Disaster Risk Financing and Investment Specialist

About Asian Disaster Preparedness Center

ADPC is an autonomous international organization with a vision to reduce disaster and climate risk impacts on communities and countries in Asia and the Pacific by working with governments, development partners, international organizations, NGOs, civil society, private sector, media, and other key stakeholders. Established in 1986 as a technical capacity building center, ADPC has grown and diversified its expertise across social and physical sciences to support sustainable solutions for risk reduction across a broad range of specialist areas. With over 100 staff from 19 different nationalities and a wide range of professional expertise from atmospheric scientists to social scientists with experiences from all levels of engagement typically required for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Resilience (CR) in an effective manner. ADPC is a competent regional resource center and has seven thematic departments: ADPC Academy, Risk Governance, Climate Resilience, Urban Resilience, Health Risk Management, Preparedness for Response and Recovery, Geospatial Information. These are supported by Finance, Human Resources and Administration, and Strategic Planning departments. In addition to the departments, ADPC works on three cross-cutting themes: Gender and Diversity, Poverty and Livelihoods, and Regional and Transboundary Cooperation through permanent working committees. ADPC Strategy 2020 guides the organization in providing comprehensive risk reduction support to countries and communities in Asia and the Pacific. ADPC recognizes the importance of examining the linkages between disaster risk management, poverty reduction, gender equality, sustainability, rights-based approaches, climate change and regional cooperation. For details please refer to ADPC website at http://www.adpc.net/

Background

The Building Resilience through Inclusive and Climate-adaptive Disaster Risk Reduction in Asia-Pacific (BRDR) is a five-year program that aims to protect development gains and to enhance regional cooperation on inclusive and gender-equal risk reduction approaches. The BRDR Program focuses on establishing evidence-based methods, tools and practices for building the resilience of the most vulnerable communities in pilot countries (Nepal, Philippines) and on sharing the lessons learned at regional forums in order to replicate the approaches developed under BRDR across the region. The program also seeks to provide technical support to strengthen Disaster Risk Financing and Investment with integrated gender budgeting in the pilot countries. In context of Philippines, the country has endured varying degrees of disaster impacts every year, leaving huge financial gaps to meet recovery and reconstruction needs and fiscal burdens. Multiple disaster risk financing instruments and mechanisms have evolved in recent years to address such gaps. Despite this progress, more ex ante risk financing options are to be explored, and Investing in Disaster Risk Reduction for Resilience (as indicated under Priority 3 of SFDRR), is yet to be strengthened essentially at Local Government Unit (LGU) level. When looking at the intersection between DRRM with gender mainstreaming, the Philippines has made remarkable progress on Gender and Development (GAD) by firmly establishing gender as cross-cutting development subject across other development domains including DRRM. Institutional structures at the local level has made provisions for focal point for a GAD, guided by operational guidelines and standard operating procedures that are aligned with the central system to mainstream gender considerations across all activities. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan 2020 – 2030 also reaffirm the needs for an annual budget for DRR and resilience across different offices/sectors, strengthening financial mechanisms and potential sources, while focusing on resilience building for all, as well as women’s empowerment and gender-responsive and inclusive budgeting. In line with this, the BRDR program will conduct a research on Disaster Risk Financing and Investment in the Philippines, to develop an understanding of current status, challenges and ways forward in DRFI focusing on ex ante risk financing and gender budgeting. The research will explore the most up-to-date DRFI policies, strategies and tools of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan (NDRRM) 2020-2030 through in-depth review and assessment of existing systems and practices, gaps and ways forward. The research is to develop an understanding of how ex ante risk financing and budgeting processes can fill resource gaps, support effective tracking and monitoring, while addressing gender gaps in DRRM budgeting focusing at local level.

Statement of Intent

In this context, the BRDR program is seeking to engage Disaster Risk Financing and Investment Specialist to lead in the conduct and implementation of the research and completion of report, in line with the industry standard methodology, analysis and research ethics. Note: It is not the intent of this Terms of Reference to cover every aspect of the position requirements, rather to highlight the most important areas of personal and joint responsibilities.

Duties and Responsibilities

The primary assigned tasks of the consultant are to:

• Develop a research outline and proposal, scope of research and literature review in line with the objectives of the consultancy services alongside a supporting conceptual framework;
• Conduct in-depth review and analysis of disaster risk financing policies and framework, focusing on ex ante DRFI tools, current status and processes involved at LGUs level to understand how DRFI systems, structures and practices are currently referencing gender in budget lines, activities, etc.;
• Analyze information gathered based on the research methodology and draft a preliminary research report and initial findings;
• Conduct FGDs, KIIs, meetings, and consultations to inform research findings and validation;
• Develop research report including analysis of findings, the enablers and barriers (policies, institutions and practices) to gender-responsive and inclusive DRRM budgeting in the context of Philippines, case studies, proposed strategies and recommendations focusing at LGUs level;
• Organize a validation workshop with relevant national/local level stakeholders;
• Incorporate the feedback from the validation workshop to further refine the research report and recommendation;
• Regularly report to Director, Risk Governance on the progress, challenges, and corrective measures to ensure the assigned research is in accordance with the planned schedule and budget;
• Work closely with other BRDR team members to ensure harmonization and synergy among the tasks for this research assignment;
• Coordinate with ADPC Headquarters to organize the workshops/consultation/meetings.

Expected Outputs/Reports

In regard to the Duties and Responsibilities explained above, the consultant will produce the following outputs related to the detailed task outlined in the previous section:

1. Research outline and proposal and literature review.
   • Research proposal, scope, preliminary conceptual framework, key research questions, methodology (including research tools and methods), and a timeline aligning with allocated time for the overall assignment.
   • Comprehensive review of the current scope of disaster risk financing, fiscal framework and budgeting.
   • Scoping of how gender is being referenced in disaster risk financing and investment systems and/or structures such as budgetary provision, fiscal planning and funding mechanisms.
   • Scoping of enables and barriers to inclusive and gender-responsive disaster risk financing including policies, existing public financial strategies, schemes and mechanisms, as well as challenges to implementation, By second week of August 2021.
2. Preliminary report.
   • Stakeholder mapping on disaster risk financing including mandates, roles and functions; operational and coordination mechanism; and key stakeholders for KIIs and FGDs.
   • Identification of entry points to integrate gender considerations into disaster risk financing systems and/or structures.
   • Draft research report on analysis, findings, case studies, proposed framework and strategy on inclusive and gender-responsive budgeting in disaster risk financing By end of September 2021.
3. Validation (workshop) and finalized report.
   • Key findings/summary from validation workshop with relevant country stakeholders.
   • Finalized report on analysis and finding, including framework and strategy on inclusive and gender-responsive budgeting in disaster risk financing, alongside actionable recommendations for implementation By end of October 2021.

Qualifications

The candidate should have:

• A master’s degree in finance, economic governance and development, public policy or a relevant degree.
• At least 8 years of experience and proven competency in conducting research and provide strategic guidance in the field of public allocations and expenditure and a minimum 3 years of experience dealing with public allocations and expenditure for resilience.
• Proven experience with economic analysis, public finance and investments in disaster risk reduction is an asset.
• Prior experience working with the government agencies in the areas of DRRM, local governance, development planning.
• Proven experience in supervising and conducting research on related topics in the Philippines.
• Strong analytical skills and solid understanding of DRRM policy and planning, DRRM systems and processes at LGUs, DRFI frameworks and instruments, GAD, and other related fields.
• Proven research and analytical work and capacity to work under pressure and short deadlines.
• Cross cultural awareness and ability to work amongst a diverse group of stakeholders.
• Excellent English proficiency in oral and written communication, including a demonstrated track record in technical report writing and ability to communicate technical matters effectively to general audience.
• Required computer proficiencies: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Microsoft Teams.

Reporting Relationships

The consultant will work under the supervision of Mr. Irfan Maqbool, Director, Risk Governance. S/he will also coordinate with the other members of the BRDR team to achieve the expected outputs.