Background
Tajikistan, the poorest of the 15 members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (ex-USSR), is a disaster-prone nation in the heart of Central Asia. Mountainous and affected by widespread poverty, the country suffers from recurrent natural hazards like floods, mudflows and landslides due to its location in a high-risk seismic zone.
The most frequent hazards occurring in Tajikistan are avalanches and mud flows, followed by small-scale earthquakes and floods. These natural hazards typically happen several times a year and their impact is local, affecting a few households, communities, villages and occasionally a larger part of a district. Many of these hazards are linked to spring thaw and precipitation, which occur mostly between March and June. In any given year, such small to medium scale events affects an average of 1,500 families. Though the loss of human lives is usually relatively small, the damage to infrastructure, family assets and livelihoods can be significant.
In May and June, 2014, heavy rains, flooding and landslides affected Tajikistan, and particularly the Kulob Zone of Khatlon Province. Damage for the two most affected Jamoats, Sari Chashma and Chubek, was at least $5.7 million USD, with 14 deaths alone on Sari Chashma (also hit by floods in 2010).
Based on Government and REACT assessments as well as local consultations, UNDP Tajikistan identified a set of unmet needs in Sari Chashma and Chubek Jamoats, including:
- Livelihood recovery;
- Water supply repair and construction;
- Shelter and settlement development;
- Health infrastructure repair and construction;
- Hazard assessment and zoning;
- Warning system development;
- Resilience planning and development support;
- Funding for resilience activities.
The UNDP-funded Flood Recovery to Resilience (Flood R2R) project is a two-year effort to support recovery and build resilience for families affected by flooding and mud flows in the spring of 2014 in Sari Chashma and Chubek. UNDP Tajikistan’s Disaster Risk Management Programme (DRMP) is managing the project, which has a total value exceeding $1.8 million and targets at least 3,200 families.
The Flood Recovery to Resilience project is based on the concept that post disaster assistance should build resilience and reduce risk to future disasters with Sari Chashma Jamoat being hit by similar disasters twice in the past four years. The R2R project incorporates activities to assess overall risks in the Jamoat to develop and fund plans to reduce future disasters and build resilience. This resilience component of the recovery effort is new to Tajikistan but reflects international good practice in terms of reducing disaster risk and promoting sustainable development.
Duties and Responsibilities
Goals and objectives:
UNDP in Tajikistan is seeking for an International Consultant who, under direct supervision of UNDP Disaster Risk Management Programme Manager and, in close coordination of the UNDP Country Office Programme Analyst on Crisis Prevention and Recovery, will bear the responsibility to assist the target communities in developing a five-year resilience plan associating the modalities for the operation of a resilience fund.
Duties and Responsibilities:
An International Consultant will provide support to on-going recovery activities to ensure direct linkages towards building long term resilience in the affected communities, as well as resilience development of other UNDP donor sponsored projects of Sari Chashma jamoat and neighboring areas. Specifically, an International Consultant is expected to undertake the following tasks:
Review and summarize project documents, other background information and progress-to-date to identify requirements and opportunities for building resilience to hazards in Sari Chashma.The resulting report should include reference to current theories and approaches to resilience building used in Central Asia and elsewhere.
Develop a resilience plan for Sari Chashma which includes an identification of relevant hazards, resilience development opportunities and fund management mechanisms. This plan should be based on community consultations.
Develop and conduct a series of workshops, seminars and community consultations at the national level, and with people in Sari Chashma to:
- Explain the concept of resilience;
- Discuss resilience opportunities in Sari Chashma;
- Develop a community-specific resilience plan which incorporates gender, climate change and natural resource sustainability components;
- Define mechanisms for establishment of Resilience Fund, identify funding sources for resilience building activities to be conducted through Resilience Fund;
- Define management and monitoring mechanisms for Resilience Fund and specific resilience building activities based on the direct involvement of the target communities;
- Assist in identification of a package of resilience activities within Sari Chashma which will be funded from Resilience Fund.
Provide advice and input into project selection to be financed through Resilience Fund, periodic adjustments to projects and fund management to improve the overall operation and impact of the resilience building process (this work is to be implemented on-line via email communication).
The work of the consultant in the country is expected to start immediately and will continue until end of January 2016. One 10-day country visit to Tajikistan is expected during the assignment period. At least half of the work time in Tajikistan is expected to be undertaken in Sari Chashma jamoat or adjacent locations.
Competencies
Corporate Competencies:
- Demonstrated integrity by modeling th eUN's values and ethical standard;
- Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality, and age sensitivity and adaptability;
- Treats all people fairly without favoritism.
Functional Competencies:
- Demonstrated abilities to write concise and clear reports;
- Demonstrated capacities to develop and present trainings, workshops and conduct public consultations;
- Demonstrated capacity to solve problems using practical collaborative approaches;
- Demonstrated capacity to work in a team;
- Capacities to use computers and other technical tools (e.g., GPS) and work in word processing and mathematical software.
Required Skills and Experience
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- Master’s degree in disaster management, risk management, development or social sciences or equivalent work experience.
Experience:
- Ten years of progressive experience in disaster risk management and recovery;
- At least five years of senior level implantation experience disaster management;
- Previous experience with disaster recovery.
Language:
- The consultant is expected to be fluent in English;
- Knowledge of Tajik or Russian is an advantage.
Application Procedure:
Please follow the link to the Individual Consultant Procurement Notice:
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.