Asking for one Project Support Associate for Kolkata Municipal

Corporation for GOI-UNDP Urban Risk Reduction Project in West

Bengal

Terms of Reference

Post Title: Project Support Associate – Urban Risk Reduction

Project

Organization: Disaster Management Department, Government of West

Bengal

Duty Station: Kolkata Municipal Corporation

Duration: One year

Type of Contract: Service Contract

This vacancy is open to applicants of either sex. Preference will be given to equally qualified
women candidates.
Candidates should mention clearly the preferred duty station

Background:

GOI - UNDP has been providing funds and implementation support to the Disaster
Management Department, Government of West Bengal for DRMP covering 10 multi-
hazard prone districts in the State. The programme has come to an end in June
2009. Based on the lessons learnt, recommendations of the evaluations conducted,
priorities identified in the Eleventh Five Year Plan, provisions of the National
Disaster Management Act 2005, Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) and GOI-
UNDP’s mandate, a new Disaster Risk Reduction Programme has been formulated
through a consultative process. This programme would focus on disaster risk
reduction and has essentially five components:

§ Strengthened State Disaster Management Department (SDMA) and District

Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) to fulfill the responsibilities stipulated
in the National DM Act (2005), especially with respect to DRM;
§ Methodologies and modalities developed for ensuring risk reduction through
development programmes of all partners at national, state and community
levels;

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 § Urban risk reduction undertaken by addressing planning and development
issues through suitable legislative and regulatory mechanisms; and
§ Recovery framework setup through which the people affected by disasters
are able to access resources for rebuilding their lives and to revive their
livelihoods.
• Strengthening of knowledge and information sharing platform in disaster
management.

The new GOI-UNDP DRR Programme will comprise of two separate but
mutually reinforcing projects:

(i) Disaster Risk Reduction Project which will result in Institutional strengthening and
capacity building for disaster risk reduction. This project will be implemented by
National Disaster Management Authority.

(ii) Urban Risk Reduction Project which will be implemented in selected cities of
India with focus on multi hazards. This project will be implemented by Ministry Of
Home Affairs.

In order to operationalise the new DRR Programme, and to strengthen the

implementation capacity at the city level, it is proposed to recruit Project Support
Associates in the selected cities under the Urban Risk Reduction Project.

The Project Support Associates will be posted with the District/Municipality

Administration. She/he will work in coordination with the Municipality / City Nodal
Agencies of the project under the technical guidance of Disaster Management
Department, GoWB and UNDP, and he/she shall be working under the overall
supervision of the City / Municipality Nodal Agencies (District Administrations) of the
Urban Risk Reduction project.

The incumbent will carry out the following specific tasks:

Duties and Responsibilities

• Prepare Annual work plans, budgets and proposals for systematic

implementation and monitoring of the Urban Risk Reduction project activities
at the city levels in line with the agreed timelines;

• Organize city level meetings, workshops and consultations to develop the

framework to implement the strategies under the project including
coordination with the city level authorities and relevant departments to seek
administrative and logistics support, whenever required;

• Coordinate with all the city and if necessary district and state level authorities
to assist the City Nodal Agency in seeking ownership and positioning of the
project activities within the overall administrative structure at the city, district
and the state levels to attain the desired results;

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 • Provide substantive inputs and guidance to the City Nodal Agencies in
networking and building partnerships between the City Nodal Agency and the
other parastatal agencies to seek their engagement in the project activities;

• Prepare concept notes and proposals including implementation/monitoring

framework to conduct hazard risk and vulnerability assessment and City
Disaster Management Plan in a participatory manner;

• Provide support in preparing framework and strengthening capacity for

implementation of community based disaster risk management activities and
preparation of community level DM plans;

• Organize and coordinate training programmes for practicing engineers,

architects, builders, and Urban-Local-body (ULB) functionaries with specific
reference to promote hazard resistant construction practices.

• Facilitate in reviewing the existing provisions of the building byelaws and

advocate for appropriate amendments as required for structural safety.

• Facilitate in strengthening the existing enforcement mechanisms and support

in developing systems for Audit of safe building practices

• Facilitate development of necessary IEC strategy and literature and support

advocacy of urban risk reduction;

• Prepare financial and physical monthly and quarterly progress reports and
project completion report;

• Promote inter-city cooperation and support in establishing networks to share

their experiences and resources on urban risk reduction;

• Support the city/district administration in ensuring close linkages with the

SDMA/ DM Department and Department of Urban Development; and

• Any other task as assigned by the Disaster Management Department, GoWB

Educational Qualifications

Degree / Masters in Urban and Regional Planning, Social Sciences or Public

Administration from any recognized university.
Good understanding of development issues especially in the urban context and
social sector programmes and schemes would be an asset.

Work Experience

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 • 1-2 years of experience in disaster risk management programmes/projects,
preferably in organizations working in the field of DM; experience of working
with Government system will be preferred.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, team oriented work style, interest and
experience of working multi-cultural environment;
• Indian nationality
• A good exposure to disaster risk management / urban planning, particularly at
the field level would be an advantage.

Knowledge and Skills:

• Excellent writing, communication and analytical skills

• Strong interpersonal skills, team oriented work style, and experience of
working in a multi-cultural team situation
• Preference will be given to the candidates belonging to the same district for
which he/she has applied.
• Proficiency in computers and web applications

Language Requirements:

• Command over written and spoken Bangla and English language

Interested person should send their detailed CV along with attested photocopies of
all supporting documents to Joint Secretary, Disaster Management Department and
S.P.O., GOI UNDP DRR Programme, Block-F, 4th Floor, Writers’ Buildings, Kolkata
– 700001; Phone:033-22145855 by 23 August, 2010. The same can also be sent
through email to the following addresses: wbdrmp@yahoo.com