I. Overview
Through USAIDโs Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (USAID/BHA), the United States sponsors qualified U.S. citizens for employment in the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) Junior Professional Officer (JPO) Program.
These fully funded JPO positions strengthen the capacity of UNDRR, and further encourage U.S. citizens to become active members of the international community. After completing their JPO assignments, a number of JPOs successfully compete for positions at UNDRR and in other international and non-governmental organizations.
II. General Information
Title: Disaster Risk Reduction JPO
Organization: UNDRR, Regional Office for Americas
Duty Station: Panama City, Panama
Date Required: As soon as possible
Duration: Two years
III. Duties, Responsibilities, and Output Expectations
Within delegated authority, the JPO will be responsible for the following duties:
- Provide substantive support for UN interagency coordination and evaluation functions, specifically related to the scaling up DRR across humanitarian and development action and Humanitarian Programme Cycle (HPC), including the review and analysis of emerging issues and trends in humanitarian affairs, climate change, anticipatory actions and sustainable development, participation in research activities and studies.
- Provide substantive and administrative support to the development and maintenance of partnerships. Specifically supporting the broadening of engagement with various stakeholders and leveraging their voices in international, regional and national mechanisms.
- Overall tasks will include facilitating the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of assigned programmes/projects; development and review of relevant documents and reports; identifying problems and issues to be addressed and recommending corrective actions; as appropriate liaising with relevant parties and proposing follow-up actions.
- Support outreach to partners and stakeholders and represent UNDRR in interagency and partnerships meetings and liaise, as appropriate, with UN offices and stakeholders; participates in the organization of outreach events including at the Global Platform 2022.
- Performs other duties as required.
IV. Supervision
The JPO will report to the Deputy Chief for the Regional Office for Americas.
Content and methodology of supervision:
- Establishment of a Work Plan:During the first month of the assignment, the JPO will work jointly with his/her direct supervisor to finalize an agreed upon work plan. The final work plan will be discussed and mutually agreed to by the JPO and his/her supervisor.
- Evaluation: The United Nations Performance Evaluation System (e-performance) will serve as a primary platform to evaluate the JPOโs performance. In addition, the JPO will meet periodically (weekly preferred/or on mutual availability of the JPO and the supervisor) with the supervisor to keep him/her updated on the progress.
V. Qualifications and Experience
Education:
Advanced university degree (Masterโs degree or equivalent degree) in disaster risk reduction, political science, climate change, humanitarian affairs, international relations, development, social and environmental sciences, economics or a related field. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Work Experience:
A minimum of two years of progressively responsible experience in project/programme management, partnerships,disaster risk reduction, humanitarian affairs, climate change action, sustainable development or related area is required. Experience working in the private sector or civil society organizations is desirable.
Languages:
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations. For this position, fluency
in English is required. Knowledge of other official language(s) spoken in the region is desirable.
Other Skills:
experience in the use of computers and proficiency in office software and packages, as well as good knowledge of and experience in handling web-based management systems.
United Nations (UN) Competencies:
Professionalism: Knowledge and understanding of theories, concepts and approaches relevant to disaster risk reduction, climate change, humanitarian affairs development, and intergovernmental affairs. Ability to identify issues, analyze and participate in the resolution of issues/problems. Ability to assist with data collection using various methods. Conceptual analytical and evaluative skills to conduct independent research and analysis, including
familiarity with and experience in the use of various research sources, including electronic sources on the internet, intranet and other databases. Ability to apply judgment in the context of assignments given, plan own work and manage conflicting priorities. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving
results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.
Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing othersโ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.
Communication: Speaks fluently, expresses opinions, information and key points of an argument clearly; presents information with skill and confidence; responds quickly to the needs of an audience and to their reactions and feedback; projects credibility; structures information to meet the needs and understanding of the intended audience; presents information in a well-structured and logical way.
VI. Learning Elements
On completion of the assignment, the JPO will have/be able to:
- Unique opportunity to work at the cross-roads of disaster risk reduction, preparedness for response, climate change adaptation and sustainable development;
- Established a wide network with other UN, regional and national public and private partners;
- In-depth understanding of UN and other intergovernmental work processes in sustainable development, climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction and preparedness for responses;
- Facilitate civil society and private sector input for international processes and conferences;
- Support strategy development of UN agency work programmes with partners;
- Undertake well researched and sound analysis of sustainable development issues, including on the implementation of the Sendai Framework, the 2030 Agenda, and the Paris Agreement;
- Assist in the organization and preparation of meetings with the key partners;
- Liaise and interact with colleagues and concerned parties internally and externally;
- Draft inputs to reports and strategy papers (i.e. reports on workplans developed with partners, engagement/partnership strategies and so on);
- Draft work plans and cost plans;
- Write assessment reports;
- Draft project proposals;
- Draft project budgets according to UN standards;
- Formulate project documents to address issues of public private partnership issues, issues of effect of disasters on business, business continuity planning and so on in the region;
- Monitor progress on commitments made by a group of organizations as a stakeholder group.
VII. Background Information
Created in December 1999, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) is the designated focal point in the United Nations system for the coordination of efforts to reduce disasters and to ensure synergies among the disaster reduction activities of the United Nations and regional organizations and activities in both developed and less developed countries. Led by the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction (SRSG), UNDRR has over 100 staff located in its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and in regional offices. Specifically, UNDRR guides, monitors, analyses and reports on progress in the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, supports regional and national implementation of the Framework and catalyses action and increases global awareness to reduce disaster risk working with UN Member States and a broad range of partners and stakeholders, including civil society, the private sector, parliamentarians and the science and technology community.
The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 was adopted on March 18, 2015 at the World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction held in Sendai, Japan. The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 established a clear mandate for building resilience to disasters as a common denominator across the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Disaster risk reduction is associated with at least 10 of the Sustainable Development Goals, inherent in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on financing for development, the Paris Agreement on climate change and the Agenda for Humanity. The implementation of the Sendai Framework is a critical investment that delivers a risk-informed 2030 Agenda and is effectively reducing humanitarian needs.
UNDRR is working to directly link the Sendai Framework Monitoring instrument and global and regional platforms for disaster risk reduction to the monitoring and reporting on the 2030 Agenda. UNDRR is leading the UN thinking on the integration and coherency between disaster risk reduction and the 2030 Agenda. Delivering for example, through the facilitation of the revised UN Plan of Action for Disaster Risk Reduction for Resilience; producing and disseminating risk information including development of national disaster loss data bases for risk-informed decisions; supporting the development, implementation and financing of national and local disaster risk reduction strategies; and, mobilizing partnerships that deliver co-benefits across the 2030 Agenda.
UNDRR has five regional offices โ in Asia-Pacific (Bangkok), Africa (Nairobi), Europe (Brussels), Arab States (Cairo) and Americas and the Caribbean (Panama) โ and the UNDRR Headquarters in Geneva. UNDRR also maintains a UN Headquarters liaison office in New York, a liaison office in Bonn and presences in Kobe, Suva, and Incheon.