Program Policy Officer

ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES: Under the direct supervision of the Project Manager, overall supervision of the Head of the Provincial Office Khyber Pakhtunkhwa the incumbent will perform the following tasks.

1. Technical Support and Capacity Building:

• Conduct a comprehensive capacity needs assessment for flash flood forecasting and early warning systems at the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), Federal Flood Commission (FFC), and Regional Meteorological Centre Peshawar (RMCP), and other relevant government agencies, including the irrigation department at the provincial level

• Develop and deliver training programs on short-range weather and flash flood forecasting, impact-based forecasting (IBF), and anticipatory action (AA) for relevant stakeholders.

• Provide technical assistance in the installation and operationalization of hydrometeorological instrumentation, including Automatic Weather Stations, rain gauges, and rain discharge measuring stations.

• Spearhead evaluation and strengthening of dissemination of alert and notification method at all levels (last mile communication)

• Support in risk assessment, crisis timeline, hazard prioritization as well as return period analysis, false alarm ratio and prediction models.

2. Development of Anticipatory Action Protocols on flash flooding for Shangla and Buner districts:

• Design and implement simulation exercises to test and validate AA protocols and triggers.

• Provide support in the development and maintenance of anticipatory action beneficiary database.

• Provide support to CO in establishing the effective coordination with National Coordination Forum on AA, where required.

• Collaborate with PDMA, RMC and district government and other government stakeholders to develop and institutionalize AA protocols and triggers for flood events including acquiring relevant data, developing a separate chain of communication for EW, and integration of protocol in relevant provincial and district plans.

• Establish a flood impact database (FID) that includes historical flood events and their effects on health, livelihoods, and infrastructure.

3. Impact-Based Forecasting and Risk Communication:

• Develop a risk matrix and crisis timeline for IBF through consultations with national and subnational stakeholders.

• Support carrying out local level risks and vulnerability assessments including developing the tools and questionnaire etc.

• Generate user-friendly and actionable advisories based on IBF products for various stakeholders at the local level.

• Improve risk communication strategies to ensure timely dissemination of early warning information to vulnerable communities.

4. Coordination and Collaboration:

• Coordinate between Project Management Unit (PMU), Project Implementation Unit (PIU), and District Coordination Groups to ensure effective implementation of project activities.

• Collaborate with other GCF projects and initiatives to share knowledge and best practices.

• Participate in project meetings and contribute to discussions on project performance and improvements.

Monitoring and Reporting:

• Monitor the implementation of AA and IBF activities and provide regular progress reports to the Project Manager.

• Monitor the trigger and threshold during the monitoring window for possible activation of AA. Document lessons learned and best practices for inclusion in knowledge products and project communication strategies.

• Contribute to the development of technical guidelines for disaster risk reduction (DRR) that incorporate gender-based differences and considerations for marginalized groups.

• Other as required by the Supervisor.

Education:

Advanced degree in Meteorology, Hydrology, Environmental Science, Climate Change, or a related field, or a First University degree in the same areas with 2 additional years of experience.

Experience:

At least 3 years of experience in flood forecasting, early warning systems, and disaster risk reduction, with a focus on anticipatory action and impact-based forecasting.

Knowledge & Skills:

• Strong technical expertise in hydrometeorological monitoring and forecasting.
• Experience in developing and delivering training programs.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency in data analysis and forecasting tools (e.g., GIS, remote sensing, statistical software).
• Strong communication and coordination skills.

Languages: Fluency (level C) in English, Urdu, and other local languages