Duties and Responsibilities
Created in December 1999, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) is the designated focal point in the United Nations system for the coordination of efforts to reduce disasters and to ensure synergies among the disaster reduction activities of the United Nations and regional organizations and activities in both developed and less developed countries. Led by the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction (SRSG), UNDRR has over 160 staff located in its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and in regional offices. Specifically, UNDRR guides, monitors, analyses, and reports on progress in the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, supports regional and national implementation of the Framework and catalyzes action and increases global awareness to reduce disaster risk working with UN Member States and a broad range of partners and stakeholders, including civil society, the private sector, parliamentarians and the science and technology community. Early Warnings for All (EW4All) Multi-hazard early warning systems (MHEWS) are key elements of disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation, as they help reduce or avoid the detrimental impacts of hazardous events. To be effective, early warning systems need to be risk-informed, multi-hazard, multi-sectorial, target communities most at risk, disseminate messages and warnings efficiently, ensure preparedness, and support early action. EW4All is arranged into four pillars: 1) disaster risk knowledge; 2) observation, monitoring, analysis, and forecasting; 3) warning dissemination and communication; 4) preparedness and response capabilities. These four pillars which are key components of any MHEWS need a governance architecture enabling interactions among those responsible for each of the components, framing their implementation within the overall disaster risk management (DRM) governance mechanisms (Interpillar). Multi-sector and multi-stakeholder coordination, engagement of the private and academic sectors, involvement of communities at risk, having an enabling institutional and legislative environment, clear roles and responsibilities, and adequate operational capacities, are essential for effective and consistent Early Warning Systems. Early Warnings for All (EW4All) is a special initiative of the UN Secretary General, which aims to spearhead action to ensure every person on Earth is protected by early warning systems by 2027. Formally launched by the UN Secretary-General in November 2022 at the COP27 meeting in Sharm El-Sheikh, the initiative calls for everyone everywhere to be protected by early warning systems by the end of 2027. EW4All is co-led by WMO (World Meteorological Organization) and UNDRR and supported by other pillar leads, namely ITU (International Telecommunication Union) and IFRC (International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies). Additional implementing partners include FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization), GEO (Group of Earth Observation) Secretariat, IOM (International Organization for Migration), OCHA (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs), UNDP (United Nations Development Programme), UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme), UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), REAP (Risk-informed Early Action Partnership), WFP (World Food Programme) and others. EW4All aims to promote collaboration and synergies across all partners working on the promotion, design, implementation, development, and monitoring of single, cluster and MHEWS. The United Nations Secretary General’s Executive Action Plan outlines the initial actions required to achieve universal coverage of multi-hazard early warning systems within coming years and sets out the pathway to implementation. A key focus of this initiative is to promote a coordinated, cross-pillar approach that prioritizes strong coordination. A monitoring framework has been established for use in countries, and technical support is also available to strengthen reporting on Target G of the Sendai Framework, which tracks progress on Early Warning Systems. Guyana’s 2026-2030 Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems Implementation Roadmap was developed in 2025 under the leadership of the Civil Defence Commission (CDC). The development of this Implementation Roadmap was guided by stakeholder coordination through national consultative workshops. Implementation of the Roadmap necessitates coordinated efforts across various pillars, sectors and stakeholders to achieve comprehensive MHEWS coverage. Success hinges on strong national leadership and collaborative engagement throughout the MHEWS value cycle. Strengthening Disaster Risk Reduction, Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems and Anticipatory Action at the Local Level This consultancy will also support early warning and disaster risk reduction at the local level in Guyana, through collaboration with the Government of Australia. The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction aims to substantially increase the number of countries with national and local disaster risk reduction strategies by 2030. The Making Cities Resilient (MCR) 2030 initiative responds to the increasing need to build resilience at the local level, in line with the Sendai Framework. MCR2030 provides a suite of tools, methodologies and networks and supports local areas in planning disaster risk reduction and resilience at the subnational and local levels. This project, supported by the Government of Australia, supports EW4All implementation in Guyana by developing climate-sensitive, inclusive, and multi-hazard disaster risk reduction strategies at the local level, with potential for replication in other municipalities. Target G-4 of the Sendai Framework considers the percentage of local governments having a plan to act on multi-hazard early warning. Notably, in 2023, less than one-third of countries reporting on Target G-4 indicated ‘substantial progress’ towards achieving MHEWS. The MHEWS Addendum under the MCR2030 initiative supports local governments, cities, municipalities and communities, in comprehensively assessing the status, advancements, and gaps of MHEWS at the local level, and in improving planning processes to design and implement MHEWS that enable local areas to better prepare for and respond to multiple threats, supporting their overall resilience objectives. These activities directly align with SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. The project aims to enhance local resilience in Guyana by increased coverage of multi-hazard early warning systems (MHEWS) at the local level through the application of the MCR2030 Disaster Resilience Scorecard and its addendums. Implementing the Scorecard empowers local stakeholders to take proactive resilience actions and contributes to the development of climate-sensitive, gender-responsive, inclusive, and multi-hazard disaster resilience plans for two municipalities in Guyana. This enhances coordination with national-level actors and strengthens the engagement of civil society organizations (CSOs), community groups, and the private sector. By focusing on local disaster risk reduction (DRR) and multi-hazard early warning systems (MHEWS), it bridges community-level actions with regional frameworks and supports the wider efforts at national level to increase coverage and effectiveness of MHEWS. The consultant will be home-based in Georgetown, Guyana and will report to UNDRR’s Programme Management Officer based in Bridgetown, Barbados. The selected candidate will also collaborate closely with the Early Warnings for All Regional Coordinator at UNDRR's Regional Office for the Americas and the Caribbean (ROAC) in Panama and with national authorities in Guyana, as well as with UNDRR ROAC’s Risk Knowledge and Climate Change Officer and others of UNDRR’s Regional Office.
Qualifications/special skills
First level University degree in disaster risk reduction, meteorology, climate change, sustainable development, social or political sciences, economics, public administration or other related fields is required. Minimum of two (2) years of professional experience in the areas of disaster risk management, climate change, public administration or related areas in the country is required. Experience with national stakeholders in areas of disaster risk management, climate change, (multi-hazard) early warning systems, or identification of vulnerabilities and exposures is required. Experience in drafting strategic planning documents, reports and conducting multistakeholder consultations is required. Experience in organizing and facilitating trainings and workshops on the foregoing subjects is desirable. Experience with information management systems is desirable.
