UNDP Jobs - 49112- Provision of Individual Services of a Senior Advis

Provision of Individual Services of a Senior Advisor for Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management (CCA and DRM)

Location :

Cairo, EGYPT

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

04-Sep-14 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

11 Months from Contract Signature

Languages Required :

Arabic English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

11 Months

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

With climatic variability within the Arab region showing consistent overall increases in surface air temperatures and a decreases in rainfall, the impacts of climate change are likely to exacerbate the frequency and severity of drought across the region, as well as extreme weather events such as dust storms, heat waves and, in some cases, sudden flooding. It is likely that the region will face a 50% gap in renewable water supply by 2050 and it is projected that the region’s economies and livelihoods will be the second most affected by climate change worldwide, with serious consequences, in particular for the most vulnerable populations in the region, in terms of food security, displacement and overall social stability.

Duties and Responsibilities

Inter-country coordination and awareness play a crucial part in enabling countries to understand and in turn prepare for these ongoing and future risks. While efforts have begun through the launch of the Arab Framework Action Plan on Climate Change and the Arab Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction, which aims to set strategic priorities to enhance coordination for the reduction of climate change impacts and disaster loss, and to build stronger, more efficient monitoring at national, regional and local levels, there remains a need and demand on the part of countries in the region for concrete actions to ensure that improved, integrated risk analysis leads to well-considered development planning processes. These include:

Upgrading meteorological observation facilities and their capacity for climate change modeling;
Building institutional collaboration and networking to facilitate dissemination of climate information, including systematic measurements, climate observation and modeling to support adaptation planning;
Production of regional and country-level climate information that is useful, relevant and appropriate for different sectors across a countries;
Improved “translations” of scientific analyses into information and recommendations for policy makers;
Developing policy mechanisms that link up and coordinate different ministries at the national level, as well as between local and federal governing bodies, to establish a sense of shared responsibility around climate change and DRM;

UNDP launched the Arab Climate Resilience Initiative (ACRI) to support countries, both nationally and at the regional level, in developing and implementing integrated approaches to low-carbon, climate resilient pathways. At the end of 2012, ACRI began developing a number of pillars of work and is currently bolstering its adaptation agenda around bridging the growing level of relevant scientific research in the region with policy making and development planning. At the national level, stakeholders include:

Government and governmental organizations;
Line ministries: Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Water; etc;
Specialized agencies: Scientific research institutions across the region;
Civil society: Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), including environmental NGOs, associations of NGOs, women and sub-population groups’ associations, independent think-tanks, national and local media.

In addition to supporting countries, ACRI aims to support the role of the League of Arab States in coordinating collaborative efforts and exchange in climate change adaptation and climate-related disaster risk management. To this end, ACRI will support LAS in its role vis-à-vis member states, which includes: monitoring and assessing natural disasters (drought, land degradation, dust and sand storms); early warning and identification of areas susceptible to drought, food crises, population displacement; supporting national planning and regional collaboration around disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation planning; providing a regional platform for harmonization and the standardization of risk monitoring and assessment across countries; and contributing to and exchanging with international research and policy communities around modelling for disaster risk assessments.

For detailed information, please Refer to Annex I – Terms of Reference.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
Treats all people fairly without favoritism;
Fulfills all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment;

Functional Competencies:

Ability to meet deadlines and prioritize multiple tasks;
Familiarity with the League of Arab States’ work and structure;
Excellent writing, editing, and oral communication skills in English and Arabic.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

PhD in Soil, Water and/or Agricultural Sciences, Environmental Management, Disaster Risk Planning or related field.

Experience:

Minimum 15 years of relevant experience in applied research, coordination, and project management at the national and international levels;
Extensive experience in institutional capacity development; strategic planning of projects; provision of evidence-based policy advice;
Expertise and proven track record in drought modelling, vulnerability mapping and disaster risk assessments;
Proven experience leading a team of experts/researchers;
Experience developing strategies, frameworks, action plans related to climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction at the national, regional and international levels.

Languages:

Excellent writing, editing, and oral communication skills in English and Arabic;

Kindly refer to the Individual Consultant Procurement Notice and all related Annexes by visiting the below link:

http://www.lb.undp.org/content/lebanon/en/home/operations/procurement/

Please make sure to submit all the requested documents/information; otherwise, your application will be considered incomplete.