ET Consultant - Emergency Preparedness and Response

ET Consultant - Emergency Preparedness and Response

Description

Do you want to build a career that is truly worthwhile? Working at the World Bank provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges. The World Bank consists of two entities – the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA). It is a global development cooperative owned by 189 member countries. As the largest development bank in the world, the World Bank provides loans, guarantees, risk management products, and advisory services to middle-income and creditworthy low-income countries, and coordinates responses to regional and global challenges. For more information, please visit www.worldbank.org.

Infrastructure Vertical

The WBG Infrastructure Vertical provides public and private solutions to operational teams and clients across the WBG to produce scalable impact. Its mandate is to deliver knowledge for impact to support the WBG to achieve its goals in support of our mission and specifically: providing guidance on creating more and better jobs by: (i) supporting foundational infrastructure and human capital, (ii) policy environment, and (iii) enabling and mobilizing private sector capital. With 60 years of experience, the WBG is poised to support the sector becoming an engine of growth and jobs through improving policies and governance, foundational infrastructure and private sector investments. The WBG lending in the sector is expected to grow substantially. The Infrastructure VPU’s objectives in driving outcomes include replicating and scaling effective solutions, enhancing thought leadership and innovation, and delivering timely knowledge to client teams.   For more information: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/infrastructure

The Disaster Management, Solutions & Impact Unit (KIUSD) supports low and middle-income countries to understand, manage, and reduce their risks from natural hazards and climate change. Within KIUSD, the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) umbrella trust fund is a global partnership that helps low- and middle-income countries better understand and reduce their vulnerability to natural hazards and climate change. GFDRR supports analytics and technical assistance to governments in the most vulnerable countries and communities where it will have the greatest positive impact. As a donor-funded program, GFDRR consults regularly with donors and actively strives to maintain and develop new partnerships for increased impact. For more information: https://www.gfdrr.org/en

In recent years, there has been increasing demand from governments to address emergency preparedness and response (EP&R) as a core development issue. The challenges posed by climate change, including more intense storms, heat waves, droughts, extreme flooding, and rising sea levels, are significantly altering the types and magnitudes of hazards faced by communities, often exacerbating existing situations of fragility, conflict, or violence (FCV). As disasters become more frequent and severe, gaps in EP&R capacity can undermine government credibility, compromise public safety, and delay stabilization and recovery efforts.

In recognition of this growing challenge, the Global Program for EP&R was established in 2016 under GFDRR and is currently managed by KIUSD. The program strengthens government capacities to prepare for and respond to emergencies by supporting legal and institutional frameworks, personnel training, infrastructure, and information technology. It provides technical support to World Bank task teams and governments to institutionalize EP&R investments, supports the operationalization of Catastrophe Deferred Drawdown Option (Cat DDO) and other contingent financing instruments, and helps country teams enhance national EP&R capabilities. To meet growing demand, the program is also developing AI-assisted tools to conduct EP&R assessments more efficiently and strengthen institutional readiness across diverse contexts.

The objective of this consultancy is to provide sustained technical, operational, and monitoring support to ensure effective delivery, tracking, and learning of the EP&R Global Program.

Please note this position is financed by a Trust Fund and renewal is contingent upon availability of funding, in addition to other factors, including but not limited to business needs, staff performance and skills fit.

Job Duties and Responsibilities:

The ETC will support implementation of the EP&R program’s activities as a core team member. Tasks include providing operational and technical support on EP&R to World Bank task teams, contributing to portfolio monitoring and reporting, and supporting knowledge dissemination. The ETC will work closely with the EP&R Program Leads and coordinate with GFDRR and KIUSD teams under the managerial supervision of the EP&R Program Lead(s).

Specific duties include:

A. Operational and Technical Support to Country Engagements

● Support EP&R Program Leads in delivering technical assistance to country teams on EP&R interventions, including Ready to Respond Diagnostics (R2R) and Lessons Learned Exercises from Emergencies (LLE) processes.
● Provide technical advice to country teams on the preparation and implementation of the crisis preparedness toolkit’s instruments.
● Contribute to the design and implementation of EP&R activities embedded in World Bank operations, including Investment Project Financing (IPF) and Cat DDOs, covering areas such as Early Warning Systems, Emergency Operations Centers, emergency evacuation planning, and EP&R institutional, policy, and financing arrangements.
● Coordinate with regional and country teams to track progress on EP&R engagements and ensure timely follow-up on technical and operational tasks. 
● Provide support by drafting and reviewing technical documents, reports, and internal briefs to ensure quality and consistency.
●Manage the program's database of pre-qualified firms and individual experts, ensuring all records of qualifications and expertise are organized and accessible for rapid mobilization.

B. Portfolio Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting

● Maintain a comprehensive tracking system for all EP&R country engagements, ensuring records on status, funding source, and intervention type are accurate and current.
● Conduct periodic reviews of the World Bank and GFDRR-financed EP&R portfolio to analyze performance trends, composition, and lessons learned.
● Serve as the M&E focal point for the program, liaising with the GFDRR M&E Specialist to monitor and report on program results against the established results framework.
● Contribute data and operational inputs to the development and maintenance of the Crisis Preparedness Baseline Dashboard and other preparedness databases.
● Prepare portfolio briefs and contribute to donor reports.
C. Knowledge Management, AI Integration, and Events
● Draft and prepare content for knowledge dissemination channels, including the program's website, LinkedIn page, and case studies, to communicate program activities and impact.
● Support the development and application of AI tools to enhance program efficiency, including building a library of AI prompts for data analysis and contributing to the creation of AI-driven portfolio review tools.
● Provide logistical and organizational support for global and regional events and workshops and prepare briefing materials for engagement with external partners and international forums, such as the World Fire Congress.
● Expected outputs include an updated EP&R portfolio dashboard; periodic portfolio briefs and inputs to donor reporting; maintained expert rosters and engagement tracking; and knowledge notes or case studies.

Selection Criteria

● Advanced degree in disaster risk management, climate adaptation, environmental management, or a related field.
● Minimum five (5) years of relevant professional experience in disaster risk management or emergency preparedness and response.
● Sound understanding of EP&R topics, including Early Warning Systems, Emergency Operations Centers, emergency evacuation planning, and EP&R institutional, policy, and financing arrangements.
● Proven ability to manage multiple workstreams and coordinate effectively with diverse teams.
● Strong organizational, analytical, and communication skills, including proven experience preparing technical documents, briefs, and reports.
● Familiarity with World Bank or other international development partner operations is desirable.
● Familiarity with AI-enabled tools for data analysis, reporting, and workflow automation is desirable.
● Fluency in English (written and spoken) is required; proficiency in French, Spanish, or Arabic is an asset.
● Strong interpersonal and team-building skills, with a proven track record of building collaborative relationships across diverse teams.

As per WBG policy, an Extended Term (ET) appointment is subject to a lifetime maximum of three (3) years. Former and current ET staff who have completed or are in the process of completing their third-year ET appointment are not eligible for future ET appointments.

World Bank Group Core Competencies

For information about WBG Core Competencies, please visit: https://bit.ly/2kbIA7O

WBG Culture Attributes:

Sense of urgency: Anticipate and quickly respond to the needs of internal and external stakeholders.
Thoughtful risk-taking: Challenge the status quo and push boundaries to achieve greater impact.
Empowerment and accountability: Empower yourself and others to act and hold each other accountable for results.

Poverty has no borders. Neither does excellence.  We continually search for qualified individuals with diverse backgrounds from around the globe.  We are proud to be an equal opportunity and inclusive employer with a dedicated and committed workforce, and do not discriminate based on gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.

WBG Culture Attributes:

1. Sense of urgency: Anticipate and quickly respond to the needs of internal and external stakeholders.
2. Thoughtful risk-taking: Challenge the status quo and push boundaries to achieve greater impact.
3. Empowerment and accountability: Empower yourself and others to act and hold each other accountable for results.

World Bank Group Core Competencies

As per WBG policy, an Extended Term (ET) appointment is subject to a lifetime maximum of three (3) years. Former and current ET staff who have completed or are in the process of completing their third-year ET appointment are not eligible for future ET appointments.

We are proud to be an equal opportunity and inclusive employer with a dedicated and committed workforce, and do not discriminate based on gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.

Learn more about working at the World Bank and IFC including our values and inspiring stories.