Consultant – Support to the implementation of the UN Plan of Action on DRR for Resilience and Scaling up DRR in Humanitarian Action Initiative

Result of Service The consultancy will contribute to UNDRR Strategic Framework 2022-2025 Objectives 3.3.3 on Coordinate Implementation of the UN Plan of Action on Disaster Risk Reduction for Resilience and 3.3.4 Support Provided to Scale-Up Disaster Risk Reduction in Fragile and Humanitarian Contexts.

Work Location Home based

Expected duration The consultant will support UNDRR for 9.5 months between mid-September 2022 to end of June 2023.

Duties and Responsibilities Background Created in December 1999, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) is the designated focal point in the United Nations system for the coordination of efforts to reduce disasters and to ensure synergies among the disaster reduction activities of the United Nations and regional organizations and activities in both developed and less developed countries. Led by the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction (SRSG/ASG), UNDRR has over 100 staff located in its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and in regional offices. Specifically, UNDRR guides, monitors, analyses and reports on progress in the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, supports regional and national implementation of the Framework and catalyses action and increases global awareness to reduce disaster risk working with UN Member States and a broad range of partners and stakeholders, including civil society, the private sector, parliamentarians and the science and technology community. In 2016, the UN Chief Executives Board adopted the UN Plan of Action on Disaster Risk Reduction for Resilience: Towards a Risk informed and Integrated Approach to Sustainable Development, which defines the support of the UN system towards the implementation of the Sendai Framework considering a risk-informed and integrated approach to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The implementation of the UN Plan of Action on DRR for Resilience is guided by the UN Senior Leadership Group (UN SLG) on DRR and supported by the UN DRR Focal Points Group (UN DRR FPG), both chaired by UNDRR.

In July 2022, the UN Senior Leadership Group on DRR will adopt three recommendations on how to accelerate the implementation of the UN Plan of Action on DRR for Resilience in 2022-2023. These recommendations will be integrated into the work plan of the UN DRR Focal Points Group, facilitated by UNDRR, which will run from Q3 2022 to Q2 2023.

Duties and Responsibilities

This consultancy will support the UNDRR Interagency Cooperation Unit in its facilitation of the implementation of the UN Plan of Action on DRR for Resilience, with a specific focus on: - Accelerating efforts to risk-inform programming in development and humanitarian and strengthen collaboration around DRR in humanitarian contexts.; - Strengthening overall advocacy, communications and knowledge management through event organization and contributions to the UNDRR website and/or PreventionWeb.

The work proposed for the consultancy will: - Provide support in follow-up to the 2022 meeting of the UN Senior Leadership Group on Disaster Risk Reduction for Resilience. - Support coordination of the Scaling up DRR in Humanitarian Action initiative, including through providing support to organization of interagency meetings, events, webinars and workshops, drafting minutes, coordinating membership records, facilitating members’ access to MS Teams workspace, supporting joint advocacy, supporting knowledge sharing among partners, and reporting on key milestones of the initiative. - Assist in drafting talking points, background notes and undertaking desk-based research and analysis on issues related to DRR/humanitarian action, COVID-19, Nature-based Solutions, and other topics. - Assist in organizing interagency events, webinars, meetings and workshops related to Nature-based Solutions, humanitarian development collaboration and other topics. - Provide support and inputs to talking points, presentations, background notes and key messages, in preparation and follow-up to UN DRR Focal Points Group meetings. - Support the development of content for and support uploading content on the UN system page on the UNDRR website and for the humanitarian collection on PreventionWeb.

Management and supervision

The consultancy is home-based. The consultant will report to the UNDRR Interagency Cooperation Unit and work closely with interagency partners.

Qualifications/special skills Academic Qualifications: Master's degree in Business Administration, International Relations, Economic Development, Development Studies, Social Science, International Development, Political Science, International Relations, or any other relevant field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with a minimum of 2 years of additional qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Experience: •At least one year experience in administration, programme/project management or related area is required; •Experience in international organizations and in working in a multicultural environment is desirable; •Experience in disaster risk reduction and/or humanitarian action is desirable; •Experience in analyzing data, strategic policy analysis & drafting concept notes and contributions to reports is desirable; Language: Fluency in English is required. Knowledge in French and other UN languages is desirable.

Additional Information Created in December 1999, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) is the designated focal point in the United Nations system for the coordination of disaster reduction and to ensure synergies among the disaster reduction activities of the United Nations and regional organizations and activities in socio-economic and humanitarian fields. Led by the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, UNDRR has around 100 staff located in its HQ in Geneva, Switzerland, and 5 regional offices and other field presences. Specifically, UNDRR coordinates international efforts in disaster risk reduction, and guides, monitors and reports on the progress of the implementation of the international strategy for disaster reduction, now the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, 2015-2030; campaigns to create global awareness of disaster risk reduction benefits and empower people to reduce their vulnerability to hazards; advocates for greater investments in disaster risk reduction to protect people's lives and assets, and for increased and informed participation of men and women of all stakeholder groups in reducing disaster risk; and informs and connects people by providing practical services and tools such as PreventionWeb, publications on good practices, and by leading the preparation of the Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction and the organisation of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction.

In the upcoming years, the strong commitment and involvement of political leadership in every country and partnerships at all levels are required to achieve the outcome set by the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction: “The substantial reduction of disaster risk and losses in lives, livelihoods and health and in the economic, physical, social, cultural and environmental assets of persons, businesses, communities and countries”. As highlighted by the Sendai Framework and other international agreements such as the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement, a resilient future for all is only possible with an all-of-society engagement for comprehensive and coordinated action.

Building resilience and promoting disaster risk reduction is a collective responsibility and challenge which calls for coordinated actions. UNDRR works closely at all levels with a wide variety of partners and stakeholders towards a global and comprehensive effort in support of country-level actions.

The goal of engaging with partners and stakeholders is to build and enable systematic engagement and action between governments and stakeholders to reduce existing risks and prevent the creation of new risks for resilient socio-economic development at the global, national and local level.

UNDRR’s work is guided by a Partnership and Engagement Strategy and directly supports paragraph 35 of the Sendai Framework: "While States have the overall responsibility for reducing disaster risk, it is a shared responsibility between Governments and relevant stakeholders. In particular, non-state stakeholders play an important role as enablers in providing support to states, in accordance with national policies, laws and regulations, in the implementation of the present framework at local, national, regional and global levels. Their commitment, goodwill, knowledge, experience and resources will be required."

No Fee THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.