Risk management specialist

The provision of technical assistance to local governments and communities in urban planning, disaster risk management, and the reduction of vulnerability to geological and hydrometeorological hazards.

Bogotá, Colombia

3 months

BACKGROUND The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cit-ies. UN-Habitat is the focal point for all urbanization and human settlement matters with-in the UN system. UN-Habitat works with partners to build inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities and communities. UN-Habitat promotes urbanization as a positive transformative force for people and communities, reducing inequality, discrimination and poverty. A brief description of the ROLAC region The project to which this consultancy is assigned is an initiative aimed at strengthening urban resilience and improving the living conditions of the most vulnerable urban populations in Latin America and the Caribbean. This is achieved through the provision of technical assistance to local governments and communities in urban planning, disaster risk management, and the reduction of vulnerability to geo-logical and hydrometeorological hazards. In its first phase, the project focuses on the generation and use of data through technology and inno-vation to strengthen risk management and urban resilience. This includes the preparation and updat-ing of hazard, exposure, and vulnerability maps; the development of risk analyses based on scientific evidence; and the implementation of a digital platform to identify critical areas and support the formu-lation of more informed and effective public policies. Subsequently, the project promotes the implementation of integrated urban solutions at the neigh-borhood scale, as well as the strengthening of governance and institutional capacities. Based on partic-ipatory processes, integrated neighborhood plans and regulatory, legal, and financial instruments will be developed. Furthermore, pilot projects aimed at disaster risk reduction and the strengthening of urban resilience will be executed. Cross-cutting multi-scale and multi-sectoral approaches are incorpo-rated, featuring gender and differential perspectives, prioritizing the most vulnerable populations, and promoting the exchange of knowledge and best practices at local, national, and regional levels. RESPONSIBILITIES a.) Information and validation: • The consultant will be responsible for keeping the HUB Coordinator informed and having to obtain validation of his/her activities during the consultancy. b.) Development: • Support national and local institutions in the collection, systematization, and validation of data regarding geological and hydrometeorological hazards, exposure, and vulnerability. • Coordinate and/or develop hazard, exposure, and risk maps at the city scale, ensuring the use of recognized methodologies and updated data. • Develop detailed risk analyses for the identification and prioritization of critical areas. • Contribute to the design, implementation, and ownership of the digital risk visualization plat-form, including the integration of hazards, exposure, and vulnerability. • Facilitate technical workshops for knowledge transfer and the use of risk analysis tools. • Propose and validate contextualized urban solutions for risk reduction, in coordination with lo-cal communities, governments, and other key stakeholders. • Contribute to the design of regulatory, legal, and financial instruments to enable the imple-mentation of risk reduction and resilience actions. • Support the design and execution of pilot projects, as well as the monitoring of local strategies from a risk management and resilience perspective. • Design and implement technical capacity-building activities for local governments, communi-ties, and relevant stakeholders in risk management and urban resilience. • Analyze priority environmental hazards (floods, landslides, erosion, droughts, wildfires, among others), considering both historical and projected scenarios. • Develop and/or validate environmental hazard models, incorporating climate, geomorphologi-cal, hydrological, and land-use variables. • Develop risk scenarios associated with climate change and urban expansion processes. • Identify and analyze the exposure of populations, critical infrastructure, urban facilities, and ecosystems to environmental hazards. • Develop integrated environmental risk matrices and maps, combining hazards, exposure, and vulnerability. • Participate in the meetings with UN-Habitat technical team and counterparties. • Provide inputs for monitoring the technical and operational activities of the project. • Provide inputs for the drafting of project completion and closing documents. • Support the systematization of good project practices to ensure proper knowledge manage-ment. • The consultant will be responsible for generating necessary technical inputs in the framework of his/her responsibilities. c.) Approval: · The consultant will be responsible for supporting compliance with project-related processes, as well as observing monitoring relevant to project implementation and closure. • Support the Hub Coordinator in the development of inputs for conceptual notes, project doc-uments, implementation plans and budgets, and in general all the documentation necessary for internal approval of projects, following the provisions of the various manuals of proce-dures, internal regulations, and regular channels established by the Agency. d.) Implementation: • Attend the technical meetings needed to meet the scopes and objectives defined for the con-sultancy. • Participate when requested in United Nations System interagency groups, project meetings, of-ficial missions and/or project-related events. • Provide information to UN-Habitat regarding affectations that the process of implementing the consultancy may have. • Provide inputs for the identification and mitigation of project risks, including relevant challeng-es or omissions and other situations that may affect project development and implementation. • Follow up on technical guidelines determined by the Project Coordinators and Coordinator HUB Andean Countries. • Comply with the schedule of activities according to the guidelines of the HUB Coordinator. • Ensure that technical activities are aligned with the quality expectations of the Agency and counterparty • The consultant will be responsible for preparing inputs for progress reports and reports, as necessary and requested for the proper verification of its activities and project management. • Prepare inputs for the systematization and exchange of successful practices and experiences with other HUBs in the region and with the branches of the headquarters. e.) Knowledge Management: • The consultant must know the processes, procedures, and standards of the organization, to ensure adequate quality of the activities described above according to the standards of the organization. • Propose formats and procedures that allow the efficient implementation of the Agency's projects. • The consultant must know the file system of the projects and ensure their proper maintenance, accessibility for all officials and the proper updating. • Design methodologies for the systematization of good practices and knowledge, related to the implementation of the projects and cooperation activities of the UN-Habitat Colombia Office. • Support the formulation of substantive documents linked to the thematic lines of action of UN-Habitat Colombia. • Prepare reports and other documents related to meetings, missions and activities developed by the Andean Countries UN-Habitat Office. • The consultant will carry out research activities to facilitate the exchange of information, knowledge and best practices on the sustainable urban development issues set out in the Agency's mandate. • Support monitoring of UN-Habitat's implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDP) Target 11 dealing with sustainable cities and communities. • Identify strategic allies for the implementation of the New Urban Agenda in Andean countries. • Manage knowledge networks for the dissemination of the methodologies and documents generated by the agency and for the construction with strategic allies of new knowledge on topics related to sustainable urban development. f.) Others: • Other activities requested and by mutual agreement with the HUB Coordinator of The Andean Countries of UN-Habitat, within the framework of this consultancy and without prejudice to the achievement of its responsibilities. • The consultant will participate in work and follow-up meetings, both with other consultants, as well as with the Coordinator and team of the Andean Countries HUB of UN-Habitat and with the staff of the projects. • The consultant shall be responsible for ensuring that all activities comply with the principles of United Nations integrity.

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in environmental engineering, civil engi-neering, geological engineering, hydraulic engineering and/or related fields is required. A first-level university degree in combination with five (5) additional years of qualifying experience may be accept-ed in lieu of the advanced university degree. Please include all your education requirements A Minimum of seven (7) years of work experience in civil engineering; environmental impact and risk studies; geology; risk scenarios and climate change; hazard, vulnerability, and risk maps and/or related areas is required. Experience in the United Nations system is desirable.

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, English and Spanish is required. Knowledge of another UN Official Language is desirable.

Not available.

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.