CONSULTANCY: National and Regional Hydrological Service Capacity Assessment and Roadmap Development
JOB DETAIL
DUTY STATION
Multiple Duty Stations, various
COMMENCEMENT OF DUTY
To be determined NATURE OF APPOINTMENT
Variable (depending on needs of Department/Division)
50 days
Organizational Unit
Hydrological and Water Resources Services (HWR) Division; Hydrology, Water Resources and Cryosphere (HWC)
Services Department WMO is committed to achieving diversity and a balanced workforce. Applications are welcome from qualified women and men, including those with disabilities. The statutory retirement age after 1 January 2014 is 65. For external applicants, only those who are expected to complete the term of appointment will normally be considered. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The incumbents, who are experts in the field, will offer consultancy services and conduct assessments in the specified countries. Further, the incumbent will provide reports to guide the targeting of project assistance and customize project activities accordingly. The incumbent will report to the Programme Manager of Hydrological Forecasting Unit, HWR:
a) Mapping and Evaluating Early Warning Systems for Floods: Utilize national and regional assessments to map and evaluate stakeholders as well as existing capacities for hydrological services within a Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (MHEWS) environment; integrate data from diverse sources and conduct further assessments following WMO guidelines to understand strengths and weaknesses of flood early warning systems at national and transboundary levels across the hydrological value chain.
b) Implementing WMO Guidelines and Practices: Implement the principles and practices outlined in the Assessment Guidelines for End-to-End Flood Forecasting and Early Warning Systems (WMO-No. 1286) and Guide to Hydrological Practices Volumes 1 and 2 (WMO-No. 168) and benefit from other relevant guidelines (e.g. MHEWS Checklist; Impact-Based Forecast and Warning Services; Service Delivery; Numerical Weather Prediction).
c) Assessing Compliance and Progress with relevant WMO Initiatives; such as Early Warnings for All (EW4All), Hydrological Status and Outlook System (HydroSOS).
Project Background:
The EWS-F project will help advance end-to-end multi-hazard early warning systems and capacities to enable countries to take early action and reduce the impact of hydrological hazards, in particular floods. The project has identified the following two objectives:
(i) Advance the capacities of the WMO Members’ end-to-end early warning for floods by developing and implementing integrated and interoperable early warning systems that encompass the hydrological value chain.
(ii) Build preparedness and resilience of population and communities at risk of flooding by improving their understanding, response capabilities and enabling them to mitigate the impact of hydrological hazards
Deliverables:
Please note that the consultant shall work with WMO and WMO identified stakeholders and partners, to the develop following deliverables to be submitted for the review and approval of WMO.
1. Inception Report: This report should include a mapping of stakeholders, list of activities with along with timeline and workplan for the successfully completing the tasks under the consultancy.
2. Developing an Assessment Report: Compile an assessment report summarizing the findings and identifying any gaps in hydrological service delivery along with relevant documents and tools as evidence to support these findings.
3. Developing the Concept of Operations (CONOPS): Map the status of the services and institutions and develo CONOPS Framework for effective operations of the hydrological hazard early warnings.
4. Roadmap for Development: Formulate a roadmap for addressing the hydromet service gaps in response to the assessment report and CONOPS Framework.
Targeted Countries:
Afghanistan, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Comoros Fiji, Guatemala, Haiti, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Kyrgyz Republic, Madagascar, Mauritius, Samoa, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, Tajikistan, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Vanuatu.
| QUALIFICATIONS | ||
| Education Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in hydrometeorology, hydrology, water resources, environmental sciences, disaster risk management or related fields. |
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| Experience A minimum of ten (10) years of experience in supporting the development of national meteorological, hydrological, and warning services, including establishment of early warning systems, in one or more of the following related areas: – Operational hydrometeorological services: Water resources, hydrogeology, environmental sciences or related field for modelling, forecasting, monitoring, and observing network design, and integrated hydrometeorological system design. – Hydrological and meteorological data management: Experience in interoperable solutions for real-time and historical data management and access for flood forecasting and warning systems (including ancillary data). – Hydrological hazard forecasting and warning: Technical expertise in flood forecasting processes, techniques and tools including Impact-based forecasting and warning, technical support to Anticipatory Action data and information processing for effective communication. – Hydrological hazard risk assessment: Technical expertise in hazard risk assessment processes, techniques, and tools. – Institutional frameworks for early warning services: Understanding of national legislations, and institutional cooperations on EWS and disaster risk reductions for hydrometeorological hazards. |
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| Other requirements – Familiarity with WMO regulatory materials and technical guidelines on hydrology and early warning system – Proficiency in conveying complex technical information clearly and effectively. – Problem-solving skills to address challenges related to integrated flood management effectively. – Ability to adapt to different operational environments including working autonomously and in a team. – Displays cultural, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability. – Availability to travel and work in the following countries and regions (please check Annex Section-C List of Countries). Familiarity with local/country context will be desirable. – Strong verbal and written communication abilities coupled with proven analytical skills. – Demonstrated experience/ability to design and deliver capacity needs assessments in the context of provision and delivery of hydrological information and products. |
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| Languages Excellent knowledge of English (both oral and written). Knowledge of the local language and culture will be an advantage. (Note: The official languages of the Organization are Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.) |
Additional Information:
FOCAL POINT/EMAIL: [email protected]
Only applicants in whom WMO has a further interest will be contacted.
Shortlisted candidates may be required to sit a written assessment and/or an interview. Date of issue of vacancy notice:
