Junior Technical Advisor - Resilience Initiative Africa

1. Improve the operational conditions for implementing risk-informed urban development within the African Union.

2. Strengthen, co-operation on risk-informed urban development between the local, national, and regional levels in selected Regional Economic Communities (RECs) in Africa.

3. Expanded, gender-sensitive, and inclusive capacity development offers on risk-informed urban development are available for local, national, and regional organizations.

RIA ensures close alignment with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and its respective programme of action for the regional implementation adopted by the AU. All results will be shared on the learning and exchange platform to allow for scaling up or regional replication of measures in other sectors.

The project aims at strengthening the most at risk population in urban areas through liaisons and change agents. These include among others, decision-makers at regional, national, and local level as well as specialists at multilateral organization's, regional economic communities, civil society, and self-advocacy groups. In this regard, the project pursues a gender-equitable and inclusive approach and involves people in urban areas affected by multiple discrimination and disadvantage.

1. Technical Support and Advisory

• Support the technical input in the implementation of activities as assigned by RIA’s project manager or in support of other advisors. This will include but not limited to topics around climate action, urban resilience e.t.c. Specifically:
  

  o Implement activities on enhancing urban resilience in urban areas.
  

o Technical backstopping certain elements during implementation of activities by partners.

o Keep tabs on emerging trends related to climate change, disaster risk reduction, and relevant financing to continuously inform the project.

o Working with the project team in organizing measures for tailor-made capacity development and peer exchange of good practices between partner cities and the constituent informal settlements, with the aim of building adequate local institutional and communities’ knowledge in addressing disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.

o Mapping of DRR and climate change actors and establishing relationships for collaborations.

• Support in procurement and contractual processes for the RIA project through various steps, including:
  

o Contract initiation: support in drafting terms of reference for experts.

o Drafting required documents for GIZ contracting processes.

o Updating and liaising with GIZ administrative team on managing contracts through; processing contracts, making updates, amendments, closure, etc.

• Support the conceptualization, preparing and implementing workshops, seminars, conferences or other events on subjects relevant to RIA activities, including:
  

o Drafting workshop materials including invitation letters, stakeholder lists.

o Organizing the related logistics.

o Coordinating with invitees and stakeholders where relevant.

o Compiling event proceedings and dissemination of feedback and associated materials to the respective interested parties.

o Support in compiling and entering data for monitoring purposes.

• Support in knowledge management and communication:
  

o Summarize and document relevant project activity for different audiences.

o Processes and distributes relevant information for the RIA project.

o Coordinate closely with the communication teams at project, country and regional level in preparing and publishing communication content.

Qualifications and specialist knowledge

• University degree in a relevant field (e.g. natural or environmental sciences, climate change studies, urban planning, Geoscience, Geo-Informatics).
  

• At least 1 year’s professional work experience in climate related programmes/projects particularly with regards to climate change, urban planning or disaster risk reduction.
  

• Knowledge of climate change and urban resilience.
  

• Good understanding of sub-national level structures and dynamics is highly desirable.
  

• Experience working with (inter)-national, multilateral organisations or non-governmental organisations.
  

• Work experience or association with GIZ in project implementation is an added advantage.
  

• Other knowledge, additional competence
  

• Competency and good knowledge of climate change and particularly with regards to adaptation and/or mitigation measures, as well as urban resilience in general.
  

• Competency in Microsoft (MS) Office Suite (Office 365, MS Teams, MS SharePoint, MS BI etc.).
  

• Very good working knowledge of ICT technologies (related software, phone, fax,email, internet and computer applications).
  

• Knowledge and practical use of GIS is an added advantage.
  

• Understanding and knowledge of climate policies and disaster risk reduction frame works at international, national and sub-national levels.
  

• Knowledge and understanding of relevant stakeholders in the climate change and disaster risk reduction space both in Kenya and internationally.
  

• Excellent command of English.
  

• Excellent technical/business report writing skills incl. Monitoring and Evaluation.
  

• Able to work independently and perform well under pressure (i.e. handling significant problems and tasks which come up simultaneously and/or unexpectedly and meeting deadlines).
  

• Ability to handle confidential information, using good judgement and discernment.