Thailand: Consultancy: Planning Specialist (RBM Risk Informed Planning)

The Programme & Planning Section, UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office is seeking an individual consultant to provide technical assistance on a) Building Capacity in Country Offices (COs) in the region for Results-Based Management (RBM) and climate and disaster risk analysis, leading to risk-informed country programme planning for resilient development; and b) Strengthening the region’s commitment to RBM by contributing to the development of regional frameworks, strategies, partnerships, plans and platforms for knowledge management.

Work Assignment:
Under the supervision of the Regional Chief of Programme & Planning, the consultant will perform the following tasks:

A. Capacity Building with COs for RBM, Risk Analysis and Risk Informed Planning

- Ensure that disaster and climate risk analysis is systematically factored into all future Situation Analyses (Sitan) in the region;

• Map the SITAN processes in the region and provide proactive assistance to COs to anticipate institutional requirements;

• Review the guidelines for the development of Situation Analysis and identify opportunities to further integrate climate and disaster risk assessment and analysis (through generic TOS, quality assessment tools, etc.);

• Review TORs, inception reports and drafts of SITANs and provide guidance to COs for
  improvement. Coordinate review processes at the regional level.

- Enhance capacity of COs in the regional to conduct child-centred risk assessments (by providingguidance, tools to supplement capacities and technical assistance);

• Provide technical assistance to COs conducting a child centred risk assessment – by
  supporting the elaboration of TORs; advising on methodology and reviewing inception
  reports and analysis products;
• Manage the long-term arrangement for services (LTAS) mechanism which sources external
  technical assistance for conduction climate and disaster risk analysis and provide guidance
  to COs on its use;
• Support the implementation of capacity development priorities with COs, through the use
  of the LTAS mechanism and other means (training, coaching, mentoring, etc.).

- Support COs in the elaboration of new Country Programmes (CP) through the RBM cycle, with a focus on risk-informed planning;

• Support COs in the elaboration of Strategy Notes; Theories of Change; Country Programme Documents (CPDs) and other plans – ensuring the integration of analysis related to climate and disaster risk;
• Provide in-country assistance to COs to meet deadlines and requirements in the planning process;
• Support review processes at the regional level for these planning documents, as required;
• Contribute to the development of regional dashboards and consider the extent to which the Regional Office (RO) can measure the orientation of CPs around disaster risk reduction, in relation to their risk profiles.

- Support RBM training and capacity development in the region;

• Adapt HQ modules in the RBM training package to reflect EAP-specific contract of climate and disaster risk;
• Support the roll-out of the RBM training and capacity development effort by co-facilitating sessions and providing coordination support both remotely and in-country as required.

- Support COs to expand climate change; resilience and disaster risk reduction partnership opportunities.

• Work with colleagues in HQ, UN Agencies, bilateral and multi-lateral development partners on relevant issues and enhance CO understanding of the changing partnership landscape at regional level – particularly in relation to resilience and climate-related partnerships;
• Support the elaboration of donor proposals and/or rollout of procedural requirements that may support accreditation to specific funds.

B. Strengthening the region’s commitment to RBM, by contributing to the development of regional frameworks, strategies, partnerships, plans and platforms for knowledge management.

- Support Senior Management to elaborate the Regional Strategic Framework:

• Support the elaboration of the Regional Strategic Framework, providing an analysis of climate and disaster risk and contribute to strategic discussions that formulate of priorities for children; headline results for UNICEF and partnerships related to resilience and climate change adaptation as required.

- Improve knowledge management (mapping relevant interventions in the region; creating shared repositories for knowledge and documenting good practices and lessons learned):

• Provide a mapping of UNICEF-supported Climate Change interventions in the region and an analysis of capacity gaps;
• Manage the EAPRO LTAS for documentation and analysis, supporting COs to use the LTAS firms for documentation of good practices, lessons learned and innovations in programming;
• Consolidate the shared repositories related to child centred risk assessment and the risk-informed SITAN for use by COs.

- Contribute to the finalization of global guidance on climate and disaster risk analysis and risk informed programming developed at HQ level and support the implementation of new guidance, requirements and procedures in the region;

• Contribute to the review of Risk Informed Programming guidance, through the Risk reference group; provide EAP-specific adaptations and support the regional roll-out as required;
• Support the review and implementation of new institutional processes (such as requirements for disaster risk analysis in Enterprise Risk Management (ERM), Emergency Preparedness Plan (EPP) and screening of new programmes for social and environmental sustainability risks).

- Support Senior Management to strategize on partnership building and resource mobilisation.

• Finalise the EAPRO Resource Mobilisation Strategy;
• Finalise the Roadmap for professionalising the partnership portfolio in the region as a whole and support Senior management to increase;
• Provide more in-depth analysis of donor-programme matching opportunities for resilience-oriented programmes.

Work Schedule and Expected deliverables:
The Consultant will prepare a monthly report on activities undertaken and completed against the deliverables.

1. A mapping of SITANs and review of the extent to which upcoming SITANs, CPDs and Strategy Notes include disaster and climate risk analysis;
2. A mechanism (LTAS) for sourcing external technical assistance for country offices for risk analysis, with accompanying guidance note;
3. A framework/more detailed guideline on the child-centred risk assessment methodology (with lessons learned by other COs);
4. A mapping of climate-change related interventions in the EAP region;
5. A Resource mobilisation strategy for the Regional Office with a programme-donor matching analysis for the resilience portfolio.

Estimated Duration of Contract: 1 September 2016 – 28 February 2017 (with possibility of extension).

Official Travel:
The consultant will work at UNICEF EAPRO, Bangkok, Thailand and travel to few Country Offices (Country list to be determined) in agreement with supervisor and Country Offices.

Qualifications or Specialized Knowledge/Experience Required:

• Advanced university degree in social sciences, environment, development or a related field
• At least 8 years of progressively responsible professional work experience at the national and international levels in the fields of environment, DRR, CCA and/or programme planning and monitoring. UNICEF experience is an advantage and field experience highly desirable
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another UN language is an asset
• Advanced technical knowledge in the specific area of work and relevant programmes
• Strong statistical and quantitative and qualitative analysis skills
• Knowledge of computer management, internet and Office applications
• Skills in the use of relevant advanced software applications
• Proven ability to organize and implement training
  
• Demonstrated ability to work in a multi-cultural environment and establish harmonious and effective working relationships within and outside the organization
• Good negotiating, communication and advocacy skills
• Meet UNICEF Core Values and Competencies including Commitment, Drive for Results, Diversity and Inclusion, Integrity, and Working with People

Interested candidates are requested to submit CV or P11, full contact information of minimum 2 references, availability, proposed monthly professional fee and all-inclusive travel cost to/from Bangkok in USD by 9 August 2016 to hrbangkok@unicef.org Please note the air tickets under UNICEF contract shall be re-routable, refundable type (economy class and most direct route). The consultant will be responsible for own travel insurance, visa fee and terminal expenses.

----------------- Only short listed candidates will be notified. -----------------