National Disaster Risk Reduction Planning Consultant, Lao PDR

Result of Service The consultancy is to support MoNRE’s integration of DRR into its sector plan and it is in line with the priorities stated in the Lao PDR, United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2022-2026, as well as the Lao PDR government's priorities, primarily the 9th five-year National Socioeconomic Development Plan (NSEDP) 2021-2025.

Work Location Lao PDR

Expected duration 2 months

Duties and Responsibilities 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 catalyzes 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.

One of the UNDRR’s strategic areas of work is to support the Member States’ efforts to strengthen disaster risk governance, particularly, to develop, implement and finance national and local strategies and plan to promote concrete actions for climate and disaster risk reduction across multiple development sectors.

Key functions:

Work closely with MoNRE/DMH to understand the specific needs in reviewing the draft DRR plan 2021-2025

Support DMH in reviewing the draft sector DRR plan, identify the gaps, and reflect suggested revisions in the plan in line with the relevant national strategies and plans for disaster risk reduction.

Engage other stakeholders to help improve the quality of the plan, filling the information gap, and validate the draft DRR plan

Specific Tasks:

Coordinate with MoNRE/DMH and prepare an inception report which outlines the process and tentative methods for the revision of the draft DRR plan 2021-2025.

Explore and finalize the methodology, approaches and tools to revise the DRR plan.

Review MoNRE’s first draft DRR plan and identify gaps and assess its alignment with MoNRE activities and some of the key legal and policy instruments including, but not limited to, National Disaster Management Law, National Strategy on DRR 2021-2030, 9th five-year National Social-Economic Development Plan (NSEDP) 2021-2025.

Facilitate stakeholder consultation processes to collect the missing information and validate existing information, incorporate feedbacks

Update and revise the draft DRR plan and submit to MoNRE/DMH in Lao and English.

On a daily basis, the consultant will work closely with DMH which serves as MoNRE’s DRR secretariat and collaborate extensively with government and selected non-government stakeholders at the national and sub-national levels. The consultant needs to be based in Lao PDR and works under the guidance of and close coordination with the Climate and Disaster-Resilient Development Officer based in the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in Lao PDR. The consultant will report to Programme Management Officer of the UNDRR Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP).

Qualifications/special skills Advanced university degree in natural resources management, environmental science, meteorology/atmospheric science, hydrology, public administration/policy or related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with a minimum of 2 years additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. - A minimum of 5 years of experience in planning and managing projects/programs in climate and disaster risk reduction/management of the government entities and/or non-governmental organizations is required. - Experience working with Lao PDR's disaster profile, the system of disaster risk reduction policies, mechanisms, and procedures is required. - Experience working for policy formulation with national stakeholders is desirable. - Experience in the UN system related to disaster risk reduction, emergency preparedness, humanitarian development-peace collaboration, response and recovery is desirable.

Languages Fluency in Laotian and English is 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.