Resilient Infrastructure Specialist consultant

Job Description

Position Title: Resilient Infrastructure Specialist consultant

Long Term/ Short Term : Short-term (10 days before 31 December 2022)

Position Location: Remote

Reports To : P4I’s Climate Change Lead

Partnerships for Infrastructure (P4I) is the Australian Government’s flagship infrastructure initiative for Southeast Asia. It partners with Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to foster inclusive growth through sustainable economic infrastructure (i.e. transport, energy, telecommunications, and utilities).

Delivered through a single cohesive team, the initiative is led by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in collaboration with EY, Adam Smith International, The Asia Foundation and Ninti One. The Program’s Head Office is in Bangkok.

P4I focuses on infrastructure prioritisation and planning, policy and regulation, and procurement and project preparation (P4I does not finance the delivery of infrastructure). All services aim to address gender equality and social inclusion (GESI), and disaster risk reduction and climate change (DRRCC) issues. P4I can respond to rapid requests but ultimately aims to develop longer-term infrastructure engagement.

Further information about P4I is available at www.partnershipsforinfrastructure.org

P4I has a significant mandate to operationalise DRRCC commitments throughout its work and partnerships in the region, For P4I to meet its End of Investment Outcomes in support of inclusive, sustainable, and quality infrastructure, tailored, technical credible and specific DRRCC considerations need to be integrated into every activity that we deliver.

To deliver this broader approach in line with good practice the DRRCC team needs a standardised framework of what DRRCC is and how we will deliver its integration across P4I activities. Operating with a standard framework and toolkit will make sure the DRRCC advice is consistent, comprehensive, and technically robust, utilising the broad range of specialisations of the personnel involved.

The intended output is a framework and toolkit that provides:

• High- level overview and guidance on DRRCC, including high level disaster and climate impact assessment, emissions appraisal, screening and incorporation of resilience and mitigation objectives in project concepts and delivery
• Detailed guidance for application of the DRRCC framework by the DRRCC team and P4I personnel where relevant to ensure baseline and positive outcomes requirements are met in all infrastructure advice with alignment to global standards and finance drivers for resilient infrastructure from both an adaptation and mitigation perspective.

The role will draw from current disaster and climate change resilient infrastructure global standards, guidelines and best practices and relevant frameworks and toolkits. The role will work within a small team of specialists to contribute to the design of the DRRCC Framework and toolkit. The framework and toolkit will be particularly tailored to the energy, transport and telecommunications sectors and is anticipated to cover (but not limited too);

• Approaches to delivering disaster and climate impact assessments[1], screening and incorporation of resilience objectives into infrastructure project concepts, development and policy support for infrastructure development strategies and other P4I project activities.
• Linking impact assessments to risk screening and adaptation development for guiding processes for ‘climate (and disaster) proofing’ in design as well as improving resilience ambition and the delivery of positive resilience outcomes.
• Approaches to adaptation planning and embedding resilience in and through projects.
• Incorporation of relevant institutional and enabling environment appraisals and approaches to understanding constraints to the sustained implementation of the above considerations.
• High level, sector and geographic-specific political economy analysis of the technical sector and sensitivities that will impact on the sustained implementation of the above considerations.
• Linkages and alignment to international climate and sustainable finance systems, classifications and financing mechanisms.

The work will also involve participation in workshops and delivery of sensitisation and knowledge sessions as relevant.

• More than 10 years’ experience in application of climate resilience and climate risk assessment to infrastructure sector.
• Demonstrated experience in designing and delivering disaster and climate resilient infrastructure guidelines, frameworks and tools.
• Demonstrated experience in developing and applying systems, processes and tools for mainstreaming climate considerations across investment portfolios (desirably infrastructure focussed)
• Demonstrated experience delivering disaster and climate change assessments and designing adaptation plans for infrastructure sector.
• Demonstrated understanding of Disaster Risk Reduction and / or Climate Change issues in the context of infrastructure development (preferably transport, energy and / or telecommunications) in Southeast Asia region.
• Demonstrated experience applying the above in development sector contexts.
• Demonstrated understanding of disaster and climate trends across Southeast Asia.
• Strong communication, writing and analytical skills in English

Interested applicants are requested to submit a CV, rate in AUD (all inclusive) and a short covering letter (one page maximum) highlighting experience most relevant to the TOR. The submission should be submitted in an email, with format [Candidate Name] – Resilient Infrastructure Specialist consultant, to recruitment@partnershipsforinfrastructure.org.

Unfortunately, due to high application volume, only short-listed applicants will be contacted.

Applications close 27 September 2022.

[1] The work will not involve the delivery of project or asset specific assessments within this scope, any reference to screening or assessments in this TOR refers to methodologies or approaches to integrate such activities within the DRCC framework and not the delivery of the such activities.

About the Organization

Adam Smith International is a global advisory company that works locally to transform lives by making economies stronger, societies safer, and governments more effective. We work on behalf of governments, foundations and companies that share our ambition to take on the big challenges facing the world. They come to us to develop strategies and to design, deliver and evaluate programmes that, in turn, stimulate growth, stability and good governance.

For nearly three decades in almost 100 countries, we have been working in partnership with governments, the private sector and civil society in countries at all stages of development.

Our core team of staff and technical experts, in multiple offices around the world, ensures the quality of delivery and high ethical standards that we and our clients require. We bring together a global network of specialist experts, who contribute their experience and know-how, where and when it is needed.

ASI is owned and operated by its employees. We are committed to corporate integrity and a triple bottom line of social, environmental and financial performance.