DRR Financing Expert in Albania, Brussels

Result of ServiceStrengthened national and local government capacities in the Republic of Albania to plan, prioritize, coordinate, and mobilize disaster risk reduction (DRR) financing and risk-informed investments, including improved alignment of public financing mechanisms, municipal investment planning, and institutional coordination processes. This will support enhanced disaster and climate resilience in Albania and stronger regional coherence across the Western Balkans. Work LocationHome-based Expected duration22/06/2026-30/11/26 Duties and ResponsibilitiesCreated in December 1999, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) is the designated focal point in the United Nations system for the coordination of efforts to reduce disasters and to ensure synergies among the disaster reduction activities of the United Nations and regional organizations and activities in both developed and less developed countries. Led by the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction (SRSG/ASG), UNDRR has over 150 staff located in its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and in regional offices. UNDRR guides, monitors, analyses, and reports on progress in the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. It supports regional and national implementation of the Framework and catalyzes action and increases global awareness to reduce disaster risk working with UN Member States and a broad range of partners and stakeholders, including civil society, the private sector, parliamentarians and the science and technology community. United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) is the designated focal point in the United Nations system for the coordination of efforts to reduce disaster risk and to ensure synergies among the disaster reduction activities of the United Nations. Specifically, UNDRR guides, monitors, analyses, and reports on progress in the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, support local and national implementation of the Framework and catalyzes action and increases global awareness to reduce disaster risk. Recent reforms under Albania’s 2026 State Budget Law have introduced a risk-based methodology for distributing civil emergency transfers to municipalities and strengthened national financing windows for prevention investments, creating an opportunity to improve local execution of DRR resources and strengthen risk-informed investment planning. The consultant will lead technical support on promoting disaster risk reduction (DRR) financing and risk-informed investments in the Republic of Albania within this evolving policy context. The consultant will be home-based and will report to the Western Balkans DRR initiative Programme Management Officer of the UNDRR Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia, and work in coordination with the UNDRR National Officer in Albania. The consultant will conduct desk research, data and policy analysis, macro-fiscal risk modelling, and technical consultations with key national stakeholders, who will be mapped in the first phase of the project. These stakeholders include the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Defence, National Agency for Civil Protection, Minister of State for Local Government, the Bank of Albania, Technical Advisory Commission on Disaster Risk Reduction, and other relevant ministries such as those responsible for environmental protection, education, public administration, agriculture, and construction; relevant utility providers; private sector entities and associations; non-governmental and civil society organizations; and international and regional partners, including International Financial Institutions (EIB, EBRD, World Bank, IMF), the European Union, and other development partners. The consultant will also identify practical entry points for municipal engagement, including approaches to support municipalities in planning, budgeting, accessing funding, prioritizing, and implementing DRR investments, in line with legal frameworks related to DRR budgeting. The consultant will also identify opportunities to connect these activities with wider project efforts on risk governance and local resilience building. The outcome of this assignment includes the development of a DRR financing landscape and scoping study, and the organization of a workshop on the national DRR financing context, identifying gaps, needs, and priority interventions that UNDRR and the Government can advance within the scope of the project through 2027. This includes identifying relevant UNDRR tools, methodologies, and capacity-building support to strengthen DRR financing processes, including support for municipalities to identify and advance investments in local resilience-building measures. Particular attention should be given to identifying feasible institutional entry points and implementation pathways to support uptake of recommendations by national and local government counterparts. During the contract, the consultant will: - Develop an initial DRR financing landscape study and recommendations, including: o Mapping of key stakeholders across the public and private sectors, as well as international actors, who play a role in managing, influencing, and developing investment pipelines, financing mechanisms, and policies relevant to DRR and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA). o Consultations with identified key stakeholders including national and local government, financial service providers, IFIs, development partners, and the private sector, on DRR financing priorities, data availability, capacities, absorptive constraints and needs. This includes conducting a UNDRR Pre-Engagement Questionnaire on National DRR Financing in Albania. o An assessment of the direct and indirect economic impacts of disasters in Albania across sectors, developed in line with UNDRR’s methodological guidance and the Sendai Framework, using national and open-source disaster loss data, probabilistic risk models, and other qualitative and quantitative risk information. o Analysis of existing DRR and climate change adaptation financing policies, frameworks, and financing flows from public, private, and international sources, in line with UNDRR’s methodological guidance, including a desktop level budget-tagging assessment based on the Budget tagging for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation: Guide for design and taxonomy (DCBT guidance). The analysis should synthesise existing research and reports to develop a comprehensive policy landscape assessment. It should also provide an overview and assessment of the implementation of the State Budget Law’s risk-based methodology for distributing civil emergency transfers to municipalities, as well as strengthened national financing windows for prevention investments. This should include assessing the extent to which these mechanisms are supporting improved resilience outcomes, including municipal access to and utilization of funding for resilience investments. o Development of capacity building processes, tool or guidance to support municipal authorities to identify DRR financing investment needs and approaches to access funding for their development, and conduct reporting, budgeting and fund allocation, in line with fiscal requirements and DRR and civil protection related legal frameworks. o Identification of prioritized short- and long-term action areas to advance DRR financing needs in Albania, including potential application of UNDRR tools and methodologies, support to existing legislative initiatives related to DRR financing, and options to improve municipal uptake and execution of available DRR funds. - Prepare, organize, and facilitate a national DRR financing workshop to present study findings, discuss recommended actions, and agree on an action plan for advancing DRR financing priorities in Albania for 2026–2027. This includes proposing the agenda, developing the concept and list of invitees for the event and supporting procurement colleagues on logistical arrangements. It also includes developing workshop materials aimed at building knowledge and capacities of national and local level government actors to address DRR financing challenges. Materials should be developed in Albanian and/or English to maximize stakeholder engagement. This workshop should be organized in coordination with other UNDRR activities on supporting a strengthened comprehensive risk management approach and local-level DRR action in Albania in order to maximize stakeholder participation and reduce duplication across engagements with government officials. - Contribute to lessons learnt and enhanced coherence in regional and sub-regional DRR financing discussions and processes, including those in North Macedonia and Serbia under the same regional UNDRR project. Qualifications/special skillsAn advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in disaster risk reduction, public policy, economics or finance-related area is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. A minimum of 7 years of working experience in the field of public finance, DRR/climate finance, disaster risk management, or related fields is required. Experience in DRR and civil protection policies and processes, public financial management and decentralization reforms in Albania is required. Experience in engaging with and coordinating stakeholders in a political setting is desirable. Experience in delivering similar technical assistance (comparable assignments, contracts, or projects) within the sector is desirable. LanguagesEnglish and French are the two working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. Fluency in English and Albanian is required. Additional InformationDue to the high volume of applications received, only successful candidates will be contacted. No FeeTHE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.