Technical specialist, early warning

Position title: Technical specialist, early warning
Grade/level: C2
Team: Climate Risk Management
Programme: CRM

Rationale:

Climate Risk Management (CRM) is one of ADPC’s five technical areas of expertise. CRM aims to build communities that are resilient to climate risks by enhancing capacities of communities and countries to manage climate risks at all time scales through the application of climate information in vulnerable sectors. CRM’s focus areas include:

a) managing climate variability through the application of localized and tailored climate information products;
b) reducing vulnerability to longer-term climate change by adapting to short-term climate variability and extremes; and
c) strengthening partnerships between the climate and media communities for the accurate and effective communication of the nature and implications of climate variability and change.

Among the projects and programs that CRM is implementing is the American Red Cross (ARC) -supported programme in Indonesia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam. The programme facilitates the integration of tsunami warning in early warning systems of these countries, by strengthening multi-hazard warning systems through:

a) assisting countries to establish early warning national forums, with mass-based organization participation, for regular dialogues between warning information producers and users, to make early warning information actionable and relevant to users;
b) enhancing capacities of National Red Cross Societies in using early warning information to improve institutional and community preparedness to emergencies; and
c) demonstrating the functionality and reliability of early warning systems by addressing last mile problems, determined from a system audit, and engaging with pilot communities.

The Technical Specialist, Early Warning, leads a team in implementing the ARC-supported programme, coordinates with partners and stakeholders for successful implementation of program activities, develops the toolkit for and guides early warning system audits, and monitors action plan implementation in pilot communities for meeting Hazard Ready criteria. The Technical Specialist, Early Warning, also monitors implementation of CRM programs and projects; coordinates with project teams for preparation of periodic progress and accomplishment reports for donors, ensuring proper and timely documentation of results and outcomes; and contributes to project development.

Supervisor(s): Technical Specialist – Early Warning, CRM Director
Evaluator(s): Technical Specialist – Early Warning, CRM Director

Required Qualifications/ Selection Criteria:

Knowledge:
· Masters degree, or equivalent in training and experience, in international development/ environmental management / social sciences/engineering
· Demonstrable knowledge in disaster management and early warning

Experience:
·At least five years experience in implementing and managing development projects
·Demonstrated experience in coordinating work with different stakeholders at various levels
·Demonstrated experience in facilitating community processes

Skills and abilities:
·Demonstrable leadership abilities
·Proven ability to strategize, plan, and organize events, and monitor activities and budgets
·English proficiency in communication, presentation, and report writing
·Strong information search and research skills, analytical and creative problem-solving skills, and questioning and feedback skills
·Solid project and time management skills, computer competence, and the ability to use media effectively
·Ability to prioritize and organize workflow and interact at various levels

Personal qualities:
·Commitment to quality, responsibility, high work standards, and initiatives
·Excellent interpersonal skills, team-oriented work style
·Willingness to travel under sometimes adverse conditions

Duties and Responsibilities:

As Technical specialist, early warning:
·Coordinate with partners and stakeholders for successful implementation of program activities in project countries
·Assist program partners in organizing early warning national forums, and provide technical inputs to these forums
·Ensure that National Red Cross Societies (NRCSs) are organically linked to the end-to-end early warning system from national level to field level at pilot communities
·Develop a toolkit for undertaking early warning system audits
·Provide technical inputs to early warning system audits
·Monitor action plan implementation in pilot communities for meeting Hazard Ready criteria
·Assist in training delivery, targeting warning information users at national level and NRCSs at field level
·Supervise the training team, and ensure that capacity building objectives and needs are met
·Organize a regional workshop for sharing program experiences, successes, and lessons, with a main goal of influencing policy for disaster risk reduction
·Document processes, results and outcomes of each activity, including contributions to ARC tsunami recovery program cross-cutting themes
·Identify approaches and provide solutions to overcome challenges and resolve problems met during program implementation
·Prepare progress reports, and update implementation plans and budgets
·Develop a strategic approach for and implement measures towards sustaining program efforts

CRM Project Development, Management, Monitoring, Reporting, and Evaluation
·Identify opportunities and contribute to development of new concepts and proposals
·Ensure that CRM projects are implemented in accordance with contractual obligations and donor guidelines
·Coordinate with project teams and ensure that project activities are implemented according to approved work plans and budgets
·Ensure that technical progress reports are submitted timely, with sound content, good quality, and appropriate format
·Coordinate with donors and external consultants to facilitate project external evaluations
·Supervise external evaluations
·Ensure monitoring and evaluation information is used in reporting, adaptive management, and learning
Others
· Contribute to organizational development
·Other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the CRM Director