Background

Development Project Funded Post
 
Over the ten-year period 2001-2010, Viet Nam’s economy grown rapidly at an average annual rate of 7.2 percent. The country got out of the underdevelopment status and joined the group of middle income developing nations, with GDP per capita of 22.8 million VND (1,169 $US) in 2010. The Socio-Economic Development Strategy 2011-2020 sets out objectives to “Mitigate natural calamity damage. Cope proactively and efficiently with climate change, especially sea level rise.”
 
Viet Nam is disaster prone country and particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Climate-related disasters in Viet Nam have caused an average annual loss of USD 1.8 billion, or 1.2 percent of GDP (in PPP), and an average of 457 deaths for the past two decades. Many Vietnamese are vulnerable, especially poor rural and peri-urban people. The Government has made significant efforts to address natural disaster risk reduction and respond to climate change, including adoption of the the National Strategy for Natural Disaster Prevention, Response and Mitigation to 2020 , National Climate Change Strategy, and the national Green Growth Strategy.
 
UNDP has been providing technical support to the Government of Viet Nam to build capacity in the area of disaster risk management (DRM) over the last 14 years. Under the new programme Cycle 2012-2016, UNDP continue provide support to the Government though a new phase of the project “Strengthening institutional capacity for Disaster Risk Management in Vietnam, including Climate Change related disasters (SCDM Phase II)” over the period January 2013 – December 2016. The objectives of the project are to support the implementation of the National Strategy for Natural Disaster Prevention, Response and Mitigation to 2020 (NS. Specifically, the project will (i) enhance capacity of the Standing Office of the Central Committee for Flood and Storm Control (CCFSC), provincial Committees for Flood and Storm Control and partners in selected provinces to undertake improved humanitarian response and utilise a range of early recovery options, that address weather related disasters in the context of a changing climate; and (ii) implement the community based disaster risks management (CBDRM)
 
The ITS will be working under the SCDM Phase II and will be based in the Project Management Unit (PMU). The ITS is a key advisor to the project partner -the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), currently represented by the National Disaster Management Centre of the General Department of Water Resources of MARD - on technical and policy aspects of DRM. In exercising his/her role, the ITS supports the planning, technical reviews and quality assurance, monitoring and reporting of the project; plays a leading role in formulation of research and ensures highest quality policy products; and makes quality inputs to the advocacy, communications efforts, and development of the Sustainable Development Programme of UNDP Viet Nam;
 
The International Technical Specialist (ITS) will implement his/her functions under the supervision of the Head of Sustainable Development Cluster, and overall guidance of the Deputy Country Director. The ITS will agree with the National Project Director on specific tasks. The ITS works in close collaboration with the programme staff at the UNDP Country Office and relevant Regional and HQs units as well as national counterparts for ensuring knowledge sharing and the highest possible quality of project outputs. He/she ensures the alignment of the project outputs with intented outcomes, benefits and impacts of the UNDP’s Sustainable Development Programme in Viet Nam.
 
In line with UNDP staff rules, the ITS’s annual performance will be measured by a full Results and Competency Assessment (RCA). The RCA will be done by the immediate Supervisor, with self-assessment of the ITS and based on inputs from the NPD.

Duties and Responsibilities

Key Functions
 
The ITS is expected to provide advices to MARD and UNDP in the field of disaster risk management, focusing on the implementation of the Project. The ITS has four main functions as follows:
  • Advice and support MARD and UNDP on planning, technical quality assurance, M&E, and reporting of the project;
  • Initiation and quality assurance of policy analysis/researches on DRM, disaster risk reduction (DRR), CBDRM, and relevant topics; and Contribution to knowledge generation, Advocacy, and Policy development;
  • Advice and contribution to the coordination and partnership development; and Support Viet Nam’s active roles in international and regional forums, and development of the UNDP Viet Nam’s Sustainable Development Progamme;
  • Advice and inputs to institutional development, capacity building and knowledge transfer to the government counterpart and project staff.
Planning, Quality assurance, M&E and Reporting of the project:
  • Project planning: Provide advice and assist the NPD, National Project Manager/ Coordinator, and UNDP Programme Officer in charge of the project to ensure quality and timely preparation and submission of annual and quarterly project work-plans. Identify potential risks and emerging issues that may affect project outputs and outcomes, and initiate the revision of project plans and project’s Resource and Results Framework (RFF);
  • Technical review and quality assurance: Assume the responsibilities of technical quality assurance for job descriptions, terms of references, and bidding requirements/ requests for proposal, and project outputs/products. Design and put in place quality control/ peer review mechanisms to ensure highest quality of documents and outputs/products before review and approval by the NPD and UNDP;
  • Monitoring, review and evaluation: Lead to prepare, update and revise indicators, baselines, targets, and means of verifications for project outcomes, outputs, and activities. Design necessary tools and mechanisms for regular and ad-hoc project progress reviews/ meetings, evaluations, and ensure proper implementation and follow-up of recommendations/actions from such reviews/evaluations;
  • Reporting and documenting lessons and good practices: Provide inputs to the preparation of progress project reports, including reports to donors/global programme as required, focusing on capturing results and lessons, and undertake necessary reviews to ensure quality reports. Initiate and ensure proper documentation of project lessons, experiences, best practices, and human interest stories;
  • Publishing and disseminating project results/ products: Ensure publication of project products, including policy briefs, research results/ products, and proceedings of policy dialogues/ technical meetings, and wide disseminations of these outputs.
Researches and knowledge generation, Advocacy, and Policy development:
  • Initiating researches/ policy analysis and ensuring quality: Identify the needs of policy analysis, and researches on DRR, CBDRM, and DRM, including emergency response and early recovery. Formulate research proposals, terms of references, requests for proposals for such policy analysis/ researches, and provide guidance and quality assurance to ensure quality and timely productions of highest quality products. Actively facilitate and participate in research partnerships with relevant institution within MARD, line ministries, services providers, other UN organizations, relevant donors and NGOs;
  • Generating knowledge and information: Based on policy analysis and research results in Viet Nam, experiences and practices elsewhere, prepare policy summary papers, focusing on policy recommendations, advocacy messages/ statements, and media information;
  • Knowledge sharing: Participate in events to share knowledge/information acquired from the project and join UNDP and other international knowledge networks to extract good practices learned elsewhere in DRM, CBDRM, DRR and climate change adaptation (CCA) and share those in Viet Nam. Support to the South-South cooperation and exchanges between Viet Nam and other countries and Viet Nam’s participations at international and regional forums/ events;
  • Contributing to advocacy, policy dialogues, and media relations: Identify opportunities for advocacy, policy dialogues, technical discussions, and dissemination through media. Provide substantive inputs to the preparation of advocacy messages/ policy statements for important events, and UNDP’s policy positions on substantive issues for policy dialogues and forums, including advocacy for a multi-hazard approach, for incorporated DRM concepts, and for the active roles of women and girls and their organizations in DRM work. Serve as an advocate for UNDP’s policy sustainable development and human development concepts in the areas of crisis prevention and recovery/DRM.
  • Contributing to policy formulation: Provide quality advice and substantive inputs to the formulation of policies for (DRM); Support the improvement and issuance of guidelines for emergency response and early recovery standards. Proactively engage in policy discussions relating to (nation-wide) legislations, policies and guidelines;
  • Contributing to policy formulation: Provide quality advice and substantive inputs to the formulation of policies for (DRM); Support the improvement and issuance of guidelines for emergency response and early recovery standards. Proactively engage in policy discussions relating to (nation-wide) legislations, policies and guidelines.
Coordination and partnership development; and Support Viet Nam’s active roles in international and regional forums, and development of the UNDP Viet Nam’s Sustainable Development Progamme;
  • Supporting coordination and partnership development: The ITS is expected to assist the National DMC and other departments within the General Department of Water Resources within MARD and UNDP to enhance partnership with donors (notably the World Bank, AusAID, JICA, the European Commission and embassies) , the Red Cross Movement, civil society organizations, international and national none-government organizations for better information sharing, to ensure synergies, coherence and complementarities in programme activities. Advise the Government and UNDP on areas of possible cooperation with other donors in the field of DRM, community based disaster risk management.  Support important activities as outlined in the five priority areas of the Hyogo Framework of Actions, particularly the establishment and operation of National Platform for DRR;
  • Supporting Viet Nam’s active roles in international and regional forums: Advise and provide substantive inputs to the Viet Nam’s participation and contributions to international and regional  forums and frameworks/agreements, including Global Platform for DRR, ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response, and APEC Emergency Preparedness Working Group Meetings;
  • Supporting and contributing to One UN initiative (Delivery as One-DaO) in Viet Nam: Support the role of UNDP as convenor/secretariat of the UN DRM Team, participated by 10 UN organizations working on DRM in Viet Nam, to promote synergies and harmonization of UN One Programme activities amongst UN system member organizations; Support the role of UNDP as co-lead of the Early Recovery cluster (following activation in the aftermath of a major disaster);
  • Contributing to UNDP Programme: Actively contribute to the development and implementation of the UNDP Viet Nam’s Sustainable Development Programme. Ensure synergies and coherence between the responsible project and other projects and related activities in order to materialize benefits and impacts of the UNDP’s Sustainable Development Programme in Viet Nam.
Institutional development, Capacity building and Knowledge transfer to the government counterpart and project staff:
  • Advising on development of DRM Centres: based on existing analysis, international experience, and needs assessment in Viet Nam and specifically pilot provinces, make recommendations for adjustments and areas for improvements, including DRM coordination, risk assessment, needs assessment, disaster information management system, integration between DRR and Climate change adaptation;
  • Capacity assessment and capacity building: Provide advice and support the building of capacities of the Government of Viet Nam MARD and its relevant departments – principally the National Disaster Management Centre and other departments of the General Department of Water Resources (GDWR) - as well other members of the current central and provincial Committee for Storm and Flood Control (CFSC) or a new body replacing CFSC. Develop plans and terms of references for capacity development, curricula of trainings, and assist in identifying appropriate training partners/ organizations;
  • Transfer of technical knowledge and experiences: Identify knowledge gaps on DRM that exist DMC, GDWR, CFSC, related national institutions and localities and suggest necessary measures for addressing such gaps, including suggestions for policy dialogues, research and data survey. The ITS is expected to transfer and dynamically apply technical knowledge and experiences from his/her academic background and professional experiences to enhance technical knowledge at these institution;
  • Coaching and on-the-job training: Mainstream lessons and best practices learned elsewhere into capacity building activities for the Project Management Unit and DMC and related MARD staff. Lead, deliver and provide on-the-job training on disaster risk reduction aspects, research methodology, and writing and publication of results.
 Impact of Results
Overall performance/impact of the ITS will be assessed based on the following criteria:
  • High quality project work-plans (annual and quarterly), M&E tools, technical assurance/review mechanisms, and project reports;
  • High quality guidance to international and national consultants, contractors/ service providers, research-partners; and technical inputs and reviews to ensure high quality project outputs;
  • High quality research proposals and policy dialogues; quality outputs, and publications of research results, policy briefs, focusing on recommendations; and documentation of lesson learns and human-interest stories;
  • Quality inputs to the preparation of advocacy messages, policy development media information;
  • Quality inputs to the devlopment and operation of the UNDP’s Sustainable Development Programme in Viet Nam;
  • Quality advice and facilitation for capacity building of the government counterparts, related authorities, and project staff;
  • Effective and active (knowledge, coordination relevant) networking;
  • High quality advice on capacity building needs and plans.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:             
 
Advocacy/Advancing a Policy-Oriented Agenda.
Analysis and creation of messages and strategies:
  • Contributes to the elaboration of advocacy strategies by identifying and prioritizing audiences and communication means
  • Uses the opportunity to bring forward and disseminate materials for advocacy work
  Building Strategic Partnerships.
  Identifying and building partnerships:
  • Effectively networks with partners seizing opportunities to build strategic alliances relevant to UNDP’s mandate and strategic agenda;
  • Sensitizes UN Partners, donors and other international organizations to the UNDP’s strategic agenda, identifying areas for joint efforts;
  • Develops positive ties with civil society to build/strengthen UNDP’s mandate;
  • Identifies needs and interventions for capacity building of counterparts, clients and potential partners;
  • Displays initiative, sets challenging outputs for him/herself and willingly accepts new work assignments.
  Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing.
  Developing tools and mechanisms:
  • Makes the case for innovative ideas documenting successes and building them into the design of new approaches;
  • Identifies new approaches and strategies that promote the use of tools and mechanisms;
  • Develops and/or participates in the development of tools and mechanisms, including identifying new approaches to promote individual and organizational learning and knowledge sharing using formal and informal methodologies.
  Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise.
  In-depth knowledge of the subject-matter:
  • Understands more advanced aspects of primary area of specialization as well as the fundamental concepts of related disciplines;
  • Continues to seeks new and improved methods and systems for accomplishing the work of the unit;
  • Keeps abreast of new developments in area of professional discipline and job knowledge and seeks to develop him/herself professionally;
  • Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments;
  • Demonstrates comprehensive understanding and knowledge of the current guidelines and project management tools and utilizes these regularly in work assignments.
  Creating Visibility for UN/Supporting UN Capacity to Advocate.
  Developing promotional projects and organizational messages:
  • Develops promotional activities based on monitoring/evaluation information identifying areas requiring higher visibility;
  • Develops messages for use by UN staff when working with partners, internationally and nationally.
  • Reviews documents and materials intended for use within and outside the organization in order to ensure consistency and validity of messages;
  • Creates and cultivates networks of partners to promote UNDP’s image.
Global Leadership and Advocacy for UN Goals.
  Analysis and creation of messages and strategies:
  • Performed analysis of political situations and scenarios, and contributes to the formulation of institutional responses;
  • Uses the opportunity to bring forward and disseminate materials for global advocacy work and adapts it for use at country level.
Conceptual Innovation in the Provision of Technical Expertise.
   Developing innovative and creative approaches;
  • Leverages different experiences and expertise of team members to achieve better and more innovative outcomes;
  • Leverages multi disciplinary, institutional knowledge and experience of other countries and regions to promote UNDP’s development agenda;
  • Participates in dialogue about conceptual innovation at the country and regional levels.
  Client Orientation.
  Contributing to positive outcomes for the client:
  • Anticipates client needs;
  • Works towards creating an enabling environment for a smooth relationship between the clients and service provider;
  • Demonstrates understanding of client’s perspective.
 Core Competencies:
  • Promoting ethics and integrity, creating organizational precedents;
  • Building support and political acumen;
  • Building staff competence, creating an environment of creativity and innovation;
  • Building and promoting effective teams;
  • Creating and promoting enabling environment for open communication;
  • Creating an emotionally intelligent organization;
  • Leveraging conflict in the interests of UN & setting standards;
  • Sharing knowledge across the organization and building a culture of knowledge sharing and learning. Promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing is the responsibility of each staff member;
  • Fair and transparent decision making; calculated risk-taking.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • Advanced university degree, preferably a Post Graduate degree, in crisis prevention and recovery/disaster risk management, or related fields.

Experience:

  • Proven knowledge in disaster risk management, disaster risk reduction, community based disaster risk management, and climate change adaptation;
  • At least seven (7) years working experience in in conducting policy analysis and providing policy advice to the government agencies to enhance national and sectoral policies in relevant topics;
  • Excellent conceptualization and analytical skills and proven experience in leading policy researches in relevant topics;
  • Good advocacy and communications skills, able to take a forward looking strategic views;
  • Good interpersonal skills and teamwork to work in a multi-cultural environment;
  • Prior experience with UNDP or another UN or international organizations will be an asset;
  • Relevant experience of Viet Nam or South East Asia countries is an advantage.

IT requirements:

  • Good skills in standard software (Word processing, spreadsheets) are expected;
  • Experience with the use of databases is an important asset.

Language:

  • Strong written and spoken skill of English is a must.

FC: 30000