Result of ServiceThis consultancy will contribute to the improved practice of estimating disaster losses and damages in Cambodia. Work LocationPhnom Penh, Cambodia Expected durationFeb-Jun 2025 Duties and ResponsibilitiesCreated in December 1999, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) is the designated focal point in the United Nations system for the coordination of efforts to reduce disasters and to ensure synergies among the disaster reduction activities of the United Nations and regional organizations and activities in both developed and less developed countries. Led by the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction (SRSG/ASG), UNDRR has over 150 staff located in its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and in regional offices. UNDRR guides, monitors, analyses, and reports on progress in the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. It supports regional and national implementation of the Framework and catalyzes action and increases global awareness to reduce disaster risk working with UN Member States and a broad range of partners and stakeholders, including civil society, the private sector, parliamentarians and the science and technology community. UNDRR together with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and World Meteorological Organization (WMO) are jointly developing a new tracking system for hazardous events and disaster losses and damages. The new system targets all regions, and it builds on data from countries using the existing DesInventar system, which has been evolving organically over the last 30 years and it is the only global tool that records events and their impacts at national and local levels. The new system is led by governments in a co-design approach, and it will replace the DesInventar system as the main tool to collect, store and analyse disaster loss data. It will also provide the basis for monitoring progress against the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the SDGs as committed to by countries in 2015. One of the UNDRR’s strategic areas of work in Cambodia is to support the country’s efforts to strengthen the availability of risk knowledge to inform decision making processes for climate and disaster risk reduction and early warnings system across multiple development sectors aligning with the government’s National Action Plan for Disaster Risk Reduction (NAP-DRR) 2024-2028, Cambodia Climate Change Strategic Plan (CCCSP) 2024-2033, Pentagonal Strategy for 2023-2028 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2024-2028. Cambodia faces frequent disasters, including floods, droughts, and storms, causing significant damage to infrastructure, agriculture, and other sectors. Accurate disaster data is critical for effective response, recovery planning, and resource allocation. The Cambodia Disaster Damage and Loss Information (CamDi) system, developed in 2013 and managed by the National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM), records disaster data from 1996 to 2023 and supports data collection at the sub-national level. While it tracks physical damage to some economic assets, it does not capture data on the economic losses and damages caused by disaster events, particularly in critical sectors such as housing, irrigation, agriculture, and water systems. Tools like the Platform for Real-time Impact and Situation Monitoring (PRISM) complement these efforts by providing immediate assessments of impacts on key economic assets. However, neither CamDi nor PRISM has the capability to regularly calculate the cost of losses and damages from disasters. This gap limits policymakers and disaster management agencies in making informed and effective decisions. NCDM plans to enhance the CamDi system to have disaster losses and damages information on key economic assets and sectors to provide a comprehensive understanding of disaster impacts. This improvement would support better recovery planning, resource allocation, and broader actions around climate and disaster risk management, including social protection, early action/anticipatory action, and financing for disaster risk reduction. This consultancy is to support the initial phase of strengthening the CamDi system with mechanisms to calculate sector-specific economic losses and damage, ensuring more effective disaster response and resilience-building in Cambodia. The NCDM plans to enhance Cambodia’s disaster damage and loss information system through a phased approach, which includes the following steps: • Establishing a Working Group: Convene a group comprising representatives from relevant government ministries and departments and undertake stakeholder consultations to define the scope of the initiative. • Developing Methodologies and Procedures: Configure methodologies and procedures to enable the estimation of disaster losses and damages. • Enhancing Data Platforms: Upgrade existing data platforms (e.g., CamDi, PRISM) and improve their interoperability. • Building Capacity: Strengthen the capacities of relevant government departments and officials to apply the methodologies and systems effectively for generating and utilizing data. • Pilot Testing and Rollout: Conduct pilot testing of the enhanced system followed by its nationwide rollout. To steer this initiative, NCDM seeks support from a consultant to facilitate the implementation of the first and the second steps above. The Consultant will be based in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and work under supervision of Programme Management Officer, UNDRR Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP) in close collaboration with representative from NCDM, Cambodia to undertake the following key responsibilities. • Facilitate the establishment of a working group to coordinate and consult with relevant stakeholders on the CamDi upgrading initiative. • Support NCDM assessing existing practices for accounting disaster losses and damages in key sectors/economic assets, including data-sharing mechanisms among ministries and stakeholders. • Work with the selected sector ministries or departments, and non-government partners with the expertise in the sector to support consolidation of appropriate methodologies to be used for regular accounting of disaster losses and damages. Specific Tasks: • Undertake consultations with relevant stakeholders, including government ministries, and departments (including the National Institute of Statistics0, agencies (such as UNDP, WFP, and Food and Agriculture Organization), development partners, and civil society organizations, to define the scope and objectives of the CamDi system enhancement. • Compile the analysis on the existing methodologies, process, and system to record disaster losses and damages information in selected sectors/economic assets; and compile recommendations for enhancement in line with the needs and expectations of NCDM and stakeholders. • Support the establishment of a working group comprising representatives from key sectors such as agriculture, water resources, infrastructure, housing, and planning. • Lead the discussion on the development of standardized methodologies for the estimation of disaster losses and damage across priority sectors/economic assets. Qualifications/special skillsAdvanced university degree in natural resources management, environmental science, climate change, statistics, disaster risk management, or related fields is required. A first-level university degree with at least 2 additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. ● At least 5 years of working experience in climate/disaster risk reduction/management is required. ● Experience in undertaking disaster impact and needs assessment (such as Post Disaster Needs Assessment or Damage and Loss Assessment) is required. ● Experience in working with the Royal Government of Cambodia in policy and planning process is desirable. LanguagesFluency in English and Khmer is required. Additional InformationDue to the high volume of applications received, only successful candidates will be contacted. No FeeTHE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.