Disaster Preparedness Specialist, National Resilience Programme

• Advocacy for implementation of the Sendai framework and capacity development to monitor that implementation
• Strengthening disability-inclusive, gender-responsive national capacities to address recurrent and mega disasters; 

• Advisory support 
• Capacity development
• Lead development, piloting and documentation of innovative local-level models for disaster risk reduction and preparedness
• Knowledge management and communication

Under the supervision of the Project Manager NRP-DDM, the Disaster Preparedness Specialist has the following duties and responsibilities:

• Provide technical advisory support on disaster management, and preparedness to DDM, MoDMR and other Government actors as and when required;
• Maintain close dialogue with key DRR and DM stakeholders in GoB to ensure sustainability of outputs within GoB systems and relevancy of activities to national needs;
• Substantively support the project manager in planning and implementing activities related to Sendai advocacy and capacities, including technical contributions to advocacy events and messaging, facilitation of training, and technical input to research, studies, etc;
• Support the project manager as and when needed on tasks related to piloting disaster risk reduction through social safety nets, particularly on issues related to community or vulnerable group preparedness.

• Facilitate national dialogues, consultations and workshops to assess and strengthen national capacity for preparing for and recovering from large-scale disasters, with a particular focus on earthquake;
• Facilitate national dialogues, consultations and trainings to assess and strengthen national capacity for preparedness for recovery from recurrent disasters;
• Work closely with the National Disaster Management Research and Training Institute and key NGOs to identify, develop and build capacity for national light search and rescue curriculum and Centre of Excellence;
• Work closely with short-term experts and consultants conducting gap and capacity assessments, developing tools and models, and implementing capacity building programmes to ensure quality, relevance and coherence of sub-project activities related to national and local earthquake preparedness and risk reduction, flood early warning and risk reduction, and post-disaster needs assessment and recovery planning;

• Lead implementation, supervise field assistants and ensure high quality of documentation of Ward-Level Earthquake Preparedness Model activities in Tangail, Rangamati, Moulvibazar and Rangpur;
• Oversee and provide guidance to implementing partners in piloting of Forecast Based Financing and expansion and institutionalization of Flood Preparedness Programme;
• Be responsible to coordinate actions and ensure quality implementation and timely reporting according to agreed work plan, working closely with the Monitoring and Evaluation officer to monitor progress of activities;

• Support the development of evidence and strategic policy and advocacy materials building on sub-project activities to inform strategic and policy discussions related to disaster risk reduction and preparedness;
• Coordinate with technical level counterparts of other ongoing DRR and DM initiatives to ensure synergy and leveraging of experience in sub-project activities;

• The Disaster Preparedness Specialist ensures that the capacity development and piloting activities of the project will be executed with a high level of quality and relevance to national disaster management actors, thereby creating competences, models, and knowledge products of lasting value to Sendai Framework implementation in Bangladesh.

• Demonstrates commitment to UNDP’s mission, vision and values
• Exerts strict adherence to corporate rules, regulations and procedures.  Familiarity with the internal control framework and results-based management tools is a must
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability
• Treats peers fairly by maintaining consistent values inspiring trust and confidence through personal credibility
• Accepts responsibility and accountability for the quality of the outcome of his/her decisions
• Functional Competencies

• Identifies opportunities and challenges and recommends options
• Checks assumptions against facts
• Assumes responsibility for decisions and outcomes
• Shares information proactively, also when not required to do so

• Analyzes complex technical materials (including data) and makes concise, relevant recommendations
• Contributes reliable production of knowledge services and transactions
• Identifies and addresses potential challenges quickly and develop action plans
• Sees specific opportunities for immediate improvement within own field

• Demonstrates behaviors such as teamwork, knowledge sharing, maintaining relationships
• Recognizes potential road blocks to completing tasks and seeks guidance from supervisors to address issues.
• Based on formal and informal feedback received, takes action to address areas for growth and improvement
• Encourages team engagement
• Expresses encouragement to those who try to develop or who show improvement
• Involves team in different steps of the process;
• Seeks and values other’s initiatives and expertise

• Learns to relate constructive knowledge to others
• Presents coherent analysis
• Adds rigor and technical expertise to discussions
• Represents self and work with appropriate professional standards
• Eager to voice new ideas
• Productive in challenging situations
• Demonstrates a desire to support colleagues by actively helping others

• Takes responsibility for addressing critical situations
• Demonstrates commitment to clients and quality
• Works to agreed goals dealing with challenges constructively
• Takes responsibility and works towards planning targets, overcoming obstacles, setbacks  and uncertainty
• Always acts in a compliant manner and uses resources responsibly

• Master's Degree in Political or Social Sciences, Economics or other discipline relevant to disaster reduction, with degree/diploma/other academic qualification specifically related to disaster risk reduction or disaster management preferred. 
• Additional formal qualifications related to gender and social inclusion (particularly disability) considered an advantage. 

• At least 3 years’ experience of working with implementation of disaster management, risk reduction and/or preparedness in UN, international development agency or INGO;
• Extensive field experience in disaster environments and an in-depth knowledge of disaster governance, systems and actors in Bangladesh;
• Demonstrated abilities and contributions to policy and guideline formulation, government capacity building, and partnership development, preferably in a capacity related to the UN system;
• Experience and/or qualifications specifically related to seismic risk and earthquake preparedness will be considered an asset;
• Ability to work under pressure and time constraint;
• Project and/or partner management experience an advantage;
• Experience in gender mainstreaming, promotion of women’s empowerment and/or disability inclusiveness considered an advantage; and
• Experience to work with UN and GoB will be an asset.

• Fluency in both written and spoken English and Bangla.