Closing date:

National platform consultant (Namibia)

City/location:
Remote: consultant is not required to work on UN premises
Organization:
United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction - Regional Office for Africa

This job posting has closed

The deadline has been extended from 23 May 2010 to 30 May 2010

Vacancy notice number: ISDR/C/16/2010
Date of entry: 1 June 2010
Duration: Two months

United Nations Core Values:

  • Integrity
  • Professionalism
  • Respect for diversity

Background:

The International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) is a multi-disciplinary and multistakeholder platform to enable societies to increase their resilience to natural, technological and environmental disasters and to reduce associated environmental, human and economic and social losses. A range of United Nations organizations and international partners participate in cooperation with Governments and civil society organizations. In adopting ISDR, the United Nations General Assembly (Res/54/219) endorsed the establishment of an institutional framework for its implementation consisting of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Disaster Reduction (IATF/DR) and the inter-agency secretariat (ISDR secretariat).

The main functions of the secretariat 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) took place and represents a landmark in worldwide understanding and commitment to implement a disaster risk reduction agenda. This commitment was captured in 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 difference operational levels to reach the expected outcome.

Priority One of the Hyogo Framework for Action emphasizes the need to “ensure that disaster risk reduction (DRR) is a national and local priority with a strong institutional basis for implementation”. It further recommends establishing “DRR institutional mechanisms (national platforms) with designated responsibilities”.

Since the mid 90’s African countries began developing multi-stakeholder national coordination mechanisms for disaster management and response, the first being Ethiopia (1995) and Mozambique (1999). Since the establishment of the UNISDR regional Office for Africa in 2002, another 23 African countries established multi-stakeholder national coordination mechanisms, focusing on disaster risk reduction rather than on disaster response and relief, which are often referred to as national platforms for disaster risk reduction.

The UNISDR Regional Office for Africa is implementing a project to strengthen national platforms for disaster risk reduction in nine project countries in the region, namely Burundi, Cape Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Namibia, Tunisia, Tanzania, Senegal and Madagascar. The project is designed to address needs and priorities identified by national governments as well as by the UN country teams in the respective countries, to strengthen their national coordination mechanisms.

Under this project the Namibia National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, which is outlined in the Namibia national policy on disaster risk management was established, which supports the practical implementation of the policy. The next important step to activate the newly established national platform, as stressed in discussions with government counterparts and the UN country team, is the raising of awareness on DRR concepts at the district and community levels. Essential for a functioning national platform is to decentralize activities to district and community level, which requires basic knowledge on DRR among district officials and community leaders, and integration of DRR into the work programmes at sub-national level.

As a second step following the establishment of the national platform and training of its platform members, UNISDR Africa is seeking a Namibia based consultant to develop a training kit for regional councils/sub-national and local authorities officials and community leaders on the concepts of DRR and the Hyogo Framework for Action as well as the Africa Regional Strategy on DRR and on how to integrate DRR in general into programmes and plans.

The training kit will be developed in strong coordination with the Namibia National Platform for DRR, UNISDR and the UN Country Team in Namibia.

Duties and responsibilities

Under the overall supervision of the Head of the UNISDR Regional Office for Africa, the Programme Officer in charge of the project and in close collaboration with the Directorate Disaster Risk Management in the Office of the Prime Minister the relevant focal points in the UN Country Team, the consultant will:

1. Draft an action plan for the national platform for DRR for the coming 12 months, in line with the Africa Regional Strategy for DRR and its Programme of Action, highlighting priority concerns such as safer cities, schools and hospitals, considering responsibilities as outlined in the Namibia national policy on disaster risk management, focusing on decentralization of DRR activities and governmental and development budgetary allocation for DRR.
2. As a specific activity of the action plan, develop a training kit for a three day training of regional councils and local authorities’ officials and community leaders on DRR concepts and practical integration of DRR into their daily work.
3. Consult with the Namibia National Platform for DRR and relevant development partners to have the action plan and the training kit approved. The training kit will be piloted by the Namibia National platform for DRR in cooperation with development partners.

Key Deliverables


1. Develop an action plan which will shape the work of the national platform for the next 12 months, with dedicated responsibilities of members and development partners as well as possible budgetary allocation.

2. Develop training kit for a 3 day training of trainers, targeting regional council and local authorities officials and community leaders. The training kit will include clear concepts of DRR and the HFA, suggestions on how to integrate DRR into the development programmes and plans, as well as suggestions on how to develop DRR specific activities such as risk assessments and mapping, establishment of early warning systems, enhance public awareness and DRR sensitive budget allocation. With the help of the training kit the regional councils and local authorities’ officials and community leaders will clearly understand the importance of DRR, the roles of and responsibilities of all stakeholders in the country related to DRR and the coordination requirements with and role of the national platform for DRR.

Timeframe

• Work plan with list of reference materials for action plan and training kit: within l week after the starting date
• Outline of action plan for national platform: within two weeks after start date
• First Consultation with national stakeholders and submission of draft action plan: within three weeks after starting date
• Outline of the training kit: within four weeks after staring date
• First Consultation with national stakeholders on training kit: within five weeks after starting date
• Second Consultation with national stakeholders and submission of draft training kit: within seven weeks after starting date
• Finalization of tool kit within seven and eight weeks after staring date
• Final consultation and changes within eight weeks after staring date
• Final delivery of action plan and tool kit: before completion of consultancy

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, coordinate 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

Advanced university degree (Masters Degree or equivalent) in development studies, social sciences, environmental sciences, disaster management or other related fields.

Work experience

Minimum 10 years of work experience working with disaster risk reduction, education or related fields. Experience working in African countries is an added advantage.

Languages


Fluency in spoken and written English is required.

Attachments

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Country and region Namibia
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