Disaster Risk Reduction Advisor

Result of Service

Completion of chapters and sub chapters of the Regional Assessment Report (RAR).

Work Location

Home Based

Expected duration

1 August – 31 December 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), United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction has over 140 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. This consultancy position is located in the UNDRR Regional Office for Arab States (ROAS). The consultant will work directly under the supervision of the Deputy chief of the regional office and in coordination with the Risk Knowledge Programme officer. The Regional Assessment Report (RAR) is a collaborative effort of several UN and international organizations and being coordinated by UNDRR ROAS under the overall guidance of the Deputy Chief of Office. To guarantee credibility and impartiality, the development of RAR is guided by an independent Editorial Committee (EC). In 2015 countries adopted three main policy documents that stress the need to strengthen disaster and climate resilience; namely the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) 2015-2030, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Climate Agreement. So far, these agendas are not fully streamlined, although cross-cutting approaches have a strong potential to improve disaster risk reduction, adapt to the adverse effects of climate change and to foster sustainable development. Under the overall direction of the Deputy Chief of UNDRR ROAS and supervision of Risk Knowledge Programme Officer, the consultant will coordinate among the partners of RAR and provide technical advice to the content of the report towards developing the final Regional Assessment Report- 2nd edition publication. Duties and Responsibilities • Provide technical advice to UNDRR and its partners on the implementation of Comprehensive Risk Management in four Low Development Countries (LDCs) (Comoros, Djibouti, Mauritania and Sudan) and co-facilitate national consultation and validation workshops as needed. • Provide technical advice to UNDRR and its partners during the drafting of the RAR chapters. • Undertake technical review of chapters and coordinate with their leads and contributors to incorporate necessary changes. • Develop the RAR’s template and table of content per the final RAR. • Develop, contribute, and edit the parts of the RAR where the UNDRR are the lead author. • Draft the introduction and conclusion section based on the submitted chapters by UNDRR and its partners. • Edit all chapters of the RAR to develop the final RAR, ensuring a common understanding of DRR concepts and terminologies and consistency and flow of key messages across the different chapters and sections. • Facilitate the RAR review process with Editorial Committee Members and Peer Reviewers. • Submit the final Regional Assessment Report and RAR Executive Summary for further editing and printing. • Coordinate all project-related activities and monitor progress as per the project action plans to ensure that activities are implemented in an effective and timely manner. • Coordinate, maintain and initiate effective dialogue with the key counterparts and stakeholders at the regional, national and local levels that are involved in the project implementation.

Qualifications/special skills

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in disaster risk management or relevant 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 10 years of experience in developing technical reports in Disaster Risk Management or poverty reduction, water resource management, climate change, or any other related thematic areas of expertise is required. • Excellent experience of disaster management or multi-disciplinary development approaches in general is required. • Proven experience in research is desirable. • Proven experience in training and building capacity of trainees is desirable. • Proven experience in working with stakeholders, institutions, government 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 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.