Strengthened governance of resilient infrastructure at national and subnational levels.

Brazil

5 months

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 by working with the 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 Government of Brazil, through the National Secretariat for Protection and Civil Defense (SEDEC), is strengthening institutional capacities for disaster risk reduction, with a focus on implementing and advancing the National Protection and Civil Defense Plan 2024–2034. These efforts include strengthening governance arrangements, improving and updating existing legal and financial frameworks, enhancing disaster risk assessment capacities, and establishing governance mechanisms for resilient infrastructure and post-disaster recovery. In this context, the UNDRR is supporting SEDEC through technical assistance and capacity development aimed at strengthening national disaster risk reduction systems and advancing the implementation of the National Protection and Civil Defense Plan. This support focuses on institutional strengthening at the national level, including strategic and implementation planning, policy and legal alignment with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, its Midterm Review of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (MTRSF), and its Gender Action Plan, as well as the enhancement of disaster risk assessment capacities and the integration of resilience criteria into infrastructure governance and recovery-related processes. Duties and Responsibilities Strengthening National Disaster Risk Analysis Capacities and Resilient Infrastructure Governance. The position as Consultant Strengthening Resilient Infrastructure Governance will be based in Brazil and will be under the supervision of the Economic Affairs Officer at UNDRR's Regional Office for the Americas and the Caribbean. The consultant will carry out the following duties and responsibilities: 1. Capacity development for resilient infrastructure (a) Coordination of the agenda and elaboration of the concept note, including the preparation and organization of preparatory calls, as well as meeting notes and reports. At a minimum, this shall include the organization of at least three preparatory virtual meetings and the preparation of the draft agenda and concept note required for validation and approval. (b) Design and delivery of one capacity development workshop for selected national, state, and municipal technical staff, focusing on resilient infrastructure methodologies. (c) Adapt training content and materials derived from the Global Methodology for Infrastructure Resilience Review to the national and subnational context, in coordination with the National Secretariat for Protection and Civil Defense (SEDEC), ensuring practical applicability. (d) Support the development of talking points and/or key messages for meetings and presentations. (e) Support the translation of training materials into Portuguese, as needed. (f) Develop concise communication materials (e.g. briefs, one-pagers, or presentation slides) to support the dissemination of key messages and outcomes of the capacity development activities, in coordination with SEDEC. 2. Development of technical guidance for resilient infrastructure and recovery (a) Conduct a desk review of relevant national policies, standards, technical guidance, and existing practices related to resilient infrastructure and recovery, including gender equality frameworks and policies. (b) Identify key national and subnational stakeholders to support the development and validation of the guidance, including institutions and actors responsible for gender equality, social inclusion, and ecosystem-based approaches. (c) Develop technical guidance on gender-responsive, resilient, climate-adaptive, and improved recovery solutions for infrastructure projects, including the application of nature-based solutions where appropriate. (d) Ensure that the guidance addresses the integration of disaster risk considerations and differentiated impacts on women and men across the planning, design, and recovery phases of infrastructure projects, as well as the role of nature-based solutions in reducing risk and supporting resilient recovery. (e) Identify and document practical case studies linking resilient infrastructure and recovery, including examples demonstrating gender-responsive approaches, drawing from national and subnational experiences, as applicable. (f) Identify opportunities for proof of concept to support the practical application of the proposed guidance, including pilots or scalable examples of gender-responsive and nature-based infrastructure solutions. (g) Align the proposed guidance with existing national policies, standards, and institutional practices, including gender equality frameworks and policies, as applicable. (h) Develop concise communication materials (e.g. briefs, one-pagers, or presentation slides) to support the dissemination of key messages and outcomes of the capacity development activities, in coordination with SEDEC. 3. Support to governance approaches for resilient infrastructure at the subnational level (a) Provide technical inputs to support coordination between national and subnational stakeholders involved in infrastructure resilience and recovery processes. (b) Contribute to the identification of practical governance mechanisms that enhance coherence between Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), infrastructure planning, and recovery efforts. (c) Support the planning and delivery of technical workshops and consultations, including agenda development, preparatory meetings, and facilitation support (virtual or in person, as required). (d) Prepare meeting notes and summaries to capture key decisions, next steps, and agreed actions. (e) Prepare an impact report capturing key results from the capacity development activities, including participation, feedback, and evidence of uptake by targeted stakeholders. 4. Cross-cutting considerations (a) Ensure that all activities and technical outputs adopt an inclusive, gender-responsive, and risk-informed approach, taking into account differentiated vulnerabilities where applicable. (b) Provide technical inputs, clarifications, and revisions to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and SEDEC, as required, to support internal review, validation, and decision-making processes related to the outputs.

Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in disaster risk reduction, engineering, architecture, urban or infrastructure planning, environmental sciences, climate change, development studies, public policy or a related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with 2 years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. A minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible professional experience in disaster risk reduction, disaster risk analysis, infrastructure resilience, climate change adaptation, sustainable development or related areas is required. Experience in Brazil on disaster risk reduction is required. Experience providing technical advice or capacity development support to government institutions at national or subnational level is desirable. Experience within the United Nations system or any other similar international organization is desirable.

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. Fluency in English and Portuguese is required for this consultancy.

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.

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.