Risk information and Coordination Expert - Consultant

Result of Service- Project technical implementation support - Coordination and stakeholder management - Delivery of workshops and events in collaboration with UNDRR staff and project partners - Technical support in the domain of risk knowledge and risk data

Work Location Home-Based, Niger

Expected duration 5 Months

Duties and Responsibilities Organizational Setting and Reporting:

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), 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.

UNDRR’s Regional Office for Africa (UNDRR-ROA) work on risk knowledge UNDRR builds partnerships for the development and the use of risk information, focusing on linking risk information producers with user and operational bodies. This work facilitates linkages between academic, research and other technical organizations with authorities at different administrative levels in charge of disaster risk management.

The risk knowledge programme enhances access to quality risk data, including disaster loss data, it supports the development of disaster risk assessment, including systemic risk assessment and analysis to inform humanitarian and development stakeholders and their respective planning processes. Key partners include the UN system, national ministries and agencies and diverse partners who are providers of risk information.

At country level, UNDRR collaborates with national DRR authorities and national DRR stakeholders to enhance their capacity to develop quality risk information and foster the application of this risk information. Current work focusses on: - enhancing data exchange among DRR stakeholders across multiple scales and sectors - supporting national stakeholders in the collection and use of disaster loss data - enhancing methodologies for and developing risk assessments - designing processes to enhance the use of risk information for planning and investment to enhance: - impact-based early warning and early action - disaster risk reduction in humanitarian contexts - trans-boundary risk management - risk informed national development planning - comprehensive risk management

In Niger, UNDRR is implementing a project on “Building Disasters and Climate Resilience in Central Sahel” in collaboration with the Ministry of Humanitarian Action, funded by the Government of Italy. As part of this project, UNDRR is seeking to conduct a risk profile for flood and droughts and complement it with application to be used as a basis to conduct economic analysis, which will be used to inform investment decisions.

The main objectives of this project are three-fold:

Objective 1: Integrating local data and knowledge for improving probabilistic risk profiles for floods and droughts, including for a changing climate. - Collection of local data and knowledge on hazard, exposure and vulnerability; - Updating and upgrading of the country probabilistic risk profile for flood and drought. - Updating the input/output datasets into the Risk Information Exchange (RiX).

Activity 2: Applications of the risk profiles to food security and early warning & action. - Analysis of linkages between risk indicators and food security dimensions; piloting early actions for food security. - Supporting the coordination with the African Multi-Hazard Early Warning and Action System (AMHEWAS) and with authorities in Niger in the use of the risk profile for EWS;

Activity 3: Enhancing coordination mechanisms to track implementation of disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA) strategies. - Complementing the information gathered through the Niger risk profile and build on it to implement a comprehensive climate risk analysis leading to a cost-benefit analysis of the best options available for a portfolio of possible interventions for drought in Niger; - Developing advocacy materials to guide coherent DRR, CCA and sustainable development policy making; - Supporting inter-institutional dialogue to track progress in the implementation of DRR and resilience strategies with the support of the Sendai Framework Monitor process and other disaster/climate monitoring frameworks.

The Risk Information Exchange (RiX) is a living repository of open-source, global, regional and national risk data. Launched in 2022, and with new features added every month, RiX aggregates information on hazards, exposure and vulnerability, across a broad range of risk areas, from biological, hydrometeorological, environmental to technological, societal and climate change. It makes accessible risk data from government ministries and departments, disaster management and civil protection agencies, sector planners, finance and investment officials, bilateral and multilateral organizations; NGOs and INGOs; researchers; and the private sector. The RiX does not aim to duplicate existing risk and climate data, instead it wants to shine the light on risk information and analysis generated in traditionally siloed climate change, humanitarian and development networks.

Duties and Responsibilities: Under the direct supervision of the Deputy Chief/ Programme Management Officer (Risk Knowledge), the consultant will support the implementation of the project:

Project implementation support: - Provides technical support to, management of and progress reporting on projects; - Contributes to the development and implementation of effective communications, outreach; participates in the production of materials for print/electronic/voice/visual media. - Substantive support for any other UNDRR programmatic engagements, training, projects, consultations, advocacy campaigns, etc. organized in the country or implying involvement of country representatives. - Undertake outreach and output dissemination to target audiences, use-case applications - Any other task that might be assigned by the Regional Office, including in support to need and capacity assessment, facilitation of national consultation or reporting, and participation in regional processes.

Coordination and stakeholder management: - Acts as a liaison between the national authorities, UNDRR and UNDRR’s technical partners; - Working closely with host agency as needed, assess capacity development gaps and opportunities to inform all training and capacity building activities to enhance risk knowledge; - Works with partners to ensure effective gender inclusion and participation of a wide range of stakeholders across ages and including marginalized groups and those with disabilities into risk knowledge activities and partner collaborations. - Participate in meetings with RCOs, UN Country team (UNCTs), HCTs (Humanitarian Country Team), cluster and/or any inter-cluster working groups and/or Outcome/Result groups as part of the UN Programme Management team and solicit feedback into the project’s roll-out process at the country-level.

Delivery of workshops and events: - In collaboration with UNDRR staff and project partners, plans workshops, oversees the logistics (venue, invitations, participation), prepares concept notes, background material and reports; - Conducts training workshops, inputting on risk data and analysis; - Documents learning and scalable good practices.

Technical support in the domain of risk knowledge and risk data: - Supports technical partners working on risk assessment and cost-benefit analysis (CBA): provides technical support with the collection of risk data,. and analytics for the project; review the final publications to ensure relevance to the national authorities; - Supports in identifying investments in DRR and CCA costs data and review of existing CBA undertaken in Niger and highlight main findings and gaps. - Assessing the type of information management systems in use for managing and sharing risk assessment results: data platforms for management and visualization, software systems in use, modules, analytical functionalities, automated linkages, operational architecture, etc - In collaboration with UNDRR staff, partner agencies and other consultants, consolidate, harmonize, and prepare available risk information into common formats using existing templates for upload onto the RiX Platform; - Provide support to the update of the risk analysis, building upon the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) or the 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO 2023), building upon the risk analysis facilitated by UNDRR in 2022. - Support United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) in the updating of INFORM (Index for Risk Management) sub-national with risk information and promote its application by Government and development partners to inform early warning and anticipatory action.

Qualifications/special skills Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in disaster risk reduction, administration, management, economics, social sciences, engineering or a related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with at least two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in project or programme management, administration or related area is required. Experience in the domain of risk knowledge, risk assessment, disaster risk data, quantitative data analysis and use of risk information in decision-making (policy/planning/investment), sustainable development and climate change or related area is required. Work experience in disaster risk reduction relevant aspects of sustainable development, early warning systems, development planning, humanitarian planning is desirable. Relevant experience working for international organizations such as the United Nations is desirable.

Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, fluency in English and French 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.