Disaster Risk Financing and Investment Expert

About Asian Disaster Preparedness Center

ADPC is an autonomous international organization with a vision to reduce disaster and climate risk impacts on communities and countries in Asia and the Pacific by working with governments, development partners, international organizations, NGOs, civil society, private sector, media, and other key stakeholders. Established in 1986 as a technical capacity building center, ADPC has grown and diversified its expertise across social and physical sciences to support sustainable solutions for risk reduction across a broad range of specialist areas. With over 100 staff from 19 different nationalities and a wide range of professional expertise from atmospheric scientists to social scientists with experiences from all levels of engagement typically required for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Resilience (CR) in an effective manner.

ADPC is a competent regional resource center and has seven thematic departments: ADPC Academy, Risk Governance, Climate Resilience, Urban Resilience, Health Risk Management, Preparedness for Response and Recovery, Geospatial Information. These are supported by Finance, Human Resources and Administration, and Strategic Planning departments. In addition to the departments, ADPC works on three cross-cutting themes: Gender and Diversity, Poverty and Livelihoods, and Regional and Transboundary Cooperation through permanent working committees. ADPC Strategy 2020 guides the organization in providing comprehensive risk reduction support to countries and communities in Asia and the Pacific. ADPC recognizes the importance of examining the linkages between disaster risk management, poverty reduction, gender equality, sustainability, rights-based approaches, climate change and regional cooperation. For details please refer to ADPC website at http://www.adpc.net/

Introduction of the project

The Building Resilience through Inclusive and Climate-adaptive Disaster Risk Reduction in Asia-Pacific (BRDR) is a five-year program that aims to protect development gains and to enhance regional cooperation on inclusive and gender-equal risk reduction approaches. The BRDR Program focuses on establishing evidence-based methods, tools and practices for building the resilience of the most vulnerable communities in pilot countries (Nepal, Philippines) and on sharing the lessons learned at regional forums in order to replicate the approaches developed under BRDR across the region. The program seeks to develop tools and methodologies for inclusive and gender-equal disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate resilience. The program further leverages the Regional Consultative Committee on Disaster Management (RCC) mechanism, made up of National Disaster Management Organizations (NDMOs) of over 20-member countries, as a platform to promote regional knowledge exchange as well as regional tools, guides and practices on innovative, gender-equal and inclusive measures in disaster risk reduction.

Nepal’s recent federal reforms have reallocated authority and responsibilities for implementation of disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA) plans at the municipal level. This also entails resource mobilization and strengthening risk financing to realize planned interventions and local priorities. An understanding of the governance structure and processes in line with climate and disaster risk financing is required to support in the formulation of policies and guidelines, as well as the allocation of resources, that target inclusive, gender-equal and climate-adaptive disaster risk financing. In this context, the BRDR program is seeking to engage a senior researcher for three months with considerable experience in conducting research on disaster risk financing and investment to support the development of a framework on inclusive climate and disaster risk financing in Nepal.

The following are the objectives of this research assignment:

• Develop an understanding of how disaster risk financing is being implemented under Nepal’s federal system;
• Explore in detail how disaster risk financing and investment systems and/or structures are currently referencing gender inclusion in budget lines, activities etc.;
• Conduct a review and assessment of existing tools (or lack thereof) that support disaster risk financing in Nepal;
• Understand the enablers and barriers to inclusive climate and disaster risk financing in the context of Nepal;
• Develop an integrated approach, framework and strategy on climate and disaster risk financing for Nepal.

Statement of Intent

The Disaster Risk Financing and Investment Consultant would be required to provide expertise in the successful completion of a report on a proposed Nepal disaster risk financing and investment strategy as per industry-standard methodology, analysis and research ethics. The consultant will be based in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Note: It is not the intent of this Terms of Reference to cover every aspect of the position requirements, rather highlight the most important areas of personal and joint responsibilities.

Duties and Responsibilities

The primary assigned tasks of the consultant are to:

• Develop a research outline and proposal, scope of research and literature review in line with the objectives of the consultancy services and finalize the conceptual framework;
• Analyze the information gathered based on the research methodology and draft initial findings in a research report (outline background, rationale, objectives, scope, literature review, conceptual framework, methodology, analysis, conclusion and recommendations);
• Draft a preliminary research report for BRDR program team’s internal review and feedback;
• Conduct country-level stakeholders’ engagement, workshops, meetings, and consultations to feed into the research;
• Follow up with country stakeholders on requested information and invitations to attend national workshops;
• Organize a validation workshop with relevant national-level stakeholders for further enhancement of the research;
• Incorporate the feedback from the validation workshop to further refine the research report and recommendation;
• Submit the research report to BRDR program team for internal review and feedback;
• Incorporate the feedback from the BRDR program team and finalize research report;
• Regularly report to Director, Risk Governance on the progress, challenges, and corrective measures to ensure the assigned research is in accordance with the planned schedule and budget;
• Work closely with other BRDR team members to ensure harmonization and synergy among the tasks for this research assignment;
• Coordinate with ADPC Nepal office to organize the workshops/consultation/ meetings.

Expected Outputs/Reports

In regard to the Duties and Responsibilities explained above, the consultant will produce the following outputs related to the detailed task outlined in the previous section:

1. Research outline and proposal, scope of research and literature review
   • Research proposal including background, detailed rationale, research questions, defined research objectives, research scope, preliminary conceptual framework, research methodology (including research tools and methods), and a timeline aligning with allocated time for the overall assignment;
   • Comprehensive review of the current scope of disaster risk financing, fiscal framework and budgeting under Nepal’s federal system and existing disaster risk financing tools;
   • Scoping of how gender is being referenced in disaster risk financing and investment systems and/or structures of Nepal such as budgetary provision, fiscal planning and funding mechanisms for climate resilience and disaster management related activities;
   • Scoping of enables and barriers to inclusive and gender-responsive climate and disaster risk financing including policies, existing public financial strategies, schemes and mechanisms, as well as challenges to implementation.

By second week of November 2020.

1. Preliminary report
   • Draft of an integrated approach, framework and strategy on inclusive and gender-responsive climate and disaster risk financing;
   • Identification of entry points to integrate inclusive climate and disaster risk financing into Nepal’s existing disaster risk financing and investment systems and/or structures;
   • Stakeholder mapping on disaster risk financing in Nepal including mandates, roles and functions of risk financing; operational and coordination mechanism among concerned agencies and key stakeholders, including relevant stakeholders to be engaged in consultations.

By second week of December 2020.

1. Validated (workshop) and finalized report
   • Key findings/summary from validation workshop with relevant country stakeholders;
   • Finalized report including approach, framework and strategy on inclusive climate and disaster risk financing for Nepal, alongside recommendations for implementation.

By mid-January 2021.

Requirements

The candidate should at least have:

• A master’s degree in finance, economic governance and development, public policy or a relevant degree;
• At least 8 years of experience and proven competency in conducting research and provide strategic guidance in the field of public allocations and expenditure and a minimum 3 years of experience dealing with public allocations and expenditure for resilience;
• Proven experience with economic analysis, public finance and investments in disaster risk reduction is an asset;
• Prior experience working with the National Planning Commission, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Forest and Environment Nepal;
• Vast experience of research in South Asia and specifically in Nepal;
• Strong analytical skills and solid understanding of climate science, global frameworks, climate adaptation/resilience strategies, climate-informed policies and planning frameworks and sectoral interventions, global and national framework of climate services;
• Proven research and analytical work and capacity to work under pressure and short deadlines;
• Cross-cultural awareness and ability to work amongst a diverse group of staff, and partners;
• Excellent English proficiency in oral and written communication, including a demonstrated track record in technical report writing and ability to communicate technical matters effectively to general audience.
• Required computer proficiencies: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Microsoft Teams.

Reporting

The consultant will work under the supervision of Mr Irfan Maqbool, Director, Risk Governance. S/he will also coordinate with the other members of the BRDR team to achieve the expected outputs.