International consultant: mapping and systematization of best practices on disaster preparedness and risk reduction

Background

Comoros, Madagascar and Mozambique face multiple hazards and due to their geographical and economic position those hazards cause a relatively high mortality risk. During the past twenty years, around 42 million people have been affected and almost 10,000 have lost their lives in these four countries due to natural disasters. Each of these countries has past and present initiatives to improve their disaster risk preparedness but the economic situation makes things more difficult. Poverty makes people more vulnerable to natural hazards and weakens the capacity of national disaster management institutions to tackle the problems. Therefore, additional support to collect and use information and tools and to revise policies and practices is needed.

In this framework, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has received a grant from the European Commission Humanitarian Office (ECHO), within the 1st DIPECHO Action Plan for the region, to implement the following initiative “Enhancing Knowledge Management in Disaster Preparedness and Risk Reduction within Southeast Africa and Southwest Indian Ocean ”, covering those four countries mentioned above.

The project aims to reduce disaster risks in the region by strengthening the capacity of organizations to systematically register and disseminate lessons learned and best practices in disaster preparedness and risk reduction, to be applied by vulnerable populations in the areas most affected by recurrent natural hazards in Southern Africa and Southwest Indian Ocean . As the DRR cooperation between the countries in question has been quite minimal, this project aims also to develop a regional network and effective exchange and partnership among DIPECHO partners and institutions within the South-East Africa and South-West Indian Ocean Region.

The specific objective is to improve knowledge transfer in disaster preparedness and risk reduction initiatives, as well as effective exchange and partnership among DIPECHO Partners and institutions within the region of Southeast Africa and Southwest Indian Ocean . Three main results are expected from the project:

- Disaster preparedness and risk reduction tools, methodologies and best practices compiled, systematized and disseminated among local, national and regional stakeholders in four countries of the region of South-East Africa and South-West Indian Ocean, namely Comoros, Malawi, Madagascar and Mozambique.
- Enhanced coordination as well as knowledge and information exchanges among DIPECHO partners and local and national institutions and stakeholders within the region of South-East Africa and South-West Indian Ocean.
- Improved regional integration in the region of South-East Africa and South-West Indian Ocean and enhanced involvement of SADC in DRR activities.

The project also supports the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA), and more specifically, the Priority for Action Nº3 “Use knowledge, innovation and education to build a culture of safety and resilience at all levels”.

The project is coordinated by UNDP Mozambique Country Office, in liaison with other related initiatives supported by UNDP-BCPR in the region and beyond, as well as with the national capacity building projects developed by the UNDP Country Offices in , and . UNDP Country Offices will also play a critical role in helping to coordinate and implement the project.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Consultant will provide technical support to the compilation, systematization and dissemination of best practices.

The overall responsibility of the Consultant is:

- To compile, systematize and disseminate disaster preparedness and risk reduction tools, methodologies and best practices among local, national and regional stakeholders in four countries of the region of Southeast Africa and Southwest Indian Ocean, namely Comoros, Malawi, Madagascar and Mozambique.

The Consultant will thus carry out following major tasks:

- To compile experiences in disaster preparedness and risk reduction from the cases selected in each country, identifying the risk management actors and partners at the national level
- To write cases studies of successful experiences and participate in subsequent dissemination activities
- To provide support in the production of audiovisual materials produced in the Project

Consequently the consultant has following tasks in order to accomplish the key responsibilities outlined above.

Under the overall supervision of the Project Coordinator based in Maputo , with support of UNDP Country Offices, the consultant will:

Produce a work plan

- Collect and compile information for the systematization process
- Liaise with the actors in the field of disaster preparedness and risk reduction and complete the information
- Support the organization of workshops at national level for presentation of systematization process and upon request
- Create an inventory of at least 30 initiatives on disaster preparedness and risk reduction
- Write at least 10 case studies on successful experiences


Draft and present the research material (reports, interviews, etc.), and a partial report, three weeks after beginning the consultancy (descriptive analysis and methodological process of the systematization and lessons learned: successes, failures, challenges)

- Draft and present the final report
- Support the production of publication and audiovisual material

Competencies

- Field expertise in the field of DRR, in depth knowledge of the Hyogo Framework of Action and other key initiatives, programmes and actors at global level and preferably in Southeast Africa and Southwest Indian Ocean Region
- Demonstrated experiences in publishing analytical works in the field of DRR
- Self starters and organizational skills
- Demonstrated communication skills (oral and written) in English. Working knowledge of French and Portuguese would be an asset.

Required Skills and Experience

- Post graduate degree in a relevant discipline (environment and development)
- A minimum of 7 years of extensive working experience in the area of systematization of experiences, production of communication materials and dissemination of the products
- Strong conceptual, analytical, writing and editing skills in English