COMPLEX EMERGENCIES ADVISOR

http://jobs.undp.org/cj_view_job.cfm?job_id=19273

CONSULTANT: COMPLEX EMERGENCIES ADVISOR
Location : Dili, Timor Leste
Application Deadline :04-Oct-10
Additional CategoryCrisis Prevention and Recovery
Type of Contract :SSA
Post Level :International Consultant
Languages Required : English
Starting Date :
(date when the selected candidate is expected to start)18-Oct-2010
Duration of Initial Contract :Six Months
Expected Duration of Assignment :Six Months
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Background
The April/May 2006 upheaval in Timor-Leste resulted in losses in human lives and property. There were some further incidents of violence leading to destruction and homelessness during and shortly after the national elections of 2007. These incidents resulted from complex social, economic, historical, institutional and political factors. They also adversely affected socio-economic conditions and threatened much of the hard-earned gains achieved since the Restoration of Independence in 2002. Additionally, the attack on the President and Prime Minister in February 2008 highlighted the instability of the country. More importantly, the incidents pointed to an urgent need of reform of the security sector to provide people living in the country adequate security.

UNDP and UNMIT’s Security Sector Support Unit (SSSU), referred to hereafter as the UN SSR Team, have been assisting the Government of Timor-Leste to undertake a review of the security sector as per the mission’s mandate by Security Council Resolutions 1704, 1745, 1802, 1867 and 1912. The last two resolutions indicated the necessity of security sector reform in parallel with the review. The SSR capacity development facility (SSR CDF) funded by the European Union and implemented by UNDP supports capacity building of the security sector.

A key part of civil military coordination is in emergency operations other than war; these can vary from natural disasters (earthquakes, floods, large fires, etc) to situations of civil unrest (strikes, riots, terrorist attacks, etc). These situations are often defined as being complex emergencies that is emergencies which require a wide range of different government agencies and departments to coordinate and cooperate in order to address a specific situation often at little or no notice.

In Timor-Leste, as with every other country in the world, responsibilities for dealing with complex emergencies are covered by a wide range of legislation (Internal Security Law, National Defence Law, National Security law and Policy, and National Disaster Risk Management Policy, etc). The importance of this form of cooperation is seen in the National Security Law, which defines the wider security sector to have three interlinked pillars namely defence, internal security and civil protection.

At the moment, in Timor-Leste, a range of different actors are expected to play a role in managing complex emergencies. At the operational level and depending on the specific situation, this would include the security sector (police, army, intelligence service, etc) and the civil defence sector (hospitals, ambulances, Bombeiros/ Fire Service, funeral cars, etc) as well as the civil service. Similarly, a complex emergency depending on the specifics of any given situation may need to draw on resources from and seek guidance from the Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Defence and Security, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Social Solidarity, Ministry of Infrastructure and the Ministry of Agriculture.

The SSR CDF project plans to support the National Directorate for Civil Protection to undertake a preliminary assessment of the current mechanisms for a coordinated government response to complex emergency situations in order to make recommendations for strengthening these mechanisms and developing relevant capacities, as well as for guiding future policy and legal developments in this area. This assessment is timely as it will be able to contribute to the drafting process of the Civil Protection Law.


Duties and Responsibilities
Technical Analyst/Advisor will work for a total of 60 working-days during which he/she will have consultations with the UN SSR Team, national stakeholders and other relevant institutions, as well as field trips to districts to be agreed with national counterparts. All in country travel will be covered by the project. S/He will then draft the assessment report with recommendations under the overall guidance of the Director of Civil Protection and will report to the UNDP SSR/CDF Project Manager.

Summary of key functions and outputs
The activity will be undertaken by an independent expert with practical experience of complex emergencies operations. S/he will be recruited for 2 months to assess current capacities and mechanisms for managing complex emergency situations in order to develop recommendations which will address the following issues:

* Policy framework for managing complex emergency situations (conflicts and natural disasters) in Timor-Leste;
* Current mechanisms for civil- military cooperation/coordination in Timor-Leste in complex emergency situations and relevant provisions in the national security law and national defense law, as applicable, including relevant mechanisms for police/military/civil defence cooperation;
* Institutional mechanisms for coordinated government response to complex emergency situations, including for example, standard operations procedures (SOPs), compatibility of communication systems, intra-operability, etc.
* Basic needs assessment and formulation of relevant capacity development plan.



Competencies
1. Corporate Competencies:

* Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.
* Treats all people fairly without favoritism.


2. Functional Competencies:

Assessment and Reporting:

* Able to conduct assessment, develop strategy and report on results.
* Demonstrated knowledge of security sector development issues.
* Demonstrate knowledge of complex emergencies (conflicts and natural disasters).
* Demonstrated communication skills and client orientation.


Management and Leadership

* Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude.
* Demonstrates good oral and written communication skills.
* Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities.
* Leads teams effectively and shows mentoring as well as conflict resolution skills.
* Responds positively to feedback.



Required Skills and Experience

* Relevant Master’s Degree in Security Studies, International Relations/Development or other related disciplines with 5 years of relevant experience;
* Bachelor degree or equivalent in the above mentioned field and 7 years of relevant experience;
* Demonstrated experience in data collection, information analysis, strategy planning and report writing;
* Experience in a post-conflict country is an asset;
* Work experience with UNDP is an asset;
* Fluency in English is required;
* Knowledge of Portuguese, Tetum or Bahasa Indonesia language skills is an asset.


UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.