Anticipatory Action & Humanitarian Expert (Support to the implementation of the UN Plan of Action on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) for Resilience and Scaling up DRR in Humanitarian Action Initiative)

Result of Service

Scaling up the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in Humanitarian and fragile settings.

Work Location

Home Based

Expected duration

1 Sept – 31 Dec 2024

Duties and Responsibilities

Created in December 1999, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) 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/ASG), UNDRR has over 140 staff located in its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and in regional offices. Specifically, UNDRR 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 catalyses action and increases global awareness to reduce disaster risk working with UN Member States and a broad range of partners and stakeholders, including civil society, the private sector, parliamentarians and the science and technology community. Disaster risk reduction (DRR) straddles both development and humanitarian action. The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction includes multiple direct linkages to humanitarian action, including links to preparedness, early warning, recovery and ‘build back better’. UNDRR provides policy and normative expertise and plays a convening role scale up risk reduction in humanitarian action, to address root causes of humanitarian crises and to reduce humanitarian needs. This includes engagement in strategic partnerships on displacement, risk financing and social protection, as well as overarching advocacy and knowledge management to strengthen humanitarian-development collaboration. Through its guiding role in Sendai Framework implementation, UNDRR also contributes to enhanced Risk and Vulnerability Information for better humanitarian planning and response. Through the UN Plan of Action on Disaster Risk Reduction for Resilience, UNDRR plays a leadership role in integrating DRR across the UN system and contributes to providing a bridge between development and humanitarian communities. Through the UN Plan of Action, the UN System commits to strengthen its joint ability ‘to effectively support national and local communities in early warning, preparedness, response and recovery UNDRR’s ambition to contribute to scaling up disaster risk reduction in fragile and humanitarian contexts is described in under the Strategic Objective 3 (Catalyze investment and action in disaster risk reduction through partnership and engagement with stakeholders) of its Strategic Framework. UNDRR amplifies its voice through its convening role, wide range of partnerships and work on stakeholders’ engagement, including engagement with partners to improve joint risk analysis and develop a shared understanding of risk across humanitarian contexts in consideration of climate change. The consultant will report to the Risk Knowledge Programme Management Officer at the Regional Office for Arab States. Technical guidance and support will also be provided by the Risk Knowledge and Partnership Branch of UNDRR, as appropriate. S/he will further work ensure close coordination with partners at regional and national level. Duties and Responsibilities Under the supervision of Risk Knowledge Programme Management officer and overall guidance from RKB and Partnership branch, the consultant will be responsible for: 1. Support the preparation and facilitation of analysis of multi-dimensional risk and elaboration of likely scenarios for humanitarian needs overviews (HNOs) and Common Country Assessments (CCAs) in target countries 2. Roll out and apply the Checklist on Scaling up DRR in Humanitarian Action within the region and run a prioritization/planning session for humanitarian actors at country level, as part of risk analysis workshops or as a standalone exercise. 3. Identify follow-up actions linked to DRR following a multi-dimensional risk analysis, e.g. contingency planning, preparedness, early warning and early action, anticipatory action, linking to humanitarian/development planning processes. 4. Linking to existing work on DRR financing, identify funding applicable to humanitarian and fragile contexts and support humanitarian/development actors in identifying possible financing streams for DRR activities. 5. Provide support and training for identifying mechanisms for increasing anticipatory financing, linking to existing work by international, regional and national actors on anticipatory action. 6. Support UNDRR Regional Office in liaison with national and international counterparts working on DRR in humanitarian action, including through (as applicable), engagement in coordination mechanisms on anticipatory action, preparedness and risk-informed humanitarian programming 7. Provide analysis and advice, in consultation with other key actors, to national partners on ways to strengthen risk-informed humanitarian programming. 8. Support coordination of the Scaling up DRR in Humanitarian Action initiative, including through participation in interagency and internal meetings, events, webinars and workshops, drafting minutes, supporting joint advocacy, supporting knowledge sharing among partners, and reporting on key milestones of the initiative. 9. Draft background notes and undertake desk-based research and analysis on issues related to DRR/humanitarian action and other topics of relevance. 10. Provide support and inputs to talking points, presentations, background notes and key messages related to the scaling up DRR in Humanitarian Action. 11. Perform other tasks as required by the Risk Knowledge Programme Management Officer.

Qualifications/special skills

• Advanced university degree in disaster risk, risk analysis and management, risk modelling (including hazard, vulnerability and exposure) or a related field is required. • A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree • At Least 5 years of experience in disaster risk reduction, relevant humanitarian or development work is required. • Experience in information management, data analysis, statistics, risk modelling, post disaster loss and damage assessment is desirable. • Experience in the national, regional and international context on DRM/DRR is desirable. • Experience with UN or any other similar international organization related to disaster risk reduction, emergency preparedness, UN-coordinated planning process (Humanitarian Programme Cycle, UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework), humanitarian-development-peace collaboration, response and recovery is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this consultancy, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of Arabic and French is desirable.

Additional Information

Due to the high volume of applications received, only successful candidates will be contacted.

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.