Country: Haiti
Closing date: 15 Jan 2016
Terms of Reference
Project: Building Urban Resilience in Haiti
Length of Consultancy: 2 weeks for development of concept note; 6 weeks for development of proposal
Location: Location of project is in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, however writing of concept note and proposal can be performed remotely.
Salary: Daily rate, to be negotiated
J/P Haitian Relief Organization seeks a short term Consultant to develop a concept note and, if invited, proposal in response to OFDA’s Annual Project Statement. The objective of this APS is to seek assistance to help Haiti’s vulnerable urban communities build resilience to recurrent crises through preparedness and mitigation interventions, as well as improvements in housing, community infrastructure, and WASH services.
Candidates should have expertise in Disaster Risk Reduction in an urban context, as well as familiarity in USAID and OFDA proposal development. Applicants with knowledge of Haiti will be given priority consideration.
Project Overview
Haiti’s underlying vulnerability to hydrometeorological and geological hazards is particularly high in urban areas where 56 percent of the population lives. These are areas characterized by limited access to clean water and safe, hygienic sanitation facilities, overcrowding, poor structural quality of dwellings, and lack of land tenure. In addition to these vulnerabilities, there is a strong correlation between urban poverty and vulnerability to disasters.
OFDA has been funding urban DRR projects since 2012 in Haiti and over this period has increased its understanding of the constraints and supporting factors in reducing urban risk. As a result of this learning, OFDA is developing an Urban Resilience partnership with USAID Haiti’s Office of Infrastructure, Energy, and Engineering (OIEE). The collaboration between OIEE and OFDA will ensure a more strategic approach to urban resilience through emphasizing linkages with urban plans, engagement with local authorities, participatory planning approaches with communities, preparedness and mitigation initiatives, and a focus on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) and housing as key sectors in which to promote resilience.
The primary goal of this APS is to contribute towards building resilience to recurrent crises in impoverished urban areas through developing programming that facilitates:
● Improved ability to address/ reduce risk and respond to/ recover from shocks
● Improved social conditions of vulnerable populations
At the operational level, OIEE/OFDA Haiti will be focusing on:
● Implementing Risk Reduction interventions (preparedness, mitigation, and prevention)
● Building Adaptive Capacity through increased access to sustainable water and sanitation services and safe, durable housing
Critical factors for building resilience of urban poor include: (a) assessing risk at the national, municipal and community level; (b) integrating DRR policies for poor settlements in urban planning and management; (c) building national and local institutional capacity to deliver basic services and reduce the vulnerability of these basic services to disaster impacts; and (d) bringing communities and local authorities to work together on local solutions.
Deliverables
Working closely with the J/P HRO staff, the consultant will develop a concept note and proposal in response to the APS that will integrate the following guiding principles into program design and implementation:
Coordination with Haitian authorities at local and national level, while ensuring a community-driven approach. Haiti (GoH) partners may include: the Municipality of Delmas, CIAT, DINEPA, DPC, MPCE, MTPTC, UCLBP and other relevant technical national government bodies and local authorities. At the same time, a community-driven approach is critical to the success of this program. The project design should clearly demonstrate a strong community-based orientation.
Linkages with existing local and regional land administration and management plans that integrate hazard and risk analysis, as well as mitigation interventions.
Support, mentor, partner, and collaborate with local organizations.
Demonstration of linkages with other urban initiatives. In addition to local and national initiatives, applicants are encouraged to identify potential linkages with global initiatives, such as the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNIDSR) Resilient Cities initiatives.
Integration of the private sector and markets/livelihoods focused approaches.
Qualifications
- University degree in international development or another relevant discipline, with preference for candidates possessing a Master’s degree;
- At least 7 years’ work experience in emergency and post-emergency context; experience in Haiti preferred;
- Exceptionally strong proposal writing skills;
- Familiarity with USAID and OFDA guidelines;
- Proven experience developing high-quality winning USAID proposals;
- Ability to work independently and effectively within tight deadlines;
- A proven ability to work collaboratively with and build consensus among private and public sector stakeholders;
- Fluency in written and spoken English; French, Haitian Creole desirable
About J/P Haitian Relief Organization
The mission at J/P Haitian Relief Organization (J/P HRO) is simple: to save lives and build sustainable programs with the Haitian people quickly and effectively. Since the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, 2010, J/P HRO has been on the ground, working with Haitians to not only recover from the earthquake but to build a better future. The organization has developed strong relationships with local community groups as well as the Haitian government to serve the most vulnerable of Haiti’s people. J/P HRO operates five core programs and maintains an emergency response capability to cover disaster preparedness and contingency planning. J/P HRO’s ultimate goal is to help empower the people of Haiti to overcome poverty and achieve safer, healthier and more prosperous lives.
How to apply:
Only candidates who possess both a strong knowledge of international disaster relief and DRR will be considered.
Qualified candidates should submit a cover letter, resume, two references and a writing sample to US Grants Manager Cara Dolan cara@jphro.org. Please include “Building Urban Resilience in Haiti” in the email subject line. Only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted. No phone calls please. SSG is an Equal Opportunity Employer.