National Early Warning System Specialist

Reporting Lines:

The Early Warning System Specialist reports to the Project Manager and will work in consultation with the unit team leader.

Technical Focus:

 Leads the planning, development, and implementation of the EWS.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements   

• University degree in meteorology, agro-meteorology, hydrology, agriculture, environmental sciences, natural resources management, disaster risk reduction, or a related field
• Five years of relevant experience in agriculture, early warning systems, vulnerability analysis, disaster risk management, information technology, and/or project management
• Working knowledge of English and limited knowledge of one of the other FAO official languages (French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Russian)

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions is desirable. 
• The extent of relevant work experience in implementing Early Warning Systems in Uganda or in East Africa
• The extent of experience and knowledge of modern information technology tools and techniques including real-time data collection, storage, and analysis
• The extent of experience and knowledge with Geographic Information Systems, remote sensing, or computer programming
• The extent of experience and knowledge of managing technical projects

Tasks and responsibilities:

The Early Warning System Specialist will: 

• Develop technical design of the Early Warning System and leads all technical consultations with OPM, DLGs, and other Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Government of Uganda;
• Determine system requirements, including information technology infrastructure and datasets, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders and FAO divisions;
• Carry out a disaster risk prioritization exercise for the Karamoja sub-region, including analyzing recurrence intervals, likelihood assessments, and impact assessment;
• Lead the process of indicator selection in consultation with key stakeholders as well as build stakeholder consensus of (biophysical) thresholds for early action and response;
• Develop a template for EWS bulletins and integrate bulletin generation through the system in consultation with key stakeholders;
• Determine and design a strategy for the EWS bulletin to enrich livelihoods and impact socio activities in Karamoja meaningfully;
• Develop a communication strategy to ensure EWS messages are disseminated to communities of Karamoja through an appropriate medium;
• Determine and develop strategies to ensure that the EWS Bulletin reaches and is read by the communities of the Karamoja sub-region;
• Develop and maintain an Early Action repository for Karamoja sub-region as well as contribute to DLG contingency planning processes;
• Contribute to the disaster scenario planning exercises in collaboration with key project stakeholders;
• Develop technical Terms of Reference (ToRs) for implementing partners and support all procurement processes in line with FAO’s rules and regulations;
• Supervise and coordinate the work of capacity building officers based at DLGs of Karamoja sub-region;
• Contribute to the development and implementation of the project’s Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEAL) framework;
• Identify and develop training and capacity building opportunities for project staff and stakeholders;
• Attend project coordination meetings as well as support the work of the project steering committees;
• Regularly travel to Karamoja sub-region for project monitoring and provision of technical support;
• Perform any other duties related to the development and implementation of the EWS.