Result of Service

The ultimate result of this consultancy will be enhanced national and local capacities in São Tomé and Príncipe for integrating risk knowledge into decision-making for early warning and early action, in line with the Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative. This will strengthen impact-based early warning systems and improve risk-informed decision-making at both national and local levels, contributing to measurable progress in Sendai Framework Monitoring (SFM). Additionally, selected cities will benefit from capacity building under the Making Cities Resilient 2030 (MCR2030) initiative.

Work Location

Home Based

Expected duration

4 months

Duties and Responsibilities

Background: Created 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 150 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 U.N. 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 Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) is committed to enhancing coordination, collaboration, and capacity building in São Tomé and Príncipe. This initiative, funded by the Government of Portugal, aims to improve the application of risk knowledge in early warning, early action, and resilience building, particularly at the national to local levels. The focus is on prioritizing at-risk groups and vulnerable communities. The objective of this consultancy is to provide technical guidance and support to UNDRR and its partners in São Tomé and Príncipe to enhance national capacities for integrating risk knowledge into decision-making for early warning and early action. This includes improving the application of risk knowledge in early warning systems, resilience-building efforts, and aligning with international frameworks. This consultancy will align with key UNDRR initiatives such as: 1. Early Warnings for All (EW4All): This global initiative, launched by the UN Secretary-General, aims to ensure that every person on the planet is protected by early warning systems within the next five years. EW4All prioritizes translating early warning into early action to reduce disaster impacts, particularly for the most vulnerable. In São Tomé and Príncipe, this consultancy will support national efforts to enhance the integration of risk knowledge into these early warning systems. 2. Sendai Framework Monitoring (SFM): The Sendai Framework Monitoring tool is designed to track progress in achieving the targets of the Sendai Framework at national, regional, and global levels. This consultancy will help align São Tomé and Príncipe’s disaster risk reduction (DRR) activities with the Sendai Framework by improving how risk knowledge is applied in early warning systems and decision-making, ensuring measurable outcomes are captured in the monitoring process. 3. Making Cities Resilient 2030 (MCR2030): MCR2030 is a global initiative aimed at strengthening urban resilience, supporting cities in building local-level capacities to reduce disaster risks. Through the MCR2030 initiative, São Tomé and Príncipe’s urban areas, particularly its capital city, can benefit from tailored guidance and tools to integrate risk knowledge in resilience-building, making cities safer and more sustainable. This consultancy will support the localization of DRR strategies through MCR2030, ensuring that resilience-building extends from national to local levels. Duties and Responsibilities: The consultant will be responsible for the following: 1. Technical guidance and capacity building: • Provide expert guidance on stakeholder engagement to promote risk information management. • Assists in the organization of meetings and workshops. Provides technical input and facilitates training and capacity-building workshops for local stakeholders. • Supports processes and follows-up on actions related to the implementation of the project. • Guide the integration of risk information into São Tomé and Príncipe’s early warning systems in line with the EW4All initiative. • Support the improvement of the disaster data management system in the country. • Provide technical support for uploading data into the Sendai Framework Monitoring platform to track progress in risk reduction. • Assist the national institutions in their efforts to use disaster data to inform disaster risk reduction policies and actions. • Assist the city of São Tomé and Príncipe in developing or enhancing their DRR and/or resilience strategy under the MCR2030 initiative. 2. Assessment and analysis: • Conduct comprehensive assessments of existing EWS and risk information initiatives in São Tomé and Príncipe. • Identify and analyze institutional and operational capacity gaps. • Recommend strategies for integrating exposure and vulnerability data into EWS. 3. Stakeholder engagement: • Engage and coordinate with key stakeholders, including national authorities, local governments, and partners, to ensure alignment of activities with existing DRR initiatives and national priorities. • Facilitate consultations with relevant stakeholders to gather insights and support for the implementation of the consultancy’s objectives. 4. Reporting and documentation: • Prepare regular progress reports detailing activities, outcomes, and recommendations for improving risk knowledge integration in early warning and action. • Document lessons learned and best practices from the project to inform future initiatives in São Tomé and Príncipe and similar contexts. • Contribute to the development of knowledge products including policy briefs and technical documents. The candidate for this consultancy will be home based.

Qualifications/special skills

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Environmental Engineering, Environmental Science, Disaster Risk Management, Geography, Hydrology or other relevant fields is required. A first-level university degree in any of these fields in combination with two additional years of qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Five (5) years of relevant experience at the national or international level in implementing Disaster Risk Reduction Programmes or other relevant field is required. Experience in managing early warning or disaster operations projects and working in São Tomé and Príncipe or Africa at regional or national level on Disaster Risk Reduction/Management (DRR/M) is required. Experience as a professional forecaster, including data management, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Early Warning Systems (EWS) management of emergency information, coordination of people and tasks, for the generation of Early Warning (EW) messages is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this position fluency in English, and Portuguese or Spanish is required.

Additional Information

Due to the high volume of applications received, only successful candidates will be contacted

No Fee

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.