| JOB TITLE: | Consultant- Communication Strategy on Climate Change |
| TYPE OF CONTRACT: | Short Term Contract |
| UNIT/DIVISION: | IACoV |
| DUTY STATION (City, Country): | Maseru, Lesotho |
| DURATION: | 4 Months |
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:
Land degradation is one of the main environmental challenges constraining agricultural productivity and food and nutrition security in Lesotho. Approximately 85 percent of the population lives in rural areas and 70 percent derive all or part of their livelihood from agriculture. The variableclimate, limited arable area, mountainous topography, and severe land degradation constrain the agricultural sector’s ability to generate adequate levels of employment and income to support the rapidly increasing population. As a result, both absolute and relative poverty have been increasing over time amongst rural and farming communities.
As a result of the observed climatic trends of recurrent and prolonged droughts, dry spells, floods, early frost, and associated increasing incidence of pests and diseases, intense rainfall, localised floods and agricultural productivity has been steadily declining in recent years, further exacerbating the country’s food and nutrition security[1]. Climate change affects nutrition by influencing the food security of communities, including their dietary diversity. The cumulative effects of reduced water availability and its impacts on sanitation and hygiene include an increased burden of disease. This places an additional load on women, with respect to choices about how to allocate time to their livelihoods and to household caregiving. The nutritional status and diet choices of women, girls and children, as well as people living with HIV (PLHIV), are often the most affected.
Some of the contributing factors that put the country and its population more vulnerable to climate change set-backs are socio-economic determinants of vulnerability, including health, HIV and AIDS and nutrition challenges coupled with high rates of unemployment, deep and pervasive poverty, gender inequality and isolated settlements in rugged mountainous terrain. The other issues aggravating the situation is communities’ s lack of awareness on climate change, its impacts and the need to undertake appropriate adaptation measures as part of governance issues.
ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:
Working closely with various Government structures; the Ministry of Energy -Meteorological department, Ministry of Forestry, Ministry of Education – the Curriculum Development Unit and WFP coordination, the consultant is required to hand over the National Climate Change Awareness Raising and Communication Strategy to government, design a district action plan and to orientate secondary stakeholders on how to communicate with primary stakeholders as influencers.
The consultant will be required to conduct:
- Facilitate workshops for all communication practitioners who are responsible for implementing the strategy and assist them to draw workplans which are aligned with the communication strategy.
- Develop district action plans under the umbrella of the National Climate Change Awareness Raising and Communication Strategy.
- Together with the Climate Change Expert, facilitate trainings for secondary stakeholders to orientate them on how to communicate with primary stakeholders on climate change.
DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT:
- Clear workplans for all implementors
- Facilitation of reports
- Clear district action plans
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:
| Education: | Advanced University Degree in Communications, Media Practioner, Social Marketing, Public Relations, Journalism, Social/Human Sciences, Public Health, or related field with proven experience in the field of Communication for Development, health education/promotion, community mobilization, social marketing, participatory communication, new technologies and research. |
| Experience: | At least 10 years of progressively responsible professional work experience in the development, planning and management of social development programmes, including several years in developing countries -preferably in Lesotho, the SADC region or Sub-Saharan Africa, with practical experience in the adaptation and application of communication processes to specific programmes |
| Knowledge & Skills: | Excellent analytical and advocacy skills,Full computer literacy, including knowledge of relevant softwareExperience in team work in culturally diverse contexts.Ability to complete the tasks in a tight schedule and with limited supervision |
| Languages: | High proficiency in English and Sesotho (a sample of recent analytical report will be requested). |
[1]The Lesotho Vulnerability Assessment Committee results of the 2014/15 agricultural season showed a deterioration of 33 percent in food security compared to 26 percent recorded in 2013/14 farming season.
Closing date: 22 February 2022