Crisis Response Consultant, New York, Closing date: Friday, 19 June 2015

• Organization: UNDP - United Nations Development Programme
• Country: United States
• City: New York
• Office: UNDP New York

Crisis Response Consultant
Location : New York, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Application Deadline : 19-Jun-15
Additional Category
Crisis Prevention and Recovery
Type of Contract : Individual Contract
Post Level : International Consultant
Languages Required : English
Duration of Initial Contract : 12 months
Expected Duration of Assignment : 12 months
Background
The responsibility of the Crisis response Unit (CRU) primarily focuses on two specific typologies of crisis listed below. CRU support for these crises is to be provided for limited duration.
Sudden onset crisis

• This would include countries that have been affected by natural disasters or sudden outbreak of armed conflicts;
• Complex protracted crisis: Examples include countries that are impacted by protracted conflicts, often with regional implications.

The corporate responsibilities of the Crisis Response Unit (CRU) include the coordination of fast deployments and the mobilization of capacity, expertise, and emergency funding to ensure rapid, sufficient, and efficient response to crisis. The CRU focuses primarily upon sudden onset crisis, including natural disasters or sudden outbreak of armed conflict, and complex protracted crisis, often with regional implications. Some of the core activities of the CRU include coordination of the provision of emergency support to Country Offices (COs) facing crisis through the immediate coordination, mobilization, and deployment of needed human resources (technical, operational, managerial) and management of UNDP's corporate crisis response systems and tools (e.g. the Experts Roster for Rapid Response - ExpRes; SURGE Advisor roster, deployment for early recovery coordination, deployment via Stand By Partners), among other functions.

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The Experts Roster for Rapid Response (ExpRes) is a recruitment and deployment mechanism which maintains pre-vetted consultants on a roster and contracts them quickly for country office support. The primary purpose of this roster has been to deploy Crisis Prevention and Recovery (CPR) technical experts to UNDP Country Offices on short notice. These consultants are deployed in the aftermath of a crisis and for CPR Programming.
SURGE Advisors are UNDP staff with extensive crisis experience in at least one of 18 generic UNDP profiles who are deployed to fill capacity gaps within CO units facing unexpected workload/portfolio requirements due to a crisis. Duration of SURGE assignments usually range from 1 week to 3 months.
UNDP over the years has entered into a number of third-party agreements with bilateral organizations, including the Norwegian and Danish Refugee Councils, Canada's Civilian Reserve, and the Swedish Rescue Committee to provide support to COs or United Nations Country Teams in areas where UNDP does not have in-house expertise available, such as logistics and camp management. These Stand by Partners provide experts to UNDP for post crisis assignments.
The Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) established the Cluster Working Group on Early Recovery (CWGER) in 2005 with the aim of enhancing the global capacity for developing humanitarian and recovery-related interventions, accelerating the impact of development interventions, and integrating risk reduction and preparedness measures at the very early stages of emergencies and beyond. The CWGER is chaired by UNDP and comprises of over thirty UN and non-UN active global partners from the humanitarian and development communities, including representatives of NGO consortia and cross-cutting issue Focal Points.
The Crisis Response Unit facilitates the deployment of experts to support both the HC/RC and the UNDP Country Offices through its various rosters.
The deployment of technical and operations experts through the SURGE (UNDP Staff), ExpRes (Consultants), Early Recovery Coordination deployments and Stand By Partnerships mechanisms are a key component of UNDP's response to the immediate crisis and technical support to Country Offices.
Under the overall supervision of the Team Leader, Rapid Response and Preparedness Team, and the day to day management of the Programme Specialist (Deployments), the Consultant will be responsible for the effective and efficient functioning of the CRU's Deployment mechanisms and maintain the various roster in coordination with the UNDPs Bureau's, Country Offices and hubs in support of the selection, recruitment, deployment and support of field personnel in emergency situations.
Duties and Responsibilities
Under the direct supervision of the Programme Specialist (Deployments) the Consultant will

• Support the development and maintenance of the crisis deployment architecture in CRU;
• Support with global internal and external calls for new applicants for UNDP rosters;
• In collaboration with IT colleagues ensure all technical components of rosters databases are kept up to date and new technology is incorporated.

Support the deployment of experts from CRU rosters

• Provide region specific support for the deployment of experts from CRU Rosters;
• Support with the search of experts for assignments including liaison with country offices, experts and other parts of UNDP as required;
• Ensure business processes for deployments are adhered to including components of the UNDP's Standard Operating Procedures for Immediate Crisis Response;
• Provide support to experts and country office during deployments including travel, logistics, and contracting; and also provide troubleshooting as required;
• Ensure that Country Offices provide evaluations of assignments and these evaluations are institutionalized within the rosters.

Assist with the development of business process and policies for deployments

• Support the RRPT in ensuring that these business processes are shared with and adhered to by all parts of UNDP;
• Providing guidance om the application of the business processes to all parts if UNDP.

Assist CRU with capacity building of roster experts

• Support the Rapid Response and Preparedness Team with training including operations and logistics support;
• Support with the preparation of training materials and identification of resource persons.

Assist with operational elements of deployments

• Liaise on a regular basis with the relevant Human Resources and procurement personnel to ensure that all relevant UNDP human resource policy frameworks, rule, regulations and procedures are adhered to at all times;
• Help develop the requisite human resource and procurement policy frameworks, rules and regulations and standard operating procedures in support of the efficient and effective functioning of the roster system.

Support CRU management on crisis response related issues

• Working with the Crisis Interface Team, support the planning and preparation of Executive Team meetings, assist as necessary with preparation of meeting minutes and uploading of the decisions and action points on the ET intranet;
• Working with the Crisis Coordination Teams, support the planning and preparation of Crisis Board meetings, assist as necessary with preparation of meeting minutes and uploading of the decisions and action points on the CB intranet;
• Keep the information sharepoint on the ET intranet up to date (country cards, decisions and action points).
• Edit and update the intranet page on the CRU supported corporate responses
• Provide other support to CRU Directorate as required.

Competencies
Corporate Competencies

• Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN's values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Treats all people fairly without favouritism;
• Diplomacy and tact.

Functional Competencies

• Very good knowledge of the region, including the political environment and legal statutes as they pertain to human rights;
• Ability to work and act under pressure in a politically and psychologically difficult environment, with a minimum of comfort and in dangerous security conditions;
• Sound political judgment, impartiality, diplomacy and discretion;
• Proven ability to provide effective leadership and transfer advice and knowledge staff at all levels and from different national and cultural backgrounds;
• Proven effective supervisory skills; ability to mentor staff and provide guidance and support;
• Proven ability to establish priorities and to plan, organize, coordinate and monitor own work plan and provide advice and guidance to others;
• In-depth understanding of division's strategic direction;
• Resourcefulness, sound judgment and decision-making skills;
• Demonstrated sound judgment in resolving issues/problems;
• Ability to proactively seek and recommend sound policy initiatives;
• Ability to actively seek to improve programmes/services, offer new and different options to solve problems/meet client needs;
• Excellent and effective communication (verbal and written) skills, including ability to prepare reports and conduct presentations by clearly formulating positions on issues, articulating options concisely conveying maximum necessary information, making and defending recommendations;
• Ability to convey difficult issues and positions to senior officials;
• Excellent interpersonal skills;
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with people in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity;
• Effective negotiating skills and ability to work with others to reach mutually benefiting and lasting understandings;
• Ability to work in a multicultural setting;
• Ability to communicate with interlocutors coming from different linguistic, ethnic and cultural backgrounds;
• Ability to work in a highly pressurized environment, and to deliver in a timely manner within cost and quality standards;
• Ability to apply UNDP rules, regulations, policies and guidelines in work situations;
• Strong communication skills and the ability to listen and take direction and leadership from others.

Required Skills and Experience
Education

• Advanced University degree (Master's Degree or equivalent) International Relations and/or Regional Studies, Project Management, Human Resources or Information Technology.

Experience

• Minimum of 3 - 5 years post Masters Work experience;
• The candidate should be familiar with matters pertaining to UNDPs work and humanitarian field work in general;
• Project management, good IT skills and human resources experience is also an advantage;
• Flexibility, organization and enthusiasm as well as good sense of humor are highly preferred;
• Computer proficient and well versed in the use of the HR databases Internet, Excel and Word.

Language

• Proficiency in English is a must;
• Proficiency of one or several other working UN language(s) would be an added advantage.

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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.