job Description
UNICEF Zimbabwe is seeking to hire an innovative and self-motivated Individual National Consultant for child - centered impact, vulnerability, and risk assessment
PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:
The consultant will develop a national child-centres impact, vulnerability, and risk assessment for Zimbabwe by conducting an analysis of the impact of climate change on children (in WASH, health, education, child protection). The consultant will map the exposures, hazards, vulnerability and capacities of children; providing analysis and a digital interactive map that allows the overlaying of these factors.
BACKGROUND:
The climate crisis disproportionately impacts children & young people. Every child in Zimbabwe (7.1 million children under 18, 47% of the population) is exposed to at least one climate/environmental hazard and at risk of climate change impacts such as flooding, drought, heatwaves, cyclones, and air pollution, yet are the least responsible.
Zimbabwe is ranked very high, especially among Southern Africa countries, in the 2021 Children Climate Risk Index published in the “The Climate Crisis is a Child Crisis” Report [1] and the latest evidence [2] indicates that the country will continue to warm through 2080. The warming is projected to be most significant in the western and southern sections of the country. The current and projected warming trend and reduction in rainfall, environmental degradation, coupled with the increasing frequency and intensity of floods, tropical cyclones, droughts, and heatwaves, threatens children’s lives, destroys schools, water supply and infrastructure, health care facilities and children’s play spaces. Further, the reduction and increased unpredictability of rainfall risk crops critical to livelihoods and nutrition. All these impacts can result in greater poverty and increasing children’s protection risks.
To date, there is limited evidence of the impacts of climate change on young people in the different sectors of WASH, health, educaion and child protection specific to Zimbabwe. Some is not accessible and available to the public domain as it is scatered in different Ministries and organisation reports. Given the current and projected climate situation, the availability of coherent, accessible and updated information on impacts of climate change on children is a priority to inform decision makers and promote appropriate adaptation and mitigation options that are appropriate for a particular area and sector. The generated evidence is also essential to enable effective mobilisation of sustainable financing, targeting of resources, and providing the climate rationale required in climate financing. To this end, a cross national sectoral vulnerability mapping and climate risk assessment on children become imperative. The generation of evidence will facilitate the planning and prioritization of risk areas and generate a better understanding of the underlying causes of increased climate risk levels.
The overall purpose of the assignment is to develop a child-centred climate change impact, vulnerability and risk assessment for Zimbabwe The work produced will enable UNICEF and partners to understand the climate impacts, risks, and vulnerability of children and utilize that information to influence programming, policy and advocacy efforts.
Duties and Responsibilities
The purpose of this consultancy is to develop the national child–centred impact, vulnerability, and risk assessment for Zimbabwe.
The assignment seeks to identify the risks to deepening child deprivations and humanitarian situations affecting children as a result of their exposure to climate-related shocks and stresses, and to understand the underlying factors that could contribute to these risks and vulnerabilities. The information will be used to inform future programmes to guide targeting of beneficiaries, ensure risk-informed programming, and support for increased resilience of social and basic services for children. The analysis will equip UNICEF to better identify priorities for inclusive climate change-focused programming and advocacy work centred around the needs of children in Zimbabwe. This assignemnt will produce a report similar to the Myamar Child Centred Risk Assessment Myanmar Child-Centered Risk Assessment.pdf (unicef.org) [1], adapted to the Zimbabwean context.
The following activities will be undertaken:
In consultation with Zimbabwe government, partners and UNICEF technical specialists (including the global UNICEF Climate Change Working Group); develop the workplan, define the methodology and procedures of the assignment, prepare tools and documents, and any other action identified as necessary for carrying out of the impact, vulnerabilityand risk assessment for Zimbabwe.,
Carry out, in consultation with UNICEF and key partners, the identification of and review of existing data,
Draft a report on the vulnerability mapping and impacts of climate change on children; drawing on existing information and resources, including climate projections/scenarios, and identifying potential areas of inclusive child-centred advocacy, programming, and intervention.
Develop an inclusive Child-Centred Risk Analysis (CCRA) [2] for Zimbabwe conducting analysis of exposure, hazards, vulnerability and capacity mapping and analysis including a layered map of all of the above.
Produce interactive digital maps to illustrate the impact of climate-related shocks on children (at least in the last five years) indicating how children (with and without disabilities) were affected and what measures were taken to minimize the impact as well as mitigate/prevent future risks.
The analysis and interactive digital mapping will demonstrate:
Extreme events profile for Zimbabwe and how boys and girls are being affected by climate change disasters
How extreme events are impacting on inequalities and how inequalities are exacerbating child vulnerability to disasters
Climate Change projections and potential impacts on different sectors especially those which are key for children (basic services, livelihoods);
What risk mitigation measures are established to minimize the impact;
Adaptation measures established by/for different population groups to prevent and lessen impact from future risks
Mapping (at least): individual hazards analysis, multi-hazard analysis, child vulnerability, child-centred risk per sector and others as identified and relevant, exposure risks (child- and disability-sensitive), capacity to respond, eGFvnfm DYgoPv
Mapping the impact of previous disasters on boys and girls with and without disabilities illustrating the geographic and programmatic areas affected
Gender analysis (identifying gender differences in child vulnerability but also the repercussions of gender inequalities on child vulnerability).
Potential areas/measures for climate change adaptation applicable to Zimbabwe context and UNICEF mandate areas
7. Provide recommendations on programming design of different sectors (WASH, education, Health, nutrition, child protection) on climate change vulnerability mapping
8. Provide all data utilized in the assignment (climate and child vulnerability) in shapefile format
Major tasks and deliverables:
Tasks/Milestone:
Deliverables/Outputs:
Timeline & Schedule of Payment
1. Develop inception report, including: workplan, methodology to conduct assignment, outline of the deliverables that will be produced - including proposed interactive digital maps, definition of research and assessment tools and documents/resource material to be used
Inception report demonstrating the methodology to be utilized for the assignment, data requirements, stakeholder mapping, proposed draft indicators for child impacts and vulnerability from climate change (including disability, age, and gender-specific considerations), proposed interactive digital maps, preliminary/proposed data sources and the draft report outline. [1] List of documents collected
One week after contract signature
4 days
2. Drafting of a comprehensive and inclusive Child-Centred Climate Change Impact, Vulnerability and Risk Assessment for Zimbabwe including multi-hazard, exposure, child vulnerability and capacity maps (at least district level) and analysis
Draft Report of the Child-Centred Climate Change Impact, Vulnerability and Risk Assessment for Zimbabwe
Eight weeks after approval of inception report
20 days
50 % payment
3. Develop interactive digital maps that allow overlays of exposure, hazards, vulnerability, and capacity of children
Interactive digital maps
5 days
3. Incorporation of comments from reviewers
Revised report of the Child-Centred Climate Change Impact, Vulnerability and Risk Assessment for Zimbabwe with comments incorporated
5 days
4. Final report including all tasks above
Final report of the Child-Centred Climate Change Impact, Vulnerability and Risk Assessment for Zimbabwe
Three weeks after submission of draft report
6 days
50 % payment
Total
40 days
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have..
Education:
An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: environmental/climate change studies, development studies and/or other related social science fields.
Languages:
Required: English
Desirable: Knowledge of a local language of the duty station is considered as an asset.
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