Consultant for Stocktaking Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems and Anticipatory Action in Ethiopia

About the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center:

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 develops and implements cross-sectoral projects/programs on the strategic themes of preparedness for response and resilient recovery, risk governance, urban resilience, climate resilience, and health risk management. ADPC strategic themes are complemented and underpinned by the cross-cutting themes of gender and diversity, poverty and livelihoods, and regional and transboundary cooperation. ADPC 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. For details, please refer to the ADPC website at http://www.adpc.net/.

Background:

In the pursuit of advancing Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems and Anticipatory Action in Ethiopia, the Ethiopian Disaster Risk Management Commission (EDRMC) has collaborated with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) to initiate the Multi-hazard, Impact-based, Early Warning and Early Action System (MH-IB-EW-EAS) Roadmap. Aligned with Ethiopia’s Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Policy and global frameworks such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) and the Paris Agreement, this initiative embraces international standards including Agenda 2030, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), the Early Warning for All initiative (EW4All), and the Humanitarian Development-Peacebuilding (H-D-P) approach.

The Ethiopian MH-IB-EW-EAS roadmap was collaboratively developed with the active participation of the National Early Warning Technical Working Group. A workshop, which included 45 organizations and engaged 88 experts, fostered synergy for a comprehensive and inclusive approach in producing the document. The roadmap champions a government-led, multi-hazard, and multi-sectoral emergency response system, utilizing advanced technology and data integration to ensure timely alerts and legal accountability. Despite substantial progress, a critical examination of existing practices is essential to refine and optimize the efficiency of early warning systems and anticipatory action.

Purpose and Objectives:

The purpose is to assess the current state of multi-hazard early warning systems (MH-EWS) and anticipatory action in Ethiopia through stocktaking, mapping, and a subsequent workshop. The ultimate goal is to inform and guide the enhancement of Ethiopia’s MH-EWS, fostering a more effective and responsive system to mitigate the impacts of hazards and subsequent disasters.

The overarching objective is to foster collaboration, facilitate knowledge exchange, and implement a roadmap for enhancing the nation’s resilience against diverse hazards.

The program is looking to recruit a qualified consultantto be based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The key objectives of the position include:

1. Conduct a comprehensive stocktaking and mapping of existing practices and initiatives related to multi-hazard early warning systems and anticipatory actions in Ethiopia.
2. Plan and conduct a workshop on multi-hazard early warning systems and anticipatory actions in Ethiopia to access and customize optimal practices.
3. Establish a robust documentation mechanism that includes organizational mapping, comprehensive insights into diverse actors’ interventions, and a detailed overview of the approaches and methods applied to achieve results.

This position is open for Ethiopian Nationals only.

Expected Outputs:

The consultant will serve as the technical expert, responsible for producing the following outputs within the specified timeline:

1. Inception Report: A comprehensive document outlining the project’s detailed work plan, methodology, and proposed data collection tools.
2. Assessment Report: A detailed and consolidated report providing an analysis of existing practices and initiatives related to multi-hazard early warning systems and anticipatory actions in Ethiopia.
3. Stakeholder Consultative Workshop: A workshop presenting the findings of the analysis and customizing optimal practices in the country.
4. Workshop Report: A comprehensive report summarizing key findings, documenting discussions, and compiling feedback collected during the workshop. The report is an inclusive compilation detailing the platforms, involved actors, and their respective roles across different facets of MH-EWS and early actions to enhance understanding and awareness among stakeholders.

Responsibilities and Tasks:

The Consultant is assigned to lead the following activities:

• Assessing Existing Practices: Conducting a thorough review, analysis, and mapping of existing practices and initiatives related to multi-hazard early warning systems and anticipatory actions in Ethiopia. This encompasses the identification of best practices, strengths, challenges, and opportunities for benchmarking and knowledge sharing.
• Workshop Planning and Execution: Planning, organizing, and executing a workshop on Stocktaking of Multi-hazard Early Warning Systems and Anticipatory Actions in Ethiopia. This involves developing a comprehensive agenda, facilitating presentations on key findings, and documenting discussions to encourage networking, knowledge sharing, and collaboration among stakeholders.
• Establishing Collaboration Opportunities: Initiating and fosteringcollaboration opportunities, creating platforms for stakeholders to exchange experiences, challenges, and innovative solutions.
• Documenting and Reporting: Preparing a detailed report that encapsulates the assessment outcomes, a mapped inventory of best practices and participant feedback. This report will present well-founded recommendations for enhancing the multi-hazard early warning system and anticipatory actions in Ethiopia, drawing from collaborative insights gathered during the assessment and the workshop.

Working Principles and Reporting Relationship:

In performing the duties and responsibilities above, the consultant will be supervised by the ADPC Program Manager based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and work in close coordination with EDRMC for this assignment.

Qualifications:

The consultant should have the following qualifications and experience:

• A minimum of a Master’s degree in Disaster Risk Management, Engineering, Humanitarian Response Planning, or any other related fields is required. Experience in the Horn of Africa region is preferable.
• At least 5 years of experience working in disaster risk reduction, including a deep understanding of early warning systems and anticipatory action.
• Familiarity with the specific context of Ethiopia, including climate-related risks, hazards, and existing early warning mechanisms.
• Proven experience in conducting stocktaking exercises and mapping initiatives, specifically related to multi-hazard early warning systems and anticipatory actions.
• Excellent command of English and Amharic, both written and spoken and ability to prepare high-quality reports.

Duty Station: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Duration: February – April 2024. This is an output-based consultancy.

Itinerary: In case the official mission outside the duty station is required, the consultant will be entitled to domestic flights, local travel, daily subsistence allowance, accommodation, and other related travel costs as per ADPC financial policy.