UNICEF Mauritania: International Consultant for the development of the Climate Landscape Analysis for Children (CLAC) in Mauritania (45 days Home Based).

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

The purpose of this assignment is to produce a document on Climate Landscape Analysis for Children (CLAC) of Mauritania and provide direction and support to the country office to programme its recommendations. The incumbent will be responsible for collecting, compiling and reviewing key resources (web-based), gathering incountry information, and undertaking a key-stakeholder analysis. In addition, s/he will work closely with Country Office (CO) management and technical staff in relevant sections within the CO to identify and develop programming options and recommendations for the successful integration of climate, energy and environment (CEE) issues in the country programme cycle. If needed, the incumbent will liaise with the climate, energy and environment team in HQ/NY through the WASH Section for support, feedback and coordination.

Background/Rationale:

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’s 2022-2025 Strategic Plan recognizes that Climate Change and environmental degradation are existential threats to a child’s ability to survive, grow, and thrive and that all levels of the organization need to work together in a coordinated fashion. The Strategic Plan draws strong links between responses to Climate Change with disaster risk reduction as children increasingly need holistic solutions that address both sudden-onset impacts of disasters, including those that are exacerbated by Climate Change—such as hurricanes and floods— and resilient solutions that promote climate-smart development for the long-term. The new Strategic Plan activates all of UNICEF’s levels of impact on these issues - our global programmes, our advocacy and communications infrastructure and our own operations and supply chain. Climate Change is an equity issue, with boys and girls impacted differently based on their intersecting economic status, rural/urban location, sexual orientation, ethnicity. Climate change is not gender neutral but rather amplifying already existing gender inequalities in relation to land rights, livelihoods, health, domestic labour and safety. Addressing Climate Change issues is therefore vital for building a more sustainable future for children According to UNICEF’s Children’s Climate Risk Index, Mauritania is ranked 40 in the Climate Risk Index for Children. This is the result of the high impact of climate change as well as associated environmental risks on child survival which have been evidenced through studies carried out globally. UNICEF Mauritania is planning to conduct a Climate Landscape Analysis for Children, examining the baseline situation of climate, energy and environment-related issues affecting children and how they relate to UNICEF’s priorities. This aligns with a more specific focus on addressing the impacts of climate change in the new country programme document for UNICEF Mauritania, 2024-2027. The report looks at stakeholders, government policies and relevant programmes in Mauritania. It will also provide recommendations on how UNICEF Mauritania could further incorporate and strengthen work on climate, energy and environment-related issues in its country programme

Scope of Work:

The development of the CLAC report aims to understand the overall climate, environment and energy landscape in Mauritania in terms of data availability, existing laws, strategies, policies and regulations, risks to children and potential benefits of climate actions, and the gaps in its consideration for children and child-sensitive approaches, in order to inform UNICEF’s ongoing and future programmes in the country. The consultant will be responsible for data collection and analysis, compiling and reviewing key resources including through literature review, stakeholder interviews, and carrying out qualitative and quantitative data analysis as necessary. In performing its work, the consultant will work closely with the UNICEF Mauritania team, the Ministry of Environment and sustainable Development and relevant Ministries (MHA, MINSAN, MINEDUC). The consultant will also provide recommendations to UNICEF Mauritania in identification of actionable opportunities to integrate climate, environment, and energy development issues into UNICEF’s sectoral programmes and cooperation with the Government Ministries.

The scope of the Consultant’s work is as follows:

• To develop the CLAC for Mauritania based on provided and collected information and the country context, in line with the UNICEF global guidelines.
• To hold consultations with key in-country stakeholders and partners for data collection, analysis, and validation. The in-country stakeholders should be those that actively work in the climate change, environment, and energy sectors and include line ministries and sub-national governments.
• To provide UNICEF Mauritania with recommendations and identification of actionable opportunities to integrate climate, environment, and energy development issues across UNICEF programmes and partnerships.
• To develop a print ready document and presentation of the CLAC for Mauritania. The final output of this consultancy will be a publication ready CLAC report for Mauritania.

The final output of this consultancy will be a publication ready CLAC report for Mauritania.

Methodology:

For this assignment, the consultant will be working remotely and onsite in Mauritania. he/she will carry one (1) mission out in Mauritania for 5 five open days. There will be no field missions. The consultant's travel expenses, including for field missions, will be covered by UNICEF. The consultant will have his/her own laptop computer, access to printers and photocopying facilities when on UNICEF premises. The consultant will work under the supervision of the Chief WASH. He/she will work closely with the others office section (Nutrition-health, education, social policy, etc.), the government and OSC partners in Mauritania The consultant is expected to submit a technical proposal and a financial proposal that takes into account all costs related to this consultancy (fees, daily allowances, travel expenses, etc...)

Tasks/Milestone: 

Task 1: Adapted outline of the generic template for the CLAC reports developed, tailored to UNICEF Mauritania’s needs

• Review example reports from other country offices and the global guidance materials eg A Liveable Planet for Every Child
•  Propose any changes needed to accommodate the Mauritania context and CO priorities
•  Review and adapt the report outline (to be provided by UNICEF).

Appreciate the TOR and produce a detailed workplan for the consultancy.

Task 2: Desk review and generation of climate, environment and energy (CEE) baseline in Mauritania

• Conduct a desk review of the CEE issues (including projected changes), stakeholders and policies in the country.
• Provide a brief synthesis of the above, and general implications for Mauritania’s sustainable development, with a focus on issues as they relate to UNICEF’s mandate.
• Review key policy documents related to climate, energy and environment and UNICEF’s corporate priorities with a view of assessing child-rights and CEE linkages.
• Compile and evaluate list of recent and on-going and planned CEE activities.
• Identify knowledge and information gaps.
• Collect, incorporate and triangulate comments from all stakeholders with reference materials from the desk review.
• Analyse CEE interventions for relevance to UNICEF programming, including identifying direct threats to current program activities.

Task 4: Conduct meetings with UNICEF Mauritania management and sections to identify and evaluate potential entry points for UNICEF engagement with CEE

• With NCO sections and Management, develop and define priority areas for UNICEF engagement.
• Propose options for prioritization of issues and entry points and facilitate the decision-making process.

In coordination with the PME section, support the integration of CEE in the CO’s programming cycle. 

Task 5: Consolidate the findings and write the CLAC report

• Prepare the draft CLAC report.

 Facilitate a workshop to present the report and recommendations and receive feedback.

Task 6: Produce final copies of the CLAC and recommendations.

Task 7: Conclude on all task and produce final report of consultancy. 

 Deliverables/Outputs:

Deliverable 1: Adapted and annotated outline of CLAC document Consultants workplan, including proposed list of meetings.

Deliverable 2: Completion of Baseline and overview of climate, environment and Energy for Mauritania.

Deliverable 3: Report of Stakeholder analysis in CEE and child rights. Summary presentation of findings for NCO and relevant Government and development partners.

Deliverable 4: Recommendations and identification of actionable opportunities to integrate climate, environment, and energy development issues across UNICEF programmes and partnerships.

Deliverable 5: Draft CLAC report and recommendations for UNICEF Workshop on CLAC.

Deliverable 6: Print-ready Climate Landscape Analysis for Children (CLAC) of Mauritania report.

Deliverable 7: Final report of the consultancy consolidated and submitted.

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

Master's degree in Climate Change, Geography, environmental science, natural resource management, meteorology, social and economic development, or related areas. Alternatively, a degree in communications or journalism with 7 years demonstrated expertise on environment-related issues can also be considered.