Senior Early Warning Systems (EWS) and Disaster Operations Expert (Consultant)

Please apply here (https://careers.un.org/lbw/jobdetail.aspx?id=148707&Lang=en-US )

Work Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Organizational Context

Created in December 1999, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction is the designated focal point in the United Nations system for the coordination of efforts to reduce disasters and to ensure synergies among the disaster reduction activities of the United Nations and regional organizations and activities in both developed and less developed countries. Led by the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction (SRSG), United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction has over 100 staff located in its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and in regional offices. Specifically, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction guides, monitors, analyses and reports on progress in the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, supports regional and national implementation of the Framework and catalyzes action and increases global awareness to reduce disaster risk working with U.N. Member States and a broad range of partners and stakeholders, including civil society, the private sector, parliamentarians and the science and technology community.

Background

In March 2015, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) 2015-2030 was adopted by the UN General Assembly. In alignment with the SFDRR, the African Union (AU) member states developed a new Programme of Action (PoA) for the implementation of the SFDRR in Africa. In addition to the seven global targets of the Sendai Framework, the PoA has an additional 5 targets. The PoA aims to achieve “substantial reduction of disaster risk and losses in lives, livelihoods and health and in the economic, physical, social, cultural and environmental assets of persons, businesses, communities and countries.”

Early Warning Systems (EWS), which ensure people are prepared and ready to act in the event of a disaster, are one of the most effective measures that government can undertake to achieve substantial reduction of disaster losses. In that light, the PoA, as stipulated in the SFDRR, targets to substantially increase the availability of and access to multi-hazard early warning systems and disaster risk information and assessments to people by 2030, and increase the number of countries with, and periodically testing, risk-informed preparedness plans, and, response, and post-disaster recovery and reconstruction mechanisms. However, achieving these targets would require establishment of agile and interactive early warning systems at all levels to facilitate mitigation, response and recovery to increasing frequency and intensity of natural hazards.

A regional and continental response has to be enhanced to proactively support member states in mitigating impacts of natural hazards and in event of a disaster. Observing from the recent disasters on the continent, hazards such as droughts, floods, tropical storms and cyclones, pests and epidemics have constantly affected more than one country simultaneously. Even where such hazards occur locally, the severity in which these events have manifested could easily overwhelm localized response. Many countries face multiple disasters at the same time. In eastern Africa, many countries experienced desert locust invasion, floods and COVID-19 simultaneously. The confluence of COVID-19 with other natural hazards further compounded vulnerabilities of member states. It is yet to be understood whether high fatalities as a result of floods in Kenya and Rwanda in the past months could have occurred in absence of COVID-19 context. Furthermore, the Africa’s inaugural report on Disaster Risk Reduction observes increased vulnerability and lower coping mechanisms in fragile contexts, in countries affected by conflicts and civil wars. The interacting nature of hazards require systemic and integrated actions that transcend borders and sectors.

Hence, in October 2018, the DRR Ministerial Conference organized on the margins of the Africa-Arab platform for disaster risk reduction, in its ministerial declaration (Tunis Declaration) ‘encourages African States to strengthen their early warning systems, including multi-hazard and impact based early warning with priority on hydrological and meteorological systems and the delivery of services in understandable manner to end-users for enhanced preparedness, response, recovery and reconstruction’. The Tunis Declaration was further endorsed by AU Specialized Technical Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Environment Water and Environment (AU STC-ARDWE) during its 3rd Ordinary Session on 25 October 2019. The STC-ARDWE further calls upon the African Union Commission to establish a continental multi-hazards early warning and preparedness system for natural hazards. The AU Executive Council further endorsed the STC-ARDWE’s call for establishment of Multi Hazard EWS in its ordinary Session in January 2020.

In light with the AU decisions captioned above, UNDRR collaborated with the AU Commission and other partners to mobilize resources for the establishment of Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (MHEWS).

Consequently, the Government of Italy financed UNDRR to support the establishment of MHEWS at continental level and pilot RECs under the project entitled “Establishment of the impact-based early warning for early action and trans-boundary risk management function of the African Union”. The initiative aims at building the capacity of the African Union Commission, African Centre of Meteorological Application for Development (ACMAD), Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and Member States to effectively collect, exchange and analyse Risk information relevant to impact based Early Warning Systems (EWS) for Early Action and Trans-boundary Risk Management.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Senior Expert for Early Warning Systems (EWS) and Disaster Operations will work under the overall supervision of the Deputy Chief of UNDRR Regional Office for Africa, and will liaise with the technical coordinator in the respective institutions (CIMA Coordinator at the AUC, technical project coordinators in ACMAD, IGAD and SADC.

The consultant will undertake the following responsibilities:

• Liaise with the EWS experts at AUC, SADC, ACMAD and the hydro meteorological experts at IGAD and SADC for improving coordination mechanism of data exchange at continental and Regional level.

• Lead the review of the existing EWS and SOPs and development of preparedness plans.

• Liaise with DRR Senior Policy Officer and the DRR Technical Coordinator on all the activities related to the design and realization of the situation room.

• Coordinate the development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the situation room.

• Coordinate the start-up and operation of AUC situation room

• Coordinate the preparation of situation reports based on information collected through the new coordination mechanism established

• Anticipate obstacles realistically and plan for contingencies – create plans that factor in time for unexpected problems and uncertainties.

• Develop and monitor the implementation of learning and development plans for the team. Establish mechanisms to facilitate and encourage knowledge sharing in own area.

• Oversee reporting on project implementation

• Facilitation of endorsement of institutional framework by relevant AU decision making organs

Result of Service

Objective of the assignment:

Facilitate the establishment of a continental impact based EWS for Early Action and Transboundary Risk Management through:

• The improvement of risk understanding

• Establishment of a situation room at the AU premises, and capacitation of other situation rooms at ACMAD, RECs and Member States through a common web-based platform and Standard Operating Procedures.

Deliverables

1. Inception report

2. Detailed implementation plan

3. Finalization of institutional/ legal framework for Multi-Hazards Early Warning System

4. Project reports/briefs

5. Design and setting up of the situation and emergency coordination room

6. Setting up of the situation room and installation of equipment

7. Development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

8. Endorsement of institutional framework by relevant AU decision making organs

9. Finalization of data sharing policy and harmonized system for warning

10. Final Report

Qualifications/special skills

Academic Qualifications: Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Environmental Engineering, Environmental Science, Disaster Risk Management, Geography, Hydrology or other relevant fields is required. A first-level university degree in any of these fields in combination with two additional years of qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience: Seven (7) years of relevant experience at the national or international level in implementing Disaster Risk Reduction Programmes is required. Five (5) years proven experience in managing early warning or disaster operations projects is required. Proven experience working in Africa at regional or national level on Disaster Risk Reduction/Management (DRR/M) is required.

Experience as a professional forecaster, including data management, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Early Warning Systems (EWS) management of emergency information, coordination of people and tasks, for the generation of Early Warning (EW) messages is desirable. Experience in managing projects/teams is desirable

Language: English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this position fluency in English is required. Knowledge of French is desirable.

Work Location

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Expected duration

Start as soon as possible until 14 October 2021 with a possibility of extension up to 24 months.

Additional Information

Travel is applicable in Africa and Europe.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.