National Urban DRR Expert – Short Term Technical Assistance (STTA)

USAID Tayar Nepal

Details / requirements:

USAID Tayar Nepal Improved Disaster Risk Management Project

Scope of Work (SOW)

Preparing a Political Economy Analysis (PEA) for the Tayar Nepal Project

POSITION: National Urban DRR Expert – Short Term Technical Assistance (STTA)

LEVEL OF EFFORT - 25 days

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: On/about February 1, 2020 – March 25, 2020

BASE OF OPERATIONS: Kathmandu, Nepal, and field visits to relevant municipalities. Preparation and follow-on support from respective homes of record  

This position will be working as a team during this PEA assignment, comprising of the following experts:

PEA Expert Team Leader – STTA: 20 days

National DRRM Expert – STTA: 40 days

National Urban DRRM Expert – STTA: 25 days

The Tayar team will provide additional support for the above personnel through the following team members:   

  • Deputy Chief of Party
  • DRM Governance Specialist
  • Municipality Planning Specialist
  • Cross Cutting Team Director
  • GESI Specialist
  • Administrative Support

A. Background

This activity seeks to carry out a comprehensive Political Economy Analysis (PEA) to inform Tayar Nepal’s adaptive management, guide our engagement at the national level, inform municipal level activities, and most effectively target our interventions and resources to advance DRRM in Nepal. The proposed activity will build on the PEA carried out by USAID/Nepal in Feb 2018. The PEA conducted by USAID aimed to understand the incentives and constraints surrounding the sustainable and inclusive implementation of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Act in current federal context as well as how USAID programs could best support development of sustainable, market-driven locally-owned approaches on DRRM.

The major objective of this assignment is to update the findings of USAID’s 2018 PEA to answer the following overarching questions:

  • Since the 2018 USAID PEA, NDRRMA has new leadership in place and progress has been made in solidifying roles and defining the vision for DRRM in Nepal. With these changes, who has gained and who has lost? Who are the most likely allies of NDRRMA? For those in position to influence, what are the incentives for them to support DRRM or not? 
  • Given the current context, how can the Tayar Nepal Project best direct its energy and resources in the short term (6-12 months), as well as longer term (3-5 years), for the highest impact on improved DRRM in Nepal?

Nepal is extremely vulnerable to disaster and climate risks and is one of the most disaster-prone countries affected by recurrent hazards. Every year, the country suffers from great loss of human lives and property damage due to natural and non-natural disasters like flood, landslide, earthquake, thunderbolt, fire, road accidents, epidemics etc. Nepal’s vulnerability to these disasters increases due to population growth, poverty, unplanned urban settlements and lack of risk-informed development. Major recent events – the 2015 Gorkha earthquake, 2014 and 2017 floods and landslides, the 2019 windstorm "Tornado" in Bara and Parsa – caused significant loss of life and property. 

Nepal’s 2015 Constitution included DRRM for the first time in its history.  It prioritizes policies that minimize the risks from natural disasters including disaster risk reduction, early warning, disaster preparedness, rescue, relief and rehabilitation and sustainable development. However, responsibility for DRRM among federal, provincial and local government was unclear. For example, the Constitution’s Schedule 7 lists natural and non-natural disaster risk reduction, preparedness, rescue, relief and rehabilitation activities as concurrent powers of federal and provincial governments. Schedule 8 lists DRRM as the sole responsibility of the local government while Schedule 9 includes it in the concurrent powers of federal, provincial and local government. 

Nepal has made significant efforts in strengthening the enabling environment for DRRM in recent years.  With the enactment of the 2017 Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act, Nepal has shifted its focus from reactive to proactive engagement for DRRM. The DRRM Act covers all aspects of the disaster cycle, proposed creation of a “National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority” as a specialized agency for DRRM, and clarified the roles and responsibilities of federal, provincial and local government. The Constitutiondevolves power and resources to provinces and local government units necessitates urgent support for mainstreaming DRRM in planning, budgeting and implementation so as to encourage risk informed development practices.

The National DRR Policy 2018 and DRR Strategic National Action Plan (2018 – 2030), consistent with Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR), have created additional opportunities to work with Nepal’s federal system of governance for DRRM. The DRR National Strategic Action Plan, which is the country’s roadmap until 2030, sets 32 targets to be achieved from the implementation of its 8 major priority actions and more than 270 activities to strengthen the country’s overall disaster response, risk reduction and management capacity. 

More than ever before, Nepal can move toward its goal of more disaster-resilient development after the formation of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA). Moreover, the Government of Nepal (GON) has recognized the need for comprehensive disaster risk management assistance from development partners. In this regard, USAID/Nepal’s flagship Tayar Nepal– Improved Disaster Risk Management Project (Tayar Nepal) will strengthen the capacity of Nepal’s national and sub-national institutions responsible for disaster risk reduction, preparedness and response.  Tayar Nepal will directly support NDRRMA to improve how national-level systems and institutions prepare for and respond to all types of natural hazards (Component 1). At a local level, the program is partnering with a network of municipalities that will serve as models for disaster resilience and sustainable land use planning (Component 2). In the event of a disaster, Tayar Nepal will be assisting with relief efforts while simultaneously building counterparts' capacity in real-time (Component 3).

B.  Objectives 

The specific objectives of the PEA assignment are:

  1. Provide guidance for the engagement of Tayar Nepal at the national and municipal levels including identification of champions to effect change and prioritize support to NDRRMA.
  2. Identify opportunities for “early wins” in Tayar Nepal’s 8 municipalities and share recommended approaches given their unique political environments.  
  3. Provide recommendations on how Tayar Nepal can most effectively adapt our interventions to the current environment and best target our resources to advance DRRM in Nepal.

C.  Scope of Work / Methodology: 

The assessment team will engage governments agencies (Federal and Local), bureaucrats, non-government organizations, private sector, I/NGOs, CSO and development partners including USAID during the PEA process. The methodology must be informed by DRRM technical and social science methods and use both qualitative and quantitative data. Key methodologies for this assignment may include, but are not limited to:

  • Collect, review and analyze key Nepal-specific documents.  This may include DRRM legislation, political reports, the Sendai DRR framework, Tayar Nepal project documents and other recent political economy analyses.  
  • Conduct consultations with key DRRM players at federal and local levels.  At the national level this may include donors, representatives of GON, local and international NGOs, UN, and IFRC.  The sub-national level mayinclude consultations and focus group discussions with local leaders, NGO’s, social leaders, private sector, representatives from vulnerable groups, and political parties in each of the 8 municipalities of Tayar Nepal.  
  • Analyze the information gathered in relation to the current environment, historical context, social and political dynamics, and other factors to provide relevant findings. 
  • Synthesize the PEA findings into a detailed report with recommendations for Tayar Nepal’s implementation.

D.  Tasks to be performed: 

1.  Finalize Applied PEA Methodology: 

Review of SOW and literature on applied PEA methodology practical to DRRM in present context of Nepal.

Method:  Review the SOW and Literature 

Output(s):  Contextualization of applied PEA methodology for application in Tayar Nepal Project: Inception Report and methodology to be applied, including list of questions for structured interviews and focus group discussions with national and municipal-level stakeholders

2.  Conduct the analysis:

Meet with stakeholders at national and subnational levels, gather information, travel to municipalities, synthesize information.  

Method:  hold consultations, compile information

Output(s):  compile list of meetings and consultations to be held.

3.  Draft the PEA report: 

Draft the PEA report including sections on methodology, key findings, and recommendations for each component of the project.  Present draft report to Tayar Nepal team and representatives from USAID for review and discussion prior to finalization. Submit final report.

Method: report drafting, presentation of findings, finalization of report

Outputs: Draft report, presentation, final report.

E.  Management and reporting:

The consultants will work under the overall guidance of Chief of Party (COP).  The DRM Governance Specialist will be the technical focal point. The consultants will work closely with several members of the Tayar Nepal team (DCOP, directors, GESI specialist) including other personnel as required.  

All reports will be prepared in English and submitted to the Chief of Party. All products and reports developed under this SOW belong to Tayar Nepal project and the consultants will not have any right to publish them all or in part in any form/print material. In principle, the consultants will be responsible for arranging their own workspace. Work space may be provided in the Tayar Nepal office upon request and subject to availability.

F.  Deliverables:

Deliverable #1 Inception report with methodology  5 Feb 2020

Deliverable #2 Draft PEA Report including sections on methodology, key findings, and recommendations for each component of the project           -15 March 2020

Deliverable #3 Final PEA Report for Tayar Nepal project - 25 March 2020

G.  Management Timeframe and Level of Effort: 

Tayar Nepal project will hire a 3-person team to conduct the PEA. The Lead PEA expert will be responsible to provide guidance on the overall framework and methodology for the PEA assessment and review and finalize reports prepared by the team. The two additionalDRRM experts will lead the review of the policy documents, lead bilateral and multi-lateral consultations with the stakeholders, and provide substantial inputs into the draft PEA report. 

The team is composed of:

PEA expert - Team Lead(International or Nepali)  - 20 working days

National DRRM expert  - 40working days

National Urban DRR expert  - 25working days

GESI expert (Tayar Nepal team) -10 working days

Team Leader (TL): The PEA expert will visit Nepal at least one time, participating in consolations at National and municipal level. The Team Leader will provide overall guidance to the national experts and will be responsible to deliver the final report (Deliverable # 4).

National DRRM expert: The National DRRM expert will contribute to creating deliverables in close coordination with the Team Leader and Urban DRR expert.  S/he will be responsible to conduct consultations with stakeholders at federal level, will join with Urban DRR expert in most of municipalities, and participate in the presentation of the draft report and recommendations to the Tayar team. The National DRRM expert will report to the TL.

Urban DRR expert: The Urban DRRM expert will contribute to creating deliverables in close coordination with the Team Leader and National DRR expert.  S/he will be responsible to conduct consultations with stakeholders at municipal level, will join with National DRR expert in as many meetings as possible, and participate in the presentation of the draft report and recommendations to the Tayar team. The Urban DRRM expert will report to the TL.

GESI Expert:  The GESI Expert will contribute inputs, context and guidance on gender equality and social inclusion priorities of Tayar Nepal project. 

H. Qualifications and Experiences

  • At least 10 years of experience, including relevant work in disaster risk reduction &management, or public policy, or public administration 
  • Experience in scoping the project proposal or assessing & evaluating the development project or organization development and capacity building
  • Knowledge of Nepal’s current federal governance system and urbanDRRM
  • Work experience with GON, Municipality and with development partners in DRRM areas through wider engagement of stakeholders 
  • Master’s degree in relevant field required
  • Fluent in English and Nepali

I.  REFERENCES

In the preparation of proposed activities, consultants are recommended to refer to the following documents as reference:

  • USAID/Nepal Disaster Risk Management Political Economy Analysis Summary – February 2018
  • Previous PEA’s relevant to DRRM and Nepal
  • DRRM related laws, policy, guidelines
  • Nepal’s 2015 Constitution, and documents related to Nepal’s federal system and DRRM stakeholders
  • Tayar Nepal’s Year One Work Plan 
  • Tayar Nepal’s GESI Analysis 

J.  TECHNICAL DIRECTION

Tayar Nepal’s DRM Governance Specialist will be the focal point for this assignment. 

Application Instructions: 

Please refer to www.jobsnepal.com for detailed scope of work. Interested applicants should submit a updated CV along with financial proposal and daily technical rate/fee to TayarRecruitment@dai.com  by January 26, 2020.  

Women and persons with disabilities, marginalized and disadvantaged communities are encouraged to apply.

Overview

Category Development and Project
Openings 1
Position Type Contract
Experience 10+ years
Education Post Graduate / Masters in related field.
Posted Date 20 Jan, 2020
Apply Before 26 Jan, 2020
City Lalitpur