Consultant

Secteur de tutelle : Secteur des sciences exactes et naturelles (SC)

Lieu d'affectation: Paris

Catégorie d'emplois: Sciences exactes et naturelles

Type de contrat : Personnel non permanent

Durée du contrat : De 7 à 11 mois

Recrutement ouvert à : Candidats externes

Clôture des candidatures (minuit heure de Paris) : 25-October-2025

Valeurs fondamentales de l’UNESCO : Engagement envers l’Organisation, intégrité, respect de la diversité, professionnalisme

RESUME DES FONCTIONS DU POSTE

Background

UNESCO, through its role as Secretariat of the International Platform for Reducing Earthquake Disaster (IPRED), works with a network of national centers of excellence across 11 earthquake-prone countries to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and best practices on earthquake risk reduction.

Seismic building codes are fundamental instruments for reducing disaster risk in the built environment. They provide architects, planners, and construction professionals with technical criteria to design and build structures that can better withstand seismic forces, thereby preventing collapse, minimizing damage, and safeguarding human life. Beyond structural safety, these codes guide decisions on materials, construction techniques, and urban layouts, making them essential tools for shaping resilient and sustainable cities.

However, seismic codes vary widely across countries in terms of scope, assumptions about seismic forces, and alignment with local construction practices and resources. In Sub-Saharan Africa, many countries face challenges such as outdated or absent codes, limited enforcement capacity, and insufficient integration of architectural and engineering considerations. Collecting and analyzing information on the status, content, and application of seismic codes in the region is therefore a crucial step toward strengthening national and local capacities.

For UNESCO and IPRED, such a comparative review not only supports disaster prevention but also informs post-disaster recovery, helping societies to “build back better.” Ultimately, improving knowledge and application of seismic codes contributes directly to the sustainable development of cities and countries, ensuring that the expansion of the built environment is safe, resilient, and aligned with global frameworks such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Objective

In this context UNESCO is seeking an experienced individual consultant to support the activities on the following areas: 1) collect seismic codes in Sub Saharan Africa and develop a database, 2) draft the database for publication on the UNESCO website.

Long Description

Key Activities

The Consultant will carry out the following tasks under the supervision of the Programme Specialist of the DRR unit:

- Review UNESCO’s existing seismic code database and identify gaps.

- Draft an inception report with a work plan, timeline, and stakeholder mapping.

- Collect and compile seismic codes from Sub-Saharan African countries (approximately two per month).

- Clean, standardize, and integrate the collected data into the UNESCO seismic database.

- Prepare the database and metadata for online publication, ensuring clarity and accessibility.

- Liaise with relevant UNESCO field offices and IPRED partners to validate entries and gather feedback.

- Provide monthly progress reports and flag challenges or additional support needs.

Deliverables

Monthly deliverables (8 total):

- D1: Inception report with work plan, timeline, and stakeholder mapping.

- D2–D7: Monthly submissions of two country seismic codes (cleaned and integrated) with short progress notes.

D8: Finalized and quality-checked seismic code database, ready for publication on UNESCO’s website, plus a brief lessons-learned note.

COMPETENCES (Fondamentales / Managériales) Responsabilité (F)Communication (F)Innovation (F)Partage des connaissances et volonté constante d’amélioration (F)Planification et organisation (F)Culture du résultat (F)Travail en équipe (F)

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Work Experience

Skills and competencies

Languages

DESIRABLES QUALIFICATIONS

Desirable qualifications

Long Description

How to apply

Interested candidates are kindly requested to apply and submit as one single document incorporating all the required elements (pdf format) to be uploaded in the application section \"Employment History Form, including the following elements:

(a) an up-to-date curriculum vitae;

(b) a statement indicating how their qualifications and experience make them suitable for the assignment;

(c) an indication of the approach he/she would adopt to carry out the assignment, including any inputs that may be required from UNESCO;

(d) the overall cost of the assignment, expressed as an overall lump sum. Any travel and subsistence requirements should be indicated separately.

Long Description

Application should be done through Success Factor only. In case you are unable to attach the required documents in the system, you may send an email to: sc.recruitment@unesco.org quoting the reference (23032) in the subject line of your e-mail.

Note: Applications missing any of the requested application documents will not be considered

Pour plus d’informations, merci de consulter le Référentiel des compétences de l’UNESCO.

PROCESSUS DE SÉLECTION ET DE RECRUTEMENT

Veuillez noter que tous les candidats doivent remplir une demande en ligne et fournir des informations complètes et exactes. Pour postuler, veuillez visiter le site Web de l'UNESCO carrières. Aucune modification ne peut être apportée à la candidature soumise.

L'évaluation des candidats est basée sur les critères de l’avis de vacance de poste et peut inclure des tests et/ou des évaluations, ainsi qu'un entretien basé sur les compétences.