Consultant: Facilitation of South American regional DIPECHO workshop

About the consultancy

Result of Service

The 2016 Regional Workshop

The two main objectives of this workshop are:

• Determine the impact of ECHO and its partners in the region during recent years in terms of disaster risk reduction, and
• Define the added value expected from ECHO’s cooperation in disaster risk reduction for the future as well as its contributions to the Sendai Framework implementation.

Similarly, it is expected that this regional workshop will promote coordination, synergies and exchanges among the different actors in the region. The workshop will focus on supporting the two main objectives through working group discussions on sustainability and replicability of actions as per the following themes:

• Education,
• Livelihoods,
• Urban risk,
• The relationship between emergency response and disaster preparedness.

Discussions for each of the above themes will centre upon the future impact / added value of ECHO interventions at the community level, the institutional level and the regional level.

This workshop will be based upon the inputs resulting from the work and discussions carried out previously in the national 2016 DIPECHO workshops among the different South American countries with the same objectives as this regional workshop but at the country level (in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela as the countries where national DIPECHO projects are currently being carried out).

Expected duration

Approximately 20 working days (within the period of 15 April to 15 June).

Duties and Responsibilities

The main purpose of this consultancy is to provide support before, during and after the regional workshop in terms of designing the workshop agenda, methodology for facilitation, support workshop planning and logistics, facilitate the regional workshop to ensure meeting the two main objectives, systematization of workshop presentations and discussions as well as ensure outputs, recommendations and conclusions which will serve as a key tool for managing new initiatives, along with a final presentation to ECHO of the workshop systemization and conclusions.

Duties, responsibilities and expected results of the consultancy:

• The selected candidate will be responsible for developing the agenda for the two days of the workshop, validated among the representatives of DG-ECHO for South America and UNISDR.
• Compile the final products and conclusions of the previous 2016 National Workshops (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela) in coordination with ECHO partners in each country in charge of the consultation processes.
• Develop and disseminate the regional workshop methodology, including plenary and group work sessions.
• Facilitate the regional workshop, ensuring the broad and active involvement and interaction of participants and ensuring that the objectives of the workshop are successfully met in a manner coherent and agreed upon with personnel of DG-ECHO and UNISDR.
• Facilitate and promote the process of coordination and articulation among the different DIPECHO partners and counterparts in order to establish possible synergies, sharing of experiences and exchanges.
• Make known and coordinate the promotion of tools relevant to disaster risk reduction and resilience in South America (tools financed both by ECHO and by other agencies).
• Prepare a report of the workshop that includes key aspects regarding the organization and realization of the event, as well as the main results, achievements, recommendations and conclusions; to be presented to UNISDR and ECHO along with reference materials including presentations, group work, etc.

Activites

Prior to the workshop:

• Advise on the process of developing the regional workshop methodology and agenda, in coordination with ECHO and UNISDR.
• Advise on the identification of participatory methodologies that allow for successfully meeting the workshop objectives and expected results.
• Design and develop the dynamics, exercises and methodology that will lead to successfully fulfilling the workshop objectives in an environment that fosters safe, collaborative and respectful learning and participation.
• Alert and take action as necessary to ensure proper and practical measures for preparation and logistics that support an environment conducive to mutual learning and exchanges.
• Advise workshop participants and presenters in order to ensure adequate presentations, exchanges and interventions.
• Prepare an evaluation of the workshop to be completed during the workshop

During the workshop:

• Successfully facilitate the workshop;
• Coordinate the participation of the presenters and other facilitators (if applicable) ensuring they have clarity about roles and responsibilities;
• Coordinate collaboration and exchanges;
• Moderate and facilitate discussions, group work, presentations and interventions in keeping with allotted timeframes as defined in the agenda and promoting productive discussions among participants;
• Propose changes to methodology and agenda as deemed necessary;
• Verify that instructions for dynamics, exercises and working groups are clearly communicated and well understood, in keeping with the expected results and objectives and as communicated with the participants;
• Generate processes that promote the adoption of consensus on the region’s priorities and the achievement of the workshop objectives;
• Extract the main inputs of the different meeting sessions.
• Ensure that the tools and experiences presented have appropriate and equitable space and time.
• Support daily meetings about lessons learned and planning for the following day among the organizing committee (DG-ECHO, UNISDR, thematic focal points and support team).
• Prepare and carry out an evaluation of the workshop with the participants.

Systematization:

• Ensure the main inputs and outputs generated through the different spaces during the workshop are compiled, both from plenaries and from working groups;
• Compile and present the results of working groups and plenary sessions;
• Prepare a summary of the main recommendations, conclusions and commitments from prior to and during the workshop and present them in the corresponding session;
• Compile materials, documents, presentations and others relating to and resulting from the workshop for digital and virtual dissemination.

After the workshop:

• Immediately after the workshop, prepare a final report that identifies and summarizes outcomes, results, consensus reached, organization and facilitation, evaluation by participants, systematization of processes, lessons learned, as well as overall recommendations and conclusions at the regional level in terms of implementation during the Action Plan as well as surrounding future processes and Action Plans.
• Prepare a final report on the workshop that reflects the achievements, contents, results, products, recommendations and conclusions.
• Present the final version of these reports, approved by DG-ECHO and UNISDR.

Schedule of Activities:

• Workplan with timetable, agenda and methodology is sent and approved by UNISDR and DG-ECHO;
• Convene and organize discussions and meetings with support team, presenters and participants;
• Communicate and disseminate support documentation: Concept note, agenda, methodology, logistical note, guides for each session and for each working group.
• Travel to Asuncion, Paraguay to facilitate the workshop;
• Develop the final report and systematized materials and information along with presentation of final outputs and products approved by DG-ECHO and UNISDR.

Qualifications/special skills

Academic Qualifications:

Education: Advanced university degree or equivalent experience in social sciences, political sciences, national resource management, disaster risk management or related fields. A first-level university degree in combination with a minimum of 7 years qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• Proven experience in leading and facilitating workshops and meetings;
• Functional knowledge and professional experience in the field of disaster risk reduction, humanitarian assistance, international cooperation and/or sustainable development;
• In-depth knowledge of the work carried out by the UNISDR Americas office, intergovernmental mechanisms, DRR Platforms, tools and mechanisms related to DRR and DIPECHO Action Plans and DIPECHO, DRR and Resilience projects in South America;
• Excellent analytical and reporting skills;
• Capacity to prepare and present documents and reports;
• Availability to travel to Asuncion, Paraguay for the Regional Workshop which will take place on 6 and 7 June 2016 (2 to 8 June are the expected travel dates).

Language

Excellent Spanish speaking and writing skills; working knowledge of English is strongly desirable.