a. Purpose
The purpose of this TOR is to recruit a qualified candidate to develop and manage UNDP Serbia governance aspect of disaster risk reduction programme and support in management of UNDP Serbia governance portfolio.
b. Objective
The objective of this TOR is to strengthen UNDP Serbia governance portfolio by streamlining governance into the UNDP Serbia DRR programme.
c. Background Information
Governance
UNDP responds to the global challenge of developing institutions and processes conducive to development. These institutions and process should be responsive to the needs of ordinary citizens, including the poor, and should promote transparency of political process and accountability of holders of public offices to its electorate. UNDP helps countries strengthen electoral and legislative systems, improve access to justice and public administration and develop a greater capacity to deliver basic services to those most in need. Through its programmes, UNDP brings people together, fostering partnerships and sharing ways to promote participation, accountability and effectiveness at all levels.
Good governance has 8 major characteristics: participatory, consensus oriented, accountable, transparent, responsive, effective and efficient, equitable and inclusive and follows the rule of law. The United Nations define the rule of law as: a principle of governance in which all persons, institutions and entities, public and private, including the State itself, are accountable to laws that are publicly promulgated, equally enforced and independently adjudicated and which are consistent with international human rights norms and standards. It requires, as well, measures to ensure adherence to the principles of supremacy of law, equality before the law, accountability to the law, fairness in the application of the law, separation of powers, participation in decision-making, legal certainty, avoidance of arbitrariness and procedural and legal transparency.
Within the broad context of governance, UNDP’s specific niche lies in supporting justice and related systems so that they work for those who are poor and disadvantaged. Moreover, this is consistent with UNDP’s strong commitment to the Millennium Declaration and the fulfillment of the Millennium Development Goals. Empowering the poor and disadvantaged to seek remedies for injustice, strengthening linkages between formal and informal structures, and countering biases inherent in both systems can provide access to justice for those who would otherwise be excluded.
The United Nations Development Program in Serbia, has a portfolio of smaller-scale governance initiatives in the field of prevention and fight against anticorruption, strengthening equality, rule of law, support to transparent and accountable public spending with national partners such as the Ministry of Justice, Anticorruption Agency, Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government etc. UNDP Serbia has the need to coordinate activities that fall under the governance initiatives within the overall good governance country programme thematic area.
Disaster Risk Reduction
UNDP is the global leader in disaster risk reduction. It works closely with governments in high disaster-risk countries to build capacities at the national, sub-national and local levels for reducing disaster risk. A major role of the Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery (BCPR) is to support UNDP Country Offices in the formulation and implementation of programme and projects for disaster risk reduction.
In spite of solid institutional capacity, DRR in Serbia is lagging behind the contemporary achievements and is in need of its modernization. The system in Serbia lacks clear mechanisms of coordination, thus its efficiency could be substantively improved. The legal framework needs to be further streamlined and modernized to reflect new approaches to disaster risk reduction and management, including increased focus on prevention, risk management and adaptation. At the same time, the Government of Serbia has expressed a strong commitment to improving its disaster preparedness and response capabilities as well as an ambition to be a sub-regional leader in the Western Balkans.
The National Strategy for Protection and Rescue in Emergency Situations (Official gazette of the Republic of Serbia 86/2011) represents the policy foundation to which the Law on Emergency Situations (Official gazette of the Republic of Serbia 111/2009 of 29/12/2009, 92/2011 of 07/12/2011 and 93/2012 of 28/09/2012) is a normative framework. However, no comprehensive strategy, incorporating contemporary achievements in emergency situations currently exists in Serbia.
Serbia is behind on its commitments in implementing the Hyogo Framework for Action. The Law on Emergency Situation designates the Ministry of Interior (MoI), and in particular of its Sector for Emergency Management (SEM), as the coordinating body for DRR. In order to strengthen the SEM, the law envisages the incorporation of the Ministry of Defence Sector for Civil Defence as well as some personnel from the Ministry for Environmental Protection into the SEM in order to strengthen its coordination capabilities and increase its manpower, while clearly sending the signal that coordination of disaster risk reduction and emergency response is now a MoI responsibility. In particular, the designation of the Sector for Emergency Management (SEM) of the Ministry of Interior as the coordinating body will go a long way towards clarifying the lines of command and responsibility in terms of disaster management.
The passage of the new law is an important step forward in the improvement of the disaster risk reduction and disaster management system in Serbia. The current situation presents a unique opportunity for the UNDP together with other UN agencies to support Serbian authorities in their efforts to strengthen disaster risk reduction and response. The UNDP actively worked with the Minister of Interior and the Sector for Emergency Management to strengthen national systems and procedures, to promote inter-ministerial and inter-agency coordination and cooperation at the national level; and to strengthen coordination between the national and local levels.
UNDP Strategic Plan identifies stronger ability to prepare for and deal with the consequences of natural disasters to be one of the key features of resilience. The UN Country Team is currently developing a new UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) for Serbia for the period 2016-2020 and the results of the Recovery Needs Assessment (RNA) will be in the core of our new development strategy and will be the programmatic basis for our coordinated response to the country’s longer term floods related recovery and reconstruction needs
Governance in Disaster Risk Reduction in Serbia
Following the May 2014 devastating floods and landslides which affected more than 1.6 million people the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team was deployed immediately to Serbia to provide support with an initial assessment, coordination and information management of the emergency situation. The UNDAC report on floods made a number of recommendations across all affected sectors. In regards to Disaster Prevention and Response Coordination the report recommended, “the Government of Serbia should establish a two-level disaster prevention and response inter-ministerial coordination structure. The top level (ministers) to make strategic guidance and decisions, the operational level (senior officials) to coordinate the planning of preventative measures, and in case of disaster, to coordinate remedial action on a daily basis. The disaster response coordination mechanism should be rehearsed and tested in exercises at least once a year.”
National capacities to strengthen existing and implement future improvements are in need of support. In the long-term, Serbia would benefit from enhancing its capacity to resist, cope with, and recover from adverse natural events. The recent Recovery Needs Assessment reports stipulates that there is a need to elevate the disaster risk management agenda, which encompasses a wide range of activities and measures, ranging from traditional risk mitigation through structural engineering measures, such as flood protection systems, to preparedness through non-structural measures such as risk-informed spatial planning, enhanced weather forecasting and early warning, and disaster risk financing and insurance solutions”.
These tasks are unlikely to be completed without a strong lead of the national Government, especially in: Understanding Risk (critical foundation for reducing and managing disasters), Risk reduction (strong institutions, policies, and regulations to provide an essential framework for integrating risk reduction considerations into the planning and investment programs, Early Warning (hazard forecasting and hydrometeorological early warning systems, Preparedness (Effective implementation of the Serbian emergency response system, Financial protection ( considerations to the economic and fiscal position and Resilient Recovery.
Recovery and Reconstruction of the May 2014 floods has been the topic of the donor conference “Rebuilding Together” on 16 July 2014. Its conclusions also stipulate that Serbia has to work towards Ensuring transparency, efficiency and accountability.
It is of paramount importance that authorities […in] Serbia make efficient, transparent, including through websites, and swift use of the financial assistance received. Donors' coordination should be improved with EU support. Swift implementation of the pledges is expected as it would substantially contribute to the needed reconstruction. A high level meeting will be convened early in 2015 to monitor the implementation of these conclusions.
The Government reacted by setting up the Office for Assistance and Rehabilitation of Flooded Areas (the Office). This Governmental expert and coordination body reports to the Prime Minister and is tasked with overall recovery after the floods. The new Law on Recovery and Reconstruction after the Floods in the Republic of Serbia (Official gazette of the Republic of Serbia 74/2014) stipulates competences and jurisdictions of both the Office as well as other central and local level bodies in the reconstruction.
As the Office is in its nascent phase and the overall capacity of the disaster management and reconstruction institutional structures lagging behind contemporary achievements, it is assessed that the institutional capacity of the Serbian governmental agencies, at all levels is in need of further support to enable it to cope with the recovery and reconstruction needs which lie ahead of the country.
UNDP Response to Floods and its participation in the Post Disaster Needs Assessment (Recovery Needs Assessment) in Serbia
UNDP in Serbia spearheaded UN efforts to assist immediate relief. It allocated immediately USD 100,000 and mobilized close to USD 2.5 million for immediate recovery and reconstruction efforts. It has also assisted the Government of Serbia by seconding staff and providing expert advice to the immediate needs, especially during the Recovery Needs Assessment (RNA) process, which resulted in a Report based on which the pledges at 16 July 2014 Brussels ‘Donor Conference’ were received by Serbia and Bosnia.
The RNA is in reality and adapted “light” Post Disaster Need Assessment methodology, applied in Serbia and Bosnia in the aftermath of May 2014 floods. In May 2014, the Government requested the RNA, and the UN, EU and World Bank accepted to conduct the RNA, through the mobilization their experts. The RNA was launched on 10 June and completed by a presentation of a summary report on 7 July 2014. The final report was adopted on 10 July 2014. UN, the EU and the World Bank have jointly supported the Government of Serbia in the conduct of the Recovery Needs Assessment.
The damage is significant in non-infrastructure sectors where UNDP has a strong record of support. Housing, Environment, Gender, Governance, Employment, either alone or in partnership with other UN agencies, UNDP is very well positioned to make substantive contribution to the reconstruction and recovery.
The Recovery Needs Assessment report is a guiding report for international recovery and reconstruction assistance efforts in Serbia in years to come. The Office was set up for the period of five years and it is estimated that this time will be approximately needed to alleviate the consequences and “build-back-better” after the floods. Good governance principles and transparent and accountable use of public and donor funds will be a cross cutting principle of these efforts and UNDP, as a strong advocate of good governance will have a significant role to play in this endeavor .
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