Architect (Structural Safety Design and Disaster Risk Reduction)

As the United Nations lead agency on international development, UNDP works in 170 countries and territories to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality. We help countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities, and to build resilience to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Our work is concentrated in three focus areas; sustainable development, democratic governance and peace building, and climate and disaster resilience. UNDP’s mandate is to end poverty, build democratic governance, rule of law, and inclusive institutions. We advocate for change, and connect countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life.

Ensuring the safety and resilience of public infrastructure against natural hazards such as floods and earthquakes is a priority for sustainable development. Structural safety designs and assessment practices need to integrate multi-hazard considerations to minimize risk and protect communities. UNDP aims to compile best practices from global and regional sources to develop a comprehensive repository of knowledge on hazard-resilient public infrastructure. Furthermore, the integration of risk-informed design principles, development of hazard-specific building codes, and community-based approaches are essential to strengthen the safety of existing and new infrastructure. We also plan to conduct energy audits and develop best practices around the reduction of energy consumption.

The primary objective of this assignment is to support desk research and technical inputs on structural safety design and assessment of public infrastructure. The focus will be on collecting and analyzing best practices, developing guidelines, and recommending strategies for ensuring structural safety and resilience against hazards such as floods and earthquakes. The Architect will also contribute to community-based disaster risk reduction and the formulation of hazard-specific building codes along with energy audits.

The Architect (Structural Safety Design and Disaster Risk Reduction) will work under the guidance and supervision of Programme Officer (Resilience), UNDP and will be responsible for the following tasks:

1. Conduct extensive desk research on global and regional best practices in structural safety design and assessment of public infrastructure, including innovative approaches for hazard resilience.

2. Identify and compile relevant guidelines, codes, and standards for flood and earthquake safety of public buildings (e.g., schools, hospitals, community centers).

3. Risk-Informed Design and Planning:
o Develop recommendations for incorporating multi-hazard risk considerations into design and planning processes.
o Identify critical design modifications to minimize exposure and vulnerability in both new and existing public infrastructure.
o Provide insights into adaptive designs for infrastructure that can respond to changing risk scenarios, such as rising water levels or increased seismic activity.

4. Development of Hazard-Specific Building Codes and Guidelines:
o Contribute to the formulation and review of hazard-specific building codes and safety standards for public infrastructure.
o Develop simplified guidelines and toolkits for local builders, masons, and communities to promote safe construction practices.
o Advocate for the integration of these guidelines into national and local regulatory frameworks.

5. Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR):
o Engage with communities to document their traditional knowledge and practices in disaster-resilient construction.
o Design safe community shelters, evacuation centers, and community facilities that are culturally appropriate and hazard-resilient.
o Develop micro-zoning plans in collaboration with communities to identify safe and unsafe areas for construction.

6. Case Study Documentation: Document case studies showcasing successful implementation of multi-hazard safety design and assessment in public infrastructure.

7. Review of Existing Structures: Provide insights into common structural vulnerabilities in existing public infrastructure from a hazard perspective and recommend practical retrofitting measures.

8. Energy efficient building: Conduct energy audits and develop strategy around best practices on energy reduction.

9. Development of a Best Practices Repository: Create a structured repository of best practices with annotated references and recommendations for design modifications, assessment tools, and compliance monitoring.

10. Recommendations: Suggest practical measures for integrating hazard resilience into structural safety planning, design, and policy development.