International Consultancy for the Development of a Climate Landscape Analysis for Children (CLAC), including a Strategic Action Plan for the period 2025-2029 Sao Tome & Principe (3 months 15 days)

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, Education

UNICEF, whose fundamental mission is to promote the rights of all children, has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote the survival, protection, and development of children. As the world’s largest supplier of vaccines to developing countries, UNICEF supports children’s health and nutrition, clean water and sanitation, hygiene, quality basic education for all boys and girls and the protection of children from violence, abuse and exploitation, AIDS and climate change. Climate change and environmental degradation are equity issues, with children and young people often being the most vulnerable and affected. Addressing climate change and environmental degradation is therefore vital for building a more sustainable future for children. In addition, it is imperative that we integrate our actions on the SDGs and our humanitarian responses. Each of the core sectors UNICEF has been engaging in, namely, health, education, nutrition, water and sanitation, child protection and social inclusion – is affected in some way by climate change and/or environmental degradation. Fortunately, each stream of UNICEF work also presents opportunities to act on climate and/or the environment to deliver more sustainable results. There are major implications of climate change, lack of water access and environmental degradation for children and UNICEF has strong potential to strengthen the response to these issues. UNICEF has made a systematic effort to step up its work on climate, environment and sustainable energy for children. The organization has issued an Executive Directive on integrating a climate, sustainable energy and environment focus into country programming, has prioritized response to climate change, energy and environmental challenges to services provided to children in (2022 – 2025) Strategic Plan (under Goal Area 4), including commitment to work on climate change under the Common Chapter with UNDP, UNFPA and UN Women and the UNICEF Sustainability and Climate Change Action Plan (SCAP) 2023 – 2030. The Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe located in the Gulf of Guinea on the African continent, covers approximately 1,001 square kilometres, and is geographically made up of two main islands and small islets. The country has a fragile economy and high vulnerability to external shocks, facing climate challenges typical of small island developing states (SIDS). Although efforts were made to advance progress in implementing policies and strategies to deal with these impacts, there are still weaknesses in addressing the potential risks and effects of climate change on the lives of children and young people. The country’s population was 219,078 in 2022, with children and adolescents aged 0-19 and young people aged 15-24 accounting for approximately 61% of the total population (INE projections, 2023). With more than 85% of its budget funded by development partners, São Tomé and Príncipe remains highly dependent on foreign aid and faces climate challenges typical of small island developing states. 

 São Tomé and Príncipe does not have a national strategy for adapting to and mitigating climate change. However, in order to meet the obligations of the Paris Agreement surrounding Decision 1 / CP.19, 1 / CP.20 and 1 / CP.21 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which mandates that countries must increase their climate ambitions and update their contributions by 2030, the country reaffirms the conditionality of its mitigation and adaptation targets through its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDCs), set to be next revised by February 2025. The National Adaptation Plan (NAP) is currently being drawn up, under coordination by UNEP and funding from the Green Climate Fund (GCF). Given the country’s vulnerability to the effects of climate change, climate change is a priority in the government’s strategic vision and agenda. The government is committed to continued improvement of its national and district planning system. This incorporates the acknowledgement of climate issues in strategic planning processes, as well as coordination, improving the institutional framework, and investing in capacity building. On this basis, the government’s organisational structure was recently restructured to include a Ministry of the Environment. Development partners have been supporting the Government of São Tomé and Príncipe in developing an agenda on climate change and create institutional capacity and engagement, as well as mobilizing communities, including youth, for climate action through different initiatives. These include the National Forum on the role of youth in combating climate change (a joint initiative with the Youth Institute), the Directorate General for the Environment and Climate Action, funded by UNDP; the National Workshop for Children, Adolescents and Young People on Climate Change, a joint initiative of the Youth Institute and the Directorate General for the Environment and Climate Action, with technical and financial support from UNICEF; and the creation of District and Regional Youth Committees for Climate Action, a UNICEF initiative aimed at strengthening the climate-related knowledge of young people and promoting their commitment to climate action. In August 2023, the country took over the presidency of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), for which the theme of Youth and Sustainability was selected. This is of great importance given the complex challenges facing children, adolescents and young people in São Tomé and Príncipe, especially in the area of climate. In this context, UNICEF São Tomé and Príncipe intends to develop a Climate Landscape Analysis for Children (CLAC), examining the baseline situation of climate, environment, energy and disaster risk reduction-related issues affecting children in the various domains of education, health, water sanitation, energy, quality of life and its relationship with UNICEF and the country’s priorities. The report will analyse all relevant stakeholders, government policies and programmes in São Tomé and Príncipe. It should also make recommendations on how UNICEF São Tomé and Príncipe can integrate and strengthen work on CEED (Climate, Environment, Energy and Disaster Risk Reduction) issues in its country programme, in close collaboration with other partners. A Strategic Action Plan should also be developed with estimated costs for the priority actions to be carried out over the period 2025-2029 to guide action, promote coordination, and support resource mobilization.

How can you make a difference? 

1. Preparatory work/Inception Phase

 • Develop a work plan with the following components:

 o A chronogram/Gantt Chart of key consultancy milestones o A Stakeholder Interview and Consultation Plan (with national/local stakeholders and UNICEF staff), with a proposed schedule for consultations and a draft list of discussion topics/interview questionnaires

o A comprehensive catalogue of primary and secondary data and sources required for the study o A list of documentation required from the CO and UNICEF Regional Office for West and Central Africa

 o Other necessary components to ensure completion of the CLAC

 • Develop a draft outline structure of CLAC with key elements envisaged for each report chapter for UNICEF Feedback

• Develop an inception report o Mapping of key documents, policies and data o Identify gaps in the existing analysis, summarize and highlight primary data to be collected o Update the work plan drafted integrating UNICEF feedback on the work plan

Deliverables/Outputs

Inception Report with a Stakeholder Interview and Consultation Plan

2. Desk Review and Policy Gaps Analysis

• Carry out the policy review and gaps analysis, ensuring that the CLAC using standard UNICEF conceptual frameworks

 • Develop a First Draft Report, ensuring that it incorporates relevant issues and commitments from the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), including General Comment n.26 on the environment

• Carry out an estimation of the financing gap to address children’s adaptation needs based on a plausible climate future.

• Carry out an analysis on how to leverage partnerships and climate finance, including opportunities within global/regional frameworks and potential funding partners) to support children in São Tomé and Príncipe. • Carry out a critical assessment of the extent to which the foundational factors to mobilize climate finance for children are in place and whether there are initiatives to improve on them.

 • Develop a first draft CLAC

Deliverables/Outputs

First Draft Reports

3.First Stakeholder Consultation

Conduct the first round of consultations with key stakeholders and UNICEF Staff for data collection and validation (in person through interview / consultations by correspondence)

Revised draft and validation of findings & recommendations

• Develop a revised version of the CLAC report, integrating UNICEF feedback.

• Develop a draft Power Point presentation with key findings and recommendations for the CLAC and Strategic Action Plan

• Conduct the second and final round of consultations with stakeholders from UNICEF’s government counterparts and UNICEF staff

• Prepare and facilitate final in-country validation workshop

Deliverables/Outputs

Consultation Reports

4.Finalization and Dissemination of the Report

• Develop and submit the final version of the CLAC based on the final stakeholder consultation/validation • Develop and submit final Power Point presentation

• Develop and submit a short administrative report (1-3 pages) confirming the progress made and any gaps/challenges and lessons learned to facilitate learning

 • Submit a print ready CLAC Final Report document in consultation with the CO.

• Present the results of the CLAC and Strategic Action Plan at a National Multisectoral Workshop

• Facilitate the validation workshop

Deliverables/Outputs

Final Report package, including a Power Point presentation, an administrative report, and a print ready Final CLAC Report

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

•   A master’s degree with focus on climate change and sustainable development policies, Environmental engineering in WASH and climate, Specialization in social policy (education, health, child welfare, human resource management), Specialization in sociology and environmental protection policies.
• 7 to 15 years of experience and proven competences in research and consultancy related to environmental and climate policies (international and national); knowledge and experience in adaptation policies is highly preferable. – Demonstrated experience and skills in research and advisory, data analysis and policy drafting, related to socio-economic policies. – Demonstrated skills and expertise in child rights associated with UNICEF’s sectoral priorities: nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), health, education, child protection and social policy. – Knowledge of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).
• Demonstrable experience of working with Sao Tome and Principe ministries and agencies is an advantage. – A positive track record with UN and development agencies in providing consultancy for programme-informing report writing and development. – Fluent in Portuguese and French, (for stakeholder consultations).
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset. 

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required *:

 The consultant should:

Be a strategic professional with proven track record Indepth analyses, programme and policy development support in climate change, environmental management, environmental economics, climate finance and preferably, their linkage to the realization of human and child rights, including environmental health and child poverty. Documented experience needs to be at international level with relevant work on global and multiple countries’ contexts, with experience at regional and country-level an asset, especially in relation to climate policy. – Be able to operate in São Tomé and Príncipe in accordance with the prevailing regulations. The Consultant must have:

Evaluation Criteria (This will be used for the Selection Report (for clarification see Guidance)

A) Technical Evaluation (e.g. maximum 75 Points) – Proposed methodology and approach with reference to objectives in TOR.

– Implementation timeline: clarity of approach to performing key tasks and meeting the desired timeline, focal person for each activity/deliverable should be identified.

– Anticipated project risks and mitigation measures as well as quality assurance. *The bidder must meet this minimum passing point (49/70) for the Technical Evaluation to be considered further for the Financial Evaluation

 B) Financial Proposal (e.g. maximum of 25 Points) – Financial proposals should be all-inclusive, including costs for fees, personnel costs, subcontracts and other necessary expenses

For every Child, you demonstrate… 

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS). 

To view our competency framework, please visit  here. 

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

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. 

Remarks:  

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

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract 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 and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors 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. 

Below is the complete TOR for ease of reference.

 TOR CLAC_UNICEF_STP_2024.docx