Climate & Environmental Specialist

UNICEF VUT organization mission TBD

The UNV Climate & Environment Specialist will contribute to implementing the UNICEF Pacific Climate, Environment, Energy and Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy in Vanuatu. Under the supervision of the Chief of Vanuatu FO and the Climate & Environmental Specialist based in Fiji, the UNV Climate & Environment Specialist will support UNICEF engagement on environment and climate for and with children across UNICEF programme components, this in coordination with the sectors of H&N, WASH, Education and Child Protection. He/she will provide technical expertise on climate change, environment and resilience building strengthening the capacities of UNICEF Vanuatu to plan and implement climate-resilience interventions. He/she will also contribute to increasing the capacity of UNICEF to advocate and influence decision-making towards intergenerational justice, as well as resource mobilization with development partners.

Under the direct supervision of the Chief of UNICEF Vanuatu Field Office, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

1. Data, evidence generation, knowledge management strategies and activities on climate change, environment:
• Coordinate and implement the UNICEF Pacific Climate, Environment, Energy and Disaster Risk Reduction (CEED) Strategy in Vanuatu.
• Map and maintain overall knowledge of Vanuatu policies and regulatory frameworks, institutions, available data, programmatic activities and partnerships relevant to child rights realisation from the perspective of environment and climate, to finally develop a situation analysis with support of sectors on climate change impacts towards children including strategic recommendations.
• Maintain overall knowledge around the impact of climate change and environmental degradation on child rights across nutrition, WASH, health, education, child protection and social policy programmes in Vanuatu, identifying and addressing the existing gaps.
• Identify objectives, actions, and best practices for protecting children from climate change and environmental risk and provide necessary technical assistance and capacity development to staff and partners for their adoption at national and local levels.
• Provide technical guidance to programme sections (health & nutrition, education, WASH, child protection and social protection) on mainstreaming CEED into all programme areas.
• Support VFO and sectors in the development of Theory of Changes related to Climate Change and sectors and particularly regarding the social services delivery at communities’ level.

2. Advocacy, partnership and resource mobilization for accelerating child-centred climate actions and finance:
• Create and maintain strong working relationships with the Ministry of Climate Change Adaptation, Meteorology, Geo-Hazards, Environment, Energy and Disaster Management of Vanuatu and other relevant line ministries aimed at supporting national climate change priorities and advancing Vanuatu FO’s CEED portfolio.
• Support communication, dissemination of evidence, and awareness raising regarding climate change, environmental degradation and child rights in Vanuatu.
• Participate in strategic discussions and identify opportunities for integrating child-centred climate and environmental actions in national CEED policy and strategic frameworks (such as Nationally Determined Contribution, National Adaptation Plan, National Climate Change Policy, etc.) as well as sector-specific policies and plans.
• Identify partners and entry points for strategic engagement and policy advocacy regarding climate and environmental impacts on children for engagement. This includes establishing close collaboration with national and subnational authorities, NGOs, community groups, other partners and children and youth themselves to keep abreast with climate-related initiatives and efforts, collect information, identify problems and constraints, and advocate for tangible solutions for children.
• Support the development of platforms and opportunities to empower children as agents of change with an active role in addressing climate and environmental-related risks.
• Identify funding opportunities and support Vanuatu FO programmes in accessing climate-related funding from existing and emerging sources, including public-private partnerships, innovative climate finance and leveraging of non-financial contributions for climate aims. Advocate for improved child-focus of climate finance investments among partners.

3. Results-based monitoring, evaluation and reporting on UNICEF’s climate and environmental actions in the region:
• Coordinate and be ultimately responsible for effective knowledge management systems (data collection, monitoring, report generation, evaluation and tasks related to documenting the programme process with partners) regarding Vanuatu FO environment and climate action.
• Ensure that child-transformative climate and environment action are appropriately integrated into results-based programme work plans, progress against set objectives and targets is monitored and jointly reviewed with the Government of Vanuatu to ensure achievement of quality and sustainable results.
• Prepare inputs to annual reports, results in assessments and specific programme/project and reports in order to update management, partners and allies.