CONSULTANT FOR THE REGIONAL RISK ANALYSIS AND PRIORITIZATION OF COUNTRIES

Introduction:

AWO International was founded in 1998 as a professional association for development cooperation and humanitarian action within the framework of the German welfare organization “Arbeiterwohlfart” (AWO). It draws on the expertise and vast experience of AWO in Germany, which has been an integral part of the German welfare state since the last century. In close cooperation with local non-governmental organizations, AWO International is working to ensure that disadvantaged people can sustainably improve their living conditions.

AWO International has Regional Offices for Central America and Mexico (based in Guatemala), East Africa (Uganda), South Asia (Nepal), Southeast Asia (Philippines), and a Country Office in Ukraine. Emergencies in other countries are addressed by AWO International Head Office in Germany through cooperation/ consortia projects. Each Country/ Regional Office has a regional Humanitarian Expert and Finance staff. Beyond managing regional humanitarian projects, the country/ regional offices ensure the safe operation of the respective office in crisis situations as well (by installing security protocols, energy backups, first aid training, drills, procurement of first aid kits, and other emergency equipment, etc.). Depending on the needs and regional situation, the respective offices have their own priorities.

Southeast Asia is one of the most hazard-prone regions in Asia and the Pacific. The region is vulnerable to several natural disasters including typhoons, floods, droughts, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. The region has experienced several catastrophic disasters in the past 20 years. These include the Indian Ocean Tsunami (2004), the 6.4 magnitude Yogyakarta (Bantul) Earthquake (2006), Cyclone Nargis (2008), Southeast Asian Floods (2011), and Typhoon Haiyan (2013). Disaster events in the region in the last decade have shown hazards to be more intense, more frequent, and more unpredictable.

Specifically in the AWO International’s Regional Office in Southeast Asia (AWO RO SEA) under the Humanitarian Action (HumA) program, it is only operational in the Philippines and Indonesia. Projects have been implemented and are currently ongoing in both countries with established partner organizations. We conducted partners’ mappings and updating for the Philippines and Indonesia in 2021 and 2022 to expand our network and identify more partner organizations. Currently, AWO RO SEA has a database listing local non-government organizations that can easily be mobilized in times of emergencies – offering opportunities for funding of humanitarian action programs. AWO RO SEA continues to be engaged in preparedness, response, and rehabilitation in the event of disasters and crisis situations.

Purpose:

Though both Philippines and Indonesia are considered disaster-prone countries in the region, there are other countries that are also at high-risk – experiencing disasters every now and then. These countries also need support. But since AWO RO SEA is currently not operational in other countries and has no known partner organizations in these areas, the regional office cannot extend assistance to other parts of the region when a disaster happens.

It is for this reason that AWO RO SEA needs to prioritize and select new country/ies in the region and identify partner organizations and humanitarian networks. This will allow AWO RO SEA to respond fast during emergencies and immediately provide humanitarian assistance to disaster-affected populations.

The purpose of this consultancy is to help AWO RO SEA prioritize and select new country/ies where the HumA program can be extended. Additionally, it is expected that this consultancy will support AWO RO SEA in better understanding the disaster and climate risks in the region, the countries, and their sub-national and local levels. Thus, AWO RO SEA seeks to engage a consultant to help us in this regard.

The consultant shall:

• Gather and analyze essential information related to the hazards, vulnerabilities, capacities, and elements at risk or exposure in Southeast Asian countries and, in particular, also review past and current major disasters;
• Examine aspects of an enabling environment – such as the existence and availability of legislations, structures, and plans of the government (e.g. preparedness and response plans, conditions for funding and cooperation, and others);
• Explore the presence of national and local non-government organizations in the country and as well as humanitarian networks;
• And consider other matters such as current and ongoing crises (e.g. political instability, armed conflict, etc.), accessibility – especially to foreign visitors, conditions for international funding of local NGOs or CSOs. and other more that might either facilitate or impede future HumA interventions.

Scope of Work:

The consultant will work closely with AWO RO SEA’s Focal Person and Assessment Committee for the following tasks and output.

• Overall planning and development of an inception report to be finalized in coordination with the committee
• Collection of data (hazards, vulnerability, coping capacity, elements at risk or exposure, previous major disasters, etc.) for countries in the region
• Shortlisting and ranking of countries within the region based on the level of risks and other relevant factors (for example enabling environment, presence of national/local non-government organizations and humanitarian networks, and other matters as already explained earlier)
• Consolidation of results, highlighting a priority of one to two (1-2) countries where future HumA program can be implemented
• A concise final report, including at a minimum the following: Summary of results; Description of the research design, methodology applied, and timeline, including limitations; Presentation of main findings; Analysis of risk per country, including other factors; Conclusions and recommendations for extension of HumA program to new country/ies; Annex with a tabular overview of collected datasets

All deliverables will need to meet AWO RO SEA standards and shall be subject to changes and revisions as deemed necessary by the committee.

Duration of Appointment: 3 months

Work Location: Home-based

Degree of Expertise and Qualifications:

• Relevant university degree in related fields of study like Research, Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRMM), Climate Change, Development Studies, etc. (having a master’s degree is an advantage but not required)
• Has strong knowledge, expertise, and several years of experience doing work in relevant areas including Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM), climate change, and research
• Has strong knowledge of and working experience in the Southeast Asian region
• Strong capacity in technical report writing, excellent analytical skills, and understanding of working in partnership with non-government organizations, government, and other stakeholders

For the full terms of reference, please refer to the link: https://tinyurl.com/SEAHumA-RiskACountryPrio