UNDP Jobs - 38046- Climate and Disaster Risk Profiler, Strengthening

Climate and Disaster Risk Profiler, Strengthening Climate and Disaster Risk Governance in Vanuatu

Location :

Port Vila, VANUATU

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

01-Jul-2013

Application Deadline :

18-Jun-13 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

1 month

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 Government of Vanuatu has a newly established National Advisory Board (NAB) on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction designed to improve coordination and governance surrounding the threats climate change and disasters pose to its people, environment and assets. One of the key functions of the NAB is to improve access to and the management of human, financial and technical resources to effectively respond to the priority adaptation needs of its people.

The Government of Vanuatu recognises that effective institutions and the inter-relationships between them are at the heart of its ability to respond to growing climate and disaster risks. The NAB is undertaking a comprehensive analysis of climate and disaster risk governance in Vanuatu to: a) better understand the specific capacities and needs of various national provincial and local stakeholders; b) evaluate national institutions’ performance of key functions critical to adaptation and preparedness; and c) identify specific gaps in capacity that can be filled through investment and action to improve governance.

A multidisciplinary team combining experts on climate change and disaster risk management governance, public financial management and local institutional knowledge will be assembled to perform the analyses. Each expert will be allocated a specific set of tasks, with a team leader undertaking overarching analysis and ensuring consistency of the assessment and its output documents. The expert team will be steered and guided by the NAB and its Project Management Unit (PMU) within the Vanuatu Meteorological and Geo-hazards Department.

A critical precursor to this overarching governance assessment is the development of a risk profile for Vanuatu that identifies the key risks and vulnerabilities that Vanuatu’s risk governance institutions must address. Currently there is no single, up-to-date and easily accessible document that summarises the major studies of risk undertaken to date. To inform the Risk Governance Assessment and the broader NAB agenda, the NAB seeks a desktop analysis of Vanuatu climate and disaster risk profile.

The Assessment is supported by the Pacific Risk Resilience (PRR) Programme, implemented by UNDP, which will focus on strengthening governance mechanisms for DRM and CCA at the national, sub-national and local levels in Vanuatu (and in the Solomon Islands, Fiji and Tonga). The PRR programme will be centered on two components that will be implemented under one coordinated and integrated programme: 1) risk governance: supporting mainstreaming of DRM and CCA into development planning and budgeting at all levels of government; and 2) community level risk management and integration of risk management into local level governance mechanisms. This assignment is supported under component one of UNDP’s PRR programme.

Objective and Outputs

The overall objective of this consultancy is to compile, in a single document, a summary analysis of Vanuatu climate, climate change and disaster risks. The outputs expected from this assignment to achieve this objective are as follows:

An electronic library of Vanuatu risk assessment reports from all completed geohazards, climate, climate change and disaster risks and vulnerability analyses undertaken by the Government of Vanuatu, development partners, projects and academics.
A geohazards, climate change and disaster risk profile for Vanuatu to inform the Risk Governance Assessment, Second National Communication and national climate change and disaster risk reduction policy.
A list of all current and planned risk mapping activities in Vanuatu that can be used for coordination purposes.
Identified data and analysis gaps and a set of priority risk mapping, data collection or analysis actions required to improve information on Vanuatu climate and disaster risks.

Duties and Responsibilities

Activities and Expected Deliverables:

Compile documents and information

Collect all social and natural scientific research reports undertaken on geohazards, climate, climate change and disaster risks in Vanuatu;
Collect all key national and provincial level vulnerability identification and assessments or any other published risk reports;
Identify, and list in a database, all current and planned risk mapping activities in Vanuatu;
Identify, locate and list, all datasets for Vanuatu that could be useful. These should include all geophysical/climate/oceanographic datasets both locally and overseas.

Synthesise analysis

Summarise and synthesise the key findings into a single document covering the following:

Geological risks (volcanic, seismic hazards and tsunami-genic hazards);
Climate variability;
Climate change to date;
Limate projections;
Disaster Risk.

Create basic visual risk maps of Vanuatu climate and disaster risks, showing in broad terms the level of risk for each island.

Identify gaps and options for future work:

Identify data, information and analysis gaps;
Identify the research required to downscale analysis and further identify the level of risk for each province or island;
Identify the most important meteorological variable that needs research to determine the level of risk for each island;
List options for further research and make recommendations for priority projects.

Key deliverables from this assignment should include:

Database of existing reference materials including reports, datasets and projects;
A climate and disaster risk profile for Vanuatu;
Database of current risk mapping activities;
Identified gaps and recommendations for further work.

Management and Reporting Arrangements

The consultancy will be carried out by a highly experienced international or regional expert in the field of Public Financial Management and/or climate finance. S/he will be based within the PMU in Port Vila and will report to the PMU Manager and a NAB Steering Committee established for this project.

Competencies

Analytical skills;
Excellent research, analytical, communication and writing skills;
Demonstrating/safeguarding ethics and integrity;
Informed and transparent decision making.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

University Degree in social sciences or discipline relevant to governance, disaster risk management and/or climate change.

Experience:

Demonstrated experience in undertaking similar analyses in the region;
Excellent understanding of climate, climate change, geohazards and disaster risk science and research in Vanuatu and/or the Pacific region;
Experience with various risk mapping stakeholders in Vanuatu and the region;
A sound working knowledge of various risk mapping stakeholders in Vanuatu and the region;
Excellent understanding of the various climate and environmental change challenges facing Vanuatu and/or Pacific Island Countries.

Language:

Fluency in English (written and oral) is essential.

APPLICATIONS SUBMISSION

All applications must submit a technical and financial proposal with full contact details of three referees by Tuesday, 18th June, 2013 (Fiji Time) electronically to procurement.fj@undp.org. The related templates and procurement notice can be found on the following link: http://www.undp.org.fj/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=43&Itemid=80

Failure to submit your application as stated as per the application submission guide (Procurement Notice)on the above link will be considered incomplete and therefore application will not be considered.