Consultant for strengthening disaster losses and damages accounting system in Timor-Leste

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Result of service

This consultancy will support the leadership of Civil Protection Authority (CPA) to coordinate and have a better system to generate risk knowledge, particularly the availability of disaster losses and damages data, with a focus on the key economic assets.

Expected duration

May-Sep 2024

Duties and responsibilities

Created in December 1999, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) is the designated focal point in the United Nations system for the coordination of efforts to reduce disasters and to ensure synergies among the disaster reduction activities of the United Nations and regional organizations and activities in both developed and less developed countries. Led by the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction (SRSG/ASG), UNDRR has over 140 staff located in its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and in regional offices. UNDRR guides, monitors, analyses, and reports on progress in the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. It supports regional and national implementation of the Framework and catalyzes action and increases global awareness to reduce disaster risk working with UN Member States and a broad range of partners and stakeholders, including civil society, the private sector, parliamentarians and the science and technology community. 

Timor-Leste is one of the newest countries in Southeast Asia and categorized as Least Developed Country and Small Island developing State. The country has a young and growing population of 1.3 million (median age 20). About 42% of them are classified as living below the national poverty line, and 70% of them as living in multidimensional poverty. Timor-Leste regularly experiences drought, flooding, landslides that stem from meteorological hazards including the effect of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), as well as earthquakes. The recent flood in 2021 is said to be the most extensive in the last 50 years (13 municipalities and 30,000 people affected, 34 lives lost). The effect of climate change can only make this type of event more frequent, severe, and unpredictable, negatively impacting the population and economy, and hamper the efforts of sustainable development. Timor-Leste’s mid-term review of Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (the Sendai Framework) in 2023 highlights the weaknesses of risk knowledge in its availability and applicability. Currently, disaster-related statistics are not collected systematically due to lack of standards and human resources capacity. Data on human casualties lacks the details on the population with unique vulnerability such as persons with disabilities, women, and elderlies. Disaster loss in economic terms is not accounted for regularly, unless there is a large-scale disaster that triggers post-disaster needs assessment. The state/progress of early warning systems has not been holistically monitored. To date, Timor-Leste has not reported on Sendai Framework Monitor, despite the existing stock of disaster data. Historical disaster statistics on both human casualties and economic effects are essential to target the actions for climate and disaster risk reduction/management, including early warning and prepositioning of resources to the most underserved and at risk, such as persons with disabilities, women, and people from different age groups such as elderly citizens and children. In the context of making early warnings effective, these disaggregated data are also essential on understanding the areas and assets that are most impacted by disasters traditionally so that the system of early warnings can be designed to reduce the vulnerability and risk around those elements at risk. Strong disaster-related statistics also help improve precision of impact-based forecasting and broader disaster risk reduction. 

Based on the recommended actions cited in the Mid-Term Review of the Sendai Framework, this consultancy will support the leadership of Civil Protection Authority (CPA) to coordinate and have a better system to generate risk knowledge, particularly the availability of disaster losses and damages data, with a focus on the key economic assets. 

The key responsibilities under this assignment are to provide an expert support to document and analyze the current practice of disaster losses and damages data collection by working closely with CPA and relevant stakeholders; and support the improvement of operational procedures/methodologies associated with losses and damages tracking. 

The consultant will be based in Dili, Timor-Leste and work closely with UNDRR’s Climate and Disaster-Resilient Development Officer at the United Nations Office of Resident Coordinator in Timor-Leste. 

Overall supervision of the quality of the work will be through the Programme Management Officer at the UNDRR Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific based in Bangkok, Thailand. 

Specific tasks: 

• Assess the existing practice of losses and damages recording for key economic assets, and the existence of the methodologies for calculation of direct impact on those assets that are used regularly in Timor-Leste 
• Consult with the key government entities (CPA and relevant ministries that are custodian of the economic assets) and subject experts on the potential areas of improvement – procedural protocols or methodologies; 
• Design the improved protocols/methodologies for the agreed economic assets. 
• Support facilitating the stakeholder consultation/validation of the outputs above.

Qualifications/special skills

Advanced university degree(s) in natural resources management, environmental science, climate change, disaster risk management, or related field is required. A first-level university degree with at least 2 additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. At least 5 years of experience in project coordination and management in the domain of climate change adaptation, disaster risk management/reduction is required. Knowledge or experience of undertaking post-disaster impact and needs assessment is required. Experience in working with the Government of Timor-Leste in policy/institutional frameworks for climate and disaster risk management/reduction is required. Experience in working with the Government of Timor-Leste in developing government strategies and action plans in relation to climate change, disaster risk management/reduction, is desirable. Experience working within the UN system or any other similar international organization in the domain of climate change adaptation, disaster risk management/reduction is desirable.

Languages

Fluency in English and Tetum is required. - Knowledge of Portuguese is desirable.

Additional information

Due to the high volume of applications received, only successful candidates will be contacted.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.