Regional Emergency Preparedness and Response Consultant

ABOUT WFP

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. The mission of WFP is to help the world achieve Zero Hunger in our lifetimes. Every day, WFP works worldwide to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women and children, can access the nutritious food they need.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

Disasters are a leading cause of hunger, affecting all aspects of food security; therefore, reducing risk and building resilience are prerequisites to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 2, and to create a world with Zero Hunger. LAC is home to 9 of the world’s top-20 countries most vulnerable to natural disasters. Over the past 5 years, Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) countries have been affected by a variety of disasters and crises, including hurricanes (most recently Eta and Iota), recurrent droughts (i.e., the dry corridor that crosses El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Guatemala), the Venezuelan migratory and refugee crisis (that affect Colombia, Ecuador and Peru) and socio-political crisis, (i.e., in Haiti, Venezuela and Nicaragua).

With the exception of Haiti, the region is characterized by middle-income countries, with governments that are strengthening their disaster management systems as well as their social protection systems. However. these countries often require complementary assistance and/or technical assistance in order to ensure that these systems work together more effectively and become increasingly shock responsive. The region is also characterized by the presence of a number of vulnerable small island countries where WFP does not have a direct operational presence, but where WFP is often called upon to support emergency preparedness and response related initiatives.

The COVID-19 pandemic, which has particularly affected the LAC region, has not only exacerbated these pre-existing socio-economic inequalities, hampering access to food and nutrition and affecting the basic livelihoods of millions of people in the region but is also outpacing the capacity of the disaster management and social protection systems of many countries in this region, which are increasingly calling upon WFP Country Offices to complement their emergency response efforts.

The COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters have had a profound impact on the living conditions, security, and dignity of vulnerable populations in the LAC region. In addition to these challenges, the region is also facing the largest exodus in its recent history, with over 7.1 million Venezuelans living outside their country of origin, and close to 6 million residing in the LAC region. Despite the imposition of mobility restrictions, refugees and migrants from Venezuela continue to migrate through irregular routes, exposing themselves to extremely adverse conditions in search of protection and better life opportunities. These individuals are often excluded from social protection systems and have limited socio-economic possibilities, exacerbating their dire needs and food insecurity.

The WFP Regional Bureau Panama is responsible not only for positioning WFP strategically in this region but also for providing support to its 13 (multi) Country Offices at the operational level in view of facilitating the design and implementation of programmes, strategies, and processes that strengthen the emergency response and preparedness capacities of their host countries, as well as managing risks that come with these operations.

JOB PURPOSE Under the direct supervision of the Head of the EPR and CBT team within the Programme Unit, and working closely with the rest of the Programme team in RBP (in particular the Research and Analysis team and the Climate Change team), the Consultant will assume the following responsibilities, many of which have a clear field focus and country focus, with travels to country offices (CO) across the region, including to hard-to-reach locations.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

1. Contribute to the provision of first level technical support and advise (in coordination with other functions) to Country Offices, with focus on sub regional offices such as Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, about preparedness, early warning analysis, triggered early action, and effective emergency response.

2. Lead the development of projects, plans, and processes for the Ecuador CO in Human Mobility and Emergency Preparedness and Response, ensuring alignment with wider programme policies and guidance.

3. Support and oversee the capacity building of the Ecuador and Peru Country Office EPR teams providing guidance and mentoring more junior staff, acting as a point of referral, and assisting them in their function.

4. Contribute to the enhancement of Ecuador CO EPR outcomes, leading the preparation of proposals for donors related to responses to human mobility and EPR activities and supporting Ecuador Partnership Unit in the development of accurate and timely reporting on programmes.

5. Provide advice and support to Sub regional CO, to prepare and review programme related documents to ensure minimum preparedness is adequately integrated into these and proactively monitor when a potential change in context could trigger the need for changes at this level.

6. Contribute to the Ecuador CO engagement efforts with national political and economic organizations on emergency management, migration response and early warning and participate and represent the WFP Ecuador in relevant fora (e.g. Ecuador Humanitarian Country Team and Migrants and Refugees Working Group)

7. Based on the normative and guidance from the Regional Bureau, support the Ecuador Country Office on capacity strengthening of National Disaster Management Actors.

8. Research and analyze policy and operational issues to support senior colleagues in the development of policies, programmes and activities especially in the area of Refugees, Returnees, IDPs and DRR.

9. Support WFP R4V countries in experience sharing of best practices in assistance to people in human mobility (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru) among others.

10. Contribute on the design and development of Ecuador anticipatory actions plan and forecast based financed response mechanisms in coordination with the Climate change unit in the Regional Bureau.

11. Support to Country Offices in the region, affected by a crisis/disaster, designing, and implementing their emergency responses, through remote assistance or deployments to these countries.

12. Other duties as necessary, including additional surge support responsibilities and assistance to the Head of Programme.

DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF CONTRACT

• Research and analysis on migration response, early warning and operational issues that support management in decision making.
• Contributions towards the development of EPR related projects, plans and processes, ensuring alignment with wider programme policies and guidance, with focus on migration response.
• Contributions to the preparation of EPR related lessons learnt documents and reports that enable informed decision making and consistency of information presented to stakeholders.
• Contributions to the development of EPR related regional strategies and partnerships identified and developed.

EDUCATION

Advanced University degree, or first-level university degree with additional years of professional experience, in International Affairs, Humanitarian Action, Social Sciences, or other fields relevant to international development assistance.

DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE

• At least five years of relevant professional experience in humanitarian and/or development-related work with an international organization.
• Prior exposure to emergencies in the international arena, through direct work for an international institution/organization, in particular WFP, will be considered an asset.
• Prior experience in South America (particularly Ecuador) will be considered an asset.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

• Ability to work in a multi-cultural setting as a strong team player.
• Action management and client orientation.
• Cognitive capacity.
• Innovation.
• Partnership building.
• Teamwork.
• Willingness and flexibility to travel to country offices within the LAC region to support on emergency preparedness and response.
• Proficiency in Windows MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).

OTHER SPECIFIC JOB REQUIREMENTS

Fluency (level C) in English and Spanish.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Duty station: Homebased

Type of Contract: International Consultancy Contract

Level: L-I

Duration: 11 months

Successful candidates will be placed in a roster for two (2) years.

Consultants are recognized authorities or specialists in a specific field and whose services are utilized in an advisory, consultative, or demonstrative capacity.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

Application deadline is May 23, 2023.