Enabling Gender-Responsive Disaster Recovery, Climate and Environmental Resilience in the Caribbean (EnGenDER)

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

The physical impacts of climate change and natural hazards are compounding structural inequalities and socioeconomic vulnerabilities since gender equality and human rights are not given enough consideration required for climate change mitigation and adaptation, and in disaster risk, recovery and response within the Caribbean Region.

Women and men typically prepare for, respond to and recover from in various ways to hazard impacts. Therefore, EnGenDER seeks to further integrate gender equality and human-rights based approaches into disaster risk reduction (DRR), climate change (CC) adaptation and environmental management frameworks and interventions to identify and address the gaps to ensure equal access to DRR and climate change and environment solutions for men, women, boys and girls.

Appreciating that the 9 participating Caribbean countries are at different stages of removing barriers to gender quality and integrating gender-based analysis into climate change, as well as recovery, this project aims to ensure that climate change and disaster risk reduction actions are better informed by an analysis of gender inequalities, and decisions are taken to ensure that inequalities are alleviated rather than exacerbated and that minimum standards are being met in doing so.  These underlying gender inequalities (specific to each country context) are compounded by increasingly intense and frequently experienced climate change and disaster risk within Caribbean societies. It aims to empower governments to take ownership of their disaster risks and exposure with better national arrangements to deal with possible large-scale recovery needs, including improved shock responsiveness in national systems and better social protection tools that will supporting targeting, data management and financing for the benefit of the most vulnerable. As such, the project’s ultimate outcome is improved climate and disaster resilience for women and girls and key vulnerable populations and future generations in the Caribbean.

The EnGenDER project will support CC, DRR and environmental management interventions in the 9 Caribbean countries by leveraging sector-level entry points (e.g. NAPs and NAMAs), specifically supporting implementation and/or upscaling of countries’ priority actions. This project will analyse and prioritise the needs of the most vulnerable with respect to climate change adaptation and mitigation in priority sectors, including increasing their resilience in key livelihood sectors. It will also improve institutional capacities for delivering services effectively for the most vulnerable to accelerate post-disaster recovery and mitigate risk. By using a multi-disciplinary and integrated approach, the project also aims to contribute to the achievement of several SDGs (2, 5, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16).

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN’s Global Development Network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in over 170 countries, employing participatory approaches to developing local solutions to national and global development challenges. UNDP’s core vision is to help countries achieve simultaneous eradication of poverty and significant reduction of inequalities and exclusion, within a context of 3 development settings: eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, accelerating structural transformations for sustainable development, and building resilience to crises and shocks.

Objective of the assignment

The Consultant will undertake a comprehensive review of gender inequality of disaster and climate risks. The review will include sector-specific analyses for each of the priority sectors defined, and an analysis of the adaptive capacities of key vulnerable groups to respond to multiple hazards in Suriname. The 4 Sectors prioritized for analysis are Agriculture, Water, Energy and Forestry. The review should include the following: -

• An examination and generation of data on gender and age-related vulnerabilities and risks in disasters;
• An analysis of the gender and age inequality and differential impact of disasters (preferably disaggregated by hazard type) on women, men, children and youth, both in preparing for, withstanding/surviving and recovering from disasters;
• The cost of inaction to climate change adaptation;
• A mapping of gender differentiated coping and adaptive capacities for key vulnerable groups and the key sectors;
• Recommendations for gender- and age- responsive risk reduction strategies.

Scope of Work and Deliverables

The Consultant shall be home-based, in Suriname and deliver the following results: -

• Develop methodology and approach - 3 days;
• Identify the availability of and assess gender- and age- data related to vulnerabilities and risks in disasters in the respective priority sectors - 5 days;
• Conduct Stakeholder Consultation (Focus Group Session) - 1 day;
• Utilize the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) and NAMA, Sectoral Plans and Climate Change Policies and Strategies (where available), to analyse gender and age inequality and differential impact of disasters (preferably disaggregated by hazard type) on women, men, children and youth, both in preparing for, withstanding/surviving and recovering from disasters – 5 days;
• Review the cost of inaction – 5 days;
• Map the gender differentiated coping adaptive capacities for key vulnerable groups in the key sectors – 5 days;
• Produce a report (15 – 20 pages) on the results from the cost of inaction review, gender inequality of disaster and climate risks by sector with the adaptive capacities of priority hazards for vulnerable groups – 5 days;
• Deliver a presentation on the findings of each country report during a Regional Meeting – 1 day.

Reporting Requirements

The Consultant will work under the overall supervision of the UN Women MCO-Caribbean Representative, with direct reporting to UN Women Programme Officer – Humanitarian, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Resilience.

Core Values / Guiding Principles:

• Respect for Diversity;
• Integrity;
• Professionalism.

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
• Accountability;
• Creative Problem Solving;
• Effective Communication;
• Inclusive Collaboration;
• Stakeholder Engagement;
• Leading by Example.

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Core Values and Competencies:

https://www.unwomen.org/-/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/about%20us/employment/un-women-values-and-competencies-framework-en.pdf?la=en&vs=637

Functional Competencies:

• Strong gender responsive, climate change adaptation analysis, social research and analytical skills;
• Excellent written and oral communications skills including the conveying complex concepts and recommendations, in a clear and persuasive style tailored to match different audiences;
• Ability to interact independently as part of a team;
• Ability to multi-task and operate effectively in stressful situations.

The consultant should meet the following criteria:

Required skills and experience:

Education:

• A Master’s Degree in any of the following areas: Gender, Disaster Risk Management, Climate Change, Sustainable Development, Urban Planning, Public Policy, Social Policy or any related area.

Experience:

• At least five years’ experience undertaking climate change adaptation and/or disaster risk management is required;
• At least three years’ experience working on gender equality and human rights is required;
• At least three years’ experience working within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is an asset but not required.

Languages:

• Fluency in written and oral English is required.

References:

• Minimum of three client references that include the name of the contact person, title and contact information.

Remuneration:

• The consultancy fee will be negotiated before contracting. Each payment will be based on a predefined and formal agreement between UN Women and the consultant and will be disbursed based on satisfactory completion of agreed deliverables.

Hardware, Software and Communication:

• The Consultant must be equipped with a fully functional laptop, which must run at least Windows 7. The consultant must be reasonably accessible by email and telephone (preferably mobile). The use of reliable, internet-based (Skype or equivalent) is required.

Location and Duration:

• The Consultancy will be home based, in Suriname;
• The Consultant will be engaged for a maximum of 30 working days during the period 1 May 2020 – 30 June 2020.

Other:

• Interviews may have to be conducted with the shortlisted applicants;
• The consultant contracted will be required to sign a statement of confidentiality and freedom from any conflict of interest with potential future contractors with respect to the TORs and work that they will be delivering;
• The consultant should submit, along with his/her application, the curriculum vitae of team members.

Note:

Submissions to UNDP Jobs are limited to a maximum of 10 MB, virus-free or corrupted contents to avoid rejection, and no more than 1 email transmission.   As such, all application materials must be scanned into one document and submitted.

All applications must be submitted through UNDP jobs.  Please do not send applications to UN Women staff as they will not be accepted.