

Deliverable 4: Programmatic Checklists Development Refine and develop least 8 programmatic checklists for UNICEF sectors and cross-sectoral areas on CCA and DRR in collaboration with Programme Group focal points (25 January 2025)

Objective 2: Global Monitoring and Reporting on DRR and CCA  

Deliverable 5: Quality Inputs for Global CEED Reporting. Provide high-quality inputs in at least 3 key internal reporting mechanisms, including but not limited to the Core Standard Indicators, Global Annual Results Report, and SCAP reporting (25 February 2025)

Deliverable 6: Analysis of UN Plan of Action for DRR Reporting. Conduct an analysis of UNICEF’s Regional and Country Offices inputs into the 2024 UN Plan of Action for DRR reporting using UNDRR’s standard template. Develop 1 executive summary of UNICEF’s 2024 Plan of Action results for internal and external use (25 March 2025)

Deliverable 7: Prudential DRR Grant Support. Prepare at least 2 annual and/or biannual reports for the Prudential DRR grant (25 July 2025)

Deliverable 8: Compilation of Best Practices. Compile at least 7 short case studies showcasing best practices of UNICEF’s DRR and CCA programmes across different regions (25 April 2025)

Objective 3: Interagency Partnership Support for Child Responsive DRR and CCA

Deliverable 9: Technical Contributions and Partnership Support. Provide quality technical inputs into at least 4 interagency processes (24 November 2025)

Deliverable 10: Coordination of UN SLG Working Group. Co-ordinate at least 4 UN SLG child responsive DRR working group calls. Develop 1 workplan for the child responsive DRR UN SLG working group (25 May 2025)

Deliverable 11: Preparations for International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2025. Develop at least 3 advocacy materials for internal and external use on IDDRR (25 October 2025)

Deliverable 12: Support for Global Platform for DRR 2025 (GP2025). Co-ordinate at least 4 internal GP2025 working group calls with Regional DRR focal points. Update the GP2022 global advocacy brief and talking points (25 June 2025)

Qualifications

Education: 

Advanced university degree (Masters) in the area of Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate and Environmental Studies, International Affairs, Public Policy, or a closely related field.

Work experience:

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required *: 

• At least 1 year of experience in DRR, climate, environment, energy, or related topics.
• Strong organisational, planning, and prioritising skills and abilities.
• Ability to work effectively with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.
• Proven experience in communication and project management
• Familiarity with Climate, Energy, Environment, and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) topics.
• Prior experience with a UN agency is a distinct advantage.

Requirements:

Completed profile in UNICEF’s e-Recruitment system and

– Upload copy of academic credentials

– Financial proposal that will include/ reflect :

• • the costs per each deliverable and the total lump-sum for the whole assignment (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
  • travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
  • Indicate your availability

– Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.

– At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.

– Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

U.S. Visa information:

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.  

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. View our competency framework at: Here

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:  

Individuals engaged under a consultancy 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. Consultants 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.