Climate change and Risk-Informed Programming Specialist

Eligibility criteria

Minimum age: 25 years old. Nationals of the country of assignment are not eligible, except the assignments in Headquarters duty stations.

Description of task

Purpose

The purpose of this UNV assignment is to support efforts to improve UNICEF Regional Office and Country Office capacities and enable meaningful action to strengthen resilience of children, communities overall and in particular through effective social service delivery systems in UNICEF supported social sectors. To this end, the UNV will support the WCARO Regional Resilience Advisor (Programme Specialist) in his work in areas related to evidence-generation, awareness-raising and advocacy, knowledge management, technical support, partnership building and resource mobilization benefiting WCARO Sections and WCAR Country Offices.

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of the UNICEF WCARO Regional Resilience Advisor (Programme Specialist Risk & Resilience) or his designated mandated representative(s), the UN Volunteer Climate change and Risk-Informed Programming Specialist will engage in:

Evidence generation

The UNV is expected to support a better understanding on the impact of shocks and stresses on children and UNICEF supported Government programmes.

Awareness-raising and advocacy

Based on continuous generation of evidences both from internal sources and partner organizations, he/she will contribute to raise awareness on the correlation of disaster impact on sector results create space for increased UNICEF engagement on risk-informed programming incl. through internal and external advocacy, and outreach to connect and support youth engagement for resilience.

Knowledge management

Support efforts to identify and share new tools, guidance documents and good practices to facilitate child-responsive climate change adaptation/mitigation, disaster risk reduction, conflict sensitivity and peacebuilding action, integrated in UNICEF WCAR programmes at regional and country level. This support to enhance references on knowledge management spaces (WCAR Resilience Teams workspace and SharePoint) will be complemented by (co-)organization of webinars and trainings, or referrals to that of other partners.

Technical Assistance

Support would increasingly include a contribution by providing technical assistance to UNICEF Regional Office Sections and country offices in developing child focused climate change adaptation and mitigation strategic frameworks and/or practical application in various planning documents, including relevant guidelines and tools, supporting the undertaking of climate and disaster risk assessments and roll-out of action to adapt programmes to make them risk-informed.

Partnerships

The UNV will further support efforts to establish new and maintain existing partnerships with various stakeholders engaging them on the risk agenda (Regional inter-agency initiatives, UN collaboration at regional and as indicated country level in support to COs, outreach to foundations, private sector, bilateral development organisations, child-centred and other NGOs, youth groups, etc.).

Resource Mobilisation

A key contribution will be to support WCARO Resilience led resource mobilisation efforts, where the UNV will provide critical support to the Regional Resilience Advisor, including through gathering of strategic information, editorial support and beyond, to support Green Climate Fund proposals developed with partner agencies and/or country offices.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting

The UNV may be called upon to contribute to WCARO Resilience efforts on monitoring, evaluating and reporting on resilience programming at regional and country level.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities:

• Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day);
• Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country;
• Provide annual and end of assignment self- reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities.
• Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.;
• Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers;
• Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.

Qualifications/Requirements

Required degree level: 

Bachelor degree or equivalent

Education - Additional Comments:

a Master is preferred

Advanced university degree in a relevant areas such as disaster risk management, environment, climate change, conflict sensitivity and peacebuilding, social and economic development, international cooperation.

Required experience: 

36 Months

Experience remark:

• Relevant work experience focused on developing countries in development cooperation in disaster risk management and/or climate change adaptation and mitigation, environment and socio-economic development.
• Good understanding of multi-sectoral climate change impacts, climate risk assessments, and adaptation solutions required.
• Familiarity with the concept and practice of risk-informed programming, disaster risk management, climate change action.
• Expertise in capacity building, developing tools and providing training
• Familiar with children's rights and gender in the context of disaster risk and climate change adaptation and mitigation and/or natural resources management.

Language skills:

• English(Mandatory), Level - Fluent
• French(Mandatory), Level - Fluent

Area of expertise:

Disaster risk reduction, Climate change mitigation and mechanisms for technology transfer

Area of expertise details:

• relevant work experience focused on developing countries, in areas related to development cooperation in disaster risk management and/or climate change adaptation and mitigation, environment and socio-economic development.
• Good understanding of multi-sectoral climate change impacts, climate risk assessments, and adaptation solutions required.
• Familiarity with the concept and practice of risk-informed programming, disaster risk management, climate change action.
• Expertise in capacity building, developing tools and providing training
• Familiar with children's rights and gender in the context of disaster risk and climate change adaptation and mitigation and/or natural resources management.

Driving license:

No

Competencies values:

Accountability, Adaptability and Flexibility, Client Orientation, Commitment and Motivation, Commitment to Continuous Learning, Communication, Creativity, Ethics and Values, Judgement and Decision-making, Knowledge Sharing, Managing Performance, Planning and Organizing, Professionalism, Respect for Diversity, Self-Management, Technological Awareness, Working in Teams