Environmental Sustainability & Climate Action (ESCA) Consultant

WORK CONTEXT / BACKGROUND

For more than 40 years, World Vision has partnered with communities in West Africa from rural agricultural villages, to disaster, conflict and fragile contexts. Our decades of experience have taught us that the most effective way to transform lives is through a holistic approach. Our ultimate goal is to ensure all children are cared for, protected, educated, and feel loved.

World Vision in West Africa region is seeking to mainstream the Environmental Sustainability and Climate Action (ESCA) technical approach across all its programming areas to achieve greater impact.

In March 2021, World Vision Executive Leadership (ExL) approved the Environment Stewardship Management Policy. Following this decision, the Environmental Stewardship Collaborative Network, as part of the sub working group of the Climate Action Working Group, was established with the mandate of supporting Environmental Stewardship Management Policy implementation.

In FY21-22, the Collaborative working group developed the following deliverables:

• Green Team ToR and with consequent Success Factors;
• Promising Practices for a Smiling Earth, a collection of best ‘green’ practices in: operations and facilities; field programmes; advocacy; communications and marketing;
• Investing in Sustainable Outcomes for Children, World Vision’s programmatic footprint in environment and climate action;
• Environmental Policy Guidelines with the minimum standards;
• Environmental Stewardship Field Handbook; and
• Developed and pilot tested a carbon monitoring tool

Furthermore, in January 2023, the Environmental Sustainability and Climate Action (ESCA) team was created as part of the Programme Integration/Transformational Development team. This shows the Partnerships’ commitment to building on this good work to progress further.

The purpose of this consultancy is to support the West Africa region ESCA program in mapping out key integration areas within the existing sectors environment and technical approaches, including the Field Offices to establish ESCA mainstreaming opportunities with the focus in the existing Sectors, programme technical areas and ministries for greater impact. Our sectors include Child Protection and Participation, Education, Health & Nutrition, Livelihoods, and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH). Technical areas include Adolescent programming, Child sponsorship, Climate change, Fragile contexts, Gender Equality and Social Inclusion, Partnering, Peacebuilding and conflict sensitivity, social accountability and Urban ministry among other areas.

PURPOSE OF THE CONSULTANCY

The purpose of this consultancy is to support the West Africa region ESCA program in mapping out key integration areas within the existing sectors and technical approaches, including the Field Offices to establish ESCA mainstreaming opportunities. Our sectors include Child Protection and Participation, Education, Health & Nutrition, Livelihoods, and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH). Technical areas include Adolescent programming, Child sponsorship, Climate change, Fragile contexts, Gender Equality and Social Inclusion, Partnering, Peacebuilding and conflict sensitivity, social accountability and Urban ministry among other areas

The consultant will further define and propose ESCA and climate change/resilience approaches relevant to the WVI sectors by consulting the core project models and other programming materials. This will be achieved by creating improved understanding of vulnerability and adaptation of world vision’s programming sectors and propose sector – specific mitigation and adaptation approaches that can eventually be mainstreamed into World Vision’s programmes.

This assignment will target the following countries: Ghana, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Mali, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Chad, Central African Republic, and Niger

MAIN DELIVERABLES

1. Carry out climate risk analysis examining the impact of climate change on WV’s intervention sectors and the contribution of the specific sectors to climate change (GHG emissions may be an option to quantify sector impacts on climate change)
2. Develop comprehensive climate risk scenarios, mitigation and adaptation measures (adaptive mitigation framework)
3. Conduct Policy and institutional review to assess gaps and opportunities that should be considered in addition to climate mitigation and adaptation actions
4. In collaboration with ESCA Regional Director, develop the West Africa region ESCA Checklist elaborating safeguarding processes.
5. Develop the regional ESCA maturity framework in consultation with the Regional ESCA team
6. Develop West Africa region ESCA catalogue detailing the programme approach service charter.
7. Defining climate resilience programming approaches and project models that can be integrated with all World Vision intervention sectors
8. To strengthen adaptation programming in countries where World Vision is operating through climate risk assessment (social, economic, and natural capital risks) and identification of viable adaptation and mitigation options to achieve climate resilient programming in targeted countries.
9. Support in designing the regional ESCA staff capacity development programs.

REQUIRED PROFILE

The candidate should demonstrate experience in climate resilience programming with the following specific requirements:

• Masters in climate change, Environmental Sciences, other related fields
• At least 5 years of hands-on experience in climate change programming, having experience in implementation in Africa is an added value
• Good command in interpersonal relationship
• Skills in Microsoft (world, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)
• Skills in other climate change related software and reporting framework such as IPCC 2006 guideline and software for GHG emissions inventory is an advantage
• Effective in written and verbal communication in French and English languages