UNDP Jobs - 96283- Individual Consultant - Coordinating Lead Author f

Individual Consultant - Coordinating Lead Author for the “Disaster and Climate Resilient Infrastructure” (for International only)

Location :

Home based (with flexible working arrangement to travel to India or other locations as necessary)

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

26-Jan-21 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

200 days

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

02 years

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 Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) was launched by the Government of India in September 2019 at the UN Climate Summit. The CDRI is a partnership of national governments, UN agencies and programmes, multilateral development banks and financing mechanisms, the private sector, and knowledge institutions that aims to promote the resilience of new and existing infrastructure systems to climate and disaster risks, thereby ensuring sustainable development.

The CDRI intends to publish a biennial Flagship report on Global Infrastructure Resilience titled Disaster and Climate Resilient Infrastructure. The report will be CDRI’s principal vehicle for engaging and focusing the attention of a global audience of political leaders, policy makers, practitioners and researchers. The Flagship report will contribute to the development of the Strategic Priorities of the CDRI around Research and Knowledge Management and Communication and Partnerships.

The Flagship report is expected to be launched in 2022 with intermediary outputs to be ready in late 2021 coinciding with COP26. The report is envisaged to be based on five key pillars. These are:

Global Risk and Resilience Assessment of infrastructure systems: This will entail the update and enhancement of the Global Risk Model (GRM) along with a sophisticated analysis of the disaster and climate risk to infrastructure systems. It will include developing an

infrastructure inventory, sourcing infrastructure exposure data and vulnerability functions, hazard risk assessment and modelling resilience of infrastructure networks.

Disaster and Climate Infrastructure Resilience Index: To highlight progress across countries and regions in the achievement of disaster and climate resilient infrastructure an Index will be developed. It will combine metrics from the Global Risk and Resilience Assessment with economic metrics of infrastructure investment and surveys of the quality of infrastructure governance.
Nature Based Solutions: Every edition of the Flagship report will include a thematic section that will examine policy challenges, global best practices, case studies and evidence to provide a state-of-the art review. The proposed theme for the 2020 edition will be nature-based solutions for enhancing disaster and climate resilience.

Progress Monitoring: This will include reviewing the progress towards achieving the goals and targets of the Sendai Framework and other associated international commitments on disaster and climate risk reduction and assessing countries’ progress in achieving them. The progress towards disaster and climate resilient infrastructure, by building on the evidence generated through CDRI initiatives across its Strategic Priorities will also be reviewed under this pillar.

Financing Infrastructure Resilience: Innovative financial tools and mechanisms to finance resilient infrastructure will be explored under this pillar. The component will comprise updating estimates of infrastructure investment for new and renewed infrastructure in different countries, infrastructure investments and their feasibility in the disaster and climate risk perspective, risk adjusted returns on infrastructure investment especially in the context of climate change uncertainties.

The Disaster and Climate Resilient Infrastructure report will be guided by a high-level International Advisory Board, the Members of which will be invited by the CDRI Secretariat. The Board will review and approve the draft 2022 Flagship Report before publication and will then advise the development of the concept and overall direction of future editions. The CDRI will be inviting its members including governments, multilateral development banks, bilateral agencies, technical and academic organisations to contribute material to the different sections of the report.

UNDP’s Synergy with Infrastructure Resilience and CDRI

UNDP has been a key partner to the CDRI right since its inception. UNDP supported the CDRI in its two International Conferences in 2018 and 2019 which paved the way for its formal launch. Globally, UNDP’s role in infrastructure resilience has been in the following ways:

UNDP works to promote resilience at the level of communities and governments through several interventions and considers these resilience measures essential to building infrastructure resilience. For example, UNDP has promoted building codes and regulations in several countries, which contribute to improving the standards and capacities for improving regulations and building resilience.
UNDP helps countries conduct risk assessment which addresses infrastructure planning. UNDP also supports assessment of infrastructure damage and loss after major disasters. These assessments contribute to development planning as well as recovery and reconstruction of infrastructure.
UNDP helps countries adopt policies and implement programmes to build more resilient community infrastructure to protect the lives and livelihoods of people who depend upon small-scale infrastructure, such as roads, draining, irrigation, and electricity and water conduits.

UNDP is supporting the CDRI in the coordination, drafting, editing and production of the 2022 Disaster and Climate Resilient Infrastructure Report. As part of this responsibility, UNDP intends to hire the Lead Author for the “Disaster and Climate Resilient Infrastructure” Report of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure

Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Guidance to the Report

1. On the basis of a literature review and, taking into account the rationale and objective of CDRI, define the core messages of the Global Flagship Report, for consideration by the CDRI Secretariat and Executive Committee and the Advisory Board of the Report.

2. Participate in and chair, when required, meetings, on-line workshops and other kinds of fora organised by the Project Management Unit in order to scope the content of each Pillar and ensure coherence between each Pillar, taking into account the core messages of the Report.

3. In line with the overall framework of the Report, review concept notes and terms of reference for the development of each Pillar of the Report, prepared by the substantive coordinators of each Pillar.

4. Contribute to the development of a timeline for the Global Flagship Report in coordination with the Project Management and advise the selection of technical partners and the commissioning of contributing papers and studies, to ensure timely production of inputs to the Report.

Coordination and Supervision of the Stakeholders

5. Substantive coordination of Pillar 1 and Pillar 2 of the Flagship Report: A Global Risk and Resilience Assessment of Infrastructure Systems and the Disaster and Climate Resilience Index. This would include the substantive supervision and validation of contributions from technical partners, including terms of reference, proposed methodologies and data, the review of draft results and ensuring coherence between the different contributions.

6. Overall substantive supervision of the contributions produced under Pillars 3, 4 and 5, in close coordination with the Substantive Coordinators of each Pillar and the Project Management Unit to ensure the coherence of the five Pillars in the context of the concept and messaging of the Flagship Report as a whole.

7. Supervise the Peer Review process of contributions from technical partners in each Pillar of the Report, in close coordination with the Project Management Unit.

Drafting of the Report

8. Draft the chapters of the Global Flagship Report, foreseeing at least three drafts (first, second and final), weaving and threading the contributions from technical partners produced under Pillar 1 – 5, into the overall structure of the Report, together with material drawn from contemporary literature and case studies. Draft the Executive Summary of the Report and ensure the timely production of preliminary text (Foreword, Index, List of Tables and Figure, Abbreviations, ISBN number etc.) and post-text (Bibliography, Annexures, contributing author credits etc.).

9. Prepare periodic reports on the findings of the Global Flagship Report for the CDRI Secretariat and Advisory Board, participate in briefings as required. Ensure that feedback and recommendations are enfolded into subsequent drafts of the Report.

Advisory Role

10. Advise the Project Management Unit in the organisation and supervision of the Peer Review of the first, second and final draft of the Report.

11. Advise the design and layout of the final Report, in both print and digital versions, including the development of Apps to facilitate data consultation and visualisation. Review proofs from the printers to ensure quality control of the final version.

12. Advise the CDRI Secretariat and Project Management Unit in the development of a communication strategy for the Report and participate as required in launch events, briefings to CDRI Members and the media.

13. Advise the Project Management in engaging the potential users as well as other stakeholders of the report (as well as associated data systems) during the process of development of the report.

Competencies

Key technical and core competencies:

Knowledge of the political, social, cultural, and economic parameters that condition the challenge of infrastructure resilience in CDRI Member Countries and globally; Ability to lead informed and strategic discussions with government counterparts and stakeholders;

In depth knowledge of the policy issues, academic and technical literature and stakeholders involved in addressing the challenge of disaster and climate resilient infrastructure in CDRI Member Countries and other developing regions
Demonstrate strategic vision and international leadership in the area of disaster risk management, resilience and sustainability
At least twenty years’ experience in research, policy and practice in disaster risk management and sustainable development at a senior level. Senior experience in the UN system would be an advantage.
Advanced university degree, preferably at the doctorate level, in a field relevant to disaster and climate resilient infrastructure. Strong track record in research and publication.
Experience of leading and coordinating large geographically dispersed multi-stakeholder and multi-cultural teams to achieve commonly agreed results and outcomes.
Strong track record in producing high-quality thematic reports for an international audience, including through the UN system, based on quantitative and qualitative research, literature review and synthesis of research findings
Experience of supervising the preparation of publications to a high-quality and to a tight timeline, ensuring high standards of peer review and quality control.
Ability to undertake gender sensitive review and analysis and demonstrated understanding of issues related to gender-mainstreaming and other cross cutting development issues;
Knowledge of qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods; Proven experience in data analysis as well as report writing; ensuring the triangulation of the findings, obtaining strong evidence for the analysis of information from multiple sources;
Strong analytical skills (quantitative and qualitative) and strong ability to communicate and summarize this analysis in writing;
Experience of conducting stakeholder interviews and collecting data remotely;
Ensuring comments and feedback of the stakeholders is sufficiently addressed in the draft and final reports.
Deliver the agreed products to the right standard and quality;
Excellent inter-personal, teamwork and communication skills;
Flexibility in remote working arrangements and experience of conducting stakeholder interviews and collecting data remotely;
Openness to change and ability to receive and integrate feedback;
Excellent report writing, presentation and editing skills in English and at least one other UN language
Keep to the standards and ethical principles in line with UNEG norms and standards and Ethical Guidelines.

The evaluators selected should not have participated in the project preparation and/or implementation and should not have conflict of interest with project related activities.

Required Skills and Experience

Advanced university degree, preferably at the doctorate level, in a field relevant to disaster and climate resilient infrastructure. Strong track record in research and publication.
At least twenty years’ experience in research, policy and practice in disaster risk management and sustainable development at a senior level. Senior experience in the UN system would be an advantage.

Evaluation Method & Criteria:

The consultant would be selected based on the following criteria:

Technical: 70 points

Financial: 30 points

Criteria for Technical Evaluation would be as under:

Educational Qualification: 15 marks
Relevant work experience/exposure to international technical reports/assessments –25 marks
Technical Proposal (proposed methodology, approach to the drafting of the report, citation of previous practical experience, outreach plan, challenges, relevance etc) – 30 marks

Technically qualified consultants will be requested to submit their daily fee rate i.e. consultants who score more than 70% i.e. 49 marks with respect to the above-mentioned evaluation criteria. Consultant should not specify their consultancy fee on their CV or with the submission. The CV will not be evaluated further in case the consultant submits the same.

The Consultant is required to submit the following documents, in a single combined PDF file, as the system has provision for uploading only one attachment:

Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability for the Individual Contractor Assignment
Personal CV with relevant experience to the TOR; and at least 3 professional references
Technical proposal including proposed methodology, approach to the drafting of the report, citation of previous practical experience, outreach plan etc
No Financials (Daily Fee) to be submitted at this stage.

Note:

Any kind of miscellaneous charges i.e. internet, phone, relocation charges etc. would not be reimbursed.
Travel, lodging and boarding as per UNDP rules subject to prior approval

UNDP strives to have a workforce which reflects diversity and gender balance, and applies an equal opportunities approach. Qualified femalecandidates are strongly encouraged to apply. All selections are on merit.