Host & Impacted Community Resilience Activity (HICRA)

Organization:
 Friends in Village Development, Bangladesh (FIVDB)
Position:
 Technical Officer, DRR (10 positions)
Location:
District-based positions with designated coverage areas in Cox’s Bazar, Bandarban, Rangamati and Khagrachari
 Contract Length: Open ended
Grade:
 VII Post Type: Regular

INTRODUCTION:
Cox’s Bazar, Bandarban, Rangamati and Khagrachari districts are among the lowest ranked in Bangladesh for education, skills training, food security, poverty and agricultural productivity. The situation has worsened since 2017, with the Rohingya refugee influx, which has put enormous pressure on the local economies, resulting in loss of livelihoods, depressed local wages, and distorted local markets. Moreover, these districts are prone to chronic and rapid onset disasters. The entire Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) and Cox’s Bazar region – ecologically critical in nature – have also emerged as a climate-disaster hotspot. Erratic rainfall, seasonal and flash floods, tidal surges, cyclones, landslides, and droughts, continuously resulting in loss of crops, houses, and lives.
In response, the USAID Host and Impacted Communities Resilience Activity (HICRA) led by Friends In Village Development Bangladesh (FIVDB) is taking an integrated approach to improve the overall well-being and resilience of people residing in the communities hosting or impacted by the Rohingya refugee crisis.  This includes implementing livelihoods; water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH); natural resource management (NRM); and disaster risk reduction (DRR) interventions with an estimated 114,000 households across the four prioritized districts.

ROLE PURPOSE:
The Technical Officer, DRR will play a pivotal role in reducing disaster risks, enhancing community resilience, and achieving HICRA’s objective of improving livelihoods and safety in disaster-prone regions. The Technical Officer, DRR is responsible to ensure effective implementation of the USAID Host and Impacted Community Resilience Activity (HICRA) disaster risk reduction (DRR) activities within his/her designated district including strengthening Disaster Management Committees, leading climate risk action planning, training disaster management volunteers and facilitating awareness raising to reduce negative impacts of disaster. The Technical Officer, DRR will serve as the primary field contact for DRR in terms of supporting frontline staff to carry out DRR-related messaging and training with vulnerable households. This position will coordinate and collaborate with district, upazila and union level team members and key stakeholders, and support reporting, achieving targets, providing actionable insights for program improvement, and enhancing accountability.

SCOPE OF ROLE:
Reports to:
Technical Lead, DRR (Functional)
District Coordinator (Administrative)
Dimensions:
District-based, with assigned upazilas. 80% field visit, occasional trips to Dhaka/Cox’s bazar (if CHT based)
Staff directly reporting to this post:
None
Budget Responsibilities:
Provide insights to support budgeting DRR activities
Key contacts:
District-level technical coordinators, MEL Coordinator, Coordinator - KM & CLA, other Technical Officers, Upazila Coordinators, Union-based Area Coordinators, and front-line staff.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Work Planning

  • Support the development and regular updating of the district and upazila-wise Detailed Action Plan (DAP) for implementation of all DRR activities in the district/designated upazilas based on the HICRA Detailed Implementation Plan (DIP).
  • Prepare monthly work plans for DRR activities based on the DAP, carry out planned activities against DAP targets and track progress against it.
  • Assist the District, Upazila and Area Coordinators to plan DRR activities and track progress.
  • Prepare DRR achievement reports and share with supervisor and relevant TOs/coordinators

Program Implementation and Capacity Building

  • Support the development and implementation of Climate Resilience Action Plans at the village, union, or upazila levels.
  • Assist in the construction or maintenance of disaster-resilient infrastructure, such as flood control and drainage systems.
  • Coordinate cash-for-work (CFW) programs for infrastructure-related activities.
  • Lead sensitization workshops to enhance awareness of disaster risks and preparedness measures.
  • Organize public campaigns and events, such as National Disaster Preparedness Day and International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDR).
  • Develop and disseminate culturally appropriate and pictorial IEC materials in local languages for accessibility.
  • Provide guidance and training on DRR activities/modules, etc. at the Upazila and Union levels.
  • Monitor day-to-day field activities, providing real-time feedback to ensure alignment with project goals.
  • Undertake frequent field visits to both directly carryout and supervise implementation of DRR activities and provide on-the-spot solutions and guidance.
  • Provide on-the-job and structured training for frontline staff in relation to DRR, and coach for improvement.
  • Conduct training sessions for DMC members and community disaster responders on:
    • Disaster preparedness and response.
    • Early warning systems.
    • Evacuation procedures and shelter management.
    • Integration of Climate Resilience Action Plans into annual planning processes.
  • Support skill-building initiatives for local leaders and community members to implement resilience measures effectively.

Coordination and Communication:

  • Participate in monthly district, upazila and union-level coordination meetings and provide support in insight in relation to DRR activities. 
  • Support Upazila Coordinators to develop monthly work plans in accordance with approved project detailed implementation plan (DIP) with a focus on DRR, and ensure they understand what is needed to carry out planned activities against DIP targets.

Collaboration, Learning and Adaptation

  • Collaborate with local government bodies, traditional leaders, and NGOs to align interventions with community needs.
  • Facilitate coordination between DMCs and stakeholders, including the Department of Disaster Management (DDM), LGED, and DPHE at Upazila level.
  • Support private sector engagement to enhance DRR infrastructure and services.
  • Contribute to the documentation of lessons learned, success stories and best practices.
  • Watch and report on any new DRR-related needs arising in the project target areas
  • Participate in any orientation/training organized by program team/management

Data Collection, Reporting and Documentation

  • Generate monthly activity progress.
  • Collect data during CRAs and post-disaster assessments.
  • Document progress, challenges, and lessons learned related to training, infrastructure development, and community engagement.
  • Submit regular reports to the project management team to inform strategic adjustments.
  • Ensure adherence to ethical standards
  • Provide logistical and other support for data collectors hired/contracted by HICRA for any DRR-related survey, assessment, etc.
  • Maintain organized and up-to-date documentation of activities.
  • Assist in analyzing quantitative and qualitative data to understand DRR program performance and impact.
  • Support external and internal project evaluations, assessments, etc. as per need
  • Support the dissemination of DRR-related findings
  • Collaborate closely with the MEL team to receive, provide and address feedback to improve data quality and accuracy.
  • Support the implementation of data quality assurance (iDQA) protocols for DRR activities.
  • Ensure consistency of documentation with USAID and HICRA requirements.
  • Monitor the progress and effectiveness of resilience-building activities and infrastructure development.
  • Conduct post-training evaluations and debriefing sessions to refine emergency response strategies.
  • Ensure compliance with national DRR strategies and HICRA’s Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) framework.
Any other tasks assigned by the Supervisor

ESSENTIAL

Working experience:

  • At least 3 years of experience in any development organization. .
  • Experience in providing training to government officials
  • Experience training, coaching and/or mentoring frontline staff on DRR.
  • Experience of working in multi-sectoral programs (funded by USAID preferred)
  • Working familiarity with USAID requirements, regulations, and policies preferred
  • Experience in facilitating and supporting programmatic decision making, adaptive management, and learning.

Knowledge:

  • In-depth understanding of Disaster Management Act and the Government of Bangladesh’s Standing Orders on Disaster
  • Knowledge and skills in implementing DRR initiatives at the district, upazila and/or union level, (preferably for USAID-supported interventions)
  • Contextual knowledge of CHT region and Cox’s Bazar will be a value addition
  • Proficiency in tools such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for vulnerability mapping and disaster risk assessment is preferred.

Skills:

  • Good organizational skills, ability to pay close attention to detail and capable of reporting in a timely manner.
  • Good facilitation and coordination skills
  • Willingness and ability to live within and travel frequently to the program areas in Cox’s Bazar and the CHT districts, and other locations as required.
  • Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines accurately and on time;
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office Applications, experience in data entry and data management software including mobile based data collection apps will be advantageous
  • Capacity and willingness to be flexible and accommodating in difficult working circumstances.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication in Bangla and English.
  • Conversant in a relevant local language will be an added advantage
  • Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience

Competencies:

  • Credibility
  • Leading and inspiring others
  • Delivering results
  • Developing self and others
  • Problem solving and decision making
  • Innovating and adapting

DESIRABLE

Academic:

  • Bachelor’s Degree in Social Science, Development Studies, Disaster Management, Anthropology or relevant discipline preferred.

Expertise:

  • Technical expertise to perform the DRR activities in the areas of disaster risk assessment, capacity building, community-based disaster preparedness, early warning systems, and resilience-building measures.
  • Experience in engaging with indigenous communities and marginalized groups.
  • Experience in collaborating and coordinating with local authorities, local leaders, and other relevant stakeholders on DRR-related and reporting issues.
  • Experience of working with international and national NGOs within a consortium arrangement.
  • Experience in implementing effective accountability mechanisms that enable the program to receive, respond, and act upon feedback and complaints from the program participants and other stakeholders.
  • Experience working in Cox’s Bazar and Chittagong Hill Districts is desired

Attitudes:

  • Ability to work independently or as a member of the team, ability to thrive in a matrix organization.
  • Ability to be detail-oriented, and ability to manage stress effectively in a fast-paced environment.
  • Ability to maintain confidentiality on work-related matters.
  • Non-discriminatory and gender sensitive
  • Willing to work in remote, rural locations

Additional job responsibilities:
The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.

Health and Safety:
The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with HICRA Health and Safety policies and procedures.

Application Deadline : December 21, 2024