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. UNDRR guides, monitors, analyses, and reports on progress in the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. It supports regional and national implementation of the Framework and catalyzes 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. One of the UNDRR’s strategic areas of work in Lao PDR is to support the country’s efforts to strengthen disaster risk governance, particularly, to develop, implement and finance national and local strategies and plan to promote concrete actions for climate and disaster risk reduction across multiple development sectors. The key responsibilities under this assignment are to: – Collaborate closely with Ministry of Labor and social Welfare (MoLSW) / Department of Social Welfare (DSW) to gain a thorough understanding of the specific needs and priorities for gender equality, disability, and social inclusion as part of the National Action Plan for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), and Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) integration guiding tool for early warning early action. – Provide support and technical guidance to MoLSW/DSW in the development of the gender equality, disability, and social inclusion action priorities under the DRR National Action Plan through stakeholder consultations, identification of gaps, and incorporation of inputs and feedback into the plan and tool, in alignment with relevant national and global strategies, policies, and guideline for disaster risk reduction. – Support the MoLSW/DSW and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE)/ Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH) to align the national gender action priorities for DRR with the Gender Action Plan to Support Implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 (Sendai GAP) – Closely work with the consultant who will be working on the development of the National DRR Action Plan. The consultant will be based in Lao, PDR and work closely with UNDRR’s Climate and Disaster-Resilient Development Specialist at the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office based in Vientiane, Lao PDR under supervision of Programme Management Officer, UNDRR Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP). On a daily basis, the consultant will closely collaborate with DSW/MoLSW, the secretariat of CDMC, and occasionally with DMH, MoNRE. The consultant will also engage extensively with government and development partners at mostly at national level. – Coordinate with MoLSW, MONRE, Central Disaster Management Committee (CDMC), UNDRR, development partners and other concerned stakeholders, and prepare an inception report that outlines the process and tentative methods, workplan for developing gender equality, disability, and social inclusion priorities for DRR, and GEDSI integration guiding tool for early warning early action. In doing so, engage Sendai GAP focal point from MoLSW. – Explore and finalize the methodology, approaches, and tools necessary to achieve the expected outputs. – Conduct a desk review of relevant legal and policy instruments, including laws, policies, strategies, and plans on DRR, gender, and disability at the global, regional, and national levels. Those documents include, inter alia, the Law on Gender Equality, Fourth National Plan of Action on Gender Equality (2021-2025), the Second National Plan of Action on Violence against Women and Violence against Children (2021-2025), the 3rd National Plan of Action on Mother and Children (2021-2025), and National Women Development Plan (2021-2025), the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), Law on Development and Protection of Persons with Disabilities, Decree on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Gender Action Plan to Support Implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 (Sendai GAP) , and the Checklist for Inclusive Early Warning Early Action. – Review the current situation of gender and disability mainstreaming in DRR policies, strategies, and development plans. Analyze the extent to which gender has been mainstreamed in national and sub-national DRR policies. – Explore challenges and opportunities in mainstreaming gender, disability, and social inclusion in DRR actions in accordance with Disaster Risk Management laws and national DRR strategies. – Recommend tools and mechanisms to support the integration of gender and disability in DRR action plans and programs. – Assess the capacity of disaster management officials at national and sub-national levels in integrating gender, disability, and social inclusion considerations in DRR efforts. – Facilitate stakeholder consultation processes, including technical and consultation workshops, to gather feedback from concerned stakeholders. – Prepare technical workshops concept note and translate in both Lao and English languages as appropriate. – Support MoLSW and UNDRR in organizing multiple workshops and consultation meetings, as necessary. – Draft the gender equality, disability, and social inclusion action plan on DRR, and GEDSI integration guiding tool for early warning – early action in both Lao and English languages and submit them to DSW, MoLSW.
Qualifications/special skills
Advanced university degree in natural resources management, environmental science, climate change, gender and development, disaster risk management, or related field is required. A first-level university degree with at least 2 additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. At least 5 years of experience in planning and managing projects/programs related to climate change, disaster risk reduction/management, gender, and disability within government entities and/or non-governmental organizations is required. Knowledge of and experience in integrating gender equality and the rights of persons with disabilities in policies, programmes or plans is required. Experience working with Lao PDR’s disaster risk governance, as well as the system of disaster risk reduction policies, mechanisms, and procedures, is desirable. Experience in working with the government of Lao PDR in formulation of government policies, strategies, action plans, or framework in relation to disaster risk management, climate change, gender, disability, or any other relevant field at national or sub-national governments is desirable. Experience working within the UN system or any other similar international organization in disaster risk reduction, emergency preparedness and response, humanitarian development-peace collaboration, response, recovery, gender, and disability is desirable.