Consultant, Post-2025 Future for the Risk-informed Early Action Partnership (REAP)

Organizational Context

The Risk-informed Early Action Partnership (REAP, also ‘the Partnership’) brings together stakeholders across the climate, humanitarian, and development communities with the aim of making 1 billion people safer from disasters by 2025, by embedding early action at scale. REAP was launched at the UN Climate Action Summit in 2019, with four targets designed to drive a systemic shift towards acting earlier, to reduce the impacts of disasters. REAP has also identified three drivers of change which inform its approach towards the 4 Targets, as set out in the REAP Strategic Vision and REAP Framework for Action.

 

The governance structure of the Partnership includes:

1. A Governing Board which is representative of the broader Partnership and is the ultimate decision-making body.
2. A small Technical Advisory Group, which provides advice on matters relating to the fulfilment of the Partnership’s objectives.
3. Working Groups that focus on technical areas linked to the 4 Targets.
4. A Secretariat, hosted by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

 

The Governing Board meets three times per year (approx. February, May and October). The Technical Advisory Group meets approximately five times a year. The frequency of Working Group meetings is determined by each group but ranges from every four to every six weeks. Working Groups are one of the primary channels through which Partners gather together to collaborate on specific topics, but membership is voluntary and not every Partner is a member of a Working Group. Outside of these structures, regular communication with the Partnership takes place through a monthly call, usually attended by 40-50 individuals, in which a small number of Partners present their work, and the Secretariat shares updates on the work it is undertaking. All meetings take place virtually, given the distributed nature of the Partnership. In-person gatherings of the Partnership are infrequent and typically take place at international conferences (for example, REAP held an evening reception at COP27 and COP28).

 

As of January 2024, REAP has grown from an initial 34 to 86 Partners from governments, UN agencies, intergovernmental organisations, associated networks, civil society, academia, and the private sector. These Partners span the climate, humanitarian and development communities and are engaged in a broad range of activities relevant to early warning and early action. This diversity is a key strength of the Partnership. It also presents challenges, given the broad range of perspectives the Partnership brings together, as well as the geographical spread of its Partners. Furthermore, engagement is not even across all Partners; some are more active than others.

Job Purpose

In 2023, REAP undertook an external evaluation of its activities (the ‘Partnership Stocktake’), which noted support for REAP to continue beyond 2025. The report also highlighted (among others) the following important considerations.

 

The landscape of early warning and early action initiatives has become more complex, and the separation of mandates less clear over time. This consultancy will have to grapple with the long-term implications of this changing landscape; guide REAP in identifying where the persistent gaps in support for early action lie; and help Partners answer the questions of whether REAP is the right vehicle to address them and if so, in what ways it needs to change.

 

There is a diversity of opinions on what the priority/priorities should be for REAP in a post-2025 environment. This is unsurprising given the diversity of the Partnership. A key requirement of this consultancy will be enabling alignment of the perspectives of REAP’s many Partners, to arrive at a way forward.

 

Given the complexity of REAP’s operating environment, the successful consultant will need to challenge Partners to innovate and prioritise across a range of issues in a dynamic and creative way. The process must be inclusive and participatory, and the consultant will need to ensure tangible ownership of the outcomes by Partners (and other stakeholders where relevant) so that after 2025, REAP’s future is intentionally crafted and owned by its Partners.

 

The purpose of this consultancy is to enable the Risk-informed Early Action Partnership to determine what its future should be after the end of 2025. The consultant will design and facilitate a process to co-develop a post-2025 strategy and results framework, or exit plan, with relevant stakeholders.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

This consultancy will involve three broad areas of activity.

 

1. Design of a participatory process that challenges Partners to collectively determine:

• The gaps in support for early action that need to be filled after 2025;
• How to address the gaps (including overcoming barriers/obstacles) and whether REAP is the right vehicle to do so;
• What, if anything, about REAP (including its mission and goals) must change.

Facilitation of the process, including guiding, gathering and analysing inputs.

Co-development of a post-2025 strategy and results framework, or exit plan.

 

The consultancy may involve travel, in particular to in-person workshop(s) likely to be held in Geneva (or an alternative European location).

 

Timeframe

The following set outs, in broad terms, anticipated periods of activity. Specific timelines and deliverables will be agreed with the consultant during phase 1.

Phase 1: March – June 2024

It is typical that in the summer months of July and August there is reduced availability of stakeholders. As such, it is anticipated that the majority of the groundwork for the process will take place during the period March - June 2024.

Phase 2: September – December 2024

Phase 2 is expected to deliver sufficient additional inputs to set out what the future for REAP will be after 2025. It should be noted that October 2024 offers the potential for an in-person gathering of high-level stakeholders (REAP Governing Board and other relevant stakeholders). This is likely to be the prime opportunity for consulting this group.

Phase 3: January - February 2025

Finalisation of outputs.

 

Time Allocation

The consultant will be allocated 90 days until February 2025.

Experience

Required

• Minimum 10 years’ experience in leading change in complex development initiatives, including strategic planning, design, management and evaluation.
• Proven experience in developing and facilitating strategic and participatory planning processes, with both technical and high-level stakeholders.
• Experience and knowledge of the climate, development, and humanitarian sectors in the context of climate-related hazards and disasters.

Knowledge, Skills and Languages

Required

• Fluency in English, including an ability to write clearly and concisely.
• Excellent research and evaluation skills, including an ability to synthesise complex information and use it to support decision-making.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to guide discussions despite complex and sometimes divergent perspectives/priorities, as well as the ability to develop trusted relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Awareness of power imbalances across different stakeholders groups and strategies for addressing these to ensure fully participatory processes.
• Understanding of the motivations, priorities, opportunities and barriers to action at different levels of governance, i.e. the international, regional, (sub)national and local.

Preferred

• Proficiency in French and/or Spanish is desirable.

Competencies, Values and Comments

Application Instructions

• Please submit your application in English only.
• Applicants must submit:
  • Cover letter (max. 1 page)
  • CV
  • Two examples of past outputs relevant to this consultancy (please send them directly to simon.loveday@ifrc.org) 
  • Proposal (please send it directly to simon.loveday@ifrc.org)

• Proposals must include the following, with the main proposal body not to exceed 10 pages (not including appendices):

  • Understanding of the consultancy purpose and objectives;
  • Experience in leading similar types of processes;
  • Outline of the proposed approach, including key considerations for ensuring a participatory outcome;
  • Initial list of key activities and deliverables, detailing potential support required; and
  • Estimated lump sum budget, including professional fees and all expenses.
• Please find here the application evaluation criteria and scoring methodology.

 

 

IFRC values equal opportunity, diversity and inclusivity. We encourage applications from all suitably qualified candidates, irrespective of sex, gender, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, nationality, class, political opinions, ethnic or social origin, disability, religion, or belief.