Project Coordinator, Review of UNDP Contribution to Disaster Risk Governance

Background

The Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan. BPPS’s staff provides technical advice to Country Offices; advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private dialogues, government and civil society dialogues, South-South and Triangular cooperation initiatives, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas. BPPS works closely with UNDP’s Crisis Response Unit (CRU) to support emergency and crisis response. BPPS ensures that issues of risk are fully integrated into UNDP’s development programmes. BPPS assists UNDP and partners to achieve higher quality development results through an integrated approach that links results based management and performance monitoring with more effective and new ways of working. BPPS supports UNDP and partners to be more innovative, knowledge and data driven including in its programme support efforts.

Review of UNDP’s Contribution to Disaster Risk Governance:

UNDP works closely with government, stakeholders, non-governmental organizations, civil society, and the private sector in hazard-prone developing countries to develop their disaster risk management capacity. A substantial part of this support has been devoted to strengthening governance arrangements for disaster risk reduction (DRR), i.e. the institutional systems, legislative frameworks and policy guidance that are put in place for managing natural hazard risks. In 2007 UNDP published a report entitled “Global Review: UNDP Support to Institutional and Legislative Systems for Disaster Risk Management” (ILS Review 2007), which took stock of UNDP’s role in strengthening governance arrangements for disaster risk reduction. The results of this report served as background for a side event on institutional and legal frameworks for DRR at the World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDR) in 2005. The review findings also gave direction to UNDP’s and other partners’ work in DRR during the HFA implementation period.

It has been almost ten years since the above review and it is considered timely to conduct a follow-up analysis and take stock of the disaster risk governance (DRG) arrangements around the globe and how UNDP’s programs have contributed to them. The follow-up report will be entitled “UNDP’s Contribution to Disaster Risk Governance during the HFA Implementation Period from 2005-2015” (DRG Review). This analysis report will be published in early 2015 and launched at the next WCDR in March 2015 in Sendai, Japan. The report will be published in early 2015 and

launched and disseminated at the WCDR in March 2015 in Sendai, Japan. The conference will be attended by member states and other UN agencies, as well as national and international NGO’s, intergovernmental organizations, representatives from sub-national government and the private sector.

DRR Law

UNDP partners with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in support of legal frameworks for DRR. As a follow-up to a joint multi-country report on effective law and regulation for disaster risk reduction, the partners will continue to work together to produce a DRR checklist for lawmakers and handbook for practitioners to help them in designing, reviewing and implementing legal frameworks for DRR which are suited to their country context. UNDP will continue to disseminate the results of this report and the checklist at international forums, including the World Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDR) and the 32nd International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent in 2015, and liaise with country offices and government partners to integrate findings into UNDP programmatic support for disaster risk governance.

Duties and Responsibilities

The main objectives of this assignment are to provide project management and coordination support to the DRRT staff, and others involved in these initiatives, including planning, disbursement, accounting and financial management, and other project matters. The aim is to ensure project activities are implemented in a timely and efficient manner. The incumbent’s tasks will include:

Project Implementation

•Collate and analyse UNDP project documents and other documentation on key characteristics of national/sub-national risk governance arrangements from different regions to inform the DRG and Portfolio Review;
•Provide necessary research, information and assistance to consultants and country office focal points working on tasks for the DRG and Portfolio Review;
•Coordinate the peer review process of the DRG report and collate reviewer’s comments and author responses.
•Coordinate the production process of the DRG Report, i.e. editing, design and printing;
•Support various tasks of UNDP’s work in DRR law that are related to expert consultations, the checklist for lawmakers and the handbook for practitioners;
•Liaise with BCPR Regional DRR Advisors, UNDP Regional Bureaus and Country Offices, IFRC and implementing partners to facilitate the implementation of project activities;
•Assist with organizing workshops, conferences, and meetings as required, including side events at the WCDR with a focus on DRM law;
•Prepare project updates or lessons learned for articles and stories for dissemination in regional and global publications of UNDP and its partners;
•Assist with the preparation of regular activity and progress reports, including financial as required by UNDP and donors.
•Assist with budget revision processes as per UNDP policies and procedures.

Main Expected Outputs and Deliverables

•Report on a global portfolio analysis of UNDP’s disaster risk governance programs and projects with in-depth analysis of projects and programs in 18 sample countries (by 30th November 2014);
•Completed peer review process of UNDP DRG Review (by 1st December 2014);
•Timely production process of DRG Report, including editing, design and printing (by 15th February 2015);
•Smooth running of workshops, and meetings related to disaster risk reduction law in preparation for WCDRR and 32nd Conference of the RCRC (by 31st March 2015), including summary reports

Competencies

Core Competencies: 

Ethics and Values:

Demonstrates and promotes the highest standard of integrity, impartiality, fairness and incorruptibility in all matters affecting his/her work and status;

Ensures that programs and projects are consistent with UN/UNDP values;

Identifies conflicts of interest between stakeholder groups and works to keep UN/UNDP from inappropriate involvement in such situations.

Knowledge Sharing / Continuous Learning:

Keeps abreast of new developments in disaster risk reduction and recovery and seeks to develop him/herself personally;

Actively seeks to develop him/herself professionally and personally.

Self-management and Emotional intelligence:

Demonstrates a genuine passion for the work, and leverages political forces and tacit knowledge to support the achievement of organizational goals and priorities;

Foresees how others will interpret and react to events, using that awareness to smooth the way;

Provides a sense of direction and purpose, and maintains operational effectiveness of the organization, even during times of organizational crisis or change.

Appropriate and Transparent Decision Making:

Accepts responsibility and accountability for the quality of the outcome of his/her decisions.

Functional Competencies:

Building Strategic Partnerships:

Creates networks and promotes initiatives with partner organizations;

Identifies common interests and goals and carries out joint initiatives with partners;

Makes effective use of UNDP's resources and comparative advantage to strengthen partnerships.

Client Orientation:

Anticipates constraints in the delivery of services and identifies solutions or alternatives;

Proactively identifies, develops and discusses solutions for internal and external clients, and persuades management to undertake new projects or services;

Advises and develops strategic and operational solutions with clients that add value to UNDP programmes and operations.

Job Knowledge and Technical Expertise:

Applies knowledge to support the project objectives and to further the mandate of the organization;

Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments;

Knowledge of development issues, particularly disaster risk management, governance and climate risk management;

Knowledge of relevant organizational policies and procedures; Excellent research and report writing abilities.

Results-based Program Development and Management:

Identifies needs and strategies using a fact-based approach;

Sets performance standards, monitors progress and intervenes at an early stage to ensure results are in accordance with agreed-upon quality and timeframes and reports on it;

Sound independent judgment and strong analytical abilities.

Required Skills and Experience

Education: Minimum of a Master's degree or equivalent in public administration, public infrastructure management, development / environmental studies or a discipline relevant to governance and institutional and policy analysis and development in disaster and climate risk management.

Experience: A minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience in project planning, implementation and evaluation;

Sound understanding and experience of working on development issues and understanding of the relationship of development, governance and DRR;

Knowledge and experience of UNDP and UN system policies and programming;

Broad knowledge of recent institutional and policy developments in the global DRR community, both within and outside of the UN;

Excellent analytical skills with experience analysing large datasets and presenting the results of the analysis.

Language Requirements: Fluency in English, both oral and written is required.