Disaster Resilience Advisor 

Position Title: Disaster Resilience Advisor

Location(s): Dhangadhi with frequent visit to the field at working communities
Time Period: Regular Until March 2025

Background

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future.

Mercy Corps has been operating in Nepal since 2005, implementing programs in food security, agriculture, market development, financial services, girls’ education, climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction. Mercy Corps takes a systems-based approach in our programming, with the aim of improving the lives and potential of vulnerable individuals and communities across Nepal.

Program Summary

Mercy Corps is implementing a new phase of Managing Risks through Economic Development (M-RED) program in Indonesia, Timor Leste and Nepal to accelerate the replication and scale of the M-RED disaster-readiness approach through a multi-pronged approach. An integrated disaster risk reduction and economic development program is being implemented in eight Local Governments of two districts (Dhangadi and Kanchanpur, with field office in Dhangadi) in the Sudurpaschim Province of Nepal. The new phase built upon successes and lessons of previous MRED phases, other DRR/CCA programs, but with new and heavier emphasis on localization, transformation, nature-based solutions and early actions.

The program focuses on economic incentives through risk-sensitive livelihoods and nexus interventions and building an enabling environment that can sustain the disaster-ready capacities of communities before, during, and after disaster, utilizing market incentives for private investors and supporting local and province government to scale best practice. The program will reinforce new or improved economic opportunities by enabling communities to access markets for inputs and sales of high demand/natural fiber-based commodities. It will strengthen skills and capacity of farmers’ group, disaster management bodies, promote meaningful inclusion of women and marginalized groups in risk sensitive livelihood and DRR planning, and decision making and modify existing cash-based response, and economic recovery to incorporate an early action framework by integrating forecast information into EWS and prepositioning of cash and voucher assistance in preparedness and response mechanisms.

General Position Summary 

The Disaster Resilience Advisor, under the leadership of the M-RED Program Manager will lead design of DRR resilience programing and its operational implementation along with building synergy with other intervention areas. The Disaster Resilience Advisor will bring innovations in early actions and provide technical advice to partners for the implementation of high quality, impactful DRR resilience programming and ensures the quality delivery to meet the program objectives and outcomes.

Key responsibilities of the incumbent include designing early action approach and integration into DRR resilience interventions; integrating latest and updated approaches/technologies into the DRR methods and tools; providing sound technical oversight and mobilization of project resources for the effective and efficient implementation; capacity building of local partners, strengthening local and provincial stakeholder relations for institutionalization of early action initiatives; providing technical input to the program’s monitoring and evaluation system and supporting the program manager and other team members in administrative and management activities.

The Disaster Resilience Advisor will report to MRED Program Manager and closely work with the other advisors, coordinators, and senior officers at field office. They will also serve as a coordinating focal point for DRR stakeholders. As gender and social inclusion (GESI), safeguarding, governance and environmental compliance are cross-cutting and core components of all MC programs, the Disaster Resilience Advisor is required to own these components to ensure sensitivity and integration of these into the MRED program.

Description

Essential Job Responsibilities 

The specific duties and responsibilities of the Disaster Resilience Advisor includes the following points primarily, but is not limited to the following:

Program Design and Planning

• Lead design of GESI transformative and early action focused DRR resilience strategies and work plan and, ensure that program strategies and implementation follow the resilience principles.
• Facilitate planning and budgeting for DRR resilience interventions and support Program Manager for tracking expenditure
• Prepare Monthly, Quarterly and Annual work plans which adhere to the M-RED objectives and activities.
• Prepare and implement resource collaboration and leveraging plan for DRR resilience interventions
• Lead integration of new approaches and early action framework into DRR programming, and when successful, support the knowledge management and learning transfer to the wider community.
• Develop targeting strategies and assess the program outreach to ensure that the activities are targeted and benefiting the marginalized and vulnerable groups.
• Support Advocacy, influencing, and MEL team to collect and analyze DRR key performance indicators for informed decision-making process and embed resilience measurement into monitoring, evaluation, research and learning framework and tools.

Technical Assistance and Capacity Building

• Identify partners’ capacity building needs on risk assessment process, preparedness and early action framework, response, and climate change adaptation, and implement the capacity building interventions.
• Manage use and application of flood modeling and tools such HEC-RAS, HEC-HMS, SWAT model in early action framework
• Develop/adopt and deliver trainings on DRR resilience and early action to the program team, partner’s staff, and stakeholders.
• Coach implementing partner staff to enhance their knowledge, capacity and awareness of Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience.
• Participate and support implementing partners to prepare monthly/quarterly plan and to generate quality progress reports and documents capturing project learning’s and good practices.
• Provide technical support and coordinate with the LDMC, DDMC, PDMC for government’s capacity building on emergency preparedness and response. This includes strengthening of risk assessment and planning process, specifically VCA process, LDCRP preparation, EOC establishment at different level, DMC formation and mobilization, DPRP and EWS, DEOC and facilitating DPRP and DRR strategy and policy.
• Coordinate with team and partners to conduct systemic vulnerability and risk assessments, Disaster Readiness Measurement, analyze data and utilize findings on an on-going basis to inform and adapt program design/approaches.
• Facilitate and support local governments to operationalize and localize BIPAD Portal to enable local level planning and decision-making process and moving towards impact-based forecast and early actions
• Orient and support the implementing partners team to scale and replicate approaches and learning

Program Management and Implementation

• Support adaptive management and review meetings with program teams and partners.
• Manage partnership, oversee program set-up plans and assist/advice for organization development needs.
• Receive and review the Monthly and Quarterly reports received from the partner and provide feedback/ suggestions in conjunction with other program team members.
• Organize critical review and reflection meeting periodically to share plan, progress, issues, and way forward.
• Engage closely with M&E systems to ensure effective and useful gathering of monitoring information, and engage closely with the program’s collaboration, learning and adapting processes to practice quality adaptive management of the program.
• Organize regular field visit to ensure implementation of program activities more with desired quality and within stipulated time and resources.
• Participate and contribute to joint initiatives, training activities and media events organized collectively by the M-RED implementing partners, as required
• Coordinate and support team to ensure that program implementation is responsive to communities and partners, and consistent with Mercy Corps’ relevant program guidelines, principles, values, quality standards and strategic plan.
• Assist Program Manager in the review of implementation/program proposals for soundness of approach, particularly around DRR and CCA within a resilience framework.
• Assist team to fulfill Mercy Corps’ Program Management Minimum Standards- based on the organization-wide guide.
• Ensure all interventions adhere to Mercy Corps’ Code of Conduct; Gender, Diversity and Inclusion guiding documents; Core Humanitarian Principles and Do No Harm.

Finance and Compliance Management

• Support to create and maintain systems ensuring effective and transparent use of financial resources for timely and informative reporting in line with donor and Mercy Corps policies and procedures.
• Support Program Manager to ensure compliance with MACP and Mercy Corps regulations.
• Support to build and/or maintain operational systems that ensure proper administrative support for programs.

Influence and Representation 

• Coordinate and collaborate with the MCN projects, government departments and offices in Local Government, district and province to achieve the overall goal of community resilience through coordinated planning of resources and leveraging
• Represent Mercy Corps- both the MRED program and country program, to local, district, provincial platforms for DRR resilience
• Establish good coordination with government, private sectors, and non-government stakeholders to prevent duplication of actions and ensure the synergy and collaborative efforts.

Security 

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership, especially related to staff and partners’ security during emergency distributions, as well as digital information security related to digital emergency transactions.
• Contribute to creating a secure environment for team members.Accountability to Program Participants
• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging participating communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
• Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC’s policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

Others

• Mercy Corps as a humanitarian agency is expected to respond as and when crisis and humanitarian situation engulfs. As an MC employee all staff are expected to be part of humanitarian and emergency response in addition to their regular roles and responsibilities.
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
• Conduct themselves both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and not to jeopardize its humanitarian mission.
• Other duties as assigned by their supervisor and or Country Director.

Accountability 

Reports Directly to: Program Manager- M-RED

Works Directly with: Economic Resilience Advisor, Advocacy and Influencing Coordinator, Sr. GESI Officer, Sr. MEL officer, operations, HR, finance, Resilience MERL Advisor and other program teams and the Implementing Partners.

Knowledge and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Disaster Risk Management, Water Resource Management, Natural resource Management, Environmental Science, or related field. A Master’s Degree is preferred.
• 5 years of work experience with at least 3 years of relevant, professional experience in progressively responsible positions for DRR and resilience program in Nepal with a strong understanding of resilience approaches.
• Demonstrated experience in Resilience risk assessment tools and Anticipatory/early action planning process.
• Proven experience in designing and setup of community based early warning systems, weather information and integration of DRR into formal planning processes and budgeting procedures including facilitating preparation of LDCRP and DPRP
• Understanding of flood modeling and tools such HEC-RAS, HEC-HMS, SWAT model and familiarity with GIS technology is an advantage
• Experience in working with community based DRR, livelihoods approaches and DRR systems strengthening including institutional capacity building for government and civic society actors.
• Strong training development and facilitation skills
• Familiar with National DRM Act, Policies, Strategies and working with Provincial and local government structures for DRR, EWS and climate change
• Experience of working with the implementing partners and staff.
• Ability to work independently and show initiative. Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to meet deadlines and work cooperatively with team members.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills; ability to develop good relationships with a wide range of actors required.
• Effective writing and organizational skills for report development, complete analyses and make presentations.
• Strong computer skills in MS Office programs.
• Sound judgment skill within agreed processes using a good understanding of the operating environment, project team and partners
• Negotiation, networking, coordination, and representation skills with key local actors

Success Factors 

The successful Disaster Resilience Advisor will combine exceptional collaborative and technical skills with a focus on disaster risk management approach and tools specifically experienced on integrated models of disaster risk reduction and market system development what is called nexus approach. They will be capable of multi-tasking, taking initiative, drive and energy, as well as high emotional intelligence, constructive mentoring skills and proven experience with capacity building. They will also need to have a positive ‘can do attitude’ and work under pressure. They will have an ability to think creatively about improving the quality and impact of programs. Prioritizing, problem solving and the capacity to balance attention to detail and maintaining strategic vision are essential. The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.
We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact. We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination based on race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct e-learning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

Application Deadline: Thursday 19th Jan, 2023

Source: The Himalayan Times, 13 January 2023

Tagged as: Dhangadhi, Mercy Corps, NGO INGO