Disaster Resilience Engineer

National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC)

NATIONAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT FINANCE COMMITTEE
REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (CONSULTING SERVICES – INDIVIDUAL SELECTION)
COUNTRY : MALAWI
NAME OF PROJECT : REGIONAL CLIMATE RESILIENCE PROGRAM FOR EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA 2 (RCRP)
PROJECT ID # : P181308
Assignment Title : DISASTER RESILIENCE ENGINEER (1)
Reference No. : MW-NLGFC-485250-CS-INDV
Date of Issue : 28th March, 2025

1. Introduction
The Government of Malawi with support from the World Bank is implementing the Regional Climate Resilience Programme 2 (RCRP-2). The programme development objective (PDO) is to strengthen the resilience to water-related dimate shocks in Eastern and Southern African countries. The RCRP-2 is a 5-year programme (2024-2029) for rehabilitation of critical infrastructure impacted by Tropical Cyclone Freddy using Crisis Response Window (CRW) resources and address the more chronic vulnerabilities in the Shire River Basin by investing in critical infrastructure at national and district level; strengthening institutional frameworks and accountability, incorporating climate considerations into the planning, implementation, operation, and maintenance of new infrastructure; and strengthening community resilience and social protection system consistent with Series of Projects (SOP) approach. This will build a situation whereby people can live sustainably with the flood/ drought risk, through a properly overseen and managed basin in terms of its competing uses.

The overarching Development Objective of the SOP will be achieved by:

  1. Strengthening participating countries and regional organizations’ capacity to manage disasters risk, including via improved national and regional early warning systems (EWS)
  2. Improving access to climate financing to finance climate adaptation investment,
  3. Mainstream climate resilience in water infrastructure planning, and generally in water institutions,
  4. Increase infrastructure resilience, including by improving Operation and Management (O&M) systems, with focus on large storage and flood risk management infrastructure.
  5. Improve community-level awareness and response capacity, including by establishing/strengthening adaptive social protection system

The National Local Government Finance Committee over-sees implementation of the sub-components 2.2, 3.1 and 3.2 of the programme. The NGFC PIU reports to Project Coordination Unit domiciled at Department of Economic Planning and Development and will be responsible for the district-lead resilience building implemented through the local authorities. The National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC) therefore intends to use the funding from the World Bank through sub-component 2.2 district-lead resilience building to finance the execution and supervision functions at district level and selected key structural and non-structural interventions to manage flooding, improve land management, enhance emergency preparedness and response at district level. The sub-component mimics the Performance-Based Granting funding mechanism.

The local authorities will implement sub-projects with clear reference to eligibility menu of the programme, multi-hazard risk atlas and disaster risk management strategies.

The National Local Government Finance Committee therefore invites applications from suitably qualified candidates to fill the position of Disaster Resilience Engineer to be part of the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) positioned at National Local Government Finance Committee.

2. POSITION DESCRIPTION

2.1 The project seeks to recruit one Disaster Resilience Engineer as a Consultant.

Tasks and Responsibilities

2.2 The Consultant will work in the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) office. He/she will lead the review of district interventions under the programme and ensuring that they respond to multi-hazard risk assessment of the relevant district. The consultant will support the Project Engineer, other specialists and local authorities to ensure designs are disaster resilient, and ensure completeness of Bill of Quantities (BoQs), tendering and engineering cost estimates for the sub-projects. Specific responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

  1. Provide technical inputs, supporting screening of district led interventions including advisory for required analytics to ensure focus on resilience of proposed interventions;
  2. Provide technical inputs and assistance related to issues/activities/ investments with dear focus on building resilience through mainstreaming of risk reduction in sectoral investments, including inputs into scope of works, preliminary designs, cost estimates, and bidding documents; supporting conceptualization of/supervision of physical as well as non-structural investments; helping introduce innovative technical solutions and approaches, such as green infrastructure solutions, or nature-based solutions; etc;
  3. Support the local authorities in validating risks profile for each respective intervention and facilitate identification of measures to significantly lower the possibility and severity of the risks so as to prevent effect of disasters to the communities through engineering technological practice;
  4. Support the local authorities with engineering disaster risks management functions relating to infrastructure rehabilitation and reconstruction implemented under district led resilience building sub component and other sub components under the PlU;
  5. Guide and work closely with district engineers in coordinating project rehabilitation and reconstruction works, ensuring compliance with social and environmental safeguards;
  6. Coordinate undertaking and/or documentation of all necessary surveys for the design of infrastructure to be developed under the Project.;
  7. Support design options stakeholder consultation (with communities and relevant departments) so that their inputs are incorporated in the designs to ensure acceptance and ownership of solutions to be developed;
  8. Monitoring changes to engineering construction works ensuring that any changes have no adverse effect on the sub-project and they are undertaken following sub-project works change protocols including documentation;
  9. Provide input into the compilation of sub-project progress reports (and other project reports) including review and approval of contractor’s reports;
  10. Coordinate training and mentoring of district staff on disaster risk management protocols and the resilience screening tool developed for the subcomponent;
  11. Provide advisory to Deputy Project coordinator on issues of disaster resilience engineering nature that need the attention of the Project Technical Committees and Project Steering Committee; and
  12. Facilitate preparation of work plans and budgets for sectors with infrastructure rehabilitation activities to ensure relevance to outputs and outcomes of the programme.

3. QUALIFICATIONS

Key Qualifications

  1. At least a Master’s degree or equivalent in relevant technical field such as Hydrology, Hydro Engineering, Civil Engineering, Water Resources Management, buildings etc.
  2. 10 years relevant experience in flood risk management, flood protection infrastructure, hydro-engineering, catchment management or relevant resilient infrastructure development experience.
  3. Strong organizational, research, and oral presentation skills.
  4. Proven ability to work in a team and intercultural environment, with minimal supervision.
  5. Hands-on and action-oriented approach.
  6. Excellent analytical and writing skills.
  7. Enthusiasm for, and commitment to development work
  8. Excellent oral and written communication skills in English
  9. Willing to travel within the country
  10. Professional registration with an approved professional body;

4. Deliverables

The key deliverables shall include the following:

  1. Annual Investment Plans with disaster risk responsive interventions;
  2. Quarterly Disaster risk management reports of all implementation sites;
  3. Annual Disaster risk screening tool with due consideration to Multi hazard risk atlas;
  4. Technical supervision reports; and
  5. Monthly progress report adherence of sub component intervention to disaster resilience engineering protocols and other reports timely compiled.

5. DURATION OF ASSIGNMENT

The Contract is for three-years with contract eligible for review and renewal annually depending on satisfactory performance appraisal results.

6. LOCATION OF EMPLOYMENT
The Disaster Resilience Engineer will be based at the PIU Office in Lilongwe, but would be required to travel regularly to local authorities where the RCRP is implementing its activities.

7. REPORTING
The Disaster Resilience Engineer will report to the Project Engineer in all administrative, operational and technical issues related to his/her functions.

8. Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below (in person, or by mail, or by e-mail) by 10th April, 2025.

The IPDC Chairperson
National Local Government Finance Committee
Box 31162
Lilongwe 3
Malawi.
Email: ed@nlgfc.gov.mw, procurment@nlgfc.gov.mw
copy: flemingsnyirenda@gmail.com/aphiamalux1984@yahoo.com