Individual International Consultancy to provide Technical Assistance to the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Education in drafting the National Child-centered Disaster Risk Reduction

Contract

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Background

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, adopted by United Nations Member States in 2015, calls for governments and other decision-makers to include children and youth in designing and implementing policies, plans and standards. Putting this into practice requires their meaningful participation in the decision-making process and ensuring that engagement is more than tokenistic - such as just being invited to a DRR event. UNICEF is working in disaster-prone areas across the world to ensure that school buildings are safe and the teachers and students are prepared for potential disasters by incorporating the DRR and Climate Change topics into the school curricula.

Considering the multi-hazard vulnerability of Turkmenistan to the risks related to environmental damage, particularly regarding fragile, arid ecosystems and limited water resources due to its geographic and climatic features, the DRR issues became the top of the Climate Change Agenda and recognized by the Government as one of the key priorities to be deeply explored. Turkmenistan is vulnerable to a number of disasters especially earthquakes, drought, floods and mudslides, the risks of which become even more heightened in light of climate change. Climate change and environmental degradation undermine the rights of every child and becomes a direct threat to a child’s ability to survive, grow, and thrive. The following UNICEF’s DRR goals: 1) DRR for children and women is a national and local priority; 2) Different risks faced by girls, boys and women are identified and addressed; 3) Safer and more resilient conditions for girls, boys and women; 4) Strengthened humanitarian preparedness, response and recovery through capacity development - provide the foundation for development and implementation of the national DRR strategies with the focus on children rights and needs.

The Government of Turkmenistan, as a signatory to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 is committed towards disaster risk reduction and building of capacities to improve resilience toward disasters. The country also confirmed its support and commitment to the World Initiative on School Safety (WISS) at its 2nd World Conference in Tehran (October 4-5, 2015). To follow up the undertaken commitments the Central Service of Civil Defence and Emergencies under the Ministry of Defence of Turkmenistan was set up to carry out the direct management of civil defence in the country. The departments of civil defence and rescue operations were also established in Ashgabat city and all provinces (velayats). In addition, Turkmenistan has established the State Commission for Emergency Situations under the President of Turkmenistan and is responsible for policy and decision making while the Central Service of Civil Defence and Emergencies plays a vital role as an overall facilitator, coordinator and provides technical backstopping to other stakeholders in disaster management.

As a result of joint efforts to promote the DRR and Climate Change Agenda at country level the MoU on cooperation between the United Nations Country Office in Turkmenistan and the Government of Turkmenistan in coordination in emergency preparedness and response was signed in July 2019. Drafting of the National Child-centred Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy is an integral part of the joint Action Plan elaborated by the UN Agencies and the Government of Turkmenistan aimed to implementation of the MoU. Diving deeper, the country revised and adopted the National Climate Change Strategy of Turkmenistan in October 2019 with support of the UN Agencies and in particular UNDP and UNICEF CO.

To follow up implementation of the above MoU Action Plan, which UNICEF is a part of, the National Child-centered Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy will be developed to ensure incorporation of the child-centered approach into the national legislation for the effective implementation of Sendai Framework for DRR. The National Child-centered Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy will also ensure integration of the key principles of the Convention on the Rights of Child and UNICEF DRR Goals into the national legislation.

In the context of the above mentioned, UNICEF is seeking an International Consultant to provide technical support to the Government of Turkmenistan, including the Ministry of Defence and other relevant ministries and agencies, in developing the draft of the National Child-centred Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy for effective implementation of Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction that takes into account the full spectrum of children’s needs before, during, and after natural disasters.

Purpose of the assignment

To provide technical support to the Government of Turkmenistan, including the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Education and other relevant ministries and agencies, in drafting the National Child-centred Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy aligned with the best international practices. It is expected that the National Child-centred DRR strategy will outline major directions and actions, which will support the Government of Turkmenistan in the following areas:

• To contribute to the design of a multi-stakeholder DRR platform with human/child rights approaches;
• To formulate a strong disaster risk reduction policy aligned with the National Climate Change Strategy of Turkmenistan and the State Program for implementation of primary areas of state policy in the field of civil defence for 2019–2030 (referred to as the State Program). To focus the National Child-centred DRR Strategy on the key principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of Child, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 and the Paris Agreement ensuring alignment with the best international benchmarks and practices;
• To make specific recommendations for establishment of a multi-stakeholder DRR platform with human/child rights approaches for effective implementation of Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction;
• To outline mechanism of an inter-sectoral system that will enhance the capacity at national level to disseminate it to regional, local and community levels - the system that will ensure a required level of preparedness in communities and will build knowledge and skills of children. Particular consideration will be given to mainstreaming of the international child-sensitive standards on DRR systems into the national sectors planning.

Specific tasks:

1. To undertake a desk review of the existing national legal and regulatory documents on DRR Turkmenistan vis-à-vis children’s rights and needs and identify the gaps;
2. To hld a series of meetings engaging the representatives of the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Education and relevant ministries, agencies and NGOs, as well as the UN agencies and other international organizations to collect information on their priorities and work plans in the area of DRR;
3. To prepare the draft of the national DRR strategy that incorporates child-centred approach and outlines the major directions and actions supporting the Government of Turkmenistan in the above-mentioned areas;
4. To make specific recommendations for establishment of a multi-stakeholder DRR platform with human/child rights approaches for effective implementation of Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction;
5. To outline the mechanism of an inter-sectoral system that will enhance the capacity at national level to disseminate it to regional, local and community levels - the system that will ensure a required level of preparedness in communities and will build knowledge and skills of children. To give particular consideration to mainstreaming of the international child-sensitive standards on DRR systems into the national sectors planning;
6. To facilitate a number of roundtable meetings with the representatives of the Government of Turkmenistan, the UN Agencies and NGOs working in the area of DRR and emergency issues to discuss the drafted National Child-centred DRR Strategy obtaining their feedbacks and to advocate for full recognition and inclusion of children into the national DRR policies;
7. To finalize the draft of the National Child-centred DRR Strategy based on the comments and suggestions received from the government ministries and agencies and international organizations, including UN agencies;
8. To submit the Final Report complemented by the drafted National Child-centred DRR Strategy including the specific recommendations for establishment of a multi-stakeholder DRR platform with human/child rights approaches for effective implementation of Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the drafted mechanism of an inter-sectoral system that ensures a required level of preparedness in communities and build knowledge and skills of children with particular focus on mainstreaming of the international child-sensitive standards on DRR systems into the national sectors planning.

Workplan and deliverables

The consultancy duration is 45 working days, covering the period of 20 July – 29 October 2021. The distribution of days by tasks is suggested below. The consultant is expected to work home-based with skype/online meetings with the key partners.

Tasks

Days

Locations

Deliverables and target delivery dates

specific delivery dates and details as to how the work must be delivered (e.g. electronic submission, hard copy), subdivided into “milestones” where appropriate

1.

• To prepare and undertake the online meetings with the representatives of the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Defence, UN Agencies and relevant NGOs to explore the situation on spot;
• To undertake a desk review of the existing national legal and regulatory framework of Turkmenistan on DRR vis-à-vis children’s rights and needs and identify the gaps;

2 working days

(home-based)

10 working days

(home-based)

20 – 23 July 2021;

26 July - 06 August 2021;

Desk review report;

2.

• To prepare the draft of the national DRR strategy that incorporates child-centred approach and reflects the full spectrum of children’s needs before, during, and after natural disasters;

20 working days (home-based)

09 August – 03 September 2021;

Draft of the National Child-centred DRR Strategy;

3.

• To prepare and hold a meeting (-s) with the national partners, UN Agencies and NGOs’ representatives to present and discuss the drafted document, collect their feedback and deliver the advocating messages of full recognition and inclusion of children into the national DRR policies;

3 working day

(home based)

04 – 08 October 2021;

(to be agreed with the relevant institutions);

The meeting (-s) Agenda (-s);

4.

• To revise the drafted document aligning it with the comments/observations provided by the national partners, UN Agencies and NGOs;
• To elaborate specific recommendations for establishment of a multi-stakeholder DRR platform with human/child rights approaches for effective implementation of Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction;
• To outline the mechanism of an inter-sectoral system that will enhance the capacity at national level to disseminate it to regional, local and community levels - the system that will ensure a required level of preparedness in communities and will build knowledge and skills of children. To give particular consideration to mainstreaming of the international child-sensitive standards on DRR systems into the national sectors planning;

10 working days (home-based)

11 – 22 October 2021;

Submit the revised document;

Submit the developed recommendations reflecting the international best practices and experiences;

Submit the drafted document reflecting the mechanism of an inter-sectoral system as per the specified task;

5.

• To develop and submit the Final Report and developed materials;

26 October 2021;

• Submit the Final Report and final draft of the National Child-centred DRR Strategy reflecting the comments/observations of the national partners;
• Submit the specific recommendations for establishment of a multi-stakeholder DRR platform with human/child rights approaches for effective implementation of Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction;
• Submit the drafted mechanism of an inter-sectoral system that ensures a required level of preparedness in communities and build knowledge and skills of children with particular focus on mainstreaming of the international child-sensitive standards on DRR systems into the national sectors planning.

For more details, please, see the ToR as per the link below:

2021-05-07 TOR International Consultancy-National Child-centered DRR Strategy -Final-advertised.docx