DRM/CRM mainstreaming specialist

Background and rationale

The Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) was established in 1986 to support the advancement of safer communities and sustainable development, through implementing programs that reduce the impact of disasters upon countries and communities in Asia and the Pacific. ADPC is governed by its Board of Trustees and annually convenes the Regional Consultative Committee on Disaster Management (RCC) that brings together National Disaster Management Offices (NDMOs) from 26 countries of the Asian region. In 1999, ADPC was constituted as an independent non-profit foundation under Thai law, with its headquarters in Bangkok. For more information, please visit www.adpc.net. In March 2011, on completion of 25 years, ADPC in consultation with member countries and development partners development the Strategy to guide its support to countries over the next decade. The ADPC Strategy 2020 aims at focusing the involvement of ADPC on key issues in the region in relation to disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation, based on its long years of experience and comparative advantage. The implementation of ADPC Strategy 2020 is being pursued through a programmatic approach on three core areas namely Science, System and Applications for DRR, with each of the three programs having well defined Outcomes and Result Areas. At the same time, ADPC also went through an internal restructuring to organize itself in six thematic departments, with each having a niche focus and working together to contribute towards the overall outcomes of ADPC Strategy 2020.

One of the thematic departments is Safer Development Planning and Implementation (SDPI). The focus of SDPI is to enhance mainstreaming DRR and Climate Change Adaptation in development processes. Department’s work is based on the ongoing program of the Regional Consultative Committee (RCC) on Disaster Management on Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction into Development (MDRD), which is underway since 2004. A key area of the program is to demonstrate actions on mainstreaming and building capacity through training courses. The program is implemented in synergy with other ongoing regional initiatives on advocacy, knowledge management and capacity building for mainstreaming disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation into development.

Recently, ADPC has been contracted by the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), Lao PDR to provide professional consulting services for the implementation of the project “Mainstreaming Disaster and Climate Risk Management into Investment Decision” (MDCRMID). The project aims to strengthen the institutional authority and implementation capacity at national and sub-national levels to mainstreaming disaster risk management and climate change adaptation into public infrastructure investments, thereby decreasing the vulnerability of the population and national economy to climate change and natural hazards. Mainstreaming Disaster and Climate Risk Management into Investments is one of the main tasks (out of the six tasks) of the project. This Task will provide assistance to Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), Transport, Urban Planning, and Irrigation at all levels to develop guidelines and strategies to mainstream disaster risk management and climate change adaptation into the planning cycle and budgeting processes.

Status of the DRM/CRM mainstreaming specialist

The Disaster Risk Management (DRM) / Climate Risk Management (CRM) Mainstreaming Specialist will be a core member of the ADPC’s Safer Development Planning and Implementation (SDPI) department and work under the direct supervision of the Head, SDPI. On MDCID project, he/she will act as a technical specialist and follow the
project implementation structure and reporting requirements. This position refers to the professional title and grade as per ADPC’s personnel policy and guidelines.

Roles and responsibilities

The DRM/CRM Mainstreaming Specialist is expected to have relevant skills to support the SDPI Department on its mainstreaming disasters risk reduction into development (MDRD) programs. In addition, S/he will be responsible for providing technical inputs to the MDCID project team based in Lao PDR in mainstreaming DRR considerations
into priority sectors. For this purpose, s/he will be required to work closely with sectoral experts. The DRM Mainstreaming Specialist may be stationed in Lao PDR if the program implementation mechanism required it to be so at any point of time during the program’s time period.

Core responsibilities

Develop country specific (RCC member countries) guidelines and strategies to mainstream DRM into the planning cycle and budgeting processes in productive and non-productive sectors;

• Work with the SDPI team and its MDRD program with regard to planning and implementation procedures of key socio-economic development sectors (such as education, health, agriculture, industry and technology etc.)
• Work with DRMS team and its MDCID Project in Lao PDR for improvement of mechanisms, processes and guidelines for planning, budgeting, and monitoring and evaluation of public investment on priority sector such as Transport, rural housing, urban land use planning, and irrigation

Identify and advise on the improvement in existing laws/by laws, standards, regulations and codes that are critical to the mainstreaming of DRM or assist countries in developing such provisions.

• Assist RCC member countries to facilitate progress in adapting national laws/by-laws, designs/ structural and non structural codes to the impacts of disaster and climate risk
• Assist RCC member countries to have adequate Policies, Guidelines, Capacities, Resources that can guide better public and private investment decisions.
• Assist RCC member countries to develop a monitoring and evaluation process for DRM measures to be adopted for private and public sector projects

Review global best practices on mainstreaming DRM and adaptation into RCC member countries to further accelerate the implementation of HFA and finalize result-based frameworks for mainstreaming DRM/CRM in the proposed HFA2 and Post-2015 development agenda

• Assist ADPC and SDPI department in particular in establishing linkages between its MDRD programs with other relevant program at the regional/global scale.
• Provide guidance on the ways and means of developing synergy between MDRD program and other similar programs implemented by others including UN agencies
• Assist ADPC and SDPI with technical input to contribute to regional /international workshops/conference/focus discussions on the mainstreaming agenda.
• Assist ADPC in identifying and profiling potential donors and advocacy for developing partnership for the expansion of MDRD program to other hazard-prone countries of the region.

Review regional/global training and capacity building program to improve delivery of ADPC’s regional training course on mainstreaming disaster risk into development.

• Assist ADPC Training Service unit in regular updating of the regional MDRD course
• Assist in adapting the regional course for RCC member countries and deliver them with SDPI and other thematic Department.

Management support and collaboration with other ADPC Departments, focusing on achievement of the ADPC Strategy 2020

• Overall support to the Department Head of SDPI and Thematic Directors with the daily management of the SDPI activities.
• Support the other thematic Department for effective utilization of tools and guidance available for mainstreaming DRM/CRM in implementation of ADPC program on Science, Application and Systems
• Any other tasks as assigned by the Supervisor

Specific knowledge, skills and attitudes required

A. Education qualification and work experience

• Advance level degree in planning and/or engineering and/or development economics disciplines.
• At least 7 years of practical experience in the field of Disaster Risk Reduction, of which 3 years as technical expert on the areas linking disasters and development.
• Preference will be given to candidates:

1. Who have worked in Asia and the Pacific; know the institutional and legal systems for DRM/CRM in Asia-Pacific countries
2. Who understand national and sub national development planning process and key socio-economic development sectors (such as education, health, agriculture, industry and technology)
3. With knowledge on irrigation, public road transport, and urban and rural land-use planning sector.

• Has sound experience of developing technical guidelines, templates and check-lists for mainstreaming DRM considerations into productive and non-productive sectors
• Excellent writing and oral skills in English language

B. Practical knowledge

• Project planning and execution
• Knowledge management
• Partnership building and networking

C. Work attitude

• Strong desire to learn and contribute to the development and implementation of project/programs in target areas;
• Team Player, excellent interpersonal skills and elements to lead a team in multi cultural environment;
• Undertake new challenges; be a creative problem-solver;
• Willing to frequently travel in the region.