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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 has been operating in Zimbabwe since 1982. We are a team of passionate professionals committed to the protection and fulfillment of children’s rights.
Supporting the Government’s vision of a prosperous and empowered upper-middle-income society, the country programme is aimed at contributing to sustainable socioeconomic development that provides all children, including adolescents, with opportunities to fulfil their potential, lead a healthy life, access quality learning and protection and meaningfully participate in society.
For more information about UNICEF Zimbabwe please click here
You can also access and explore all new UNICEF vacancies and create job alerts via the UNICEF Zimbabwe website link below:
https://www.unicef.org/zimbabwe/work-us
How can you make a difference?
UNICEF Zimbabwe is inviting applications for a national individual consultant for Vulnerability and Adaption Assessment
PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT
The purpose of the consultancy is to assess the vulnerability of the Zimbabwe’s health sector to climate change and identify existing and potential adaptation measures that can build climate resilience at the national and sub-national levels.
BACKGROUND
Zimbabwe is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, which poses growing risks to human health. Rising temperatures, altered rainfall patterns, and extreme weather events have been linked to increased burden of climate-sensitive diseases such as malaria, cholera, typhoid, and heat-related illnesses. The Ministry of Health and Child Care in collaboration with development partners, is prioritizing climate resilience as part of the National Development Strategy, the National Adaptation Plan, and the National Climate Policy.
In line with UNFCCC guidance and the WHO Operational Framework for Building Climate-Resilient Health Systems, a detailed Vulnerability and Adaptation (V&A) assessment is needed to support health sector planning and integration of climate resilience measures. UNICEF continues to support the government on climate change and health (CCH) and has been supporting countries to implement actions aiming to strengthen the climate resilience of health systems. This consultancy seeks to generate evidence on health vulnerabilities, adaptive capacities, and gaps in the system to guide strategic responses.
ASSIGNMENTS:
(i)Assess the existing and expected impacts of climate change on health, disease burden and the health system in Zimbabwe (including direct, environmental system mediated and socially mediated impacts) using available data sources.
(ii)Assess the vulnerability and adaptation capacities of health systems and services such as inter-alia, facilities, frontline workers, and vulnerable communities.
iii) Assess and evaluate the adaptive capacity of health institutions, infrastructure, services, including the community’s ability to adapt to the impact of climate change with strong focus on children, gender, and equity.
iv) Recommend feasible adaptation options, aligned with national health and climate strategies.
Major tasks and deliverables:
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Tasks/Milestone:
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Deliverables/Outputs:
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Timeline, % invoice
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Inception & Planning Phase
- Conduct consultations with key stakeholders - MOHCC and the KOICA steering committee
- Finalize assessment methodology, tools, and workplan
- Select priority districts and health facilities – focus on KOICA geographic coverage
- Develop ethical clearance documents if needed. Prepare and deliver a presentation for the steering committee to validate the inception report and accept relevant comments provided.
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Inception Report (including methodology, workplan, and selected sites)
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14 days (15.6%)
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Desk Review & Secondary Data Analysis
Review relevant secondary data and existing literature to understand the impacts of climate change on the health system in Zimbabwe. He/she will also review relevant health, environmental and climate change policies, strategies, and plans.
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Desk Review Summary
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10 days (11.1%)
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Tool Development & Pretesting
Develop/adapt tools; train data collectors; conduct pretest in 1 district
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Pre-tested Assessment Tools; Training Report
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7 days (7.8%)
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Field Data Collection
Conduct facility visits, infrastructure assessments, stakeholder interviews
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Field Data Sets; Completed Facility Assessment Forms
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14 days (15.6%)
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Data Analysis & Risk Categorization
Analyze data; map facility vulnerability; identify service risks and adaptive capacity
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Facility Risk Profiles & Vulnerability Map (GIS or table-based)
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14 days (15.6%)
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Adaptation Planning
Co-develop feasible adaptation options with stakeholders
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Draft Adaptation Options Matrix / Action Plan
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10 days (11.1%)
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Validation & Stakeholder Review
Present findings for feedback to MOHCC, KOICA steering committee and partners
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Validation Workshop Report; Stakeholder Feedback Summary
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7 days (7.8%)
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Final Reporting
Refine report based on feedback; finalize outputs
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Final Vulnerability & Adaptation Assessment Report
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7 days (7.8)
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Dissemination
Present findings through briefs and presentations
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Slide Deck Summary; Executive Summary / Policy Brief
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7 days (7.8%)
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To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
Education:
- An advanced university degree in one of the following fields required: Environmental Science, Climate Change, Public Health, Geography, Development Studies, or a related field.
Experience:
At least 5 years of working in Education Sector Leadership, Planning or Coordination
- At minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in areas such as climate change adaptation, environmental or public health, disaster risk reduction, sustainable development, vulnerability and risk assessments, or resilience programming is required.
- Demonstrated experience working with government institutions, multilateral or bilateral agencies (e.g., WHO, UNDP, GCF), NGOs, research institutions, or community-based organizations is considered as an asset.
- Strong familiarity with the specific regional or national context, including climate risks, socio-political dynamics, health systems, and institutional frameworks.
Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:
- The consultant should have knowledge of climate change science, environmental health risks, vulnerability and risk assessment frameworks, and adaptation strategies.
- The role requires expertise in climate data analysis, GIS-based risk mapping, field assessments, and participatory stakeholder engagement.
- The consultant should demonstrate strong skills in policy analysis, technical reporting, and communication, with a solid understanding of national and international climate, environmental health, and development frameworks.
Desirable:
- Technical knowledge of health linkages with climate change, social and environmental determinants of health, One Health and Planetary Health
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
- Ability to work in international settings with staff from various geographical regions
Language requirements:
- Written and spoken fluency in English required and knowledge of main local languages (Shona and Ndebele) is an added advantage.
If interested and available to undertake the individual consultancy, please submit your application online and attach the required documents including the technical proposal and an all-inclusive financial proposal incorporating an approximate number of travel days for field (local) travel.
Technical proposal: The Technical Proposal should articulate an understanding of the TOR and include the proposed Tasks/Milestones, Deliverables/Outputs, Timeline and level of effort by deliverable. The similar table provided in the TOR is indicative. Applicants may use the indicative table as a guide or deviate as per the proposed approach. The proposal should also cost-effectively propose the local travel proposed by the applicant to undertake the assignment.
Financial proposal: The Financial Proposal should include the costs (providing a daily rate as justification) for each task, including consultant fee, proposed travel costs and perdiem, communications costs and any other proposed cost.
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.
