Disaster Risk Reduction good practices compendium for early warning in Central America and Dominican Republic

Result of Service- Create a better understanding of EWS opportunities and contributions to enhance resilience and DRR priorities in Central America and Dominican Republic.

- Good practices with substantial analyzed material and tool delivered as requested by UNDRR and by the donor showcasing DRR and resilience in early warning.

- Final publications in Spanish and English completed.

Work Location Home based

Expected duration 4 months

Duties and Responsibilities Background

The Swiss Cooperation with its new Disaster Risk Governance programme in Central America will support three projects and three implementing partners, CEPREDENAC (Centro de Coordinación para la Prevención de los Desastres en América Central y República Dominicana), UNDRR (United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction) and OCHA (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs), based on a single theory of change and common objectives. The three strategic partners identified have a mandate, permanence in the region, territorial anchorage, trust, credibility and experience in issues relevant to the programme.

With the programme it is expected that in the medium and long term more lives will be saved, and disaster losses and damages will be reduced, due to more effective, inclusive and principled disaster and risk management, and that the population will suffer less from disasters, ultimately increasing the resilience of the vulnerable population of Central America to disasters.

UNDRR is responsible for enhancing private sector engagement and early warning systems as part of the project main areas of focus and in line with the UNDRR workplan 2022-2023.

The urgency to achieve target G of Sendai Framework: “Substantially increase the availability of and access to multi-hazard early warning systems and disaster risk information and assessments to people by 2030” was strengthened in March 2022 by the announcement made by the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that “the United Nations will spearhead new action to ensure every person on Earth is protected by early warning systems within five years.”

The primary goal of the Sendai Framework is to avoid creating new and reduce existing risk. But when that is not possible, people-centered early warning systems and preparedness can enable early action to minimize the harm to people, assets and livelihoods.

In recent years, in Central America the private sector has been consolidated around the Private Sector Alliance for Disaster Resilient Societies (ARISE) national networks, hosted under the private sector organizations members of Integrarse. This consolidation has provided an opportunity for learning, capacity building, the establishment of public-private partnerships, as well as the development of tools to increase the resilience of the companies themselves which has enabled to reach a large number of companies from large to small in many sectors. According to the latest UNDRR studies on the resilience of the private sector, 99.5% of companies in Latin America and the Caribbean are SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) and generate 60% of productive employment. In Central America, 60% of the companies know the tools they can use to understand risk and take preventive measures. In this sense, it is necessary to support the private sector in the implementation of disaster preparedness measures and the transformation of business models, as a long-term risk prevention and reduction measure.

In this sense, the efforts that the ARISE Networks have conducted in Central Americas require to be collected, systematized and disseminated as they provide a knowledge base to help businesses identify existing gaps and opportunities to align business processes, resources, and capabilities towards the adoption of sustainability and disaster risk reduction practices. A systems-based approach to assessing private sector contributions to resilience and disaster risk reduction (DRR) is central to further inform business model innovation in the context of multiple hazards scenarios, such as the ones face in the Central America Region.

CEPREDENAC as part of the programme is in charge of increasing the accountability of national DRR systems and SDC (Swiss Development Cooperation) has requested UNDRR to collect existing good practices in the region to support this result.

Duties and Responsibilities

The consultant will be responsible for the collection, systematization and dissemination of early warning system (EWS) good practices. Consultations will have to be carried out with CEPREDENAC, National DRR systems, ARISE members, United Nations (UN) agencies, other SICA (Sistema de Integración Centroamericana) bodies, other relevant stakeholders and previous SDC projects in Central America and Dominican Republic.

The consultant will report to the External Relation Officer and the Partnerships Officer of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) Regional Office for the Americas and the Caribbean (ROAC), in close coordination with the UNDRR project manager. Technical support for this position may be provided by other staff members of the Regional Office:

- Consult with ARISE members, SDC, National disaster management systems, CEPREDENAC and other identified actors on practices, tools materials developed that showcase EWS contributions to DRR, resilience and public private partnerships.

- Develop a methodology to systematize information and categorize it in accordance with international standards.

- Develop a repository with materials, tools and information collected and propose a mechanism for dissemination.

- Compile the information and produce a final report for publication under close collaboration with UNDRR and partners involved.

Qualifications/special skills Academic Qualifications: Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in Business, Social Sciences, Disaster Risk Management, or related fields is required. A first-level university degree in combination with 2 additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Professional business continuity accreditation is desirable. - A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in the field of disaster risk reduction, sustainable development, and/or climate change is required. - Experience working in Central America is desirable. - Experience in systematization process is desirable. - Experience with the UN system, SICA and in coordination with regional private sector entities, associations, initiatives, networks is a plus.

Languages Fluency in Spanish is required. Knowledge of English and another UN language is an advantage.

Additional Information *FEMALE CANDIDATES ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY. UNDRR values diversity among its staff. We welcome applications from qualified women, men, and people with disabilities.

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.