UNDP recrute 01 Conseiller en résilience urbaine

UNDP recrute 01 Conseiller en résilience urbaine

Job Purpose and Organizational Context

Africa is the most rapidly urbanizing continent in the world. Urbanization offers significant opportunities for economic and human development in many African countries. However, these opportunities are also vulnerable to risks and losses from disaster events. Over the next 30 years, Africa’s population is projected to increase to 1.5 billion by 2025 and 2.4 billion by 2050. By 2050, 60% of Africa’s population will live in urban centres. However, the current trend of urban growth also shows that disaster risk in Africa is increasingly affecting urban spaces. Disasters have increased in the region since the 1970s with increases in human exposure to disaster risks largely driven by population growth particularly concentrated in cities, interwoven with the effects of fragility. Despite the significance of large-scale disasters, the impacts of everyday hazards (e.g., infectious disease linked to unsanitary conditions) and small-scale disasters (e.g., localized floods and shack fires) in the region cannot be underestimated. Especially at the city scale, understanding the linkages between the development process, underlying everyday risks and periodic disaster risk is vital if development is to contribute to reducing rather than generating risk. Rapid urbanization in Africa has meant that urban dynamics and growth patterns do not only contribute to the underlying drivers of disaster risk but also a significantly large proportion of people are exposed and regularly experience losses to disasters (from both natural and man-made hazards). Therefore, disaster risk management and resilience-building in African cities demand requisite and urgent attention. Recurrent disasters, particularly in cities and urban centres, have caused persistent deterioration of livelihoods, pushing people deeper into poverty and food insecurity and undermining their resilience to future shocks and stresses, with varying impacts on different social groups such as women, children, older persons, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups. Although the trends and projections of urban disaster losses are of significant concern across the continent, a regional lens and approach to understanding and addressing urban risk allow for a degree of focus and deployment of the institutional and governance mechanisms that cascade from the continental level. For instance, in the ECOWAS region (the block of 15 AU Member States in West Africa), urban risk is exacerbated by environmental degradation, deepening poverty levels, gender inequalities, governance challenges, low socio-economic development, and chronic humanitarian crises due to recurrent drought, flooding, food insecurity, epidemics and violent conflict and high population growth.

Furthering this context of fragility and vulnerability of communities are a number of other key issues: the West African population is young and DocuSign Envelope ID: 5C4156A5-F1CB-4BA0-A248-E064BF4E1F5E 2 growing wherein more than 64 percent of the region’s population is under the age of 25 years, and the population is projected to reach approximately 900 million by 2050. The African Union Commission (AUC) seeks to strengthen regional and national urban risk management policies and plans and the institutional capacities of Member States to address urban risks. Consequently, it has developed a dedicated continental programme (the ‘Africa Urban Resilience Programme’ – AURP) to support resilience-building on the continent and promote the integration of climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction into development planning to achieve its development goals under Agenda 2063. The programme builds upon and complements other initiatives such as the Programme of Action (PoA) for the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 in Africa, and the development of an overarching continental resilience framework, the ‘Africa Disaster Resilience Accelerator Programme’ (ADRAP), which is being developed. Furthermore, the AURP aligns with and supports the achievement of other developmental goals and targets such as the New Urban Agenda and the AU’s Climate Change and Resilient Development Strategy and Action Plan 2022-2032. Similarly, at the regional scale, the ECOWAS Commission has undertaken substantial efforts in addressing disaster risk and building the resilience of the region to shocks and stresses. These efforts include the ECOWAS Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Plan of Action (2015–2030), which aims to strengthen relevant institutions at regional and national levels for addressing the evolving and challenging risk scenarios that often present competing and complex priorities. Further, it aims to mobilize a broad coalition of partners to build resilience to hazards and for integrating disaster risk reduction into sustainable development. In addition to the Plan of Action, other initiatives include the ECOWAS Regional Strategy on Reduction of Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change in West Africa, the Plan of Action of the ECOWAS Humanitarian Policy (2012 – 2017), the ECOWAS Policy for Disaster Risk Reduction (2006), and the ECOWAS Disaster Risk Reduction Gender Strategy and Action Plan (2020 – 2030).

In this context, through the urban resilience output area of the regional project titled, “Strengthening capacities for disaster risk reduction and adaptation for Resilience in the Sahel Region: fostering riskinformed solutions for sustainable development” (Sahel Resilience Project), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) aims to support the AUC and the ECOWAS Commission to address the challenges related to urbanization, and to build resilience of communities against shocks and stresses while leveraging the positive benefits of urbanization, continentally as well as in the west African region. The Sahel Resilience Project (2019-2024), funded by the Government of Sweden, is implemented by UNDP in partnership with the African Union Commission, ECOWAS and other regional institutions (LCBC, CILSS/AGRHYMET), academia (PERIPERI U) as well as other UN Agencies (UN-Habitat, UN Women and UNDRR) with the objective of building capacities of regional institutions and national governments in the Western Sahel, including the Lake Chad Basin (Mali, Mauritania, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger and Nigeria) in the institutionalization of risk-informed development planning, programming and investment for gender-responsive resilience building. During the first phase of the Project, UNDP supported the AUC with dedicated technical expertise that resulted in the articulation of the AURP. Building on this and related results achieved in Phase 1, under the auspices of the second Phase of this Project, to ensure the effective development and deployment of the AURP and the delivery of the AUC’s broad ambition to build urban resilience in Africa, the Project will augment the human resources capacity of the AUC as well as that of the ECOWAS Commission through an Urban Resilience Advisor. The continental scope of this assignment will be complemented by a concurrent focus on a selected regional approach to support the ECOWAS Commission in advancing urban resilience in West Africa.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Urban Resilience Advisor will provide targeted technical support in urban resilience policy and programme development, implementation, partnership building, advocacy and resource mobilization efforts, at the continental level. In line with the AUC’s role, the Urban Resilience Advisor will support RECs and member states in the rollout of the Africa Urban Resilience Programme (AURP). In addition, the Urban Resilience Advisor will support the implementation of the Urban Resilience component of the Sahel Resilience Project in ECOWAS and the Sahel. As part of the AUC’s effort to build the capacity of the REC, the Advisor will support the capacity strengthening of the ECOWAS Commission on Urban Resilience.

Specifically, at the continental level, the Urban Resilience Advisor will support the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Unit, of the Department for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment (DARBE) and shall be responsible for providing key technical inputs into the development of the AUC’s continental programmatic efforts to build the resilience of Member States. This will be achieved through the finalisation, launch and operationalisation of the AURP, which has been validated by the AU Member States. S/he will consequently be responsible for coordinating and providing policy guidance to shape the implementation mechanisms of the AURP and the delivery of strategic programme activities.

The Advisor will also contribute to the development of AURP implementation mechanisms such as the Joint Regional Programme (JRP) on Smart Urban Resilience in Africa in collaboration with UNDP and UNHabitat, and the AUC’s partnership with the GIZ-funded ‘Resilience Initiative Africa’ project (RIA). S/he will contribute to other functions of the DRR Unit in areas such as risk assessment, early warning systems, preparedness for response and recovery as well as integration of disaster and climate risks in urban planning, infrastructure development and recovery, through coherent policy, strategic and programme advisory services, at the regional and national level, as per the requirements of the AUC.

At the regional level, the Advisor will provide similar support to the ECOWAS Commission on urban resilience policy and programme development, institutional strengthening, advocacy, partnership building and resource mobilization (albeit with a reduced scope as indicated in section B).

As part of the technicalsupport to the African Union Commission, the Advisor’sscope of work will include, but will not be limited to the following responsibilities:

Technical support to advancing urban resilience at the continental level – projects and initiatives (70 %) This will include the following tasks:

• Finalise the Africa Urban Resilience Programme, incorporating inputs from AUC Departments and external partners in programme design and support its launch (including framing, technical drafting and production of a composite programme document, translated and abridged versions).
• Develop an implementation matrix for the AURP and coordinate the delivery of strategic programme activities.
• Support resource mobilisation, and partnership building to support the operationalisation of the AURP and its operational mechanisms.
• Support the establishment of the AURP steering committee and the set-up and coordination of bilateral and multi-stakeholder meetings, and workshops for the effective delivery of AURP DocuSign Envelope ID: 5C4156A5-F1CB-4BA0-A248-E064BF4E1F5E 4 strategic activities.
• Serve as interim AURP Programme Manager and oversee initial programme implementation and operationalisation.
• Support the recruitment of the AURP technical delivery team and work closely with the substantive AURP Programme Manager (when appointed), delivery team, and AUC DRR Technical Coordinator in the implementation of the AURP and related initiatives.
• Serve as AUC focal point in the development and operationalisation of AURP implementation mechanisms; namely the AUC-UNDP-UN-Habitat JRP and the GIZ RIA.
• Liaise with the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer for AUC DRR Unit to produce relevant reports and programme evaluation modalities as it relates to the AURP.
• Liaise with the Communication Specialist for the development of AURP advocacy plans and the dissemination of communication material and channels.
• Support the development and delivery of training (including training material), and capacitybuilding efforts that underscore the Urban Resilience programming.
• Support overall day-to-day management of urban resilience programming in the DRR Unit through the preparation of reports, briefs, memos, and statements, among others.
• Any other tasks related to urban resilience or closely related areas that will be assigned by the supervisor based on the emerging needs.

Technical support to the ECOWAS region on urban resilience (30 %)

• Coordinate and provide technical advice to the ECOWAS Commission on urban resilience programming.
• Support the development of an ECOWAS-specific urban resilience programme and ensure its alignment with the AURP and the
• Regional Resilience Strategy for West Africa. As well as outline a work plan for implementation as a piloting of the AURP at the regional level.
• Coordinate with and consult the ECOWAS Commission, Directorate of Humanitarian and Social Affairs and other relevant
• Directorates to identify and outline appropriate institutional structures and mechanisms (new and existing) to support the delivery of urban resilience programming in the ECOWAS.
• Support the establishment or strengthening of an interdepartmental working group to serve as a platform to discuss, formulate and support initiatives on urban resilience in a coherent and coordinated manner.
• Support the development of a partnership and resource mobilisation strategy for urban resilience programming in West Africa, including the development of products that can be used to support the ECOWAS Commission to draw key partners for resource mobilisation.

Institutional Arrangement

The Urban Resilience Advisor will work under the direct supervision and will report to the Project Manager, Sahel Resilience Project. For the AUC support for continental activities, s/he will work under the guidance of the Technical Coordinator, DRR Unit, AUC, whereas for those related to ECOWAS, the Advisor will work with the Head of Humanitarian Affairs Division of the ECOWAS Commission. S/he will liaise with the UNDP team at the regional and country level, representatives of relevant technical and financial partners as well as the designated focal points in partner organizations for effectively fulfilling assigned responsibilities. He/she will be responsible for providing his/her own laptop and any necessary equipment or communication devices required to fulfill assigned duties.

Competencies

Core

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and
• Climate Change Adaptation: Coastal resilience; Early warning;
• Embedding adaptation into development policy/planning/decision making; Urban resilience Inclusive Growth
• Urban development design/risk mitigation, inclusive design, resilience, and sustainability
• Business direction & Strategy Systems Thinking
• Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact another.

Required Skills and Experience

Education and experience

• Min. Education requirements Master’s degree in urban studies and planning, environmental science, disaster management or development studies is required.
• Min. years of relevant work experience Minimum of 7 years relevant experience in providing technical advisory to national governments, regional or multistakeholder institutions in reviewing, developing and implementing policies and programmes, and capacity building in disaster risk reduction, urban risk management, climate change adaptation and resilience-building is required.

Required skills and competencies Technical Competencies:

• Knowledge of urban development and management, urban risk reduction, disaster risk reduction and climate change concepts, frameworks and principles and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations, and to guide delivery at regional, national and community levels;
• Proven track record in research and analysis, writing and publishing in urbanisation and disaster risk reduction, and urban resilience in Africa;
• Demonstrable experience and knowledge of data collection methods; effective, systematic and transparent data management methods; and data analysis using a range of methods (quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods).

Skills:

• Proficiency and experience in MS Office applications, GIS and statistical analysis tools;
• Excellent oral, written and presentation skills. Others:
• Minimum 5 years of field knowledge and experience working in Africa, including in West Africa on urban risk reduction, climate change adaptation;
• Minimum 3 years of coordination experience working with intergovernmental organizations, governments, development partners, and international organizations, including coordinating multi-partner interventions.
• Effective organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner;
• Ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own) work;
• Ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities;
• Ability to efficiently handle and share information and knowledge; • Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; and
• Ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international DocuSign Envelope ID: 5C4156A5-F1CB-4BA0-A248-E064BF4E1F5E 7 and national personnel.
• Location: • Not Applicable (Home-based assignment) Desired additional skills and competencies
• Experience working with and good knowledge of strategies, approaches, processes and systems of Regional Economic Communities in Africa, especially ECOWAS Commission and the African Union Commission;
• Knowledge and understanding of UN/UNDP and other development organizations.
• PhD in urban studies and planning, environmental science, disaster management or development studies. Required Language(s) English proficient, Basic level in French or any other AU official language is desirable Professional Certificates If required for specific services. For example: ACCA, CIPS, CISCO, etc. 6. Travel: a) UNDP will cover the cost of travel of the individual to the duty station, as well as their return to their home upon completion of their services. Travel costs are covered only in the event that the function will be undertaken physically in the duty station and excludes working from home arrangements. b) Include any official travel expected to be associated with performing the functions.

This is a home-based assignment, with the expert remotely supporting the AUC team based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; the ECOWAS Commission and also the UNDP Project Team based in Abuja, Nigeria. Once every quarter, the expert will be required to travel from his/her home-base to Addis Ababa for a period of one week, the costs of which shall be borne by the expert. Any additional travel as it relates to the fulfilment of responsibilities will be borne by the AUC on a need basis, while UNDP will cover the costs for travel to Abuja, Nigeria as well as any of the ECOWAS Member States on a need basis, upon prior consultation. In case of any other official travel related to performance of his/her duties as outlined in the TOR, travel costs will be covered by UNDP in accordance with its rules and regulations.

The following documents shall be required from the applicants:

• Personal CV or P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous supervisors. References may also include peers.
• A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position.
• Two Writing Samples (each not more than 15 pages) of Book Chapters, standalone Knowledge Products, journal articles and/or conference papers that the expert has authored, on urban development, urban risk management or urban resilience.

Closng date : 25 Aug 2023

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