Consultant, Digital Knowledge Management

Programme & Policy

Overview

Lead digital knowledge management for gender and disaster risk initiatives.

You have:

• At least a first degree in IT.
• Three (3) years’ experience in knowledge and content management.
• Ability to function in English and French and other AU languages.
• Previous experience working with social media accounts or monitoring an online forum.
• Knowledge of ARC and AU processes.

WFP seeks candidates of the highest integrity and professionalism who share our humanitarian principles

Selection of staff is made on a competitive basis, and we are committed to promoting diversity and gender balance

Job Title: Digital Knowledge Management Consultant

Type of Contract: When Actually Employed Consultant

Division: ARC African Risk Capacity

Duty Station (City, Country): Remotely based

Duration: 20 days in 2023 with the possibility of extension

Reporting to: Gender Adviser, Gender Division (GEN), ARC

The African Risk Capacity (ARC) was established in 2012 as a Specialised Agency of the African Union (AU) by a Conference of Plenipotentiaries to help AU Member States improve their capacities to better plan, prepare and respond to extreme weather events and natural disasters. Its objective is to assist AU Member States reduce the risk of loss and damage caused by extreme weather events and natural disasters affecting Africa's populations by providing targeted responses to disasters in a more timely, cost-effective, objective, and transparent manner. Additionally, in response to the increasing occurrence of multiple, complex trans-border public health emergencies over the last 20 years, ARC has, since 2016, been developing innovative finance mechanisms to enable country-led rapid responses to disease outbreaks and epidemics. These mechanisms are designed to prevent the further spread of such catastrophes and reduce over-reliance on external donor support.

As part of its principles of engagement, ARC adopts a differentiated approach to issues of gender equality. ARC is committed to closing the gender gap which is central to achieving aspiration 6 of Agenda 2063 of an Africa whose development is people-driven relying on the potential of its people, especially its women and youth and caring for its children, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and, thus recognizes that the important role of women in agriculture and in disaster response is essential for food security and economic growth.

ARC also recognises that Gender and Disasters Risk Reduction (DRM) are both cross cutting development issues, that without successfully addressing these two issues it is difficult to build resilience of nations and communities. Thus, through an intensive consultative process with stakeholders and partners, ARC developed its Gender Strategy which was adopted in September 2019. The Gender Strategy has as its goal to transform Disaster Risk Management (DRM) approaches to ensure gender equality for vulnerable women and men in ARC Member States.

The 5 years strategy has three (3) objectives:

1. To institutionalise gender and DRM for innovative knowledge development and management – this objective is based on the fact that gender, DRM and financing is a relatively new field in African sustainable development context. Therefore, enormous gaps exist at all levels that make the linkages between gender, disaster risk management and financing (DRMF) very blurred. ARC will, *through a flagship initiative entitled ‘Gender and DRMF Platform***’,** mobilise DRM partners and practitioners including, Governments, Regional Economic Communities, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Private Sector and the Research community and other major groups and stakeholders to develop innovative approaches to fill this gap;

2. To Build institutional and individual capacities and tools for mainstreaming gender in DRM, and

3. To Engage in sustained policy dialogue and advocacy for a gender transformative DRM policy environment

The Gender and Disaster Risk Management Platform (GDRMP)

The Gender and DRM Platform responds to objective 1 of the five-year Gender strategy: “to institutionalise gender and DRM for innovative knowledge development and management.”

This flagship initiative of ARC aims to institutionalise gender and Disaster Risk Management and Financing for innovative knowledge development and management through a dedicated Platform on Gender and DRM.

Translating policy provisions into action, the African Union Commission’s Directorate of Sustainable Environment and Blue Economy under the Department for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment – represented by the DRR Unit under the Sustainable Environment Division; AUC’s Directorate of Women, Gender & Youth (AU WGYD); and the African Risk Capacity (ARC), a Specialised Agency of the African Union (AU) materialised their partnership through the establishment of a Gender and Disaster Risk Management Platform (GDRMP) in order to ensure the integration of Gender equality and women empowerment issues in the disaster risk management and financing landscape.

The Platform was thus established on 11 May 2021 at a high level launch attended by DRR stakeholders, African Civil Society organisations, Women and Youth Development Initiatives, African Women Parliamentarians, Gender Units of Regional Economic Commissions, ARC Member States, UN agencies, Gender Working Groups , ThinkTanks, Research Institutes, Private Sector, Development Partners, etc.

The mission assigned to the platform is to contribute to the development and management of knowledge on the issues of gender and DRM on the African continent, specifically, the Platform:

• addresses the research and development gap in gender and disaster risk management and financing in Africa by engaging in studies, collection and analyses of gender disaggregated data, impact assessments, publication of best practices among others.

• serves as a medium for stakeholders to increase their know-how about the practical steps for gender mainstreaming in DRM.

• raises awareness of gender perspectives in DRM.

• The platform is also a mechanism for policy dialogue and advocacy on gender transformative DRM approaches geared towards the adoption of a gender transformative ‘culture of insurance’ by Member States.

Mode of Operations and functions and potential interventions

In its operations, the Platform leverages modern technology means to achieve its objectives. Meetings/brainstorming sessions largely take place on-line whilst also making provision for an annual face to face meeting.

In this perspective, virtual discussions and brainstorming sessions take place all year round through the platform. Discussions on the cyber space coordinated with a view to ensuring focused interactions and generating conclusions and recommendations relevant for policy dialogue, knowledge development and experience sharing.

Face-to-face meetings are held once a year, serving as a Gender and DRM addressing specific themes, through plenary and side events, guided by key international and regional events. Declarations from such Forum feed into relevant regional and global events and processes.

The following two main workstreams and ensuing activities guide the deliberations of the Platform: Knowledge Development and knowledge management.

The second workstream focusing on knowledge management of the Gender and DRM platform therefore proactively works towards sharing and disseminating knowledge on gender and DRM&F to all partners and stakeholders.

Key interventions turn around the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in managing the dedicated cyber platform for the initiative and setting up and management of a cyber documentation centre for ease of access to documents for all stakeholders, which is a suitable mix of technological channels for optimising knowledge exchanges.

Responsibilities

It is against this backdrop that the African Risk Capacity under the direction of the head of the Gender Unit seeks to recruit a consultant for the knowledge and management of the content of the platform.

Working in close collaboration with ARC Gender unit, the consultant:

• Is responsible for user-generated content submitted to the online platform.
• Makes sure that items are placed in the right category, are free from scams, don't include any illegal items, and much more.
• Ensures that the posted content is not offensive, harmful or inappropriate prior to it be uploading to a platform or server.
• Connects with other platforms, collecting and sharing data with relevant partners in the DRR field.
• Will suggest innovations in terms of digital knowledge management on the platform
• Summarises content and come with graphs in terms of most liked topics, and identifying the most active followers
• Coordinate discussions on the cyber space with a view to ensuring focused interactions and generating conclusions and recommendations relevant for policy dialogue, knowledge development and experience sharing.
• In the perspective of the tenure of the first annual conference of the GDRMP,to be held in mid-June 2023, manage the content that will be generated on the platform
• Setting up and management of a cyber documentation centre for ease of access to documents for all stakeholders

Qualifications and experience required

Education:

At least a first degree in IT and three (3) years’ experience in knowledge and content management.

Knowledge & Skills:

• The position requires someone with advanced IT background and knowledge and advanced social media skills who can facilitate, summarise content, post, etc.

Experience:

• Previous experience working with social media accounts or monitoring an online forum.
• Knowledge of ARC and AU processes

Languages:

• Ability to function in English and French and other AU languages

Consultant will be required to work once or twice per week depending on the intensity of the work.

Deadline for applications: 29 October 2023

Ref.: VA No. 829819

Qualified female applicants and qualified applicants from developing countries are especially encouraged to apply

WFP has zero tolerance for discrimination and does not discriminate on the basis of HIV/AIDS status

No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.

Apply now

Potential interview questions

Added 2 years ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: wfp.org