Duties and Responsibilities

The technical assistance will focus on: (a) policy and programme development, including resource mobilization; (b) project implementation; and (c) capacity building of key stakeholders in the following four areas:

A. Urban Resilience

• Provide technical support for Project Activities linked to Urban Resilience, including those being co-implemented by UN-Habitat – Regional and sub-regional assessment, development of transboundary action plans,  city resilience action planning in the seven project countries for developing municipal-level city resilience frameworks for action and support to municipalities in their implementation and associated resource mobilization;
• Support mainstreaming of Disaster Risk Reduction and resilience building in urban development and planning, infrastructure development, planning and investments;
• Provide technical expertise in developing guidelines, tools, methodologies and producing knowledge management products on urban risk management, with linkages to disaster risk reduction, resilience, climate change and other relevant themes;
• Contribute to the development of strategies and approaches to increase regional and national capacities for urban risk management, risk-informed urban development and regional resilience building, including its integration in national and regional disaster risk reduction and recovery strategies, policies and legislative system, or developing standalone urban risk management and broader regional resilience building strategies; and
• Support programme/project development and implementation at continental and regional levels on urban resilience, ensuring integration of risks in urban planning/infrastructure development, and post-disaster recovery in urban areas. This may include supporting the delivery of urban risk management related training modules/guidance/tools for regional entities such as ECOWAS and AUC and Member States to facilitate the practice of urban risk analyses/assessments, early warning systems, preparedness in response and recovery. 

B. Recovery Preparedness

• Provide technical and coordination support for trainings and conducting Post-Disaster Needs Assessments (PDNAs), Health Disaster Recovery Needs Assessment (HDRNA) and support the development of knowledge products for strengthening  recovery preparedness;
• Provide technical support to ensure the integration of cross-cutting issues, such as gender, peacebuilding, rights of people with disabilities, human rights, and resilience into PDNAs, PDNA trainings, HDRNAs and knowledge products on recovery preparedness;
• For improving regional recovery and early warning preparedness and response capacities, contribute to developing funding proposals as well as preliminary governance framework for establishing multi-hazard early warning and early action systems based on related studies undertaken through the project.

C. Knowledge Management

• Synthesize reports and analyses for disseminating and engaging with wide set of stakeholders including governments, partners, academia, private sector and grassroot-level communities in user friendly formats; 
• Compile, analyze, report and codify urban risk management and recovery experiences and lessons learned;
• Generate new knowledge by (a) reviewing and analyzing issues and trends based on existing secondary data; and (b) developing case studies through research, data collection and analyses;
• Support the development and effective application of knowledge products and policy documents related to urban risk management and recovery preparedness;
• Build the knowledge base and documented experience to further substantiate the links between urban disasters, urbanization processes, urban governance, development planning, infrastructure development and basic services; and
• Facilitate exchanges and experiences sharing related to urban risk management and resilience as well as recovery and recovery preparedness between institutions and specialized agencies, among Member States, between RECs within Africa as well as through South-South cooperation, where valuable.

D. Advocacy, partner engagement and resource mobilization

• Promote and enhance urban risk management and resilient recovery approaches that link climate change adaptation with disaster risk reduction and risk-informed programming;
• Engage with, mobilize support from and forge productive working relationships with a wide range of partners at the regional, national and local levels;
• Foster partnership through attendance in regular meetings, contributions to joint knowledge products and joint conferences and workshops on urban risk management and resilience building/recovery or related areas; 
• Support partnership building and resource mobilization efforts for urban risk management and resilience building as well as recovery preparedness through compilation of relevant background information, development of briefing notes, reports, project concept notes and proposals, and ensuring inclusive coordination and proposal development processes;
• Contribute to and support the development of capacity through coaching, mentoring and formal on-the-job training, when working with (including supervising) national staff or non-governmental counterparts, including Implementing Partners (IPs) as well as academia and young professionals working in urban resilience and recovery/risk reduction.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization. 

Institutional Arrangement 

The Urban Resilience & Recovery Preparedness Technical Specialist will work under the direct supervision and will report to the Project Manager, Sahel Resilience Project. S/he will work closely with the DRR Technical Specialist and other team members. S/he will liaise with the UNDP DRR focal points in the project countries, National UNVs and experts as well as the designated focal points in partner organizations for effectively fulfilling assigned responsibilities. 

Competencies

Core Competencies

• 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 champion inclusivity.

Functional/Technical competencies

Business Direction & Strategy  

• System 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 on other parts of the system. 

Business Development

• Knowledge Facilitation: Ability to animate individuals and communities of contributors to participate and share, particularly externally.

Business Management 

• Project Management: Ability to plan, organize, prioritize, and control resources, procedures, and protocols to achieve specific goals. 

Business Management :Communication

• Ability to communicate in a clear, concise, and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience.
• Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media, and other appropriate channels. 

2030 Agenda: Prosperity

• Inclusive Growth: Urban development design / risk mitigation, inclusive design, resilience, and sustainability.

2030 Agenda: Prosperity

• Recovery Solutions and Human Mobility: Urbanization /Urban Planning.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in urban studies and planning, civil engineering, architecture, disaster management, development studies is required.
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in a relevant field in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• Minimum 5 years (with master’s degree) or 7 years (with bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible relevant experience at the national or international level in a development context and with a focus on urban design/planning/management; disaster risk reduction, and climate change adaptation and mitigation.

Required skills:

• Proficiency and experience in MS Office applications and other software packages such as GIS, Adobe Suite, AutoCAD, etc.

Desired additional skills:

• Experience working on urban development and management, and urban risk reduction concepts, frameworks and principles and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations;
• Hands-on experience in design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation and reporting related to development projects;
• Experience in working jointly, coordinating, and collaborating with UN agencies, governments, NGOs, civil society organizations, and public international organizations;
• Knowledge/experience of core recovery principles and frameworks, and ability to guide delivery at regional, national and community levels;
• Knowledge/experience of DRR concepts, frameworks and principles and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations; 
• Knowledge/experience of how multiple risks and impact on development, and the delivery of resilience to communities and countries through reducing vulnerability and reducing risk; and
• Experience/Knowledge in energy-related issues relevant to the urban built environment for climate change mitigation and improving resilience.
• Proven track record in conducting research and analysis, including experience in using quantitative and qualitative research methods and mixed-methods data analysis tools.