Consultancy: Climate Capacity Building and Learning Consultant

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, hope.

Consultancy Title: Climate Capacity Building and Learning Consultant

Section/Division/Duty Station: PG-Climate Environment Energy & Disaster, Programme Division, NYHQ

Duration: November 1, 2024 to December 31, 2025

Home/ Office Based: NYHQ / Remote

About UNICEF 

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world’s leading children’s rights organization would like to hear from you. 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 has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

BACKGROUND

Climate change, environmental degradation and disasters threaten the progress made in child survival and development, with over a billion children facing extreme risks from hazards such as heatwaves, floods, and cyclones. To protect children, countries must build climate-resilient, low-carbon social services in sectors like WASH, healthcare and education.

UNICEF’s Sustainability and Climate Change Action Plan (SCAP) 2023-2030 aims to prioritize children’s needs in climate action, strengthen their resilience, and integrate sustainability across UNICEF’s work. To achieve this, UNICEF staff must be equipped with the knowledge and tools to integrate climate action into all their areas of work.

The Climate Capacity Building and Learning Consultant will develop and deliver a capacity-building strategy to support SCAP. Key tasks include:

1.   Developing learning modules and training materials on climate impacts across key UNICEF sectors.

2.   Facilitating workshops and webinars to enhance understanding of global and national climate policy frameworks.

3.   Supporting partnerships with external experts and institutions to strengthen UNICEF’s climate capacity.

Scope of Work:

Under the supervision of the CEED Programme Specialist, the consultant is expected to perform the following tasks for the CEED team, supporting the SCAP while working closely with other team members and UNICEF divisions:

Objective 1: Build UNICEF staff capacity to understand the impacts of climate change on children’s rights.

Key tasks:

•      Develop training materials: Develop learning modules focusing on the specific impacts of climate change on children in critical sectors (health, education, WASH, nutrition, child protection, social protection, and humanitarian emergencies). Modules should include case studies and quizzes to deepen understanding and engagement.

•      Host workshops/webinars: Together with the CEED team, organize and facilitate workshops or webinars with climate experts to present real-world case studies demonstrating how climate change affects children and UNICEF’s role in addressing these issues.

•      Create communication materials: Develop standardized presentation decks and communication materials tailored to different staff levels (e.g., ED/DEDs, country representatives) to explain climate impacts on children and the importance of integrating climate action into UNICEF’s programming.

Objective 2: Strengthen UNICEF staff’s understanding of global and national climate policy frameworks.

Key tasks:

•      Develop policy training modules: Create training modules that explain the international and national climate policy frameworks, particularly focusing on how the UNFCCC, Paris Agreement, and Sendai Framework for DRR connect with UNICEF’s work and national policies (e.g., NDCs, NAPs).

•       Facilitate policy workshops: Organize workshops with policy experts to provide policy-relevant information and guidance to UNICEF staff, equipping them to engage effectively in policy discussions at both global and national levels. This will focus on a child-centered approach to the implementation of NDCs, NAPs, and other climate policies.

Objective 3: Facilitate partnerships and capacity-building initiatives for climate action.

Key tasks:

•       Identify and engage experts: Identify and engage climate experts, researchers, universities, research institutions, and other partners who can collaborate with UNICEF in strengthening its capacity for climate action.

•       Create a partnership development strategy: Work with UNICEF to create a strategy for engaging external stakeholders, such as universities, think tanks, and climate-focused organizations, to support and enhance the organization’s climate capacity.

Please note that these tasks may require travel, which will be covered by UNICEF in coordination with and upon approval from the supervisor. 

Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables:

Objective 1: Build UNICEF staff capacity to understand the impacts of climate change on children’s rights.  

Deliverable 1.1: Training modules on climate change and children’s rights (31 May 2025)

•      Develop comprehensive learning modules (at least 7, one for each critical sector: health, education, WASH, nutrition, child protection, social protection, and humanitarian emergencies) that explain the specific impacts of climate change on children’s rights and well-being.

•      Each module should include at least 2 case studies identified in collaboration with the sector leads and the CEED team, sector-specific content, and a minimum of 2 quizzes per module for assessment.

Deliverable 1.2: Workshops/webinars on climate change and disaster impacts (15 Dec 2025)

•      Organize and facilitate at least 4 workshops/webinars (one per quarter) featuring climate experts and focusing on real-world case studies illustrating the impact of climate change and disasters on children, with a specific link to UNICEF’s role.

•      Webinar materials, agendas, speaker coordination, participant feedback forms, and post-event summaries.

Deliverable 1.3: Communication materials for staff engagement (31 May 2025)

•      Develop a set of standardized presentation decks and communication materials tailored for different UNICEF staff levels, including leadership (ED/DEDs), regional advisors, country representatives, and programme specialists.

•      Each deck should highlight the importance of integrating climate action into existing programmes, with specific attention to children’s rights. Provide at least 4 versions (one per audience group).

Objective 2: Strengthen UNICEF staff’s understanding of global and national climate policy frameworks.

Deliverable 2.1: Training modules on climate policy frameworks (30 June 2025)

•      Develop at least 5 training modules explaining the key global and national climate policy frameworks, including UNFCCC (incl. Modules on NDCs, and NAPs), Paris Agreement, Sendai Framework for DRR, with a specific focus on their connection to UNICEF’s work.

•      Each module should include 2 case studies identified with the CEED team, 2 quizzes, and guidance on how to advocate for child-centered approaches within these frameworks at the global and national levels.

•      These modules should also include recommendations for how UNICEF can advocate for more ambitious policy commitments that prioritize children’s rights at the global and national levels.

Deliverable 2.2: Policy workshops for UNICEF staff (30 June 2025)

•      Organize at least 2 policy-focused workshops featuring policy experts to discuss the relevance of global and national climate policies for UNICEF, equipping staff with the knowledge to influence these policies, particularly at the national level.

•      Workshop materials, expert coordination, participant feedback, and post-workshop summaries.

Objective 3: Facilitate partnerships and capacity-building initiatives for climate action.

Deliverable 3.1: List of relevant experts and institutions (30 April 2025)

•      Identify and engage a minimum of 10 climate experts, academic researchers, universities, and research institutions as potential partners for UNICEF’s climate action efforts.

•      A detailed list of identified partners, including their areas of expertise and proposed contributions.

Deliverable 3.2: Partnership development strategy (31 May 2025)

•      Develop a strategy for building and managing partnerships with external stakeholders (e.g., think tanks, universities, climate organizations), focusing on enhancing UNICEF’s climate capacity.

•      A strategy document that outlines key partnership goals, engagement tactics, and potential collaborations, including at least 3 specific partnership opportunities.

Qualifications

Education:

An advanced university degree (Master’s) in education, environmental sciences, international development, public administration, or a related field. 

Work experience:

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

•       Minimum of 8 years of experience in capacity-building, learning and development, or similar roles, particularly in climate, energy, DRR, or environmental protection contexts

•      Strong understanding of global and national climate policy frameworks (UNFCCC, Paris Agreement, Sendai Framework) and how they relate to UNICEF’s programming.

•      Established relationships with climate experts, universities, research institutions, and climate-focused bodies to support collaboration and knowledge-sharing.

•       Expertise in developing targeted communication materials for different audiences.

•      Proven track record of organizing and facilitating workshops or webinars, engaging climate experts and stakeholders in meaningful discussions about climate impacts on communities.

•       Experience in producing high-quality policy briefs and advocacy materials with actionable recommendations for climate action.

•       Demonstrated ability to build and manage partnerships with external stakeholders, including academic institutions, think tanks, and climate organizations, to enhance UNICEF’s climate capacity.

•     Ability to clearly communicate climate issues to diverse audiences, with cross-sectoral knowledge of climate impacts in health, education, nutrition, and child protection.

Requirements:

Completed profile in UNICEF’s e-Recruitment system and

– Upload copy of academic credentials

– Financial proposal that will include/ reflect :

• • the costs per each deliverable and the total lump-sum for the whole assignment (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
  • Indicate your availability

– Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICE upon approval by the supervisor

– At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.

– Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

U.S. Visa information:

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.

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

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. View our competency framework at: Here

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

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. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. 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.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy 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. Consultants 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.