UNDP Jobs - 38047- Consultant-Mainstreaming Disaster, Climate Change

Consultant-Mainstreaming Disaster, Climate Change and Environmental Risk into Development Planning

Location :

Honiara, SOLOMON ISLANDS

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 :

6 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

The Solomon Islands Government (SIG) recently conducted a series of consultations on managing the risks of disasters and climate change in Solomon Islands. This involved a two day workshop facilitated by the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology (MECDM) held on the 19th-20th of March involving representatives from a number of sector ministries, representatives of NGOs and church groups as well as regional and international development agencies. The main recommendation from this consultation process and analyses of past experiences of DRM and CCA programmes in Solomon Islands is that the risk from disasters and climate change must be integrated in to development planning and implementation at all levels (national, provincial, sectoral and community levels). Specific recommendations coming from this consultation process that are relevant to this assignment include:

Joint National Framework for Resilient Development (JNaF): establish a ‘Framework for Integrating Risk Reduction and Resilience into the National Development Strategy’ that covers all sources of risk and includes the systemic changes that are required to strengthen resilience;
Integrating risk in to the medium term strategic development planning process: develop criteria and guidelines for Ministry of Development Planning and Aid Coordination (MDPAC) and Ministry of Finance and Treasury (MoFT) for integrating Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) in to the allocation of development and recurrent budget (as well as for line Ministries and Provinces).

In regards to the strategic planning process, the SIG is currently embarking on a process of strengthening its medium term strategic development planning process. This process is focused on the alignment of Provincial and Corporate Plans on a government-wide five year time horizon with the National Development Strategy (NDS). This will culminate in to the development of a Medium Term Development Plan (MTDP). The MTDP will be a consolidation of a pipeline of multi-year development projects for each ministry and, through the Ministry for Provincial Government and Institutional Strengthening (MPGIS), of the Provinces. A key component that needs to be enhanced in this process is the integration of disaster and climate change risk, as well as environmental aspects into development programming.

The Pacific Risk Resilience (PRR) Programme, implemented by UNDP, will focus on strengthening governance mechanisms for DRM and CCA at the sub-national and local levels in Solomon Islands (and in Vanuatu, Fiji and Tonga). The 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. Given the recommendation to integrate disaster and climate change risk into development planning, this assignment is supported under component one of UNDP’s PRR programme.

Objective and Outputs

The overall objective of this assignment is to assist the Ministry of Development Planning and Aid Coordination (MDPAC) and other line Ministries at national and provincial levels to integrate risk into the medium term strategic planning process. The outputs expected from this assignment to achieve this objective are as follows:

Integration of risk in to the medium term development planning process: this will include but is not limited to criteria in Corporate Plans, Annual Work Plans, MDPAC and MoFT processes that consider DRR/CCA for allocating development and recurrent budget (for line Ministries and Provinces);
Support provided to the process of developing a Joint National Framework for Resilient Development (JNaF): that covers all sources of risk and includes the systemic changes that are required to strengthen resilience; and
Situation Analysis and programme of support for SIG on mainstreaming DRR/CCA in to development planning: for strengthening risk governance within planning and budgetary systems in Solomon Islands (for possible support from the PRR and other partner programmes).

Duties and Responsibilities

Develop guidelines and criteria for integration of risk dimensions in to the medium term development planning (MTDP) process, both for MDPAC and selected sector line Ministries at national and provincial levels:

Identify key risk parameters within the MTDP process;
Formulate criteria for screening project pipelines;
Develop guidelines for MDPAC (with the Strategic Planning unit) and provide in-house training;
Analysis of opportunities to integrate risk in to sector line Ministries;
Select key line ministries and one to two provinces in consultation with MDPAC and MECDM;
Identify key risk parameters for these sectors;
Develop guidelines and tools for risk analysis for planning officers within line Ministries;
Resource person for workshop with all planning officers (Susan).

Support SIG in developing a strategic framework for Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change Adaptation:

Provide technical advisory support to MECDM and MDPAC on the analysis and consultation process for the formulation of the strategic framework;
Develop a methodology for an overall risk governance analysis (including but not limited to: capacity for risk management from national to sub-national levels; monitoring and evaluation systems; mapping of DRM and CCA programmes and initiatives; risk financing mechanism; and opportunities for integration);
Implement the risk governance analysis, through the Climate Change working group and in collaboration with partner agencies.

Develop a programme of support for SIG and relevant stakeholders on mainstreaming risk in to planning and budgeting processes at national and sub-national levels (as part of the PRR programme). This can be informed by the analysis and work performed in items 1-2 above:

Key deliverables from this assignment should include:

Inception report which reflects outputs for each component of work (due within the first month of the assignment);
Progress reports to be provided on a monthly basis; and
Hand over notes and debriefing to be provided at the end of the assignment.

Management and Reporting Arrangements

The consultancy will be carried out by a highly experienced international or regional expert in the field of risk governance. S/he will be based within MDPAC in Honiara and will report to the Programme Coordinator for the Pacific Risk Resilience (PRR) Programme as well as the Permanent Secretary for MDPAC. S/he will also work in close consultation with the UNDP Sub-Office based in Honiara.

Competencies

Expertise in analysis of capacity, particularly for risk management;
Technical expertise, knowledge and programming skills relating to climate change and disaster risk management, including vulnerability analysis and assessment tools, and mainstreaming climate change and disaster risk management in to national development plans, policies and budgetary processes;
Good interpersonal relations;
Ability to work independently with minimum supervision and with strong problem solving ability.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Advanced University Degree in social sciences or discipline relevant to disaster risk management and/or climate change would be highly desirable.

Experience:

Natural Disaster Risk Management and/or Climate Change expert (international/regional with relevant experience in risk management and / or development planning):
At least 7 years’ experience in the management and implementation of disaster risk management; adaptation to climate change; disaster response and recovery, and/or environmental management;
Knowledge of the Pacific region (preferably the Solomon Islands);
Knowledge and experience of gender dimensions relating to DRM, CCA and development planning;
Excellent writing and drafting skills and experience of providing policy advice at the international, regional or national level;
Experience in integrating cross-cutting issues in to development planning and budgetary processes;
Familiarity with development planning particularly National Sustainable Development planning processes and linkages with sectorial and sub-national planning;
Ability to effectively engage with local officials as well as with communities and market vendors.

Language:

Fluency in English (written and oral) is essential. Knowledge of Pigeon would be an asset.

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.