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  • Posted: Feb 6, 2020
    Deadline: Feb 7, 2020
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    Our Vision Knowledge for better livelihoods. Our Mission To strengthen the capacity and policies of African countries and institutions to harness science, technology and innovation for sustainable development. Our Value Proposition To conduct high quality research, policy analysis, capacity strengthening and outreach on applications of science, technolo...
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    Post-Doctoral Research Fellow: Disaster Management Policy

    The Nairobi  Urban Disaster Risk Hub

    Disasters represent one of the greatest threats to humanity, currently and in the future. In the context of urbanization, cities are increasingly becoming hotspots for disasters with over 60% of the world’s population living in urban areas. Resilience of these cities is critical to the livelihoods and sustainability of world’s population. The Nairobi Urban Disaster Risk Hub is part of a larger research project funded by UKRI Global Challenges Research Fund known as the “Tomorrow’s Cities” programme, which is a five year interdisciplinary global research programme where the mission is “to reduce disaster risk for the poor in tomorrow’s cities”. The project works globally to bring multi-hazard disaster risk management to the centre of urban policy and practice and the focus for our research is on four rapidly developing cities: Nairobi, Kathmandu, Istanbul and Quito. In Nairobi, this exciting opportunity brings together leading researchers,  community representatives and government leaders to work towards an unprecedented resolution to influence planning and to deliver real impact through interdisciplinary research.

    Floods, collapsing buildings, and fires are prevalent hazards in Nairobi. While most parts of the city experiences such disasters in different magnitude, Nairobi’s informal settlements (slums) are major frontiers of these hazards, both natural and human risks owing to a number of compounding reasons. For instance, fires are common phenomenon in slums often emerging from various sources including electrical faults (resulting from poor/illegal electrical infrastructure), poor cooking spaces among others.  The main goal for the Nairobi Hub is to provide Nairobi with the capacity and policy framework that enables a shift from crisis/emergency response towards integrated urban development and planning for enhanced disaster risk preparedness and management, through policy relevant and transdisciplinary research. The need for such a transition is recognized at the Nairobi city county government level, reflected among others in the Nairobi Disaster Management Act 2019, which is currently under review.

    The Nairobi hub is managed and run by organizations with excellent track records in research, policy and community work:

    1. African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS): The hub is led by ACTS as the coordinating partner – hosting the hub office. ACTS is an independent, not for profit, inter-governmental, and Pan-African development and policy research organization, working to harness applications of science, technology and innovation for accelerated sustainable development in Africa. Founded in ACTS 1988, ACTS remains one of the leading think tanks in Africa with a specific mandate to conduct research and policy analysis; to provide technical advisory services; and to undertake capacity building and dissemination of knowledge on applications of science, technology and innovation for sustainable development. Within its mandate, ACTS works on various timely research projects hosted within a variety of timely and contextually relevant programmes: Climate Resilient Economies (CRE), and STI for development and Agriculture and food security. ACTS has established itself as a centre for excellence informing green growth and sustainable development in Africa and internationally. In 2016, ACTS was ranked among the top 3 think tanks in climate change, resilience research and policy influence globally - an improvement in relation to the think tanks ranking in the past. The ranking, an authoritative and worldwide known assessment of the most cutting-edge institutions working in the field of climate change economics and policy, by the International Centre for Climate Governance (ICCG) under the “ICCG Climate Think Tank Ranking Initiative is based on organizational activities, publications and dissemination.. The 2016 ranking assessed 244 think tanks specialized in the research fields of climate change and climate policy.
    2. University of Nairobi: The University of Nairobi will co-lead a number of research activities under risk modelling and community resilience planning. The Centre for Urban Research and Innovation (CURI), is a centre of excellence on urban research, and is part of a consortia formed to help plan Mukuru. CURI has continued to participate in many community-based initiatives such as informal settlements upgrading, Community Fire Response Mechanisms, Urban Learning Studios, Sustainable Urban Mobility, Land and Natural resources tenure security, Urban Development Control Policy, and Unlocking Poverty and upscaling the Respect for Rights in Informal Settlements. Other departments – Geography & Geology – will bring in key experts in physical hazards research. Further the University, is help strengthen our impact strategy through anchoring capacity building strategies, multi-hazard courses and executive trainings among others.
    3. Kounkuey Design Initiative (KDI): KDI is a non-profit design and community development organization registered as a Non-Governmental Organization in Kenya since 2013. KDI partners with underserved communities to physically transform communities and in the process, improve environmental, economic and social quality of life.
    4. Nairobi’s City-County Government: The City-County government is the primary authority charged with providing public services and mandated to develop the City Disaster Management Plan. The Nairobi city-county government will be the lead impact partner for the hub, and will co-host the community of practice meetings with partners.
    5. Slum Dwellers International (SDI) Kenya: A key support NGO for Nairobi’s federation of urban poor groups (Muungano wa Wanavijiji), a partner in the Mukuru Spatial Planning Area (SPA) consortium, and an affiliate of Shack/Slum Dwellers International. SDI Kenya, is the non-profit technical and professional secretariat for the federation of Kenyan slum residents known as Muungano Wa Wanavijiji. SDI Kenya is part of the Kenyan alliance (with Akiba Mashinani Trust Muungano waWanavijiji), that is charged with coordination, community organization and communication. As part of SDI, the Akiba Mashinani Trust is also involved to support linkages with the Spatial Planning Area.
    6. UK-based partners: to support research, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL), as well as management and leadership. These include experts from the Kings College London, University of Sussex- Institute of Development Studies, University of Edinburgh, University of Leeds, and the UK Met Office. Various physical and social scientists from these Universities have been integrated to support various research work packages taking place in the City. Other indirect partners include the Mukuru Community and a Community of Practice to be structured - who will be instrumental in the pathway to impact.
    7. Global partners: the Risk Nexus Initiative (RNI), which has networks in Costa Rica, Spain, South America and India.

    Specific Objectives of the Nairobi Urban Disaster Risk Hub

    Nairobi Hub will adopt a transformative approach that seeks to utilize interdisciplinary research evidence as a tool for convening various stakeholders to achieve the specific objectives listed below;

    1. To apply interdisciplinary research evidence to convene and strengthen the emerging community of practice around Disaster Risk Reduction, enabling it to work to reduce multiple risks in a more coordinated and collective fashion, and creating awareness on multi-hazard thinking collective action;
    2. Support the incorporation of co-produced disaster risk reduction measures in new pro-poor action planning initiatives in low-income (informal) settlements; risks from the city’s multiple and interacting hazards, particularly for more vulnerable residents;
    3. To support the design of a more risk-sensitive policy framework built on the multi-hazard thinking particularly in relation to more proactive management of risk accumulation currently associated with the city’s urban growth and expansion;
    4. Provide compelling examples of multiple interacting risks and how they can be co-managed by state and non-state actors;

    We are seeking a qualified candidate for the position of a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow: Disaster Management Policy to engage and support research in the area of policy analysis and decision making support for the Nairobi Urban Disaster Risk Hub.

    Purpose of the position

    This position is aimed at supporting the policy analysis and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) policy development for the Nairobi City, based on the work articulated under the Nairobi Hub work programme and the Theory of Change.  The position is expected to support the mapping and understanding of historical transitions in Nairobi and their implications for disaster risk, and the gaps and opportunities to inform strategies for better integration of risk in urban governance. The holder of this position is expected to have a clear understanding that integrated and informed risk management approaches require a clear understanding of historical and current context and drivers of vulnerability as well as future policy and governance scenarios. Ideally, this position is expected to play a catalytic role in understanding and promoting a desired culture shift from emergency response to more integrated risk preparedness and development planning.  Additionally, the individual will be expected to play a key role in supporting the science-policy relationships through supporting research translation, convening policy roundtables and supporting the establishment of a systematic and organized community of practice in DRR management in Nairobi and in line with the Hub’s theory of change. 

    Programme: Nairobi Urban Disaster Risk Hub under the Climate Resilient Economies Programme and the Africa Sustainability Hub at the African Centre for Technology Studies

    Line manager: Dr Joanes Atela (Head of Climate Resilient Economies Programme and City Lead - Nairobi Risk Hub) at the African Centre for Technology Studies, and UK City Co-leads - Dr Lars Otto Naess (Institute of Development Studies) and Dr Dave Rush (University of Edinburgh).

    Qualifications

    • The candidate should possess a PhD in relevant fields including Disaster Management, Public Policy, Development Studies, International Relations, Environmental Policy, Sustainability Studies, or other relevant field.
    • A minimum of 2 years of relevant experience in research and policy analysis
    • Experience in applied research is critical for this position
    • A good record of academic publications and policy/stakeholder convening will be an added advantage
    • Preference will be given to applicants with demonstrated experience in working in research and policy environment and ambitious career goal around research and development.

    Skills and competences

    • Excellent interpersonal, management and communication skills with proven ability to support narratives to describe results.
    • A team player with ability to build strong working relationships, and experience working across different disciplines.
    • Ability to work under limited supervision and meet deadlines
    • Good writing skills and demonstrated ability to engage in technical writing
    • Ability to write effectively and report to different audiences.
    • Demonstrated ability to deliver to tight deadlines and to work on a wide range of different demands.

    Main Responsibilities

    Research

    • Support the establishment of an inventory of organizations, institutions, policies and legislation on risk management in Nairobi and in informal settlements, applying innovative methodologies such as desk study (data from a wide scan of sources including the UrbanARK & ForPAC projects’ historical loss databases, National Disaster Operations Centre, and a range of other sources), key informant interviews, Participatory Impact Pathways Analysis (PIPA), and the UN-HABITAT City Resilience Action Planning tool.
    • In collaboration with various research teams, work closely with the database management specialist to establish an online database of risks and other resilience variables including population, building development, investments, vulnerability, gender, risk loss data across hazards among others.
    • Contribute to the synthesis of the inventory data into a background paper for the Hub -outlining the social, economic and policy drivers shaping the risk context in Nairobi, map of actors and institutions.
    • Contribute to the review and understanding of the urban transitions – documenting the past, present and future urban risk patterns (urban morphology) in Nairobi, and the relationship between the urban poor and city level processes.
    • In close consultation with the gender post-doctoral research fellow, support the analysis of gender/intersectionality and social differentiation at the settlement (Mukuru) and city level.
    • With guidance from the senior researchers, analyse the governance barriers and opportunities for integration of risk in urban governance, both city-wide and as it relates to the Mukuru informal settlement.
    • Undertake in-depth policy review and analysis - the Disaster Management Act, the National Disaster Management Policies - and outline key opportunities for embedding multi-hazard thinking for more futuristic planning.
    • Undertake in-depth sectoral reviews, analysis and audits of various sectoral policies within Nairobi County and establish the linkages and opportunities for multi-hazard risk planning and preparedness.
    • Support the analysis of the political economy of Disaster Management and identify the various policy narratives driving risk governance in Nairobi, and their implications for the Hub’s support to strategies for integration of risk in the Disaster Management and Planning.
    • Support and contribute to the design, execution and documentation of policy scenario visioning exercises including workshops, policy roundtables among others.
    • Closely work with DRR stakeholders in the City and research teams to co-develop future scenarios for the city and arrive at a shared future vision with particular focus on the implications of different scenarios for gender equity and social differentiation of risk impacts.

    Policy and outreach

    • Support Stakeholder engagement and relations building across and between different partners of the Hub - facilitate engagement and strengthen partnerships for building science-policy relations.
    • Support the mapping and understanding of the engagement needs of all the work packages - this will be done to ensure that all the engagements are integrated and well liked for research integrations and cost-effectiveness.
    • Support the design and establishment of DRR Community of Practice (CoP). The CoP will include a wide array of stakeholders drawn from local, county, national and international levels to support a more integrated review and inputs into the research outputs and outcomes.
    • Support the establishment and running of the DRR Evidence Hub/convening and policy support as well as using the evidence to support integrated policies for the city.
    • Lead research translation by breaking down the research outputs and findings into non-technical versions and policy messages to be used for policy discussions and long term DRR planning for the City.
    • Convene regular policy dialogues with the Nairobi county and the National governments as well as other stakeholders to share and dialogue on the emerging insights and visions for a more proactive DRR planning for the city.
    • Support the development and delivery of a multi-hazard DRR Management Plan for the City.
    • Support and contribute to the capacity building plans designed towards the desired culture change through contributing to capacity needs assessments, skill development through targeted programmes such as capacity building programmes, customized trainings, Exchange visits (annually), and Executive courses to deliver an open process for career development.

    Terms of Employment

    • Two (2) years renewable based on performance and availability of funds.
    • The position provides competitive pensionable remuneration with an inclusive competitive medical cover.
    • Provides an opportunity to work and establish networks with globally renowned researchers in the field of Disaster Management and with real career growth opportunity in the area of research and development.
    • The position provides an equal opportunity for all, and women candidates are highly encouraged to apply.

    Method of Application

    To apply: Please send

    • Updated CV of not more than 5 (five) pages including 3 (three) relevant referees and a list of publications
    • A one-page motivational letter

    Application letters should have the title of the position as the subject of email, to be sent to hr@acts-net.org with a copy to j.atela@acts-net.org.

    Please note the application deadline for this position is 7th Feb 2020.

    Interested and qualified? Go to African Centre for Technology Studies on www.acts-net.org to apply

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