Disaster Risk Management Officer

Contract

This is a UNV International Specialist contract. This kind of contract is known as International UN Volunteer. It is normally internationally recruited only. More about UNV International Specialist contracts.

Description of task

Under the direct supervision of UNDP Portfolio Manager for Resilience and Sustainable Growth, the UN Volunteer will support implementation of the “Japan-Malawi-UNDP partnership for Inclusive Disaster Recovery” and will undertake the following tasks:

Advance an action-oriented agenda to strengthen Malawi’s disaster risk reduction and management interventions:

• Assists in identifying and communicating relevant information for a variety of audiences to advance disaster risk management, with specific focus on district-level planning and implementation of disaster risk management (DRM) activities;

• Delivers technical assistance to UNDP’s disaster risk reduction interventions, notably flood mitigation works, relocation of vulnerable households to upland areas, rehabilitation of damaged community infrastructure (e.g., irrigation schemes, market buildings);

• Facilitate dissemination and adoption of social marketing tools developed by UNDP in educational settings.

• Contributes to disaster early recovery, recovery, and resilience interventions as required.

Results-Based Programme Development and Management:

• Contributes to the assessment of programme and project performance to identify success factors and incorporate best practices;

• Assists in researching the linkages across programme activities to identify critical points for integrating disaster risk reduction and resilience across UNDP’s portfolios;

• Assists in monitoring specific stages of projects/programme implementation, with a focus on DRM information management systems, rehabilitation of damaged community infrastructure, weather-resilient housing, and flood evacuation centres;

• Assists in analyzing the country situation to identify opportunities for project development;
• Participates in the formulation of project proposals and ensures substantive rigor in the design and application of proven successful approaches to DRM.

Building Strategic Partnerships:

• Assists in maintaining an established network of contacts for general information sharing and to remain up-to-date on partnership related issues in DRM and related areas;
• Establishes and nurtures positive communication with government, NGO, private sector, academic and other partners on DRM issues.

Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing with UNDP Partners:

• Contributes to the generation of new ideas and approaches, researches best practices and proposes new, more effective ways of improving the uptake of approaches to address exposure to hazards, shocks and stresses of vulnerable households and communities;

• Documents and analyses innovative strategies and new approaches to DRM, with a focus on Africa;

• Facilitates UNDP advocacy and programming to accelerate adoption of innovations, new technologies, and designs to climate-resilient infrastructure in low-income settings;
• Prepares position papers, advocacy briefs, and information circulars on DRM and resilience building in Malawi, including showcasing of successful results, options for national responses, and approaches to integrate climate change adaptation into national development plans and district-level development planning processes;
• Facilitates research on multi-dimensional hazard assessments in partnership with Malawi’s Ministry for Disaster Management Affairs and Public Events, selected districts, and local academic institutions;

• Facilitates Government of Malawi reporting under the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction;

• Supports partnerships between UNDP, UN partners, Malawi Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity Malawi, and other government and NGO partners on climate-induced disaster risk in urban and rural areas, including strengthening of the capacity of city administrators to improve systems to model, prevent, prepare, and respond to disasters.

• Identifies and communicates opportunities to promote learning and knowledge sharing.

Promoting Accountability and Results-Based Management:

• Gathers, analyses and disseminates information on best practice in accountability and results-based management in disaster risk reduction.

• Advances the integration of disaggregated data (e.g., age, gender and diversity perspectives) in programme/project design and implementation, highlighting tailored interventions that deliver impact and value-for-money;

• Supports DRM interns at district level that have been mobilized by UNDP and DODMA to ensure that learning, performance targets, and outputs are delivered on time and to high standard.

Qualifications/Requirements

Required degree level:

Bachelor degree or equivalent

Education - Additional Comments:

Degree in disaster management, engineering, climate change, urban planning, environmental management, geography, or related field

Required experience:

24 Months

Experience remark:

Preferable: Knowledge and experience in disaster risk management, e.g., information management; response, recovery and resilience operations; climate-smart infrastructure; safe construction; disaster communications.

Mandatory: Knowledge of international disaster risk policy frameworks and networks.

Mandatory: Experience in delivery of technical assistance, preferably in developing countries

Language skills:

• English(Mandatory), Level - Fluent

Area of expertise:

Development programme management, Disaster risk reduction

Area of expertise details:

• Understands and applies fundamental concepts and principles of a professional discipline or technical specialty relating to the position;
• Possesses basic knowledge of organizational policies and procedures relating to the position and applies them consistently in work tasks;
• Analyses the requirements and synthesizes proposals;

• Strives to keep job knowledge up-to-date through self-directed study and other means of learning;

• Demonstrates good knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments.

• Demonstrated interest and/or experience (up to 2 years) in providing management and substantive advisory services, hands-on experience in design, monitoring and evaluation of development projects in the fields of disaster management and risk reduction.
• Motivated to contribute towards household and community resilience and to serve others;
• Good interpersonal, networking and communication skills;

• Willingness to contribute and work as part of a team;

• Flexible and open to learning and new experiences;

• Respect for diversity and adaptability to other cultures, environments and living conditions;
• Previous experience as a volunteer and/or experience of another culture, (i.e. studies, volunteer work, internship) would be highly regarded;
• Computer skills (i.e. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, social media, and others).

Driving license:

Yes

Competencies values:

Accountability, Adaptability and Flexibility, Building Trust, Client Orientation, Commitment and Motivation, Commitment to Continuous Learning, Communication, Creativity, Ethics and Values, Integrity, Judgement and Decision-making, Knowledge Sharing, Leadership, Managing Performance, Planning and Organizing, Professionalism, Respect for Diversity, Self-Management, Working in Teams

Application procedure:

Prerequisites

This assignment is funded by JICA, therefore only former Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JICA-JOCV) who could get recommendation by JICA-JOCV Secretariat are eligible to apply. Please check your application eligibility here: https://www.jica.go.jp/volunteer/obog/career_support/unv/index.html

This is a UN Volunteer assignment and eligible candidates must be 25 years of age or older.

Selection process

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. The selection will be done by the UN Host Entity at the level of the country of assignment, via competency-based interviews held via skype or telephone.

How to apply

Please apply via the link below. You can then either log in if you already have an account or register via ‘Candidate Signup’.

You may apply to a maximum of three assignments per advertisement and indicate your order of preference in the ‘Additional Remarks’ section of your profile.

Application deadline: 20 September 2020