About the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center
The Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) is an autonomous international organization established for scientific, educational, developmental, and humanitarian purposes with a vision of safer communities and sustainable development through disaster risk reduction and climate resilience in Asia and the Pacific. Established in 1986 as a technical capacity-building center, ADPC has grown and diversified its expertise across social and physical sciences, envisioning safer communities and sustainable development through disaster risk reduction. Being an autonomous international organization governed by the Board of Trustees, it supports sustainable solutions for disaster risk reduction across a broad range of specialist areas, with a wide range of professional expertise from atmospheric scientists to social scientists with experiences from all levels of engagement typically required for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Resilience (CR) effectively.
ADPC’s Strategy 2030 guides the organization in providing comprehensive risk reduction support to countries and communities in Asia and the Pacific with various programs being implemented under 15 strategic themes by three departments, namely the Preparedness and Climate Action, Risk Analytics and Climate Services, and Risk Governance and Financing. In addition to these, ADPC also works on three cross-cutting themes: Gender and Diversity, Innovation, and Regional and Transboundary Cooperation through permanent working committees. These activities are supported by proactive individual departments of Finance, Human Resources and Administration. ADPC recognizes the importance of examining the linkages between disaster risk management, poverty reduction, gender equality, sustainability, rights-based approaches, climate change, and regional cooperation. For details, please refer to the ADPC website at http://www.adpc.net.
Department Introduction
The Preparedness and Climate Action (PCA) Department of ADPC focuses on enhancing the preparedness and response management capacities of governments, response organizations, volunteers, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, communities, and other traditional and non-traditional actors of the Disaster Risk Management ecosystem. It also strives to strengthen the capacity of institutions and at-risk communities for faster and more efficient disaster recovery. The department works with the above-stated actors to ensure that the regional, national, sub-national, and local disaster preparedness, response, and recovery frameworks and implementation plans are in place well before disaster strikes.
Statement of Intent
The primary purpose of this assignment is to support the PCA Department program teams in developing and implementing Knowledge Management (KM) strategies that enable the programs to capture, share, and utilize the collective knowledge. This includes Institutional Strengthening through Preparedness and Inclusive Response in India (INSPIRE), a program that aims to strengthen India’s disaster risk management (DRM) and climate resilience through targeted institutional support at both national and state levels, as well as the Asian Preparedness Partnership (APP), ADPC’s flagship program for promoting a multi-stakeholder approach to localization in disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate actions, under the PCA department. The Consultant is expected to coordinate with respective program leads and other program team members in leading the KM functions of the assigned programs.Note: It is not the intent of this TOR to cover every aspect of the position requirements but rather to highlight the most important areas of personal and joint responsibility.
Responsibilities and Tasks
Based full-time at ADPC Head Office in Bangkok, the consultant will work closely with the PCA Program Teams and the ADPC Communications team and be responsible for the following areas.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Guidance:
● Develop knowledge management objectives and strategies for designated programs (including but not limited to INSPIRE India and APP) in consultation with Program Stakeholders.
● Design and execute research and knowledge management activities for various program components in consultation with technical program leads ensuring alignment with program priorities.
● Design and oversee an inventory of data, information, evidence and other resources in support of different thematic priorities of the PCA department to support the development of strategic directions for national and regional program interventions.
● Guide stakeholder engagement by planning and preparing content for media, social media, and programmatic events.
Knowledge Product Development and Dissemination:
● In-line with the KM objectives and strategy, conceptualize, design, and oversee the development of targeted knowledge products and dissemination dissemination channels.
● Generate content for standard knowledge products such as: process documents, fact sheets, brochures, project overviews, success stories, and multimedia materials, electronic newsletters, and curated articles.
● Prepare briefing materials tailored for diverse stakeholders, including donors, partners, and policymakers.
● Plan, develop and edit thematic publications, ensuring alignment with ADPC branding and communication guidelines.
● Maintain consistency, accuracy, and quality across all knowledge outputs.
● Disseminate knowledge products via suitable channels appropriate to the program context for visibility and knowledge sharing.
Systems for Knowledge Collection, Curation, Retrieval and Capacity Building:
● Develop systems for identifying and collecting critical knowledge, lessons learned, and best practices by the program teams for development of suitable knowledge products.
● Translate tacit knowledge (personal experience) into explicit knowledge (documented information) and oversee the creation of technical documentation and knowledge products.
● Design, and oversee programs’ knowledge repositories, such as Google Drive folders, content management systems, and databases. Ensure these systems are user-friendly, accessible, and updated.
● Foster a culture of knowledge sharing and continuous learning by introducing and supporting collaborative tools and practices.
● Provide training and support to program teams on using knowledge management tools, platforms, and standards for effective knowledge sharing.
Monitoring and Reporting:
● Analyze and report on the effectiveness of KM initiatives using key performance indicators (KPIs) and other metrics. Use data to identify knowledge gaps, measure engagement, and make recommendations for improvement.
This job description covers the general responsibilities and representative tasks of this position. Other tasks may be assigned as necessary according to program priorities and needs.
Working Principles
Overall Supervision and Reporting:
In performing the duties and responsibilities indicated above, the Consultant will be supervised by the respective Program Leads under the overall guidance of PCA Director of ADPC. The Consultant will also closely work with other Project/Program Managers and Coordinators in the program countries of the PCA Department.
Administrative Coordination and Liaison:
The Consultant will coordinate closely with the PCA Department’s administrative and support teams to ensure smooth operational functioning. This includes scheduling meetings, coordinating with internal and external stakeholders, and managing communications related to program documentation and knowledge management activities.
Qualifications
Education:
– Master’s degree in Information Science, Knowledge Management, Mass Communication, Journalism, Information Systems or other related fields.
Work Experience:
– At least 8 years of proven experience in Knowledge Management, Information Management or Communications.
– Proven experience in developing technical documents, case studies, reports, and knowledge products.
– Experience in web content management and working with online platforms.
Skills and Competencies:
– Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, with strong editing and proofreading abilities.
– Basic knowledge of common documentation software such as InDesign, Adobe Suite etc for swift troubleshooting if required.
– Strong analytical and research skills, with the ability to synthesize complex information into clear and engaging knowledge products.
– Ability to identify knowledge gaps, analyze system effectiveness, and measure the impact of KM strategies.
– Familiarity with website management platforms and digital content tools.
– Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines simultaneously.
– Ability to work independently, with initiative, and collaboratively within a team environment.
– Knowledge of the working ethics of national government agencies, international NGOs, national NGOs, private organizations, and international organizations would prove to be an added advantage.
Preferred Qualifications:
– Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, team-oriented work style, and experience in working in a multicultural environment.
– Strong networking capacity and understanding of humanitarian and development nexus at local and regional levels.
Duty Station: ADPC Head Office, Bangkok.Contract Duration: 12 months with the possibility of extension based on the performance and requirements of the position and program.
Condition of Payment:
The payment will be made based on the submission of monthly timesheets detailing activities carried out in relation to the above responsibilities. In addition, the consultant is eligible to reimburse any program related costs incurred for implementation of the program activities, subject to prior approval.
Selection Method:
The consultant will be selected in accordance with ADPC’s recruitment process.
How to apply
Interested candidates can submit their completed ADPC application form (downloadable from www.adpc.net), resume, copy of degree/certificate(s) together with the cover letter to procurement@adpc.net.
The email subject should clearly indicate the position being applied for, for example: [Knowledge Management Specialist – Name of Candidate].
Female candidates are especially encouraged to apply.
ADPC encourages diversity in its workplace and supports an inclusive work environment.