Meteorology/Climatology Adviser, Secretariat of the Pacific Environmental Programme

Reference: G/PAC/0407
Location: Apia, Samoa
Duration: Two years
Closing Date: 7 Nov 2011

Background

At the Request of the Secretariat of the Pacific Environmental Programme (SPREP), the Commonwealth Secretariat has approved a project through the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation (CFTC) to provide technical support for meteorological services to the Pacific island countries and territories. SPREP is a regional organization established by the governments and administrations of the Pacific region to look after its environment. It has grown from a small programme attached to the South Pacific Commission (SPC) in the 1980s into the Pacific region’s major intergovernmental organization charged with protecting and managing the environment and natural resources. It is based in Apia, Samoa, with about 60 staff.

SPREP operates a climate change programme under its recently revised strategic plan. A component of this programme deals with assistance to the region in matters of meteorology and climatology, carried out through technical and skills focused capacity building through management of a coordinated effort in the Pacific region through institutionalizing the “Pacific Desk”. This will be a regional coordination mechanism deployed and managed by the SPREP to provide technical support in strengthening the capacity of national meteorological services in response to a comprehensive review of the MET services in the region.

Pacific Island leaders supported this review of regional MET services through SPREP with a report submitted in May 2010. The report recommends among other things strengthening of MET services to be able to deal with increased climate change risks. It calls for recruiting and retaining skilled and experienced staff; staying updated with technology and equipment, while strengthening regional co-ordination mechanisms and information dissemination. As part of their recommendations on how to take this forward, establishment of the Pacific Desk in SPREP was identified.

The review summarizes the meteorological and climatological services that exist in the Pacific and the interdependencies of those with higher and lower capacities. Briefly, there are considered to be 3 levels of operating capacity across the region ranging from basic monitoring stations in Tuvalu/Kiribati/Niue, medium sized stations in PNG/Vanuatu/Solomon Islands/Samoa/Tonga to the sole regional fully fledged service in Fiji. Despite these levels, weather and climate vulnerabilities of these countries are high and demand for accurate information is increasing against a slow development situation for National Meteorological Services (NMS). Adequate resources will therefore be mobilised to ensure full implementation of this report.

There is already a concerted effort to bring donors to this sector together which will constitute the donor consortium - primarily made up of NZ (NZMET), Australia (ABM) USA (NOAA) and Finland (FMI) and WMO and especially in terms of long term sustainability. All of these partners have been invited to a donor roundtable to be held later in the year and there is a positive response. It’s expected that the recruited expert will play a role during project implementation.

Approach

The project will be implemented through SPREPs Pacific Desk. The project will provide a Meteorology/Climatology Expert/Adviser for placement with SPREP under the CFTC, for a period of two years to provide a more efficient process of building the capacity of these services for all member states and co-ordinate the work of the Pacific Desk.

The Pacific Desk will operate as part of the Secretariat’s core work programme and reporting mechanisms. It will have an internal reporting structure within the overall SPREP corporate structure, while servicing the reporting requirements of the Secretariat to its Members.

Through the Pacific Desk, the key project outputs to be achieved are as follows;

• Institutional capacity of member National Meteorological Services (NMS) strengthened.
  Member NMS are strengthened with at least 21 Pacific island countries and territories serviced in forms of climate and weather services training. This will be done through management and facilitation of weather and climate forecasting related training programmes in the region, while helping staff of NMS to access any existing programmes. Skills of weather and climate change forecasting staff will be enhanced, with a core group of At least 30 weather and climate forecasters trained.
• Climate change stakeholders forum/network is established and functional.
  A forum all key stakeholders (SPREP, NMS and partners) will be established and functional. The expert will support development of a stakeholder-NMS interaction forum for SPREP members, including developing a mechanism for engagement and constant loop feedback between weather/climate information providers and their user’s. During the placement period, the Expert will also serve as a link between partners and donors and members on issues of disaster management and multi-hazard early warning systems, climate change projections and operational mainstreaming,

As well as technical backstopping on the science of weather and climate for national policy guidance for climate change adaptation and mitigation. The role of co-ordinating the network will gradually be transferred to members of the network themselves so that they can take greater ownership and sustain its operations.

• Improved infrastructural support for NMS including observation monitoring networks.
  This will be achieved though liaison with donors and members, while supporting development of proposals for improved infrastructural support for NMS including observation monitoring networks, and the technical maintenance support training required. As well, infrastructure in terms of reviewing of housing of NMS in consideration of emergency and disaster related operations.
• Appropriate periodic publications on NMS are launched.
  A set of publications are launched to continually update all partners on NMS. Other media channels will also be investigated and utilized to disseminate relevant findings and climate/weather data across the pacific.

Task description

The position title is the Meteorology Climatology Adviser (MeCA), and will be located within the Pacific futures programme as part of the climate change team. The purpose of the job is to contribute to achieving the implementation of SPREP’s strategic directions under its Corporate Plan, and to develop and implement the meteorology support programme for SPREP via the Pacific Desk. The position encompasses the following major functions or Key Result Areas as described in the project approach:

• Development, implementation and management of meteorology support programmes
• Coordination and facilitation of the meteorology support programmes and activities
• Capacity building programmes
• Advisory and reporting
• Publication
• Resource Management;

The post-holder is accountable for:

• Development, implementation and management of meteorology support programmes
• Promote effective regional coordination and collaboration within the meteorology work area by facilitating and providing authoritative advice in the integration of activities with the three observing system programmes for the Pacific Islands region (PI-GCOS, PI-GOOS, and the Pacific HYCOS at SOPAC/SPC).
• Provide advisory guidance to ensure co-operation and collaboration between national, regional, and international partners, to identify and meet specific needs for NMS, and identify and secure funds to implement new capacity programmes under technical and HR related needs.
• Represent SPREP and the meteorology support programme at relevant national, regional, and international related meetings such as those of the WMO.
• Participate in regional and international networks, chair working groups of established programmes, and engage in activities related to the meteorology support programme to ensure cross-programme synergies and benefits.

Coordination and facilitation of the meteorology support programmes and activities

• Facilitate the Regional Meteorological Services Directors (Pacific Meteorological Council) to ensure its effective operation and functioning by way of organising biennial meetings, preparing annual reports and financial statements, and fulfilling all administrative requirements of donor partners.
• Provide advice and coordinate the developments of new mechanisms that improve access to meteorological data and information with Pacific NMS, including collaborating with and accessing data from other meteorological partner agencies including NIWA, New Zealand MetService, Australian Bureau of Meteorology, and the US NOAA, as well as facilitating activities that contribute to the secure management and distribution of existing SPREP climate change data resources.

Capacity building programmes

• Conduct, facilitate and co-ordinate regional and national training activities, seminars, and workshops related to meteorological capacity building and in support of the Climate Change and Pacific Futures programme of work

Advisory and reporting

• Provide advice on all aspects of the development of the Meteorology Development Strategic Action Plan in the Pacific Islands region through the preparation of medium term (3-5 year) strategies and annual programmes of work.
• Prepare briefings and reports to the SPREP management, and provide a focal point for all activities under the general work area programme of meteorology development in the Pacific Islands region.
• Provide authoritative advice to SPREP Members regarding the impact of severe weather and climate events (both anticipated and post event) endorsed by the RMSD/PMC.
• Evaluate and review the technical merits of activities and initiatives in the climate change sectors of SPREP Members (as well as the SOPAC/SPC Disaster Risk Programme) and provide technical and policy advice.
• Advise and assist Member governments with the development of project documents designed to secure funding for the development of their respective NMS programmes.
• Prepare in collaboration with Pacific Desk partners and PMC Chair reporting annually of the Pacific Desk implementation and activity progress to the annual SPREP Meeting.

Publication

• Facilitate production of international publications to raise the profile and awareness of meteorology development in the Pacific region, and be responsible for the coordination and development of electronic communication material (newsletter, website ofhttp://www.mco.org/ etc.) that contributes to and advertises the full range of data and products developed and available to the region.

Resource Management

• Manage the annual budget for the section, providing annual financial statements to the RMSD (PMC), and seeking additional resources to ensure programme growth and expansion

Person Specification

Professional skills/qualifications:

• Master of Science degree in a meteorological or climatological science or relevant environmental discipline or a bachelor degree in lieu, with applied relevant work experience in excess of the minimum required relevant work experience;
• At least 10 years relevant experience specifically in dealing with meteorological issues, at least two (2) of those years working in a developing country and preferably within the public sector;
• Strong strategic advisory and analytical skills with a demonstrated ability to motivate teams, establish and implement work plan objectives and work with minimal supervision;
• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of meteorological and climatological issues in the Pacific, including donor and development agency priorities, regional strategies and sector drivers;
• Strong understanding of the working environment in Pacific island countries;
• Demonstrated experience in programme and project management; monitoring & evaluation including financial management, and proposal and report writing with a high level of organisational, analytical, problem-solving;
• Superior networking and facilitation skills working with donors and developing country partners;
• Fluent in English with excellent communications, presentation and inter-personal skills;
• Strong PC based computer skills, preferably with Microsoft programmes;
• Knowledge of GIS applications and an understanding of database principles.

Project management and reporting

At ComSec, the project will be managed by an Adviser in GIDD’s Technical Co-operation and Strategic Response Section, with technical support from the Small States Section of the Economic Affairs Division (EAD). When recruited and in placement, the Expert will provide six monthly, annual and end of project reports. A mid-term review will be conducted by GIDD’s project manager and EAD’s thematic lead on climate change. The day today reporting will be to the Executive Director SPREP, through a designated manager.

Download the Terms and Conditions of Service - Annex 1

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