Consultant – Climate, Peace, and Security Officer

Context

The United Nations (UN) Secretary-General recognized climate change as a “threat multiplier”, highlighting that while climate change does not directly or inevitably cause violent conflict, its interaction with other social, political, and economic factors can exacerbate drivers of conflict and fragility and have negative effects on peace, stability and security. The interaction between these factors and climate change is evident in Iraq, where in a fragile post-conflict environment, already severe and worsening environmental degradation interplays with volatile security conditions, persistent governance challenges, and demographic pressures. As climate change interacts with these dynamics, it can both exacerbate and introduce new forms of conflict, inciting or renewing existing cleavages, and also creating new sources of tension as it pushes previously distinct groups to compete for access for scarce resources.

Iraq has been named the fifth-most vulnerable country to climate breakdown, affected by soaring temperatures, insufficient rainfall, intensified droughts, sand and dust storms, and flooding. In addition, water policies in neighboring countries have shrunk vital water sources, while rapid population growth and inefficient water use propel a demand for more water. Without preparation and planning, the sweeping scale of environmental change is likely to be devastating and may force Iraqis to relocate in order to survive.

Understanding and identifying where environmental degradation interacts with security dynamics in Iraq is becoming increasingly important as the impacts of climate change become increasingly severe in Iraq. Although this intersection is both complex and cutting across various stabilization dynamics, IOM Iraq has identified the following priority area of areas concern: climate-induced displacement increasing tensions in host communities, compromised access to natural resources leading to tensions in rural areas, broader amplifier of civil unrest, and a barrier to the disarmament of non-state armed groups.

Under the general guidance of the Chief of Mission, the overall supervision of the Head, Peacebuilding & Stabilization Division and Senior Programme Coordinator, and the direct supervision of the Programme Support Coordinator, the successful candidate will be responsible to lead on the implementation and continued development of IOM Iraq’s Climate Security Portfolio.

Core Functions / Responsibilities

IOM Iraq’s Peacebuilding & Stabilization Division (PSD) aims to address these drivers of conflict and displacement through a multi-faceted approach that both increases the capacity of the Government of Iraq (GoI) to respond to climate related drivers of conflict, and also increases the resilience of affected communities through a community-led approach. Areas of programmatic priority are as follows:

1) Expand evidence-based on the climate security nexus to inform policy and programming.

2) Supporting the capacity of sub-national and civil society to respond to climate related drivers of conflict.

3) Supporting the resilience of rural communities affected by climate change and security concerns.

4) Supporting community cohesion and resilience in Areas of Displacement.

IOM Iraq’s climate security programming will build on PSD’s other programmatic areas of Social Cohesion, MHPSS, Tribal Engagement, HLP, Community Policing, Capacity Building and PVE.

Tasks to be performed under this contract.

Under the supervision of the Programme Support Coordinator, lead on project management for IOM’s climate security portfolio – including existing areas of implementation in KRI and Southern Iraq.

1. Develop new climate security focused research and analytical components that look to address remaining information gaps around the climate security intersection and/or support the monitoring and predictive analysis of climate security related concerns in Iraq.
2. In coordination with the supervision of the Programme Coordinator, support on Government of Iraq, UN inter-agency, and other key stakeholder engagement and collaboration; advocating for increased recognition of climate related security risks and developing subsequent policy and programming.
3. Building on PSD’s capacity building portfolio and curriculum to provide technical support to Iraqi civil society responding to climate change and environmental issues in Iraq.
4. Through PSD’s Conflict Sensitivity Facility, mainstreaming climate sensitivity components into IOM Iraq and the broader climate change response in Iraq.
5. Through civil society, key stakeholder, and community led interventions; developing programming and best practices that can support dialogue, mediation, and resource sharing over natural resources in Iraq.
6. Developing targeted community-led climate resilience and adaptation interventions in rural communities to mitigate emerging climate related tensions.
7. Developing policy, social cohesion, and integrated programming in urban areas hosting climate-induced displaced persons to mitigate emerging tensions and support sustainable social integration.
8. Under the supervision of the Senior Programme Coordinator, support on the expansion of IOM Iraq’s climate security portfolio through donor engagement, strategic thinking, and proposal development.
9. Supporting the mainstreaming of climate security programming across IOM Iraq’s portfolio.

Required Qualifications and Experience:

Education

• Master’s degree in International Relations, Political Science, Environmental Sciences or a related field from an accredited academic institution with two years of relevant professional experience; or University degree in the above fields with four years of relevant professional experience.

Experience

• Familiarity with climate change programming and/or analysis in complex post-conflict contexts is required.
• Experience conducting research on the intersection of climate, peace, and security is desired.
• Experience in top level engagement on climate change and/or peacebuilding and stabilization interventions is desired.
• Experience in liaising and building effective partnerships with donors and government authorities and/or other national/international institutions, such as research institutions and local and international NGOs is desired
• Proven ability to conduct operations in complex post-conflict contexts is desired.
• Experience in climate change adaptation and mitigation measures is desired.
• Previous experience in Iraq or familiarity with the region an asset.
• Experience in capacity building of local organizations and/or grant management is an asset.
• Familiarity with climate mobility policy and programming is an asset.
  • Proven ability to supervise, train, and direct staff and manage operations in complex post-conflict contexts.

Skills

• Ability to analyse and interpret climate security related concerns in a MENA context.
• Ability to analyse and provide sustainable solutions to environmental degradation and climate change related issues in a MENA context.

Travel required

• Travel within both the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) and federal Iraq is expected.

Languages

• Fluency in English language is required.
• Fluency or working knowledge of Arabic/Kurdish language is an advantage.
  • Inclusion and respect for diversity respects and promotes individual and cultural differences; encourages diversity and inclusion wherever possible.

Competencies

Values

• Integrity and transparency: maintain high ethical standards and acts in a manner consistent with organizational principles/rules and standards of conduct.
• Professionalism: demonstrates ability to work in a composed, competent and committed manner and exercises careful judgment in meeting day-to-day challenges.

Core Competencies – behavioral indicators

• Teamwork: develops and promotes effective collaboration within and across units to achieve shared goals and optimize results.
• Delivering results produces and delivers quality results in a service-oriented and timely manner; is action-oriented and committed to achieving agreed outcomes.
• Managing and sharing knowledge continuously seeks to learn, share knowledge and innovate.
• Accountability: takes ownership for achieving the Organization’s priorities and assumes responsibility for own action and delegated work.
• Communication: encourages and contributes to clear and open communication; explains complex matters in an informative, inspiring and motivational way.