Location  Dhangadhi with frequent travel MRED implemented districts 
Position Status:  Full-time 
Current Employee:  N/A 
Salary: Level M1

Program/Department Summary 

Managing Risk through Economic Development (M-RED) program with the goal to develop and implement a model for integrated disaster risk reduction (DRR) and economic development activities, building sustained and market-driven approaches to DRR that increase resiliency to multiple disasters. 

The program targets vulnerable communities in Nepal, Timor Leste, and Indonesia building on Mercy Corps’ experience in the countries. Activities initiated at the community and household levels will be those that both mitigate disaster risks and increase income levels. Communities will increase their DRR knowledge and capacity. While at the same time, increasing their economic opportunities by engaging in the production, value addition, and sale of crops utilized for disaster mitigation with the dual purpose of increasing household incomes. 

The program will reinforce new or improved economic opportunities by enabling communities and households to access markets for inputs and sales of high-demand/ high-value commodities. In many cases, markets for targeted products already exist, but communities are not taking advantage of the opportunities due to inappropriate harvesting and processing techniques, poor access to inputs and weak links to buyers. By carrying out market assessments, and by facilitating linkages between household level producers and local markets, the program will work to overcome these obstacles. 

General Position Summary 

The DRR and Resilience Technical Advisor, under the leadership of Program Manager is responsible for leading and implementing the disaster risk management strategy and interventions with the MRED team members and implementing partners of MRED project. S/he will ensure the quality delivery of disaster risk reduction interventions to meet the project objectives and outcomes. S/he will work closely with all stakeholders (partners, communities, district and provincial disaster risk management institutions, private sector service providers, relevant ministries, NGOs and UN agencies). Most particularly our district-level implementing partners, to provide an effective, timely and strategic support. This DRRR Technical Advisor role will also serve as a coordinating focal point for DRR stakeholders. 

As gender equality and social inclusion (GESI), safeguarding, governance, and environmental sensitivity are cross-cutting and core components of all MC projects, the Technical Advisors required to own these components and ensure these components are integrated into his/her work area 

Essential Job Functions

Management 

• Lead design and implementation of DRR and ensure that program strategies and implementation follows the Resilience Principles. 
• Planning and budgeting for DRR component and provide support to project team for timely implementation of DRR component. 

Capacity building 

• Identify partners’ capacity building needs on risk assessment process, preparedness & response, Early warning system and climate change adaptation and implement the capacity building interventions. 
• Provide support to the local implementing partner staff in enhancing their knowledge, capacity and awareness of Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience. 
• Orient and support the implementing partners team to scale and replicate the best practices and learning of the project. 

Technical Assistance 

• Technical lead for designing/improvements of DRR and Resilience component that includes support for assessment, design, authorization and design of all DRR interventions. 
• Develop/adopt and deliver training on DRR and Resilience to the project team and stakeholders. 
• Coordinate and facilitate district and provincial level DRR events related to studies/assessments, workshops, training and orientation programs and formal/informal interactions with program beneficiaries, partners and stakeholders. 
• Develop strategic guidance documents and assist project teams to implement the strategy and interventions ensuring the quality delivery of the activities. 
• Support the District Coordinators and Project Coordinators (PCs) to organize district, Palikas and community level events/workshops/trainings. 
• Provide technical support to implementing partner staff to assist them in carrying out VCA and ensure that the participatory risk assessment integrates climate risk that affects people’s livelihood. 
• Provide technical support and coordinate with the LDMC, DDMC, PDMC for government’s capacity building on emergency preparedness and response. This includes strengthening of risk assessment and planning process, specifically VCA process, LDCRP preparation, EOC establishment at different level, DMC formation and mobilization, DPRP and EWS, DEOC and facilitating DPRP and DRR strategy and policy. 

Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Documentation 

• Work closely with the MERL team to develop and implement tools for DRR and Resilience components specifically implementation of Disaster Readiness Measurement tool. 
• Designing DRR and Resilience specific research to document evidence based learnings. 
• Participate and support implementing partners to prepare monthly/quarterly plan and to generate quality progress reports and documents capturing project learning’s and good practices. 
• Ensure that innovative approaches, good practices, particular challenges, or good results are documented to support agency learning. 
• Ensure monitoring of field level project activities is on time, target and budget, and propose recommendations for improvements.  

Coordination and collaboration

• Coordinate and collaborate with the MC-N projects, government departments and offices in the Palikas, district and province to achieve the overall goal of community resilience through coordinated planning of resources and leveraging 
• Establish good coordination with government and non-government stakeholders to prevent duplication of actions and ensure the synergy and collaborative efforts. 
• Establish good relationships with implementing partners and assist/advice for organization development needs. 
• Facilitate linkage between program communities and government or private actor to leverage resources for the replication of program approaches. 

Security 

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership. 
• Proactively ensure that team members and community operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.

Organizational Learning

• As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves. 

Accountability to Beneficiaries 

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects. 
• Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues. 

Safeguarding, Ethics & Integrity 

• All Mercy Corps staff members are expected to behave ethically and demonstrate the highest integrity in their professional and personal life. Mercy Corps has zero tolerance to any form of fraud, corruption, abuse, harassment or exploitation. Any breach of our policies or misconduct will lead to disciplinary action or may lead to termination. 
• Mercy Corps has zero tolerance for abuse, sexual misconduct and sexual exploitation (PSEA) of the people we work with and our own staff members. All staff must commit to internal policies. 

Others 

• Ensure proper integration of safeguarding and GESI aspects into sector specific project planning and implementation. 
• Mercy Corps as a humanitarian agency is expected to respond as and when crisis and humanitarian situation engulfs. As an MC employee all staff are expected to be part of humanitarian and emergency response in addition to their regular roles and responsibilities. 
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence. 
• Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and not to jeopardize its humanitarian mission. 
• Other duties as assigned by his/her supervisor and or Country Director. 

Supervisory Responsibility: None 

Accountability: Country Director, Director of Programs, MRED Program Director, Project Manager, Mercy Corps policies and procedures and M-RED project team in the field 

Reports Directly to: MRED Program Manager 

Works Directly with: Mercy Corps Nepal’s operations, HR, finance and other program teams; MRED project team, implementing partners and stakeholders. 

• Familiar with DRR and Resilience risk assessment tools and process. 
• Extensive experience in designing and setup of community based early warning systems. 
• Experience of working with stakeholders related to DRR/CCA to conduct VCA and facilitate preparation of LDCRP and DPRP etc. 
• Strong training facilitation skill. 
• Experience of working with local NGOs and partnership management. 
• Strong team coordination, listening, and consensus building skills. 
• Strong training development and facilitation skills 
• Strong computer skills in MS Office programs. 
• Good oral and written English skills 
• Sound judgment skill within agreed processes using a good understanding of the operating environment, project team and partners 
• Negotiation, networking, coordination and representation skills with key local actors 

Success Factors

The successful Advisor will combine exceptional collaborative and technical skills with a focus on disaster risk management approach and tools specifically experienced on integrated models of disaster risk reduction and market system development. S/he will also need to have a positive ‘can do attitude’ and work under pressure. S/he will have an ability to think creatively about improving the quality and impact of programs. Prioritizing, problem solving and the capacity to balance attention to detail and maintaining strategic vision are essential.  

The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations. 

• A master degree in environment, DRM, social science, development or related field. 
• At least 5 years of relevant experience of working in rural communities through community based approaches in Disaster Risk Reduction, Livelihood & Economic Development.