CBDRM Specialist (Timor-Leste)

The position is open to Timor-Leste Nationals only. The position is based in Ainaro Municipality, Timor-Leste.

About Asian Disaster Preparedness Center:

The Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) is an autonomous international organization with a vision to reduce disaster and climate risk impacts on communities and countries in Asia and the Pacific by working with governments, development partners, international organizations, NGOs, civil society, private sector, media, and other key stakeholders.

Established in 1986 as a technical capacity-building center, ADPC has grown and diversified its expertise across social and physical sciences to support sustainable solutions for risk reduction across a broad range of specialist areas. With over 100 staff from 19 different nationalities and a wide range of professional expertise with experiences from all levels of engagement typically required for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Resilience (CR) in an effective manner. ADPC is a competent regional resource center and has seven thematic departments: Preparedness for Response and Recovery, Risk Governance, Climate Resilience, Urban Resilience, Health Risk Management, Geospatial Information, and ADPC Academy. These are supported by Finance, Human Resources and Administration, and Strategic Planning departments. ADPC works on three cross-cutting themes: Gender and Diversity, Poverty and Livelihoods, and Regional and Transboundary Cooperation through permanent working committees. ADPC recognizes the importance of examining the linkages between disaster risk management, poverty reduction, gender equality, sustainability, rights-based approaches, climate change, and regional cooperation. ADPC, through its programs, supports the implementation of national, regional, and global frameworks, including Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 (SFDRR), the Paris Agreement for Climate Change, the New Urban Agenda, the recommendations and priorities of World Humanitarian Summit (WHS), etc.

Purpose and Objectives: The “Strengthening Partnerships for Community Resilience in Indonesia and Timor-Leste (SPRINT)” project aims to support the development of disaster-ready communities in selected provinces of Indonesia and Timor-Leste through inclusive, integrated, and multidisciplinary approaches for disaster risk reduction (DRR) at local levels so that suffering and dependence on outside support will be reduced with faster recovery to future disaster events.

Indonesia and Timor-Leste are high-risk countries in the region due to their high exposure to floods, cyclones, earthquakes, and tsunamis and lower coping capacities, specifically in local remote and low-attention districts and islands. Lampung Province in Indonesia and Ainaro Municipality in Timor-Leste were selected as the project target areas considering their high-risk profile associated with recurring impacts of low-attention disasters, and limited support and reach, particularly from external agencies.

The project has been designed to address issues in target areas, build upon the existing opportunities, and enhance locally led actions through inclusive and integrated community-based DRM approaches. ADPC aims to enhance the institutional, leadership, technical, and organizing capacity of local organizations in the selected areas so that they will be able to play a leading role in creating disaster-ready communities in low-attention geographies. By doing so, the proposed project will reduce the suffering from future disaster events, reduce the dependency of local communities and their partner organizations on external organizations, and move towards a faster and more resilient recovery aftermath of a disaster. Women and other marginalized groups will be at the center of the planning and decision-making process throughout the project cycle.

The program is looking to recruit a qualified consultant as a Community-Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM) Specialist to be based in Ainaro Municipality, Timor-Leste. The consultant will be responsible for leading the implementation of identified activities in this TOR. The key objectives of the position are to:

1. Support the ADPC program team in the implementation and monitoring of the SPRINT project addressing CBDRM issues in target areas in Ainaro Municipality, Timor-Leste all throughout the project period.
2. Lead the connection and collaboration with the village / municipal / provincial authorities and the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO), as well as with private sector networks and CSOs / CBOs.
3. Lead the conduct of awareness and sensitization programs on CBDRM at national and sub-national levels.
4. Lead the conduct of orientation sessions, training events, and on-the-job engagements to enhance the skills and build the required capacities of community groups and partner CSOs / CBOs.
5. Support the target communities in the identification of hazards, vulnerabilities, and inclusive risk and capacity assessment.
6. Support the target communities in the conduct of participatory and inclusive community action planning.
7. Support the monitoring of priority actions by the target communities.
8. Support and guide the local implementing partners, specifically local NGOs / CBOs in implementing the project activities through sub-grants as applicable.
9. Lead the documentation of processes, mechanisms, and good practices on CBDRM and localization processes.

Responsibilities and Tasks:

• Provide support to the ADPC program team in the implementation and monitoring of the SPRINT project addressing CBDRM issues in target areas in Ainaro Municipality, Timor-Leste all throughout the project period.
• Connect and collaborate with the village / municipal / provincial authorities and the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO), as well as with private sector networks and CSOs / CBOs.
• Design, organize, and conduct awareness and sensitization programs on CBDRM at national and sub-national levels. This includes a meeting with the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) at the national level as well as a workshop with community groups and local CSOs / CBOs at the sub-national level.
• Design, organize, and conduct orientation sessions, training events, and on-the-job engagements to enhance the skills and build the required capacities of community groups and partner CSOs / CBOs.
• Provide support to the target communities in the identification of hazards, vulnerabilities, and inclusive risk and capacity assessment.
• Provide support to the target communities in the conduct of participatory and inclusive community action planning.
• Provide support in the monitoring of priority actions by the target communities.
• Support and guide the local implementing partners, specifically local NGOs / CBOs in implementing the project activities through sub-grants as applicable.
• Document the processes, mechanisms, and good practices on CBDRM and localization processes in the form of reports and knowledge products.
• Build connections and coordinate meetings for field missions by the ADPC staff in Ainaro Municipality, Timor-Leste.
• Work closely with the program team and perform any additional tasks given by the program leads, or the Director, PRR.

Working Principles:

In performing the duties and responsibilities indicated above, the consultant will be supervised by the SPRINT Project Manager under the overall guidance of the Director, PRR. The consultant will work closely with other program team members, as applicable.

Qualifications:

Required Qualifications and Specifications

• Master’s degree in the field of Community Development, Social Work, Disaster Management, or any other related field.
• At least 8 years of work experience in development work, with at least 3 years holding managerial position.
• Proven technical specialization on CBDRM.
• Excellent command of Tetum, Bahasa, and English, both written and spoken.
• Excellent technical writing skills in English.

Preferred Qualifications

• Self-motivated, proactive, and takes initiative.
• Demonstrated ability to plan and organize work and time independently.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, team-oriented work style, and experience working in a multi-cultural environment.
• Strong networking capacity and understanding of humanitarian and development nexus at local and regional levels.
• Strong desire to learn, undertake new challenges, work hard, and be a creative problem-solver.
• With self-confidence and good sense of humor, but serious about the quality and excellence of work.

Duty Station: Ainaro Municipality, Timor-Leste

Duration: June 2023 – May 2024 (with possibility of extension)