Result of Service

Elaboration of a summary document which recommends content for a Data Analysis Quality framework – minimum standards – with the available quantitative and prospective risk assessment methodologies that can support DRR decision-making processes, together with the minimum requirements in terms of outputs (e.g., risk metrics), resolution level, exposure attributes and disaggregation that any risk assessment must provide to achieve effective decision-making in risk reduction and adaptation to climate change. This will complement the Words into Action for risk assessments, considering the intrinsic conditions of uncertainty for decision-making in different areas, scales, and types of decisions to be made. For this, the following activities are to be completed: • Literature review on methodologies for quantitative and prospective risk assessments • Review of pre-existing methods and approaches to developing minimum standards for the quality of risk data and models. • Analysis that identifies the advantages and disadvantages of existing methodologies – what were the quality gaps. • Analysis of the opportunities these methodologies provide for developing different use cases risk assessments across disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, disaster risk financing, preparedness, early impact-based forecasting, anticipatory action, and response operations. • Guidance on the data and analysis parameters that need to be considered for different use cases: granularity, skill and precision, metrics, operational availability, index length and catalogue, and statistical treatment. • Produce a set of quality parameter setting workflows, which could be followed to identify the required data robustness, scope and treatment. • Liaise with Global Risk Analysis and Reporting (GRAR) and the consultant working on the WiA revision and application. • Preparation of a short report with a summary of available methodologies, advantages, and limitations and proposed workflow – flow charts to support practitioners in determining the minimum requirements for different use cases and requirements. • Facilitate a webinar to present and discuss the findings.

Work Location

Home-based

Expected duration

3 months

Duties and Responsibilities

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/ASG), UNDRR has over 140 staff located in its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and in regional offices. UNDRR guides, monitors, analyses, and reports on progress in the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. It 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 (including STAGs) and stakeholders, including civil society, the private sector, parliamentarians, and the science and technology community. Comprehensive disaster risk management and adaptation to climate change to achieve transformative and resilient development requires in-depth knowledge from the perspective of natural and social sciences, engineering, and land-use planning at different scales. The process of understanding risk is the basis for the processes to plan its reduction and management as well as the response. However, it is specialized knowledge that involves uncertainties, even more so when climate change is explicitly considered. Disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA) are closely linked, complementary, and cross-cutting issues, since they are the basis for different types of activities where risk is a common denominator, such as development, environmental, and land management, among others. Understanding risk from an interdisciplinary perspective is essential for decision-making to achieve a more resilient society, that is, with a greater capacity to anticipate, resist, respond, recover, and adapt. The absence of suitable and robust techniques to assess risk is one of the reasons why there is no effective risk management, and that is why a work is proposed to allow the identification and consolidation of appropriate methodological approaches. In order to decide, it is necessary to measure and what is not measured cannot be managed. It is not feasible to talk about disaster risk reduction and/or management if there is no effective, robust, and suitable way to assess it. The way in which these types of activities are carried out by consultants and institutions lacks in many cases quality foundations that allow giving credibility to the studies carried out, which are sometimes even just opinions without further scientific and technical bases. As a first phase, it is proposed to prepare a review of methodologies for assessing hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and risk based on the state of the art, which depend on the type of hazards, the scale, what is exposed (e.g. populations and built environment), the impacts of interest, and the type of decisions that must be taken in a context of uncertainty. This should lead to determining the minimum standards that disaster risk assessment methodologies must meet. This work complements the revision of the Word into Action (WiA) Guidance and its annex on quantitative and probabilistic risk assessments. This will enable a harmonized approach to risk assessments, also benefiting other regional UNDRR offices. The supervision from UNDRR will be the responsibility of ROAC’s risk knowledge officer.

Qualifications/special skills

Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in civil engineering, climate change, disaster risk management, or a related discipline is required. A first level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university-degree. At least ten (10) years of experience in quantitative data analysis and risk assessments, as well as applied research in disaster risk reduction or disaster risk management, is required. Experience in supporting risk-informed decision-making processes at different scales (e.g., local, subnational, national, or regional) is required. Experience with probabilistic risk assessment models, including exposure models, that consider climate change scenarios is desirable. Experience in writing technical reports related to disaster risk reduction and disaster risk management is desirable. Experience with with geographical information systems (GIS) is desirable

Languages

English and French are the two working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. Fluency in Spanish and English is required.

Additional Information

Due to the high volume of applications received, only successful candidates will be contacted. *FEMALE CANDIDATES ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY*. UNDRR values diversity among its staff. We welcome applications from qualified women, men, and people with disabilities.

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.