UNDP Jobs - 54278- Programme Specialist, Urban Disaster and Seismic R

Programme Specialist, Urban Disaster and Seismic Risk Reduction

Location :

Port-au-Prince, HAITI

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

16-Mar-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

P-4

Duration of Initial Contract :

Languages Required :

English French

Expected Duration of Assignment :

1 year (renewable)

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

The tragic consequences of the earthquake that struck Haiti on 12 January 2010 mainly stem from a lack of awareness of the seismic threat combined with the extreme vulnerability of the country’s urban centers. Haiti’s exposure to earthquakes and other natural hazards such as hurricanes, floods, landslides, or tsunamis is very high. Their impact is exacerbated in urban centers because of the high population density, the use of construction practices and land-use management that fails to properly consider the risk of natural hazards, including earthquakes, flooding and landslips. It is essential to help the country develop strategies for adapting its urban centers to natural hazards in order to protect life as well as socio-economical investments during future events.

Because of its long history of support to the Haitian government on issues related to risk and disaster management, UNDP agreed in 2010 to support the Government of Haiti in the definition and implementation of a strategy for reducing earthquake risk. Recent activities have included the production of a "roadmap" for seismic risk reduction, the delivery of a preliminary seismic zonation map for the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, the coordination of a seismic microzonation study for all major urban centers, the support to the development of a national seismic monitoring network, the initiation of international academic collaborations on urban risk with Haitian universities. In addition, the UNDP’s DRR has developed, with the Ministry of the Interior (which heads the National System for Disaster Risk Management), a project to reduce seismic risk for the north of Haiti with an integrated approach including seismic zoning, building assessments and retrofitting, professional training, policy development, public education and outreach.

More recently, UNDP agreed to support the newly formed Unité de Construction, Logement et Bâtiments Publics (UCLBP, which now leads all major reconstruction projects under the prime minister’s office) to include risk assessment and mitigation practices in every project definition and implementation. A methodology for including risk assessment into urban planning and neighborhood improvement has been defined and is currently being implemented, as a national standard. However, significant efforts are still needed to consolidate the methodology, ensure that national capacities exist to implement it, and embed it in a sustainable institutional framework.

As the work of UNDP's disaster risk management unit progresses, the unit is in need of additional staff to assist the tasks associated with risk identification and reduction. The incumbent for this position will work within UNDP's disaster risk management unit and will assist the management and implementation of current programs and activities related to urban and seismic risk reduction as well as the identification of new funding opportunities and development of new projects related to this important area of work. The post holder will have an important role in helping to build coordinate UNDP's network of international experts working in those areas.

This post will contribute to promoting government led, coherent support of the international community to national capacity to effectively reduce the risk posed by natural hazards in particular to urban communities. This will include support for the development of multi-risk departmental maps and reduction plans for some urban centers.

A significant focus of the work will concern seismic risk reduction, where the incumbent will need to provide technical and management support to existing projects such as the “Plan Séisme Nord”, the national microzonation program, and the development of a national seismic network. The incumbent will also be expected to develop new projects.

Through this post UNDP will contribute at a strategic level through the support for coherent, multi-donor strategies, to support sustainable risk reduction strategies for Haiti. The post will depend upon helping UNDP and the government of Haiti to convene international expertise in support of government. The ultimate intention is to promote coherent international agency support to both areas of risk identification and ultimately reduction.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of Key Functions

Working under the guidance of the Deputy Country Director/Programme and direct supervision of the Disaster Risk Reduction Head of Unit, the Programme Specialist for Urban Disaster and Seismic Risk Reduction collaborate with other Programme units and Operations in order to fulfill the following functions:

Project Management;
Coordination and Tool development;
Technical support to the government of Haiti;
Strategic support to UNDP’s Disaster Risk Management Programming;
Partnerships and resources mobilization.

Project Management

Manage UNDP Haiti’s Urban disaster risk management project including:

Responsibility for financial management, budget development and timely financial implementation;
Human resources management, including coaching and development, and recruitment;
Workplan development, monitoring and implementation;
Management of project related procurement and asset management;
Technical oversight of project deliverables including those provided by project implemented partners.

Coordination and Tool development

Coordinate international advisory support to the government of Haiti and UNDP DRM and other relevant units related to scientific contribution to natural hazard and risk reduction in general and Urban and Seismic Risk Reduction in particular;
Working in close partnership with the Chief Technical Advisor act as a technical liaison with relevant government institutions including Bureau of Mines and the National Laboratory for Public Works.
Inform and assist the Ministry of Planning and External Cooperation (MPCE) and UCLBP in defining and implementing risk identification and reduction measures in their activities;
Organization of meetings and events that promote risk reduction.

Technical support to the government of Haiti

Provide support to the members of the Permanent Committee for Risk and Disaster Management (SPGRD) and to the Direction de la Protection Civile (DPC) in their understanding of natural hazards and risks in general and Urban and Seismic Risk Reduction in particular;
Provide support to the MPCE to better integrate the risk reduction in land-use management, particularly in urban areas.
Provide technical advice to relevant coordination bodies of the National System for Risk and Disaster Management, in particular, the thematic table for the coordination disaster management and the Scientific committee for seismic and Tsunami risk, to coordinate their activities on risk reduction.
Promote government leadership through promoting coordination and international community support to national capacity to effectively reduce the risk posed by natural hazards in particular to urban communities.
Provide technical and management support to existing projects on seismic risk, such as the “Plan Séisme Nord”, the national micro-zonation program, and the development of a national seismic network. The incumbent will also be expected to support the government in the development of new national projects for seismic and urban risk reduction as required.
Provide technical and management support and development of multi-risk departmental maps and reduction plans for some urban centers.

Strategic support to UNDP’s Disaster Risk Management Programming:

Participate in interagency collaboration and partnership building in the area of natural risk management with a particular focus on urban and seismic risk;
Inform and provide support to UNDP and other relevant agencies to incorporate the disaster risk reduction into their activities;
Participate in the elaboration of a strategy for UNDP's risk and disaster management program and in monitoring activities.

Partnership and resources mobilization:

Building strong relationships with external actors in general and donors, partners and important Haitian institutions in particular;
Cultivate productive relationships with donors, partners and other important institutions and individuals in order to promote and develop natural hazard and risk reduction in general and Urban Risk Reduction in particular;
Propose and formulate projects and programs incorporating an understanding of the needs of donors;
Elaboration of clear strategic plans prioritizing interventions, and allocate resources according to priorities;
Development of innovative solutions and tools to address challenging situations in natural hazard and risk reduction.

Impact of results:

The key results have an impact on the overall success of the programme and reaching common UN and UNDP development goals. In particular, the key results have an impact on the design, operation and programming of activities, creation of strategic partnerships as well as reaching resource mobilization targets.

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.

Functional Competencies:

Functional

Knowledge of the international disaster reduction system'
Knowledge of country’s hazards, vulnerabilities and risks'
Ability to provide inputs for disaster risk assessment and its application to risk management decision-making.

Managerial

Ability to build strong relationships with external actors – cultivate productive relationships with donors, partners and other important institutions and individuals;
Excellent oral and written communication skills;
Ability to anticipate and understand client needs, formulate clear strategic plans, prioritize interventions, and allocate resources according to priorities;
Ability to develop innovative solutions - encourages and contributes creative solutions to address challenging situations
Well proven analytical and writing skills;
Demonstrated abilities and contributions to policy and guideline formulation, resource mobilization, team building, team leadership and management, preferably in a capacity related to the UN system.

Behavioral

Ability to establish effective working relations in a multicultural team environment;
Resourcefulness, initiative, and maturity of judgment.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master in Earth or Environmental Sciences, Geological and Geotechnical, Disaster Risk Management and/or relevant fields;
UNDP Certification programmes including Prince2, Programme Management and Results Based Guidelines.

Experience:

Proven record of achievement over 7 years of increasingly responsible experience in planning and managing technical co-operation strategies and relevant advocacy programmes in disaster reduction and/or related fields (e.g. urban development);
Extensive field experience in disaster environments and an in-depth knowledge of issues in the country;
High degree of technical knowledge of disaster prone developing country contexts. Knowledge of Haiti would be an advantage;
High degree of technical knowledge of disaster risk reduction, ability to quickly analyze and understand the country context, build partnerships, develop innovative solutions and mobilize regional and global knowledge to meet the specific country needs.
Application of theoretical knowledge in the design, management and evaluation of complex, multi-disciplinary capacity building programmes involving national governments, civil society and international organisations.
Experience in establishing inter-organisational networks and partnerships at the operational level.

Language requirement:

Fluency in French essential;
Proficiency in English necessary;
Other UN official languages an asset.
Creole desirable.