Consultant: review of the report analysing the HFA assessment reports submitted by countries and proposing new policy indicators

Vacancy number: ISDR/C/3/2014

United Nations Core Values: Integrity ● Professionalism ● Respect for diversity

Background

Created in December 1999, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and secretariat of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) is the designated focal point in the United Nations system for the coordination of disaster reduction and to ensure synergies among the disaster reduction activities of the United Nations and regional organizations and activities in socioeconomic and humanitarian fields. Led by the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, UNISDR has around 100 staff located in its HQ in Geneva, Switzerland, and 5 regional offices and other field presences. Specifically, UNISDR coordinates international efforts in disaster risk reduction, and guides, monitors and reports on the progress of the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action; campaigns to create global awareness of disaster risk reduction benefits and empower people to reduce their vulnerability to hazards; advocates for greater investments in disaster risk reduction to protect people's lives and assets, and for increased and informed participation of men and women in reducing disaster risk; and informs and connects people by providing practical services and tools such as Prevention Web, publications on good practices, and by leading the preparation of the Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction and the organisation of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction.

The Third World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction will be held in Sendai City, Japan in March 2015, at which countries will adopt the post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction . The successor framework should address the challenges posed by increasing disaster risk over the next 20 to 30 years.

The fourth session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, which was held in May 2013 in Geneva with 3,500 participants from 172 countries, called for an immediate start of work to be led by the UNISDR to develop targets and indicators to monitor the reduction of risk and the implementation of HFA2.

To date, the achievement of the HFA has been monitored against a set of 22 core indicators across the five Priority Areas. Through an on-line HFA Monitor progress is benchmarked by countries on a scale of 1 to 5, complemented by means of verification and a qualitative description Although this has generated the most significant global repository of information available on the progress reported by governments in reducing disaster risk, the experience of three biennial review cycles in 2009, 2011 and 2013 has highlighted weaknesses, for example:

• Many of the core indicators relate to multiple policies, meaning that it is difficult to monitor public policy on disaster risk reduction. There is also duplication between indicators.
• Self-assessment by governments is per se subjective, meaning that the quantitative benchmarking undertaken by countries does not provide a valid means of inter-country comparison.

Recognising these weaknesses, UNISDR is developing a proposed new system of indicators for disaster risk management, which will contribute to discussions on HFA2 and to the Third World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, thereby raising public and stakeholder awareness.

As a first step to establish a policy indicator, the UNISDR drafted a report analysing the HFA assessment report that country submitted and proposing new policy indicators.

Organizational Setting and Reporting Relationships

The Consultant will be supervised by the Risk Knowledge Economist, a position held by UNISDR.

Duties and Responsibilities

The editor is expected to perform the following tasks:

• Edit the draft report (about 300-400 pages in A4 format with 20-30 tables)
• At least review the first, second and third draft reflecting the changes of the preceding draft (though we expect the third draft does not have much change)

Expected output/deliverables is:

A final draft (word file)

Competencies

Professionalism: Strong background, knowledge and understanding of the concepts, principles and approaches to public policy and disaster risk reduction.

Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately

Planning and Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies and programmes; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required.

Qualifications

Education: Advanced university degree in literature, social science or a related field. A first- level university degree in combination of qualifying experience maybe accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience: A minimum of 5 years of experience in editing. Prior work experience in publication on public policy issues, especially risk management policies, with international organisation will be an advantage.

Language: Fluency in oral and written English.