Consultant- Anticipatory Action Specialist

Consultant- Anticipatory Action Specialist

CALL FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANT SERVICES
Title: Consultant – Anticipatory Action Specialist, Supported by WFP
Location: Kahirpur, Sindh Province
Contract Type: Individual Consultancy
Duration: Deliverables to be achieved in between (01.08.2025 – 31.12.2025)
Reports To: Provincial Coordinator – Sindh

1. BACKGROUND

ACT International is working on comprehensive disaster preparedness and anticipatory action initiative in District Khairpur, Sindh—a region identified in the Sindh Hazard & Risk Atlas as highly vulnerable to climate-induced hazards such as riverine floods and droughts. Despite facing frequent seasonal floods and erratic monsoons, Khairpur lacks effective early warning systems, localized disaster risk reduction (DRR) strategies, and inclusive community engagement mechanisms, particularly for women, youth, and marginalized groups. To address these gaps, the project adopts a multi-dimensional approach focusing on four key areas: strengthening preparedness through revised contingency planning with PDMA and DDMA; enhancing food security via anticipatory cash-based support informed by pre-crisis market analysis; building resilience by forming and training Early Warning Committees to cover 80% of at-risk households; and improving early warning dissemination to reach at least 75% of the district through coordination with PMD and local authorities. Lessons from the 2022 and 2023 floods—highlighting community-level coordination weaknesses—have informed the project's emphasis on inclusive participation, local ownership, and governance engagement. The intervention also addresses communication, health, livestock, and water management gaps, as identified through Key Informant Interviews and Focus Group Discussions. Overall, the initiative seeks to build long-term resilience through integrated, community-driven, and adaptive DRR solutions in Khairpur.

2. OBJECTIVE

To provide technical and strategic expertise in the planning and operationalization of anticipatory action mechanisms by integrating hydro-met modeling, GIS analysis, and trigger-based early warning protocols to reduce disaster impacts in vulnerable communities of Sindh.

3. SCOPE OF WORK AND RESPONSIBILITIES

A. Anticipatory Action Framework Development

• Provide overall technical guidance for AA framework design and implementation in flood-prone districts.
• Develop SOPs and early action plans aligned with regional early warning systems.
• Contribute to the integration of AA in district-level contingency plans and disaster response mechanisms.
• Support the Joint Price Market Monitoring Initiative and anticipatory cash-based interventions.

B. Hydro-Met and GIS-Based Trigger Mechanism

• Collect, analyze, and interpret meteorological and river flow data in collaboration with PMD, Irrigation Dept., PDMA, DDMA.
• Develop and refine flood forecasting models and decision support tools.
• Establish evidence-based triggers, thresholds, and indicators for anticipatory action.
• Prepare trigger activation reports based on return period and danger-level analyses.
• Conduct GIS-based hazard, vulnerability, and risk mapping for targeted districts.

C. Capacity Building & Training

• Develop training materials, protocols, and conduct capacity-building sessions for Early Warning Committees, government departments, and local stakeholders.
• Strengthen technical capacities of ACT project staff in risk assessment and GIS mapping.

D. Coordination and Partnerships

• Maintain strong coordination with meteorological agencies, academia, PDMA/DDMA, humanitarian actors, and technical working groups.
• Facilitate knowledge exchange and learning with academic institutions and national platforms.

E. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning

• Contribute to development of M&E frameworks for AA.
• Document lessons learned and best practices to inform adaptive programming.
• Produce regular technical and progress reports on AA activities.

4. DELIVERABLES

• Strategized document for the Process of Strengthening Early Warning Mechanism.
• Document the Multi-Hazard EW-Community Level Process.
• Development of Anticipatory Action Plan (AAP) for Riverine Floods (Tool development, FGDS, KII & staff training)
• Anticipatory Action Framework and SOPs finalized for target districts.
• Trigger mechanism models developed and tested.
• Technical report on hydrological and meteorological thresholds and trigger points.
• GIS-based risk maps and databases established and handed over to ACT.
• Trainings delivered with session reports and feedback analysis.
• Monthly/quarterly consultancy progress reports.
• Final consultancy completion report with recommendations.

5. QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Education:Master's degree in Disaster Management, Meteorology, Hydrology, GIS, Environmental Science, Geography, or related field.

Experience:Minimum 7 years of progressive experience in disaster risk reduction, early warning systems, and anticipatory action planning.

At least 4 years of hands-on experience in hydro-met modeling, GIS mapping, and trigger development.

Technical Skills

• Proficiency in GIS and remote sensing tools.
• Solid understanding of hydrological models, data analysis, and forecasting systems.
• Familiarity with trigger-based forecasting and decision support systems.
• Experience with humanitarian standards and disaster risk management frameworks.

Soft Skills

• Excellent communication, facilitation, and interpersonal skills.
• Strategic thinker with strong analytical/problem-solving capacity.
• Demonstrated ability to work with multi-stakeholder groups in complex environments.

6. WORKING CONDITIONS

Home-based with frequent travel to remote and disaster-prone project sites in Khairpur, Sindh. A minimum of 35 working days at the station in Khairpur is required (on & off basis) until December 2025. This working time may vary depending on assignment timelines and critical technical milestones

7. APPLICATION PROCESS

Interested individuals meeting the above criteria are invited to submit the following documents:

• Updated CV
• Cover Letter outlining relevant experience and approach
• The financial proposal (Deliverable based) must include all associated costs for boarding, lodging, and transportation for the duration of the consultant's travel related to fieldwork and meetings
• One or two samples of similar previous work (Mandatory)

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