Consultant on social protection and climate change

Under the direct supervision of the project manager and the overall guidance of the Chief of the Sustainable Socioeconomic Transformation Section, the consultant will deliver a coherent set of country-specific knowledge products for Fiji under the CRISP initiative, as guided by the Conceptual Framework on Climate Resilient and Inclusive Social Protection. These outputs will provide ESCAP and national counterparts with a clear and evidence-based assessment of social protection system performance in the context of climate-related risks to livelihoods and income security, as well as actionable pathways for strengthening adaptive, climate-resilient, and inclusive social protection systems. The ultimate result of the service is to support national decision-making by delivering analytically robust, policy-relevant, and action-oriented outputs that identify system-level gaps, practical reform options, and clear institutional roles. The consultancy will also contribute to regional knowledge under CRISP by generating lessons and approaches that can inform similar efforts in other ESCAP member States.

Remote

22/07/26-31/03/27

Climate change and increasing socio-economic inequality are deeply intertwined, intensifying challenges for marginalized households who often lack the capacity and resources to manage complex shocks impacting health, income security, food security and displacement. Social protection is critical for the region’s response to the climate crisis. It reduces poverty and builds resilience before disasters occur and helps people cope better after a shock has happened. Through various combinations of income and in-kind transfers, contributory schemes and active labour market policies, social protection can support climate change policies and address the effects of climate change events. There is emerging acknowledgement of the role of social protection to strengthen climate resilience in climate change and Agenda 2030 related intergovernmental processes, highlighted in COP outcome documents, regional reports and forums and more recently in the 2024 Pact of the Future, Global Digital Compact and Declaration on Future Declarations. Despite the recognition on the need to integrate social protection and climate change sectors, there remain key capacity gaps in terms of policy integration, sectoral coordination mechanisms, lack of data, lack of analysis and understanding of key affected populations and climate financing mechanisms, and normative consensus. Although there is progress in promoting shock-responsive social protection, there is still limited awareness of the need to address risks arising from climate policies. As a result, there is limited capacity for countries to effectively harness social protection to adapt, and respond, to climate change policies and events. To strengthen these interlinkages, further efforts are required to harness policy integration, cross-sectoral coordination mechanisms, data as well as address key affected populations and increase knowledge and awareness on the urgency to integrate social protection and climate change policy tools. ESCAP is conducting a project to pioneer action in this emerging area for the Asia-Pacific region. It will build capacity of five beneficiary countries (Cambodia, Fiji, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand) that have engaged, or will engage, with ESCAP in the implementation of the Action Plan. It will engage five additional countries (China, Mongolia, Pakistan, Philippines and Vietnam) to share findings and build knowledge as part of ESCAP’s capacity development efforts through the Action Plan. It adopts a three-pronged approach to: a) Increase capacity to recognize social protection measures that mitigate climate risks and strengthen resilience for groups in vulnerable situations; b) Develop national capacities to quantify the impact of climate change on people and identify furthest behind groups; c) Enhance regional cooperation for better social protection strategies to mitigate climate impacts and increase resilience of groups left furthest behind. A national mapping will be conducted in Fiji that aims to promote institutional capacity for policy and programme development; support the development of appropriate social protection measures; strengthen the evidence base for climate action through the development of data tools; and also highlight needs and identifying potential avenues for financing these areas as well as programme implementation. The mapping will be based on the regional Conceptual Framework on Climate Resilient and Inclusive Social Protection that sets out 4 key sections: A) Climate context, B) Current social protection provision, C) Social protection and climate integration; D) Country pathways. Throughout, focus will be paid to the 6 social protection functions in the context of climate change: reducing vulnerability by promoting resilience; responding to shocks; offsetting the adverse impacts of climate change mitigation and adaptation policies; facilitating adaptation; contributing directly to reduced emissions, carbon sequestration and ecosystems restoration, and potentially also; providing ongoing loss and damage support. To implement the CRISP initiative and research in Fiji, a team of consultants will be recruited to provide respective expertise on social protection and climate change, as well as on-the-ground research capacity. A senior consultant will be recruited to assess the capacity of existing social protection systems to address climate-related risks to livelihoods and income security. Based on this analysis, the consultant will guide the development of evidence-based and implementable country pathways for strengthening climate-resilient and inclusive social protection, working in close coordination with ESCAP and relevant national stakeholders. The consultant will provide substantive guidance on social protection and the substantive focus of research for the national consultant to implement and conduct the research in Fiji. The consultant will also be responsible for the drafting of the report.

Masters degree in economics, social development, climate change social administration or labour studies, or an equivalent 10-years work experience in social protection. At least 10 years working in a development context, including authoring reports and publications in areas relevant to social protection, employment and shock responsive social protection is required. Demonstrated expertise in research methodology is required. Expertise and experience advising governments in Fiji on climate change and/or social protection, including working with international organizations is desirable.

Must have excellent speaking and drafting skills in English.

Not available.