Result of Service

The consultant will contribute to an enhanced policy environment for disaster risk reduction and the institutional capacity to deliver early warning systems that have a strong integration of gender equality, disability, and social inclusion.

Work Location

Vientiane, Lao PDR

Expected duration

1 Jun-30 Nov 2024

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 and stakeholders, including civil society, the private sector, parliamentarians and the science and technology community. One of the UNDRR’s strategic areas of work in Lao PDR is to support the country’s efforts to strengthen disaster risk governance, particularly, to develop, implement and finance national and local strategies and plan to promote concrete actions for disaster risk reduction and early warnings system across multiple development sectors. In November 2022, the UN Secretary General launched the Early Warnings for All (EW4ALL) initiative to advance the efforts to protect everyone in the world by the end-to-end multi-hazard early warning systems (MHEWS). UNDRR, together with World Meteorological Organization (WMO), leads the global coordination of the EW4ALL in close collaboration with International Telecommunication Union (ITU), International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Society (IFRC), and some regional entities such as Economic and Social Commissions for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) to support the country-level efforts to elevate the investment for early warning systems enhancement. The Government of Lao PDR has developed a country roadmap for EW4ALL in 2023. The roadmap lays out the countries’ priorities over the period from 2024 to 2027 to strengthen all aspects of end-to-end MHEWS that are disaster risk knowledge and management; detection, observation, monitoring, analysis, and forecasting; warning dissemination and communication; and preparedness and response capabilities. In Lao PDR, the DMH is responsible for monitoring and forecasting early warnings, while the MoNRE and MoLSW disseminate these messages to the public. The MoLSW oversees disaster management policies, strategic planning, and coordination among stakeholders. Evaluating the effectiveness of early warning messages, user information utilization, and individual reactions is essential for understanding their role in reducing risks and saving lives and properties. One of the vital elements of an effective multi-hazard early warning system is to ensure the reach of early warnings and their effectiveness among the end users that are particularly vulnerable to disaster events. It is important to understand the perspectives of women, persons with disabilities, and particular age groups (older persons and children), and other minority groups who may not have regular access to early warnings. The national perception survey’s findings are expected to improve the clarity, accuracy, timeliness, and precision of early warnings, and aid decision-makers to make informed choices. The perception survey is composed of a team leader, a social science expert, an information management specialist, and enumerators who will be working together with the government. This perception survey is an initiative jointly carried out by UNDRR, WMO, and World Food Programme (WFP) Lao PDR in support of the implementation of the national EW4ALL roadmap 2024-2027. The information management specialist will work closely with the team leader to undertake the following key responsibilities. – Collaborate closely with DMH, MoNRE, and the Department of Social Welfare of the MoLSW to gain a thorough understanding of the specific needs and priorities on early warning system perception survey data need and incorporate the government requirement into survey design. – Lead the information management tasks of the assignment and provide support to team leader and the concerned departments of the ministries the development of the methodologies, tools, and questionnaire. – Closely work with the team leader, social science expert, and enumerators together with UNDRR, WMO, and WFP throughout the assignment. The consultant will be based in Lao, PDR and work closely with UNDRR’s Climate and Disaster-Resilient Development Specialist based in Vientiane, Lao PDR under supervision of Programme Management Officer, UNDRR Regional Office for Asisa and the Pacific (ROAP). Specific Tasks: – Assist the team leader in preparing a detailed work plan, methodologies, questionnaire, and survey design. – Assist in designing the questionnaire and deploying them into the Kobo toolbox or a similar platform. – Support the team leader in survey sampling to ensure that targeted groups are well covered. – Train enumerators on understanding the questionnaire, using the data collection platform (Kobo toolbox), and various aspects of information management to ensure quality data collection from the field and minimize errors. – Analyze data collected from focus group discussions, interviews, and surveys to aid the identification of common themes, patterns, and perceptions of weather forecasts and early warning systems. Present them in the most useful format as advised by the team leader. – Supervise the data collection, entry, and quality of data by enumerators. – Support the team leader in preparing the inception report and final report.

Qualifications/special skills

A first-level university degree in statistics, information communication technology, data science, or related domain is required. At least 3 years of working experience in data analysis information management, communication, IT, research, survey, or studies /assessment is required. Experience of using data analysis and visualization tools and software is required. Experience in designing and conducting surveys, studies is desirable. Experience in the early warning system, disaster risk reduction and response protocol of the country is desirable.

Languages

Fluency in Laotian and English 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.