National Risk Information Consultant in Barbados

Result of Service Decision-makers are better able to use risk assessments to make decisions when the foundation of evidence is comprehensive, connected to their context and presented in a format that meets their needs. In this process, decision makers data and risk information reflecting prevailing hazards, details of exposure, and vulnerability and resulting direct risks and estimations of knock-on effects will be gathered in target countries.

This consultancy is expected to contribute to this by compiling data and methods.

Work Location Barbados

Expected duration 6 moths

Duties and Responsibilities Background

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 140 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 Prevention Web, publications on good practices, and by leading the preparation of the Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction and the organization of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction. The adoption of The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction created new requirements and new opportunities for those involved in building resilience to the shocks to which societies are exposed and articulated the need for improved understanding of risk in all its dimensions.

UNDRR’s partners face a digital divide, where they are challenged to access and make the most effective use of the latest innovations in risk information. UNDRR aims to close this divide by improving access to risk information generated from global, regional and national sources. In response to this challenge, UNDRR was called upon by experts to establish a process to co-design and develop the Rix Exchange Platform (RiX), to inform decision-making and the design of Early Warning Sytems (EWS). The goal of RiX is to improve risk information for more resilient development decision making across sectors and scales. It aims to increase resilient investment by governments and the private sector to accelerate achievement of the Sendai Framework targets, the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement objectives.

RiX is an open access platform that builds on national efforts and connects them to relevant regional and global initiatives tracking risk. Information is organized to adhere to global standards, and aggregates risk data across traditionally siloed climate change, humanitarian and development networks. The RiX does not duplicate existing risk and climate data, instead it aggregates risk information and synthesizes data sources into a common platform accessible to all development and humanitarian actors. The Risk Information Exchange (RiX) aggregates open-source information for sharing risk data among global and national end-users such as: government ministries and departments, including disaster management and civil protection agencies, sector planners, and finance and investment officials; UN (United Nations), bilateral and other multilateral organizations; NGOs (Non-governmental organizations) and INGOs (International non-governmental organization); researchers; and the private sector. To strengthen risk knowledge and contribute to efforts to improve national risk data ecosystems, RiX facilitates linkages between the providers and generators of risk information with end-users at country level. Improving risk knowledge, is fundamental to achieving the Sendai Framework and Paris Agreement, and contributing to national development and investment plans.

At COP27, UNDRR launched the Risk Information Exchange (RiX). RiX is a living repository of open-source global, regional, and national risk information to improve risk knowledge, risk literacy, and risk analytics. RiX promotes the use of a common taxonomy of risk based on standardized Hazard Information Profiles. Contributing to country-led efforts to strengthen their national risk data ecosystems, including for early warning and disaster risk reduction, RiX was launched as a beta in 2022, with new features added quarterly. As UNDRR's multi-purpose platform, RiX seeks to harmonize risk information to facilitate risk analysis by government, UN, private, and other actors for risk-informed decision-making and resilience building.

Despite global technological advances in generating risk information on climate-related hazards, vulnerability, and exposure, many countries face challenges in making risk information accessible and usable to inform policies, plans and programming in development and humanitarian settings. Drawing on multiple sources, RiX aggregates risk information to support national planning processes and investment to achieve the objectives of the Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction, the Paris Agreement, and the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals).

Open data and risk information is an essential element of sustainable development. RiX is an open access platform that builds on national efforts and connects them to relevant regional and global initiatives tracking risk. Information is organized to adhere to global standards, and aggregates risk data across traditionally siloed climate change, humanitarian and development networks. The RiX does not duplicate existing risk and climate data, instead it aggregates risk information and synthesizes data sources into a common platform accessible to all development and humanitarian actors.

The Risk Information Exchange (RiX) aggregates open-source information for sharing risk data among global and national end-users such as: government ministries and departments, including disaster management and civil protection agencies, sector planners, and finance and investment officials; UN, bilateral and other multilateral organizations; NGOs and INGOs; researchers; and the private sector.

To strengthen risk knowledge and contribute to efforts to improve national risk data ecosystems, RiX facilitates linkages between the providers and generators of risk information with end-users at country level. Improving risk knowledge, is fundamental to achieving the Sendai Framework and Paris Agreement, and contributing to national development and investment plans. To support better access to and sharing of risk information, RiX draws from multiple sources to provide the best available risk, hazard, exposure, vulnerability, loss and damage, and climate data. RiX draws risk information that is high quality, reliable, and authoritative from government and UN sources, as well as global, regional, and third-party organizations.

In addition to this, and in the framework of the CREWS (The Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems) Caribbean project implementation, the national institutions in charge of disaster risk management and emergency response have expressed the need to strengthen/build their information management systems and governance processes, that allow them to centralize data, understand risk (hazards, exposure, vulnerabilities and capacities) and move towards more effective mechanisms and tools to reduce the impact of multiple hazards potentially triggering disasters. As a platform to centralize and make information available, UNDRR proposed to develop Risk Information Exchange (RiX) platforms, as a base for data and information for Impact Based Forecasting. Later on, the platform will seek to harmonize risk information against multiple hazards to improve risk analysis in the context of climate change, compound hazards and systemic risks. The technical team of the CREWS project consider that the conceptual and technological model under which this platform is developed allows it to be easily implemented in the initial phase of the transition to Impact Based Forecasting (IBF), ensuring that information on exposure and vulnerability is centralized at NDRMOs (National Disaster Risk Management Offices).

Duties and Responsibilities

The consultant will be based in Barbados and will be responsible for: 1. Preparing a preliminary list of risk information that they will seek to collect in close collaboration with the Department of Emergency Management (DEM): a. Hazards information (national and sub-national scale) b. Exposure of people and assets (grey and green) c. Vulnerabilities (social and physical) d. Structural information like administrative boundaries, topographic maps, satellite data, hydro-met data, macro-economic data and human development indicators disaggregated sub nationally if possible. e. Information related to damages and losses. f. Risk analysis developed in the country at the national and subnational level.

This list will include an assessment of the legal provisions related to the data, approach strategies and what requirements might easily be met to access the information. These assessments are expected to vary by country and within countries.

2. Compile information from the above list, including specifications. As much as possible, all information should be disaggregated to the maximum degree possible: by sex, age, disability status, economic, geographic/administrative, etc. and human development indicators disaggregated sub-nationally if possible.

3. In collaboration with the DEM, UNDRR staff and other consultants, consolidate, harmonize and prepare available risk information into common formats.

4. Collect meta-data about applicable information management systems in use in the country (software, models, storage, sharing, information management strategies, etc.)

5. Support to Methodology Development Consultant and coordination with relevant UNDRR Regional Offices.

6. From the collected data, list the data that could be used as an impact data for ensuring the transition from traditional EWS (Early Warning System) to IBF (Impact Based Forecasting).

7. Assess legal provisions concerning the use of data and maps for government institutions.

8. Collect a set of existing basic data and maps (GIS (Geographic Information System) ready files) and other information like relevant studies. This work will be facilitated by UNDRR's Regional Offices and national counterparts including the United Nations Country Teams and UNDRR Focal Points.

9. Survey government and research institutions for existing, relevant GIS software and computer models. Prepare a list with operated GIS and models. Compile a list of potential recommended additional software for filling the existing gaps.

10. Support the development of a training on the Use of Risk Knowledge for Early Warning Systems

11. Based on the different data, information and all available knowledge collected in Barbados, develop an information chain for EWSs, from data collection to data analysis; with a special focus on the application of this knowledge.

Qualifications/special skills Master's degree in risk analysis, risk management, international relations, statistics, risk modelling (including hazard, vulnerability and exposure), financial management, economics, industrial engineering or related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with 2 additional years of qualifying experience in Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Change or Social Studies may be accepted in lieu of the Master's Degree - A minimum of three (3) years relevant experience in information management, statistics, risk modelling, development, adaptation or resilience is required. - Experience in information analysis for decision is required - Experience in data conversion, management of quantitative and qualitative data systems, integration and projection, or mapping/GIS software is required. - Experience with quantitative risk assessment, disaster risk metrics, or Sustainable Development Goal research is desirable. - Familiarity with government knowledge management resources (sector, macro, sub-national) is desirable.

Languages Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of Spanish or another UN language is desirable.

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.