Job Description

1. Background
Zimbabwe is increasingly ravaged by extreme weather conditions that include tropical storms and droughts. The effects of climate change disproportionately affect vulnerable and marginalised groups such as women, children, older persons and persons with disabilities (PWDs). Access to services such as clean and safe drinking water, health, education and shelter are compromised. Climate change compounds underlying conditions such as gender-based violence, which can manifest in the form of intimate partner violence, sexual abuse and child marriages. Women are not meaningfully participating in key decision-making positions in Disaster Risk Management governance and Civil Protection Committees; hence they are invisible in the policy discourses and relevant legal reforms.
The Civil Protection Act (2001) is outdated and does not address emerging issues and trends such as gender equality and social inclusion, leaving no one and no place behind and do no harm principles. The Act does not have provisions for pre, during, and post-disaster services and rehabilitation, and the resultant effect has been response mechanisms that failed to include gender-responsiveness and gender-inclusivity. Disaster risk reduction and management are cross-cutting issues but are missing in the national laws even though Zimbabwe is a party to the United Framework Convention on Climate Change (1992) and Paris Agreement (2015). Other pertinent frameworks are the Climate Change Gender Action Plan and Sendai Framework. Women and other marginalised groups are not involved in identifying climate and disaster mitigatory actions thus not contributing to the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
In Manicaland province, numerous lives were tragically lost, and hundreds of individuals remain unaccounted for because of the devastating Cyclone Idai disaster that struck in March 2019. The aftermath of the cyclone left thousands of families in need of emergency shelter, and the lives and livelihoods of at least 270,000 people were profoundly impacted, leaving 340 people dead and many others missing (Oxfam Digital Repository). A 20071 study revealed that, on average, disasters kill more women than men, expose women and girls more to socio-economic and psychological suffering, and lower the life expectancy of women more than men. Furthermore, in most disasters, more than 75% of the people who suffer most and are in need of humanitarian assistance are women and children.2 The challenges faced by women and girls during disasters include sexual and gender-based violence, psychosocial trauma, deterioration in sexual and reproductive health, early and forced marriages, trafficking, forced migration, insecure employment, increased poverty, changes in networks and family support, changes in self-perception, among other effects of disasters.3 In fact, one may argue that no magnitude of research can adequately quantify the overall impact of disasters on women and girls. Yet, women continue to be invisible in Zimbabwe’s disaster risk reduction legislation, policies, and systems. Chipinge District, being a High-risk Zone, can be impacted severely by natural disasters, which was evident from the devastating Cyclone Idai disaster that struck in March 2019. As such, the District Civil Protection Committee would need clear Standard Operating Procedures for Disaster Risk Management in the District that incorporate women’s meaningful leadership and participation.
To this end, WLSA seeks to engage a consultant to develop the District Disaster Risk Management Standard Operating Procedures.

2.Purpose of the Assignment
The Purpose of the Assignment is to Develop Standard Operating Procedures on District Disaster Risk Management in Chipinge District to strengthen disaster management systems and systematically reduce disaster risks. The Consultant must develop District Standard Operating Procedures after engagements with Chipinge District Development Committee.
3.Key Objectives of the Assignment
Undertake literature review in the context of the District Disaster Management initiatives and conduct a consultative meeting with the District Disaster Risk Management Committee.
Consult Provincial and District relevant Stakeholders to obtain technical information and data to complete the risk assessment.
Identify priority areas for prevention, disaster risk reduction/mitigation, preparedness/emergency management plan (Pre-disaster), response plan (during disaster), and reconstruction/recovery plan (post-disaster).
Develop Standard Operating Procedures for disaster response in specific disaster situations with well-defined roles and responsibilities of stakeholders.
Make presentations for validation processes to relevant stakeholders as and when necessary.

Duties and Responsibilities

4. Expected Output and Deliverables
Under the overall supervision of the organisation, the consultant(s) will perform the following substantive duties and responsibilities:
•Prepare an inception report covering the background, objectives, methodological approach, work plan and deliverables for the assignment.
•Develop the assignment guidelines /tools to guide the key informants, focused group discussions and dialogue consultative meetings – to include talking points for the organisation.
•Facilitate focus group discussions and consultative dialogues with key stakeholders as identified in the inception report and endorsed by the organisation.
•Draft consultative and group discussion reports
•Develop the Standard Operating Procedures for District Disaster Risk Management
•Present the Draft SOPs to the organisational team.
•Facilitate an in-person District Validation meeting – of the Draft SOPs with Chipinge District Stakeholder and the Chipinge Civil Protection Unit
•Produce a Validation Report.
•Incorporate recommendations from the Validation Report.
•Produce a Final Standard Operating Procedures for Chipinge District Civil Protection Committee

Qualifications and Experience

5. Key Competencies, Qualifications and Experience
•The consultant(s) should have a postgraduate university degree in social sciences, gender studies, international development, public administration law, human rights, or other relevant fields.
•At least ten (10) years of professional experience in areas of Gender Equality and Women Empowerment (GEWE) and transformative gender and development, with specific emphasis related to the study/assessment of Disaster Risk Management
•Demonstrate expertise in developing Standard Operating Procedures
•Knowledge of relevant national, regional, and international human rights frameworks.
•Demonstrated expertise and Knowledge of Legal and Policy Frameworks on Disaster Risk Management
•Excellent written and oral English

6. Key Deliverables
•Inception Report
•Draft Standard Operating Procedures
•Validation Meeting Report
•Final Draft of the Standard Operating Procedures with recommendations, edited and approved by the organisation.

7. Duration of Assignment
30 days

How to Apply

To apply kindly submit a detailed proposal and budget (not more than three pages excluding CV), indicating: Consultant’s understanding of the work to be done, proposed methodology to be used, Consultant’s rate, Workplan Consultant(s) CV and email to [email protected]