Purpose of Project and Background
The following are the Terms of Reference for the GSC Senior Environmental Advisor.
Disasters and crises put a significant toll on the environment and natural resources. In addition, climate change and long-term neglect or inadequate management of the environmental issues are increasingly among the root causes of the crises themselves or their extended and intensified impact on communities. Humanitarian operations in response to these situations can themselves create or exacerbate the pressure on the environment. Due to their nature, scale and required resources, shelter, settlements and built environment-related interventions can be among the significant contributors to such negative effects, if necessary steps and measures are not taken. The importance of environmental considerations in shelter and settlements programming is evident in the fact that a special standard to this regard is included in the shelter and settlements chapter of the Sphere handbook.
The Global Shelter Cluster (GSC) is an open platform for the coordination of the humanitarian shelter and settlements sector, with more than 45 partners participating consistently at the global level. In 2018 the GSC adopted its Strategy 2018-2022. The GSC Strategy recognizes the environment as a cross-cutting issue for effective shelter and settlements response. It also acknowledges that humanitarian operations can have a dire environmental impact. The GSC seeks to increase understanding of environmental issues that operational teams face, so as to minimise the impact of response activities and maximize shelter risk reduction potential. The GSC is also working towards a more robust inclusion of environmental aspects in its strategy, policy, advocacy and operations.
The GSC has received a financial contribution from DG ECHO’s Enhanced Response Capacity Fund for a project to mobilize collective efforts towards a greener and climate smart humanitarian shelter and settlement response. The GSC has also received funding from USAID to enhance the capacity and quality of the humanitarian shelter and settlements response. As part of the activities funded by these grants, the GSC will develop a series of environmental profiles to support the integration of environmental considerations in shelter and settlements programming.
These profiles may include an overview of the (1) Main threats to the environment in response operations, (2) A mapping of key environmental stakeholders, laws, rules, regulations and procedures (at both national and local levels to the extent possible), (3) An analysis from an environmental perspective of the different shelter and settlement options most-commonly used in country, including where possible environmental impact calculators and (4) An analysis of the total life-cycle amount of CO2 produced by these interventions. They follow and expand the path initiated by the development of environmental profiles for Vanuatu and Bangladesh. The exact content and methodology is currently being defined by the GSC and will be finalized in April 2022.
IFRC is responsible for the development of 5 environmental profiles in disaster contexts on behalf of the GSC and is seeking a consultant to take the lead in the development of these profiles in support of the country level shelter cluster coordination teams and partners. As another GSC partner is going to develop 4 of these profiles in Asia-Pacific, the profiles led by IFRC will most likely be for countries in Africa and the Americas.
In addition, as GSC co-lead agency, IFRC is seeking a senior environmental advisor to guide the GSC efforts to better integrate environmental considerations in its strategy, policies, advocacy and operations.
Alignment to the IFRC’s objectives and strategy
IFRC’s Global Shelter Cluster leadership role contributes to Strategy 2030 Goal 1: People anticipate, respond to and quickly recover from crises. It also promotes the Agenda for Renewal effective global coordination and leadership ambitions. IFRC’s GSC role sits within Strategic Priority 2: Evolving Crises and Disasters and Enabler: 1 Engaged - with renewed influence, innovative and digitally transformed with greater emphasis on National Society Development of the IFRC Plan and Budget 2021 – 2025.
Desired outcomes
The consultancy has two main outcomes:
Environmental research and advocacy available to make country-level shelter responses greener and climate smart.
Strengthened capacity to design and implement environmentally responsible and climate smart shelter and settlements response.
Key activities
The consultancy will include the following activities:
Development of 5 environmental profiles in selected countries.**
More robust inclusion of environmental aspects in the new GSC strategy.
Monitoring of climate and environment related policies of donors and implications for GSC partners and the cluster.
Data and information collection, analysis and update on the environmental status of country cluster strategies, including good practises and gaps.
Development of global guidance to country-level clusters on greening the response and mainstreaming environmental considerations in country-level shelter cluster strategies.
Development and coordination of training and capacity building activities with stakeholders to address the identified skills and knowledge gaps and promote cross-countries learning, including integration of environmental considerations in the global Humanitarian Shelter - Coordination Training.
Greening Settlement Approaches: collection of good practises, guidance, possible piloting of NEAT+ Urban.
Provision of technical guidance and support in the piloting of environmental solutions or approaches in IFRC-led clusters.
Guidance to GSC Working Groups and Communities of Practice on the integration of environmental considerations in their activities.
Advise the IFRC in particular and GSC in general about the ongoing external initiatives and networks to be aware of, whose work can enhance or contribute to the objectives of the GSC; represent GSC as requested on such platforms
Reporting line and support to be provided to the consultant
The consultant will report to the IFRC GSC Coordinator. The primary contacts for the consultant will be the Deputy Global Shelter Cluster Coordinators on behalf of IFRC and UNHCR, who will provide support as required and facilitate contacts with relevant stakeholders. Other members of the Global Shelter Cluster Support Team will also provide support in their respective areas of expertise as needed, with a particular coordination line with the GSC Environment Global Focal Point. The consultant must also closely coordinate with the chairs of the Environment Community of Practice as well as representatives of the agencies leading the development of environmental profiles funded by the ECHO and USAID grants.
Timeframe
The duration of the consultancy will be for a maximum of 120 days from April 15, 2022 to April 14, 2023. If additional time is required to meet the overall objective of this assignment, IFRC will endeavour to extend the assignment for an additional period to be determined and subject to the availability of resources.
Position Requirements
Education
Required
- Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) or similar professional or vocational qualification in Environmental Studies, Political Ecology, Structural/Civil Engineering, Architecture, Planning or Construction Management with environmental specialization.
Preferred
- Shelter Coordination Training or equivalent knowledge
Experience
Required
- Minimum of 8 years relevant professional experience in environment in humanitarian action.
- Experience of working for a humanitarian aid organisation in a developing country, including emergency preparedness and response and environmental assessment and planning.
- Experience in strategy development and advocacy
- Experience working in a RC/RC National Society and/or IFRC/ICRC and with the GSC ECOP
Preferred
- Experience in shelter and settlements coordination and/or response at the global or country levels.
- Experience in developing and delivering training and capacity building
- Experience and knowledge of environmental networks and fora across the humanitarian sector
Knowledge and Skills
Required
- Ability to work with sensitive issues in a multi-cultural, multilingual and multidisciplinary environment and with virtual or/and dispersed teams
- Ability to undertake strategic analysis and translate thinking into practice
- Ability to network effectively and influence and inspire others including the membership, governments, other agencies, and own peers, staff, and partners
- Ability to inspire, to build confidence and to find creative and constructive solutions to difficult issues
- A strong understanding of global humanitarian issues, disaster response and recovery and current standards and guidelines for humanitarian emergency response
- Results oriented and demand driven individual, entrepreneurial, ability to lead in unprecedented and/or ambiguous situations
- Training and staff development skills
- Thorough knowledge of the humanitarian coordination architecture, tools and processes
- Knowledge of environmental assessment tools for humanitarian response and implementation experience.
- Outstanding networking, representational, communication and negotiation skills. An ability to be proactive and persuasive.
Languages
Required
- Fluently spoken and written English
Preferred
- Good command of another IFRC official language (French, Spanish, Russian or Arabic)
How to apply:
*Interested candidates should send their CV and a cover letter to pablo.medina@ifrc.org outlining in no longer than 1 page how their interest, qualifications and experience make them an ideal candidate for the position. The cover letter should also state the applicant’s daily fee in Swiss francs.*
As soon as a qualified candidate is identified, the contract will be awarded.
The duration of the contract is for a maximum of 120 working days within a 1 year period.
The position is home-based, with possible visits to Geneva, Switzerland, and various field locations.