Researcher - Budget tagging and financing options for DRR with a focus on Anticipatory Action in Central America and the Dominican Republic

Result of ServiceSubregional assessment of public spending on DRR with focus on anticipatory action and options to increase and enhance financing as part of the Subregional DRR Financing Strategy. Work LocationHome-based Expected duration04.08.25 - 28.02.26 Duties and ResponsibilitiesDuties & Responsibilities Created in December 1999, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) is the designated focal point within the United Nations system for coordinating efforts to reduce disaster risk and ensuring synergies among disaster reduction activities of the United Nations, regional organizations, and both developed and developing countries. Led by the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction (SRSG/ASG), UNDRR has over 150 staff located at its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and in regional offices. UNDRR guides, monitors, analyses, and reports on progress in implementing the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. It supports regional and national implementation of the Framework and catalyzes action while increasing 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. Through the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) regional project Scaling up the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction through disaster preparedness, risk knowledge, strategic coordination, and key partnership engagement support, UNDRR provides technical assistance at national, subregional, and regional levels to support the implementation of the Sendai Framework and the coordination of Disaster Preparedness (DP) actions. This project began in 2023 and, after undergoing extensions, has a current finalization date of 31 March 2026. The Action focuses on two expected results: 1. Disaster preparedness knowledge and learning systematized and promoted among relevant stakeholders in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) through the collection of best practices, lessons learned, and common challenges. 2. Strengthened coordination and disaster risk knowledge for enhanced disaster preparedness and response at national, subregional, and regional levels. The main activities to achieve these results include technical assistance, capacity building, risk knowledge development, multi-stakeholder coordination, strategic communication, and political advocacy to achieve concrete results. The activities also integrate gender, age, and disability perspectives as identified in the Sendai Framework and reflected in UNDRR's Work Programme, in line with United Nations and European Union (EU) mandates and values. The EU-LAC Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), signed in May 2024 between the European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean, focuses on strengthening cooperation in disaster preparedness and risk management. This partnership involves intergovernmental organizations such as the Coordination Center for the Prevention of Natural Disasters in Central America (CEPREDENAC), the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), and the General Secretariat of the Andean Community (SGCAN), as well as individual countries (Chile, Cuba, and Mexico) from the LAC region. The MOU aims to improve joint efforts in disaster preparedness, risk reduction, and information sharing while fostering training opportunities. It facilitates enhanced cooperation between the two regions in disaster risk management, including strengthened policy dialogue, exchange of experiences and good practices, knowledge sharing, and coordination on joint initiatives and activities. Since its formal adoption, implementation has included regional events and meetings, technical trainings, high-level policy dialogues, and advancements in disaster risk management initiatives. Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Financing Frameworks Investing in DRR for resilience is Priority 3 of the Sendai Framework. Finance remains one of the largest bottlenecks to protecting countries’ sustainable development from the devastating impacts of disasters. The midterm review of the Sendai Framework further stressed the need to accelerate investment in DRR, as current levels remain vastly inadequate, issuing several calls for action to this end. For example, according to case studies in the Regional Risk Assessment Report for Latin America and the Caribbean, countries allocate only a small part of their national budgets to DRR, most of which is dedicated to disaster response rather than anticipating and reducing future risk. Additionally, these limited allocations are often under-executed. The political declaration of the high-level meeting on the midterm review of the Sendai Framework called upon States to strengthen their investment in DRR, specifically to: 1. Identify gaps in public spending on DRR and mainstream risk reduction into financial frameworks; 2. Develop comprehensive DRR financing strategies; and 3. Promote innovative instruments and tools to finance DRR (General Assembly Resolution 77/289). The Central America and Dominican Republic subregion is actively advancing DRR financing frameworks nationally and collectively. As part of these efforts, CEPREDENAC and the Council of Ministers of Finance of Central America, Panama and the Dominican Republic (COSEFIN) are developing a subregional DRR financing strategy, supported by UNDRR and the World Bank (WB). Understanding the financial landscape and economic impacts of disasters is essential for guiding effective public policies and investment strategies. In subregions like Central America and the Dominican Republic, where vulnerability to natural hazards is extremely high due to geographic, socio-economic, and climatic factors, disasters can severely undermine development gains and exacerbate poverty and inequality. Anticipatory Action (AA) plays a critical role in reducing disaster impacts by enabling early interventions that save lives and protect livelihoods before hazards fully unfold. Strengthening financial mechanisms to support such proactive measures is key to building resilience. Budget tagging, as a methodology, is a powerful tool to identify and track public investments in DRR and AA. By making these allocations visible, it motivates governments and stakeholders to prioritize and increase funding, ultimately contributing to more effective disaster preparedness and response. In response to this need, UNDRR will conduct a public budget assessment of six countries countries (El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and Dominican Republic) to analyze spending on DRR, with a focus on AA, and identify potential options to increase and enhance such investment. The consultant will be home-based and will be under the supervision of the Economic Affairs Officer of the Regional Office for the Americas and the Caribbean. Specifically, the consultant will perform the following activities as needed and requested by the supervisor: - Provide an overview of disaster risk through a desk review of existing probabilistic risk assessments for the six countries (e.g. average annual losses, loss exceedance curves, return period-specific losses). - Conduct budget tagging exercises for the national budgets of the six countries, covering up to ten years, following UNDRR’s methodology. This will identify budget allocations to DRR in general, and specifically to Anticipatory Action (AA) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA). - Develop a series of concrete and practical recommendations, customized for each country and the region, to enhance and increase budget allocations to DRR. - Provide guidelines for designing a regional programme for DRR financial tracking within the framework of the Central American and Dominican Republic Strategy for DRR Financing. - Conduct consultations with focal points at Disaster Risk Management Agencies, Ministries of Finance, and other relevant entities. Qualifications/special skillsA first-level university degree in Economics, Finance, Administration, Engineering, or related is required. At least nine (9) years of experience in disaster risk financing is required. Experience with regional and national disaster risk reduction/management partners and other stakeholders in Latin America and the Caribbean is desirable. LanguagesEnglish and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this consultancy fluency in Spanish is required. Additional InformationDue to the high volume of applications received, only successful candidates will be contacted. *FEMALE CANDIDATES ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY*. UNDRR values diversity among its staff. We welcome applications from qualified women, men, and people with disabilities. No FeeTHE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.