Consultancy vacancy with UNISDR - National Platforms analysis

United Nations Core Values

Integrity • Professionalism • Respect for diversity

Background

The International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) is a multidisciplinary and multi stakeholder platform to enable societies to increase their resilience to natural, technological and environmental disasters and to reduce associated environmental, human, economic and social losses. A range of United Nations organizations and international partners participate in cooperation with Governments and civil society organizations.

The implementation of the ISDR is supported by a secretariat lead by the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Disaster Risk Reduction. The secretariat main functions are policy coordination, advocacy and information management, at the international and regional levels, to ensure synergy between disaster reduction strategies and those in the socioeconomic and humanitarian fields.

In January 2005, the World Conference on Disaster Reduction (WCDR, 18-22 January 2005, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan) took place and represents a landmark in worldwide understanding and commitment to implement a disaster risk reduction agenda. This commitment was captured in the Hyogo Declaration and the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters adopted at the WCDR.

The Hyogo Framework is the essential guide for implementation of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction in the coming years and it constitutes an unprecedented conceptual shift that takes account of the complexity of action in disaster risk reduction and the large variety of actors whose inputs are required in the pursuit of this objective. It provides the basic concepts and prescribes and expected outcome; details three strategic goals for disaster risk reduction and a set of five priority areas for action; and assigns tasks to stakeholders at difference operational levels to reach the expected outcome.

Priority One of the Hyogo Framework for Action emphasizes the need to “ensure that disaster risk reduction (DRR) is a national and local priority with a strong institutional basis for implementation”. It further recommends establishing “DRR institutional mechanisms (national
platforms) with designated responsibilities”.

At the Regional level, Africa was the first continent that showed political commitment to disaster risk reduction by formulating in 2004 the “Africa Regional Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction”, “Programme of Action 2005-2010…” for its implementation and “Guidelines for Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Assessment in Development”, under the aegis of the African Union Commission, the NEPAD Secretariat, African Development Bank, and with support of the UNISDR and UN partners. These documents were officially adopted at the First African Ministerial Conference on DRR in Addis Ababa in 2005.

The Second Africa Ministerial Conference took place in Nairobi, Kenya from 14 to 16 April 2010 to discuss and agree upon a revised and extended “Africa Programme of Action for the Implementation of the Africa Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction (2006-2015)” to align with the HFA.

The Africa Programme of Action for DRR considers emerging challenges and the most frequent natural hazards in Africa such as climate change factors and its possible consequences, gender equity, drought and flood risk reduction. It is conceived to promote concrete activities, expected results and indicators to monitor progress.

Specific context

Several national platforms have been put in place at country level in Africa. Levels of functionality of the National platform are very different.

The main role of the National platform is DRR coordination, advocacy, mainstreaming of DRR in development planning and engagement of decision-makers.

A questionnaire was sent out to ISDR Africa regional member states in order to provide a baseline picture of the National platform functionality. UNISDR is therefore looking for a consultant to assist in studying and summarizing the responses provided by member states, identifying trends and overall situation of National Platforms (NPs) in the African region. The statement should include graphs and a written report indicating the gaps, as well as some recommendations on how to fill them.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall supervision of the Head of the UNISDR Regional Office for Africa, the Consultant will:

• Develop a framework to help summarizing the NP situation at regional level.
• Contact countries to fill and/or improve the questionnaire
• Write a report and related power point with graphs showing for example percentage of NP with a particular weaknesses and strength.
• Visit some countries to complete the understanding of the issue mainly how the NP can help to mainstream DRR into sustainable development and influence decision making processes.
• Compare country risk profile and NP members if it is aligned to HFA vision.
• Organize a consensus workshop involving appropriate number of member states to agree on the report.

Key Deliverables

• Brief country statement
• Summarize questionnaire and make a regional statement on NPs.
• Undertake field mission (as appropriate)
• Organize and facilitate a consensus workshop to approve final results including gap identification and how to address them.
• Final report.

Competencies

• Professionalism:
- Ability to identify key strategic issues, opportunities and risks; Ability to identify issues, analyze and participate in the resolution of issues/problems.
• Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication;
• Planning and organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies;
identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required

Qualifications

Education

• Advanced university degree (Masters Degree or equivalent) in Social Sciences or related fields. A first level university degree with
qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced degree.

• Experience: Minimum 10 years of work experience working with disaster risk reduction, education, or related fields. Experience in other African countries is an asset.

Language

• Fluency (oral and written) in English or French.