Duties and Responsibilities
About UNDRR Created 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), UNDRR has over 150 staff located in its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and in regional offices. Specifically, UNDRR guides, monitors, analyses and reports on progress in the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, 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. Background and Context The International Recovery Platform (IRP) is a global partnership working to strengthen the capacities of countries and communities to build back better in recovery, rehabilitation, and reconstruction. Its Secretariat is coordinated by UNDRR. It is a joint initiative of United Nations organizations, international financial institutions, national and local governments, and non-governmental organizations engaged in disaster recovery. It seeks to transform disaster recovery into an opportunity for sustainable development . IRP supports progress against Priority 4 of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SF), Enhancing Disaster Preparedness for Effective Response and to "Build Back Better (BBB)" in Recovery, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction. As we enter into the second half of SF implementation, the balance of progress and persistent challenges has been mapped by the Midterm Review of the Sendai Framework (MTR SF). While many countries have made notable strides in implementation, the MTR SF found the Sendai Framework (SF) is not on a path to meet its expected outcomes or goals by 2030. Progress with SF Priority 4 has similarly demonstrated important innovation and achievements, but the MTR SF found "build back better principles have not been applied systematically" and identified major barriers to progress include insufficient national capacities, engagement of diverse stakeholders and lack of financing. Mongolia faces recurrent climate- and weather-related hazards, including dzuds, droughts, floods, steppe fires, and dust storms, as well as seismic risks, which together impose significant social and economic costs. Between 2015 and 2021, climate-related events increased nearly threefold, resulting in losses amounting to MNT 394.6 billion. These impacts threaten key productive sectors such as agriculture and infrastructure and contribute to rural poverty and migration. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), established in 2004 under the Deputy Prime Minister, serves as the national coordinating body for disaster risk reduction and management. While Mongolia’s disaster risk reduction has progressed significantly over the past twenty years, the recent Capacity for Disaster Reduction Inisiative (CADRI) Diagnosis in 2024 identified the absence of a dedicated policy or institutional framework for post-disaster recovery and reconstruction. Recovery responsibilities are not yet clearly defined between NEMA, sector ministries, and local governments, often causing delays in transitioning from emergency response to long-term recovery. Mongolia’s Mid-Term Strategy for the Implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2021–2025) calls for stronger institutional arrangements, financing mechanisms, and coordination for recovery and reconstruction. The Strategy, together with the country’s long-term development vision, Vision 2050, places disaster resilience at the centre of national development, emphasizing sustainable, inclusive growth and reduced disaster losses as prerequisites for achieving long-term prosperity. The forthcoming Mid-Term DRR Strategy Action Plan, being developed by NEMA, operationalizes these goals through concrete actions to strengthen preparedness, response, and recovery capacities. In parallel, Mongolia is advancing comprehensive public financial management (PFM) reform with support from the IMF, ADB, and the World Bank to strengthen fiscal discipline, transparency, and resilience. The 2021 PEFA assessment confirmed progress in budget control and reporting, while highlighting the need for stronger fiscal risk management, including the integration of disaster- and climate-related shocks. However, the integration of disaster-related fiscal risks into the medium-term budget framework and contingency financing mechanisms remains limited, with disaster costs often managed through ad hoc reallocations and external assistance. Under the Law on Disaster Protection (2017), all levels of government are mandated to allocate at least 1 percent of their annual budgets for disaster protection measures—a provision that lays a foundation for sustainable recovery financing. Aligning recovery readiness with the ongoing PFM reform and the national frameworks under Vision 2050 and the Sendai Mid-Term Strategy will reinforce accountability, enhance coherence between resilience and development financing, and enable flexible yet transparent use of public funds for recovery operations. These reforms will require close institutional coordination between NEMA, as the lead recovery agency, and the Ministry of Finance, to ensure disaster-related expenditures are integrated into the national budget and fiscal frameworks. Objective and Scope of Work This consultancy will support the implementation of strengthening public financial management systems for recovery component of the project on readiness for resilient recovery in Mongolia. Through engagement with relevant stakeholders and provision of technical support, the consultant will analyze, assess PFM for recovery and draft the financial preparedness plan, linking to the project work on recovery readiness as part of the project implementation activities. Tasks and Responsibilities Under the supervision of the Programme Management Officer at the Partnership Branch of UNDRR in Geneva, the consultant will be home-based in Mongolia and will support UNDRR Strategic Objective 4 “Risk-informed disaster preparedness leads to effective and resilient response and recovery”, and delivery of the ADB project Enhancing Asia and the Pacific's Readiness for Resilient Disaster Recovery (with a focus on the application of the Recovery Readiness Assessment Framework) in Mongolia. The consultant will work closely with the National Recovery Coordinator and collaborate with key partners, regional offices and other units as relevant. Specifically, the PFM expert will ensure close coordination with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Emergency Situations. Key responsibilities of the consultant include: 1. Review all relevant background documents, including previous PFM assessments, -related studies conducted, and apply the UNDRR PFM assessment guide to inform the PFM for recovery assessment framework and scope in the Mongolia. The review will build on the initial landscape assessment completed by the National Recovery Coordinator and should consider gender-responsive and inclusive PFM. 2. Develop a concise stakeholder engagement/interview plan and conduct interviews with relevant stakeholders including Ministry of Finance officials, disaster management officials, public investments management officials, as well as procurement officers and budget and planning officials of relevant line ministries and other stakeholders to deepen the analysis and validate preliminary findings. 3. Draft initial PFM for recovery assessment and recommendations based on the findings of the desktop study and conducted interviews. Recommendations will be tailored to the country context and can form the basis of a financial preparedness plan. Collaborate with the National Recovery Coordinator to ensure that PFM assessment findings feed into the development of the national Recovery Readiness Assessment and Roadmap. 4. Prepare a powerpoint based on the assessment that will be used for presentation of assessment results, validation by national counterparts and for capacity building. 5. Support the preparation of a validation and capacity building workshop on PFM for recovery, including drafting of agendas, identification of relevant participants, consultation with Ministry of Finance and support to the development of materials. Participate in workshop. 6. Update and finalize the PFM for recovery assessment and financial preparedness plan based on the feedback and inputs received during the validation process and workshop. The key outputs are to be delivered in English and Mongolian.
Qualifications/special skills
• An advanced university degree in economics, public finance, disaster risk management, development, business administration, public policy, management or the relevant field is required. • A first-level university degree in combination with 2 additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree. A minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in public finance, disaster recovery, public sector coordination, or disaster risk management is required. Experience in national finance systems involving strong communication and analysis is required. Experience in research on disaster risk reduction related topics is desirable.
