Duration of the assignment: 5.5 months

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built. We offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to education

How can you make a difference?

The consultant will:

•Strengthen the climate rationale and the climate additionality of the project, drawing a clear distinction between baseline WASH investments and the additional investments required to address climate change risks and impacts;

•Strengthen the economic and financial rationale of the project, in particular through analysis of unit costs, cost-effectiveness, investment options and the proposed financing structure;

•Consolidate the co-financing arrangements by identifying and documenting confirmed and potential contributions, both in cash and in kind;

•Strengthen complementarity and non-duplication with existing or planned projects and programmes in the fields of WASH, water security and climate change adaptation;

•Operationalize the environmental and social safeguards (ESS) and gender requirements by defining the safeguard measures needed for the maturation of the project and for its future feasibility phase;

•Define the institutional and operational implementation arrangements, in particular the roles and responsibilities of UNICEF as Accredited Entity and of the National Water Fund (FNE) as Executing Entity;

•Assess the institutional and fiduciary capacities of the FNE and develop, where appropriate, a capacity-strengthening plan to meet GCF requirements;

•Facilitate an inclusive national consultation and validation process involving the Government, the NDA, line ministries, technical and financial partners, civil society organizations and other stakeholders;

•Support the development of a roadmap for maturing the Concept Note to GCF standard, including the next steps towards feasibility and, where applicable, the resources available for project preparation.

If you would like to know more about this consultancy, please review the complete Terms of Reference here: External ToR TMC0006245.pdf

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

Minimum requirements:

Minimum requirements:
Education: Master`s degree in one of the following fields: Water resources management, environmental or climate sciences, civil/water engineering, hydrogeology, development economics, climate finance or related fields.
Work Experience:
At least 10 years of progressively responsible international experience in climate change adaptation, WASH/water security and/or climate finance programme design;
Demonstrated track record in developing successful GCF concept notes and/or funding proposals (at least one CN cleared by the GCF Secretariat or funding proposal approved by the GCF Board), with strong command of GCF investment criteria, the appraisal process and current portfolio/financing constraints;
Thorough technical knowledge of the WASH/EASH sector in fragile contexts or in Least Developed Countries (LDCs), ideally in the Sahel or Chad;
Previous work with UNICEF, UN agencies or accredited entities on climate finance is an asset, as is experience assessing and strengthening the capacity of national funds or executing entities (fiduciary, procurement, safeguards, M&E) under GCF or comparable requirements.
Skills:
Proven expertise in climate-resilient WASH (CR-WASH) approaches, including familiarity with the UNICEF–GWP Strategic Framework for WASH climate resilience;
Demonstrated experience in costing, unit-cost benchmarking and economic/cost-effectiveness analysis of WASH or infrastructure investments;
Experience with environmental and social safeguards frameworks (ESMF/ESMP, SEA/SH, GRM), preferably under GCF or comparable ESS standards;
Experience facilitating multi-stakeholder national processes with governments in Sahelian, LDC and/or fragile contexts; prior experience in Chad or the Lake Chad Basin is a strong asset;
Language Requirements: French and English

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

Qualified candidates are invited to submit the following documents via the online recruitment portal, TMS (Talent Management System):

An up-to-date TMS profile and curriculum vitae (CV)
Cover letter
A separate financial proposal (only acceptable in the format of the linked template) Financial proposal template TMC006245.docx
A detailed technical proposal:

-a technical note demonstrating understanding of the assignment/ToR
- Methodological approach and strategies proposed to achieve the expected results
-Proposed schedule of activities and organization of work over the consultancy period

Remarks: If the TOR or financial proposal documents are not downloadable on certain recruitment platforms, please visit our official page Vacancies | UNICEF Careers.

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.

International consultant for the strengthening of “Climate-resilient WASH services and water security to support the resilience of community, health and education systems” N'Djamena, Home-based+travel