Financing Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in Humanitarian Contexts Consultant

Result of Service Humanitarian and development actors in two fragile/humanitarian settings are informed of existing funding gaps related to DRR and of the recommendations to address these, therefore better placed to do joint programming and strengthen the resilience of communities affected by crises and disasters.

Work Location Home based

Expected duration 4 months

Duties and Responsibilities 1. About UNDRR

The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) was established in 1999 as a dedicated secretariat to facilitate the implementation of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR). It is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly resolution (56/195) to serve as the 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 system and regional organizations and activities in socio-economic and humanitarian fields. Upon the adoption of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 by all United Nations (UN) member states in March 2015, UNDRR was tasked by the UN General Assembly to support the implementation, follow-up and review of the Framework. As a part of its normative mandate, UNDRR is supporting countries, in particular least developed and small island countries, in the development, implementation and monitoring of progress of national and local disaster risk reduction strategies. UNDRR thereby focuses particularly on ensuring a comprehensive and inclusive approach to disaster risk reduction, in raising awareness and engaging representatives of all relevant stakeholder groups in the strategy discussions.

2. Background and context

Disaster risk reduction (DRR) straddles both development and humanitarian action. The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction includes multiple direct linkages to humanitarian action, including links to preparedness, early warning, recovery and ‘build back better’. UNDRR provides policy and normative expertise and plays a convening role to scale up risk reduction in humanitarian action, to address root causes of humanitarian crises and to reduce humanitarian needs. This includes engagement in strategic partnerships on displacement, risk financing and social protection, as well as overarching advocacy and knowledge management to strengthen humanitarian-development collaboration. Through its guiding role in Sendai Framework implementation, UNDRR also contributes to enhanced Risk and Vulnerability Information for better humanitarian planning and response. Through the UN Plan of Action on Disaster Risk Reduction for Resilience, UNDRR plays a leadership role in integrating DRR across the UN system and contributes to providing a bridge between development and humanitarian communities.

The importance of data and analysis for effective programming, as well as innovative financing for sustainable development, are highlighted in the UN Secretary-General’s Common Agenda, which additionally underlines the need for better tools for managing risks, better data, identification and anticipation of future risks and proper financing of prevention and preparedness. The importance of greater cooperation, coherence, coordination and complementarity among development, DRR, humanitarian action and sustaining peace, as fundamental to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), is highlighted in the 2020 Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review (QCPR) Resolution, which guides the work of the UN Development System for 2020-2024.

In collaboration with humanitarian and development partners, UNDRR has identified gaps and entry points for scaling up DRR in humanitarian contexts, particularly in protracted settings. A concrete set of recommendations which are accompanied by the Checklist on Scaling up DRR in Humanitarian Action 2.0 provides guidance on risk informing humanitarian planning. The checklist outlines specific actions to better integrate DRR into humanitarian response, including identifying disaster risks and incorporating DRR through the phases of the Humanitarian Programme Cycle (HPC). Additionally, UNDRR has worked with Member States and other stakeholders in development, fragile and humanitarian contexts to improve access to enhanced risk information products, tools, and capacity development. In 2022, UNDRR undertook a mapping of existing and needed capacities and resources available to Humanitarian Country Teams (HCTs) for DRR. The mapping report makes recommendations on how to best pool, coordinate and strengthen existing capacities and resources to support humanitarian actors better in this endeavor to address needs in a more sustainable way. One of the mapping report’s recommendations focuses on the lack of DRR funding in humanitarian settings. The report highlights that, apart from the general under-resourcing of development activities in fragile and conflict-affected settings, there is a lack of dedicated financial tools to bridge the humanitarian-development divide and build resilience. A major obstacle to accessing finances for resilience is the fragmentation of international funding where flexible funding mechanisms, multiyear humanitarian/emergency funds, and forecast-based/anticipatory financing have been highlighted as tools to address this gap. The allocation to DRR of Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) also remains low. It was identified that humanitarians find it challenging to navigate the funding landscape for other than immediately life-saving projects in the humanitarian phase and for joint projects branching into longer-term risk reducing activities. Additionally, there is limited funding available for coordination on DRR, including for joint risk/contextual analysis and planning. In some cases, where humanitarian funding flows have been constant through prolonged and often protracted crises, significant humanitarian funding has been put towards resilience, yet identifying and mapping this funding is a challenge. In July 2022, the UN Senior Leadership Group for Disaster Risk Reduction recommended to “accelerate efforts to risk-inform programming in development, humanitarian and peace actions respectively, and strengthen collaboration around DRR in humanitarian and crisis contexts”. It was proposed to “review gaps in available funding mechanisms for DRR in humanitarian contexts and mandate the creation of a guide to funding resources”. This consultancy will support this review. The work should consider the findings of other reviews and studies on DRR financing in humanitarian contexts including, but not limited to: - UNDRR reports outlining investments in DRR and situation in humanitarian contexts, e.g., International Cooperation in DRR: Target F, 2021, Mapping of Needs, Capacities and Resources to Risk-inform Humanitarian Action, August 2022 - Ongoing work to strengthen triple nexus financing, including the work of the Interagency Standing Committee Task Force 4 on Humanitarian Development Collaboration and its Linkages to Peace, the International Network on Conflict and Fragility of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's Development Assistance Committee, and key multilateral agencies and the Joint Steering Committee to Advance Humanitarian and Development Collaboration - UNDRR efforts to establish a global taxonomy and observatory on financing for prevention on climate and disaster related budget tagging and expenditures tracking systems - Anticipatory action

Organizational Setting & Reporting The consultancy is home based. The consultant will report to the UNDRR Inter-Agency Cooperation Unit. The work will be undertaken in close consultation with the Core Group on Scaling up DRR in Humanitarian Action, an interagency technical-level coordination group. Duties & Accountabilities The consultant will review existing funding mechanisms to identify gaps in DRR finance within humanitarian contexts through the following activities: - Identify, in close consultation with UNDRR and core group members, two Humanitarian Programme Cycle (HPC) countries and 2-4 clusters/sectors (food and nutrition security, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), energy, etc.) that will form the focus of the study - Outline the DRR activities in the chosen clusters/sectors that are most relevant for humanitarian programming in the country context - Based on available data (Humanitarian Response Plan data, UN agency data, implementing partner tracking data, national strategies/action plans with proposed DRR projects), specify key DRR requirements for chosen clusters/sectors and mapping these against committed resources over an agreed period of time - Undertake interviews with cluster coordinators/humanitarian partners in two HPC countries to deepen understanding of the DRR financing challenges and needs - Estimate funding gaps for chosen clusters/sectors (narrative or indicative quantitative) - Document good practices of DRR funding in focus countries/sectors - Provide recommendations for identifying funding opportunities and incentives for moving forward with joint planning through existing financing mechanisms across humanitarian, development, peace building, climate change, resilience, recovery areas, considering different mechanisms such as Country-Based Pooled Funds, Multi-Partner Trust Funds, Government allocations, anticipatory financing and innovative financing models. This should also consider the funding required for coordination. - Present study findings to core partners/stakeholders and take provided feedback onboard - Draft and finalize a report synthesizing and analyzing the findings of the DRR financing gap review, highlighting recommendations for follow-up activities, such as options for guiding humanitarian partners on available DRR financing mechanisms. To the extent feasible, the actors who can lead/support recommendations and follow-up actions should be identified. - Develop an executive summary and other information material highlighting main findings, conclusions and recommendations. - Support the organization (identification of speakers, drafting of presentations, synthesis of discussion) of two events aimed at disseminating the results of the study

Qualifications/special skills Master's degree in Business Administration, International Relations, Economic Development, Development Studies, Social Science, International Development, Political Science, International Relations or other relevant field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with a minimum of 2 years additional qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Minimum 10 years of experience in relevant humanitarian and/or development work at international level is required; Track record in applied research, interviewing and preparing and presenting studies to various audiences is required. Excellent writing and analytical formulation skills with demonstrated experience in preparing strategic documents or similar analytical documents is required. Experience in researching and analysing DRR and humanitarian response planning is desired Demonstrated expertise in conducting qualitative research for disaster risk finance, anticipatory finance, or financing prevention is desired. Experience in the UN system related to disaster risk reduction, emergency preparedness, response and recovery is desired.

Languages Fluency in English is required. Knowledge in French and other UN languages is desired.

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.