Consultant - Tracking Resilience in Education for Environment (TREE)

Job Posting Organization:
UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, is the world's leading children's rights organization, established 70 years ago. It operates in 190 countries and territories, focusing on children's survival, protection, and development. UNICEF is the largest provider of vaccines for developing countries and is funded entirely by voluntary contributions from individuals, businesses, foundations, and governments. The organization employs over 12,000 staff across more than 145 countries, working tirelessly to ensure that every child has the opportunity to thrive and reach their full potential.

Job Overview:
The consultant will play a crucial role in addressing the interconnected crises of education and climate change. With a significant number of children unable to read by age 10 and many living in high-risk climate zones, the consultant will help implement the TREE Global Observatory. This initiative aims to generate evidence on climate-related learning loss and system vulnerabilities, mobilize data to inform financing and policy, and explore the cost-effectiveness of digital education investments as resilience infrastructure. The consultant will also produce case studies on successful EdTech business models in resource-limited contexts, contributing to global goals such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4 and 1

• The role requires close collaboration with various teams within UNICEF and external stakeholders to ensure the integration of insights into national education sector planning and climate adaptation strategies.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Establish a foundational data system to track and report climate-related school disruptions, including developing standardized indicators and communication with regional and country office teams.
• Propose and pilot a methodology for investigating digital education as resilience infrastructure.
• Prepare 7 case studies on cost-effective EdTech business models in resource-limited contexts.
• Launch and populate the TREE data platform, ensuring features like geospatial mapping and automated reporting.
• Analyze the climate impact on education outcomes using Multiple Indicators Cluster Surveys (MICS).
• Support the usage of TREE through policy dialogues, webinars, and advocacy campaigns, integrating insights into programming and national education sector planning.

Required Qualifications:
The consultant must possess an advanced university degree in social sciences, economics of education, climate, statistics, or a related field. They should have an in-depth understanding of the global development context and partner landscape, with at least two years of experience analyzing climate and education data. Established experience in web platform development and strong education policy analysis capacity is essential. Fluency in English is required, and knowledge of another UN language is an asset. Understanding UNICEF's operations is also beneficial.

Educational Background:
An advanced university degree in social sciences, economics of education, climate, statistics, or a related field is required for this position. This educational background is crucial for understanding the complexities of climate impacts on education and for developing effective strategies to address these challenges.

Experience:
The consultant should have a minimum of two years of relevant experience, particularly in analyzing climate and education data. Experience in web platform development and education policy dialogue is also necessary to effectively contribute to the TREE initiative and its objectives.

Languages:
Fluency in English is mandatory for this position. A good working knowledge of another UN language is considered an asset, enhancing the consultant's ability to communicate and collaborate in a diverse international environment.

Additional Notes:
The consultancy is home/office-based and is expected to last until 1 November 2025, with funding secured until 30 June 2026 and the possibility of extension to 31 January 202

• The consultant will be required to submit a financial proposal detailing costs per deliverable and total lump-sum for the assignment. UNICEF will cover any emergent travel costs and related expenses, and the selected candidate must have current health insurance coverage at the time the contract is awarded. Payment of professional fees will be contingent upon the submission of satisfactory deliverables, and UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment if standards are not met. Additionally, selected candidates must confirm their fully-vaccinated status against COVID-19, although this requirement does not apply to those working remotely.