- Inception Report that includes methodology and an Implementation Plan of consultancy.
- Draft and final guidance note on integrating DRR and CCA in the Cooperation Framework and CCA.
- Brief report on consultation process.
- Dissemination strategy.
Home-based
The consultant will support UNDRR and the UN DRR Focal Points' Group task team for a period of three months. The consultant will start at the end of January 2020 and will finalize the assignment at the end of April 2020.
The work proposed for the consultancy will contribute to the implementation of the UN Plan of Action on Disaster Risk Reduction for Resilience adopted in 2016: Towards a Risk informed and Integrated Approach to Sustainable Development which defines the support of the UN system towards the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) considering a risk-informed and integrated approach to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
It addresses the need for coherence and mutual re-enforcement of the UN’s resilience building efforts, with the aim to ensure that the UN system is responsive to the different regional and country needs and contexts with regard to disaster risk reduction.
One of the results under the second commitment of the UN Plan of Action calls for risk and climate informed United Nations Development Assistance Frameworks (UNDAF). The UNDAF guidance was updated in 2019 and the name was changed to United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (“Cooperation Framework”) in 2019.
This Cooperation Framework reflects more accurately the contemporary relationship between Governments and the UN development system in collaborating to achieve the SDGs and serves as a core accountability tool between the UN Country Team (UNCT) and the host Government, as well as between and among UNCT members for collectively-owned development results. In addition, the UN Common Country Analysis (UN CCA), which underpins the Cooperation Framework, shifts from a one-off event to a “real-time” core analytical function. It is intended to be more agile and reflective of evolving country contexts.
Against this background, the UN Senior Leadership Group on DRR for Resilience (UN SLG) reiterated, at its 4th meeting in July 2019, the need to update the 2009 Guidance on Integrating DRR into the UNDAF to fully align it with the new Guidance on the UN Cooperation Framework. In view of the considerable synergies with climate change adaptation (CCA), the UN SLG also requested the guidance to pursue an integrated approach to DRR and CCA which is also well aligned with the UN’s wider resilience building efforts.
Following this request, an Inter-agency Task Team, composed of FAO, UNDP, UNDRR, UNICEF, UNEP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNOCHA, WFP and WHO, was requested to coordinate and oversee the process of updating the guidance note.
This consultancy aims to update the 2009 Guidance and to develop a new Guidance Note on Integrating DRR and CCA in the UN Cooperation Framework. The guidance should link to the UN Common Guidance on Helping Build Resilient Societies, for example as an Annex to this Resilience Guidance. The new guidance should provide DRR experts that are working at the national level with elements to reflect DRR and climate change adaptation aspects in a broader resilience discussion and more specifically during the process of developing the Cooperation Framework and the UN CCA.
The consultancy is home-based. The consultant will report to the Head of the Inter-agency Collaboration Unit and work under the guidance of the Inter-agency Task Team that was established to support the updating process of the guidance note to integrate DRR and climate change considerations in the United Nations Common Country Analysis (UN CCA) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (“Cooperation Framework”).
Duties & Accountabilities
The consultant will support UNDRR and the task team that was created to coordinate the process of updating the 2009 guidance on integrating DRR in the Common Country Analysis and the UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF). The new version shall reflect how to integrate DRR and climate change adaptation aspects in the Cooperation Framework and the UN CCA.
Specific areas of support include:
• Familiarize with outcomes of a consultation process undertaken in 2018 to update the 2009 guidance on integrating DRR into CCA and UNDAF.
• Undertake a desk review of documents recently adopted related to the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (hereafter referred to as Cooperation Framework), the United Nations Common Country Analysis (UN CCA), the Resilience Guidance (UN Common Guidance on Helping Build Resilient Societies) and other related documents.
• Assess how DRR and climate change adaptation related elements that are already reflected existing UN policy and guidance documents and identify gaps that would need to be addressed in the new guidance to support UNCTs and RCs to integrate DRR and CCA into the Cooperation Framework and the CCA.
• Consult with the UN Task Team and DRR experts in UN Country Teams and Resident Coordinator Offices.
• Based on the gap analysis and consultation, draft a guidance note on integrating DRR and climate change adaptation into the Cooperation Framework and CCA.
• Validate elements of the draft document with UNCT and Resident Coordinators that already started the process of developing the UN Cooperation Frameworks and CCAs.
• Finalize the guidance document based on the feedback received from the UN Task team and participants of the consultation process.
• Support the preparation and follow-up of task team meetings.
• Propose a dissemination strategy that will facilitate use of the guidance.
• Any other duties as required.
Academic Qualifications/Education
Master's degree in Business Administration, International Relations, Economic Development, Development Studies, Social Science, International Development, Political Science, International Relations or other relevant field. A first-level university degree in combination with a minimum of 2 years additional qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Experience
- Minimum 10 years of relevant work experience in disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, resilience building and/or development work at international level is required;
- Experience in strategic policy analysis & drafting policy guidance is desired;
- Experience in supporting the process of developing the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), a Common Country Analysis and/or the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (“Cooperation Framework”) at the national level is desired;
- Experience in partnership development and management is desired;
- Experience in conducting consultation processes is desired;
- Good knowledge of global guidance documents and frameworks on sustainable development, disaster risk reduction, climate change and resilience is desired;
- Experience in the UN system related to disaster risk reduction, climate change, sustainable development is desired;
- Experience in working with international organizations in terms of partnership building initiatives on disaster risk reduction, climate change and sustainable is desired.
Language skills
Fluency in English is required. Knowledge in French and/or Spanish is desirable.
Established 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), UNDRR has over 100 staff located in its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and in regional offices. Specifically, UNDRR guides, monitors, analyses and reports on progress in the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, 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.
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.