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,
The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, advocacy, and operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.
Tajikistan is one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in Central Asia, where climate change is significantly intensifying the frequency and severity of natural disasters, including floods, droughts, landslides, and extreme temperature fluctuations. These increasingly severe climate-driven events have a disproportionate impact on children, presenting serious and urgent challenges to their health, education, and overall well-being. Climate crises not only disrupt educational continuity and restrict children’s access to safe water and sanitation, but they also severely strain health and nutrition services. As a result, these effects risk deepening child poverty and inequality, further marginalizing the youngest and most vulnerable members of society.
UNICEF Tajikistan has been actively addressing these challenges by embedding climate and environmental risk considerations into its programming. Key initiatives include the Children’s Climate Risk Index (CCRI), the Climate Landscape Analysis for Children (CLAC), and research on Child Poverty and Climate Change. Each of these initiatives highlights specific climate-related risks to children and offers strategic recommendations to safeguard their rights and improve their well-being. Additionally, UNICEF’s efforts in Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) have generated critical data on how climate change affects children’s access to essential services, further underscoring areas where targeted interventions are needed to build resilience and secure safer futures for children.
To build on these foundational initiatives and enhance the impact of UNICEF’s climate-sensitive programming, there is an urgent need to consolidate and synthesize the available evidence into a comprehensive, accessible report. This report will draw from data and findings in CCRI, CLAC, and other assessments to provide a clear, evidence-based overview of the impacts of climate change on children in Tajikistan. The synthesis will be invaluable in informing policy and programmatic decisions and will serve as a compelling advocacy tool that emphasizes the importance of child-sensitive approaches in climate action.
This consultancy will deliver a visually engaging, externally accessible report, synthesizing evidence from CCRI, CLAC, and related documents to provide policymakers, donors, and development partners with a comprehensive resource to guide impactful, child-centered climate strategies.
How can you make a difference?
The purpose of this assignment is to synthesize available evidence on the impacts of climate change on children in Tajikistan into a comprehensive and visually compelling report. This report will support UNICEF’s advocacy, policy development, and programming efforts by highlighting specific climate-related risks to children.
Duration: 48 working days between 20 December 2024 – 30 April 2025
Supervisor: CEED Specialist, UNICEF Tajikistan.
Objectives:
- Evidence Consolidation: Synthesize data from the Children’s Climate Risk Index (CCRI), Climate Landscape Analysis for Children (CLAC), Child Poverty and Climate Change in Tajikistan report, and other relevant sources to develop a clear narrative of climate-related risks to children.
- Identification of Key Findings: Synthesize critical trends, risks, vulnerabilities, and opportunities for child sensitive climate interventions.
- Production of a High-Quality Report: Produce a synthesis report that is suitable for external use, incorporating visually appealing infographics and practical recommendations to guide decision-making and advocacy.
- Advocacy Support: Provide actionable insights and targeted recommendations to inform national policies and climate strategies focused on mitigating the effects of climate change on children.
Work Assignment
Under the supervision of the CEED Specialist, the consultant will be responsible for the implementation of the following tasks and delivering the specified outputs. This assignment requires active consultation and close collaboration with various UNICEF sections to ensure alignment with organizational goals and integration of expertise across relevant areas. The consultant will work closely with sector specialists to gather insights, validate findings, and ensure that the deliverables comprehensively address the child-specific impacts of climate change, as well as potential strategies for resilience and adaptation in Tajikistan.
Key Tasks:
1. Inception Phase
- Conduct a thorough review of relevant literature, including the CCRI, CLAC, WASH reports, Child Poverty and Climate Change report, and national policies on climate change and child rights.
- Analyze and synthesize existing qualitative and quantitative data from identified sources.
2. Draft Narrative Report
- Develop a Draft Narrative Report synthesizing evidence on the impacts of climate change on children, including key findings, data visualizations, and sections on trends, risks, vulnerabilities, and recommendations.
3. Final Deliverables
- Finalize the Narrative Report and develop an evidence-based advocacy brief, PowerPoint presentation, and script for a short advocacy video summarizing the findings and recommendations for policymakers and stakeholders.
4. Presentation and Dissemination
- Prepare and deliver a workshop presentation for the government, UNICEF staff and stakeholders, sharing key findings, insights, and recommendations
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
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Education: Advanced degree in Environmental Science, Climate Change, Social Sciences, Economics, Public Policy, or other relevant field.
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Minimum of 10 years of experience in climate change research, child rights, or related fields. Proven experience in evidence synthesis, development of advocacy materials, and multimedia content creation.
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Experience working with government and nongovernmental organizations on climate-related initiatives.
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Skills: Strong analytical skills and experience with both qualitative and quantitative research. Expertise in data visualization and creating visually appealing reports, presentations, and videos.
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Ability to work independently and meet deadlines. Familiarity with the UNFCCC process and national climate policies is an asset.
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Proven ability to produce high-quality deliverables under tight deadlines.
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Language requirements: Excellent written and oral communication skills in English. Knowledge of Russian or Tajik is an asset.
Qualified candidates are requested to submit:
- Profile (CV)
- Cover letter
- Technical proposal describing approach/methodology to achieve the tasks of The ToR, workplan with concrete timeframes
- At least 2 papers / concept notes previously developed by the candidate or when candidate provided substantial inputs to the documents
- Financial proposal in USD indicting fee per day and cost of the travel – Annex 3 to be completed at the following link
- Applications without technical and financial proposals will not be considered.
Applications must be received in the system by 12 November 2024 on UNICEF website.
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 committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.
According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF.
UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.
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.