Consultant

Vacancy number: ISDR/C/34/2009

Background

The International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) is a multi-disciplinary and multi-stakeholder platform to enable societies to increase their resilience to natural, technological and environmental disasters and to reduce associated environmental, human, economic and social losses. A range of United Nations organizations and international partners participate in cooperation with Governments and civil society organizations.

The implementation of the ISDR is supported by a secretariat lead by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction. The secretariat main functions are policy coordination, advocacy and information management, at the international and regional levels, to ensure synergy between disaster reduction strategies and those in the socio-economic and humanitarian fields.

In January 2005, the World Conference on Disaster Reduction (WCDR, 18-22 January 2005, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan) adopted the Hyogo Declaration and the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters adopted at the WCDR.

The Hyogo Framework is the essential guide for implementation of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction in the coming years and it constitutes an unprecedented conceptual shift that takes account of the complexity of action in disaster risk reduction and the large variety of actors whose inputs are required in the pursuit of this objective. It provides the basic concepts and prescribes and expected outcome; details three strategic goals for disaster risk reduction and a set of five priority areas for action; and assigns tasks to stakeholders at different operational levels to reach the expected outcome.

In order to support African countries in building their resilience in case of disaster, the African Union and the ECOWAS have called on African countries since 2005 to implement the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA). African Members States are urged to make DRR an integral part of development policies and planning fostering the establishment of National Platforms for Disaster Risk Reduction to reach the goals set in the HFA.

To support the Government of Côte D’Ivoire in establishing a strong institutional basis for disaster risk reduction and in order to mitigate disaster risks in the country, the UNISDDR secretariat is seeking a consultant to develop a national strategy for disaster management which integrates the main focal points of the National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction into the process to ensure effective resource management and coverage of responsibilities.

The UNISDR underlines that there is no model that can be adapted from one country to another and therefore there is a need to develop a national strategy for disaster management with an action plan in line with the specific conditions, institutional and historical specificities of Cote d’Ivoire.

Duties and responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Coordinator of the UNISDR Regional Office for Africa, the Programme Officer in charge of the project, and in close collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Forest in Côte D’Ivoire, the consultant will:
1. Develop a draft national strategy and an action plan to manage disaster risk:
-Carry out a brief overview of the national political, social and economic context for DRR in Côte D’Ivoire relevant for elaborating a national strategy.
-Identify supporting sectors and thematic issues, including climate change adaptation, and existing national programmes and plans in collaboration with the institutional bodies, which are part of the national platform.
-Develop a draft action plan as well as work plan in support of identified gaps by integrating the priorities and outcome indicators of the Hyogo Framework for Action and the DRR programme of ECOWAS.
-Develop advocacy documents to ensure an effective implementation of the action plan.

2. Identify strategic partnerships to implement the strategy and action plan for disaster management:
-Identify opportunities for national partnership and collect, analyze information to be integrated into the database.
-Provide advice on how to strengthen and develop strategic partnerships among National Platform stakeholders, i.e. government ministries, international organizations, decentralized organizations, private sector and civil society, which implement the HFA.
-Closely cooperate with the main focal points of the National Platform to ensure their commitment to the implementation of the action plan.

Competencies

Professionalism:
-Ability to respond to changing requirements and assignments given.
-Ability to identify key strategic issues, opportunities and risks.

Planning and organizing:
Effective organizational skills and ability to establish priorities and to plan, co-ordinate and monitor own work plan.

Communication:
-Good communication speaks and writes clearly and effectively.
-Demonstrates openness in sharing information with others and keeping people informed.

Education/experience/language

Education:
Advanced University degree (Masters Degree or equivalent) in development studies or planning.

Work experience:
Minimum of 7 years work experience in development projects/planning
(conception, implementation, financial management, monitoring and evaluation)

Languages:
Fluency in spoken and written French and English is required.