Consultant (senior regional consultant on disaster risk reduction education)

Background

The Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) calls on States, regional and international organizations, and ISDR system partners as well as the ISDR secretariat to prepare periodic reviews of progress and to identify gaps and challenges in implementing disaster risk reduction (DRR). To this end, a multi-tiered process of progress reviewing at the national, regional and global level has been developed against HFA priorities, which will feed into the 2nd Session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GP/DRR) to be held in Geneva in 2009.

In 2005-2006, the UNISDR carried out a world campaign on disaster risk reduction on the topic “Disaster Risk Reduction Begins at School” with the support and contribution from all UNISDR system partners. The latter resulted in a tremendous mobilization of efforts in promoting the integration of disaster risk reduction into school curricula and school safety, as well as the recognition of non-formal education activities as a crucial contribution to awareness-raising, knowledge-building and skills development for disaster risk reduction.

Under UNISDR leadership, the Asia Pacific partners heavily contributed to the global process and, in October 2007, an Asia Pacific Regional Workshop on Disaster Risk Reduction and Education was organized by the Regional Task Force on Education and School Safety . The workshop adopted the Bangkok Action Agenda as the regional blueprint to guide disaster risk reduction implementation in the Asia Pacific region along five key priorities for action . An initial mapping out exercise has been carried out among Task Force members to assess the progress made in implementing the Bangkok Action Agenda priorities for action and is expected to be extended beyond the Task Force so as to reflect official national progress on this issue.

The Second Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (November 2007, Delhi, India), urged Governments to implement the Bangkok Action Agenda and to make school safety and the integration of disaster risk reduction into school curricula a priority on national agenda. The Third Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (December 2008, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) strongly recognized education as an essential contribution towards an effective implementation of disaster risk reduction and concrete impact in terms of shift in behaviours at the local level, where communities are most vulnerable to disasters, and urged Governments and UNISDR system partners to mobilize action and resources to enhance an effective disaster risk reduction education implementation.

In preparation of the next GP/DRR, Governments and UNISDR system partners worldwide submitted national reports on disaster risk reduction implementation, including specific achievements in disaster risk reduction education. A Global Assessment Report (GAR) on disaster risk reduction trends will also be presented to the GP/DRR, together with reports on key thematic concerns. One of them will be developed on Disaster Risk Reduction Education implementation worldwide, based on regional achievements and analyses compiled in this area.

Purpose

The proposed consultancy assignment will produce a Regional Analysis on the progress in implementing Disaster Risk Reduction Education in the Asia Pacific region, including partner organizations and Governments’ achievements, along the lines of the Bangkok Action Agenda and HFA priority 3. The report will be based on the mapping out exercise already carried out by the Regional Task Force on Education and School Safety and information presented in the National HFA Progress Reports submitted through the HFA Monitor, as well as the sub-regional progress reports compiled by SOPAC, ASEAN, and SAARC secretariats (as far as available). It will be complemented by good practices on DRR education compiled by UNISDR.

Objectives

The proposed assignment - through the regional report produced – will contribute to assessing the progress made in promoting and implementing disaster risk reduction education in the Asia Pacific region, both from the formal (integration of DRR into school curricula), non-formal (community activities, campaigns, drills etc.) and structural (schools safety) aspects, along the five priorities for action highlighted as part of the Bangkok Action Agenda. The report will also highlight key challenges and successful practices in this area, referring, as appropriate, to successful activities that have been – or are being - replicated in other countries in the region. The report will feed into the global action undertaken on DRR Education by the Thematic Platform on Knowledge and Education and education discussions to be held at the Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction.

The Regional Report will provide a succinct analysis of the following key aspects:

- Achievements and key trends in the region, based on Education Task Force report, HFA national reports (section on Education) as well as the global Good Practices document produced by UNISDR;
- Impacts and replication of good practices and successful cases to other countries / regions;
- Gaps and challenges encountered in the region; 
- Recommendations and future priorities to ensure a concrete impact of future educational activities in vulnerable communities and visible shift in behaviours / mentalities;
- The report should have a maximum length of 40 pages.

Tasks and Outputs

The Senior Regional Consultant will be identified and recruited by UNISDR Asia and Pacific and conduct his/her assignment under the direct supervision of the Senior Regional Coordinator based in Bangkok, and the responsible Regional Programme Officer. The following tasks/outputs will be accomplished:

Outputs: Delivery Date:

1.  Annotated outline of Regional Analysis: 3 February.
2.  Draft analysis of the following documents:
- mapping out exercise produced by the Regional Education Task Force;
- excerpt on Education from HFA national reports submitted by Asia Pacific countries in the context of the available: 11 February.
3.  First draft of regional synthesis report for comments from UNISDR and Regional Task Force on Education and School Safety : 18 February.
4.  Final draft of regional synthesis report: 27 February.

The above tasks will require individual and / or telephone consultations with members of the Regional Task Force on Education and School Safety, Governments focal points on DRR and/or Education, as necessary, and interaction with UNISDR team from both Bangkok and Geneva – No specific travels or missions in the region are foreseen for the above requested tasks.

Qualifications

The following qualifications and experiences are required for the completion of the assignment:

-  Masters degree or equivalent experience in a discipline relevant to disaster risk reduction and Education;
-  Good knowledge and understanding of the Hyogo Framework for Action Priority 3 and related reporting processes 
-  Excellent knowledge of the education sector, in particular formal education; 
-  Long-standing experience (10 years) in the area of disaster risk reduction and the education sector, with proven high-quality policy outcome and effective outreach to decision-makers, UN organizations and the civil society;
-  Excellent analytical and writing skills;
-  Good inter-personal skills and ability to work independently towards reaching the expected objectives;
-  Fluency in English with ability to convey ideas clearly in writing and orally; 
-  Nationality from the Asia Pacific region an asset.