Mainstreaming climate change in Guinea Bissau Country Programme

The main objective of this consultancy is to identify relevant, feasible and operational actions on addressing the impact of climate change on children that could be considered and integrated into the implementation of the CPD for the period 2018-2020

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, 

Background

By adopting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), the world leaders reaffirmed the imperiousness of a global action to limit the multiple threats caused by worsening climate change to the human being. Not only a degraded environment is source of direct harms such as exacerbated flood, droughts, heatwaves and wildfires, it is also jeopardizing the already fragile livelihood of the most vulnerable of which women and children.

Children are the most affected by climate change. It is estimated that over half a billion children live in extremely high flood occurrence zones while nearly 160 million live in high or extremely high drought severity zones (UNICEF, 2015). Children are at a development stage which makes them most vulnerable to hunger and malnourishment during floods and droughts. They are also most at risk of respiratory disease as air pollution worsens. The situation will be worst for those who are already suffering overlapping deprivations and those affected by various diseases such as pneumonia, malaria, diarrhea.

Children in Guinea Bissau are amongst the most vulnerable in the world. According to the multidimensional poverty analysis conducted jointly by UNICEF and UNDP in 2017, almost all children suffer at least one deprivation and more than 70% cumulate at least 3 deprivations. Bissau Guinean children are prone to significant climate change risks as the country’s ecosystem although being exceptional is also one of the weakest in the world (National Report on Intended National Determined Contribution, 2015). Children will be the most suffering from environmental challenges the country faces including deforestation/soil erosion and the coastal area, sea rise, biodiversity conservation and quality of water resources.

The adoption of the COP21 Climate Agreement marked an important political shift at the global level to address climate change. UNICEF considers this milestone as an opportunity for making significant progress in strengthening family’s resilience and addressing the impact of climate change on children. It has adopted a new strategic plan 2018-2021, which is aligned with the SDG and clearly emphasizes the criticality of a strong policy response to interrupt the current climate change trajectory. It intends to work together with other stakeholders at global and national levels to mitigate the impact of climate change and growing environmental risks on children.

As a Party Non Annex I (NAI) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Guinea Bissau participated in the COP21 and defined its Intended National Determined Contribution (INDC). It has formulated short to long term actions aiming at strengthening the country’s resilience to adverse climate changes. In short to medium term, these actions will consist of increasing the percentage of protected areas from 15% to 26% and ensure an effective implementation of the Forest Act and the moratorium to ban the felling and export of timber over the next five years. Actions also aims at increasing the adaptation capacity of national ecosystems through soil protection against water and wind erosion, and protecting the coast against rising sea levels and other types of erosion. The country will further promote forestry/plantation of species resistant to drought and low rainfall by 2030, develop an Integrated Management Programme for the Coastal Zone by 2025 and reduce energy losses up to 10% in the 2030-time span.

While these actions are defined at national level, climate change challenges and mitigation actions are not systematically integrated in the existing sectoral plans.

As UNICEF Guinea Bissau and the Government have embarked in the mid-term review (MTR) of the country programme 2016-2020, there is an opportunity to initiate reflections on how to mitigate the impact of climate change on children in Guinea Bissau. The current Country Programme Document (CPD), which is being implemented since 2016, is anchored on seven programs which are aligned with the country’s national development, especially the specific strategic axis on promoting human development. The seven CPD priorities are: (i) child and maternal health and nutrition; (ii) children and AIDS; (iii) water, sanitation and hygiene, (iv) education equity and quality; (v) child protection; (vi) Advocacy, communication and partnerships and (vii) Planning, monitoring, evaluation and social policy. The MTR is an opportunity to undertake an assessment of the risks that climate change entails to these various programs and identify mitigation measures.

This consultation is launched to undertake a mapping of risks related to climate change that may affect the various program areas of the country programme to help identify programmatic responses to mitigate those risks. This exercise should refer to UNICEF policy and guidance documents on climate change of which:

• The executive directive on addressing the impact of climate change on children;
• Clear the air for children;
• Unless we act now: the impact of climate change on children;

Objective

The main objective of this consultancy is to identify relevant, feasible and operational actions on addressing the impact of climate change on children that could be considered and integrated into the implementation of the CPD for the period 2018-2020

How can you make a difference?

ACTIVITIES AND TASKS:

Specifically, the consultant will:

• Collect and review existing documents on climate change in the country and summarize key elements in a short analytical paper;
• Review the CPD and other relevant documents such as UNPAF and how they consider climate change;
• Identify and categorize potential risks related to the CPD programmatic areas;
• Review current national strategies and interventions related to mitigation of climate change in the country;
• formulate actionable recommendations to integrate feasible actions that address the impact of climate change on children.

Expected results: 

•  The existing documentation on climate change is collected and synthetized through a short analytical paper (2-4 pages);
• The mapping of broad category of climate change risks that may affect programmatic areas is done (2 pages);
• Actionable recommendations are made for addressing the impact of climate change on children through UNICEF programmatic interventions;
• A synthesis report of 6-8 pages and PowerPoint presentation

Duration:  10 days in total with possibly 5 working days in Bissau if required

Location:  Home-based and possibly in Bissau (Guinea-Bissau) if required

DELIVERABLES, TIMEFRAME AND PAYMENT:

Note: The Country Office’s will have a period of one week to review the mapping and action points to provide feedback. The consultant must take the feedback and comments into consideration for the final report.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• Education

  • An Advanced university degree in Environmental Sciences, Sustainable Development or related areas.

  Experience

  • A minimum of 8 years experience in environment policy or program design and evaluation.
  • Excellent knowledge of a range of climate change thematic areas (adaptation, mitigation, technology transfer, and financing).
  • Proven ability to strategically inform policy decisions
  • Experience in programme management in the area of climate change.
  • Fluency in English or French is required. Working knowledge of Portuguese is highly desirable.
  • Strong analytical skills in programme design and assessment
  • Experience working in West Africa and/or Guinea-Bissau is an asset
  • Some prior experience with UNICEF or UN agency programme planning
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with strong interpersonal and presentation skills.

CONDITIONS OF WORK

• The total duration of the consultancy is of 10 working days. Detailed calendar and timeframe to be agreed upon;
• The consultancy, on a SSA type contract at the P4 level;
• As a general principle, the fees payable to a consultant shall follow the best value for money principle (achieving the desired outcome at the lowest possible fee). Therefore, the consultants are required to indicate their fees for services to be provided;
• When in Bissau, the consultant will work in UNICEF Guinea-Bissau office;
• The consultant will work with own IT equipment;
• UNICEF Guinea-Bissau will provide office space and other secretarial support if required;
• UNICEF Guinea-Bissau will provide transport to and from the airport, and any work related transport in country, if needed.

The consultant will have to present a proposal, including the working methodology at the time of application.

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.

The technical competencies required for this post are….

View our competency framework at

http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

Remarks:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

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