The objective of the assignment is to strengthen the capacity of ECOWAS for effective disaster preparedness and recovery and enhancing innovative risk financing and insurance mechanisms for predictable and sustained funding for DRR. This assignment will thereby build upon the recommendations of the GSAP regarding gender responsive disaster preparedness in the ECOWAS Commission and Member States.(1) The consultant will prepare an inception report with a detailed workplan and methodology for all aspects of the assignment. The consultant will therefore liaise with the ECOWAS Commission and other stakeholders in the region; including member states and other regional organizations (i.e. CILSS/AGRHYMET; WASCAL; ECOWAS Gender Development Centre in Dakar and others). The consultants will review the outcomes of the 2016 - 2021 Building Disaster Resilience to Natural Hazards in Sub-Saharan African Regions; Countries and Communities program including the ECOWAS Flood risk management Strategy and the ECOWAS GSAP regarding progress; challenges and the implementation of its recommendations. In addition; other relevant strategies include the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and its implementation at continental; regional and national level; the Africa Disaster Risk Financing Initiative as well as national; regional; and global initiatives related to understanding and analyzing risk for disaster preparedness; disaster risk management; risk finance and insurance; and climate change.(a) The consultant will organize stakeholder consultations in a virtual manner; that takes stock of the different initiatives and results in the region.(b) The inception report will include a structured overview of the available information for the assignment. (c) The consultant will provide the inception report within six weeks upon signature of the assignment. (2) The consultant will create a structured overview of available geo-spatial information and data for disaster preparedness; recovery and risk informed decision making in West Africa; including ongoing initiatives in these domains to build synergy. This would include data at different scales and for different hazard and vulnerability applications; drawing upon recent initiatives such as Open Cities Africa; Humanitarian Open Street Maps; the Integrated Risk Information Platform for the Sahel Region; Early Warning for All Initiative; and others. This includes an overview of data formats; accessibility and ownership; relevance for different applications; accuracy; updates and guidance for accessing the information and data. Particular attention should be given to open-source data and applications. (a) The consultant will take stock of existing data on hazard; vulnerability and risk that are available for the ECOWAS region at different scales. This should include initiatives and activities being carried out or ongoing in the region to build synergy and avert duplication of activities and interventions.(b) The consultant will prepare an overview of data; formats; accessibility and ownership; relevance for different applications; accuracy; updates and guidance for accessing the information and data.(c) The consultant will prepare a user guide for practitioners of ECOWAS and member states on accessing and utilizing the data and information.(3) The consultant will identify and assess the strengths; weaknesses; opportunities and threats of public and private risk finance and insurance initiatives in West Africa. The consultant will therefore identify gaps in policy; legislation and regulation; assess data availability and data sharing; review technical and financial capacity; and the potential of new technologies and applications to scale up such initiatives. Particular attention would be paid to the aspects of gender and the recommendations of the ECOWAS GSAP with this regard. (a) The consultant will take stock of various government and private sector risk finance and insurance initiatives in West Africa. (b) The consultant will liaise with stakeholders; for example through a virtual workshop or individual meetings (virtual or face-to-face).(c) The consultant will assess strengths; weaknesses; opportunities and threats of these initiatives; and identify gaps in policy; legislation and regulation; data availability and exchange; technical and financial capacity; and potential for new technologies and applications to scale up such initiatives. This may include an analysis of past responses to disasters (i.e. payouts related to previous disaster events) and lessons learnt from collaboration with existing risk finance and insurance mechanisms in the region; such as; for example; the African Risk Capacity. (d) The consultant will review the ECOWAS Roadmap for Strengthening Recovery Preparedness in West Africa and recommend support for the implementation of this roadmap for further building disaster resilience in the ECOWAS region.(e) The consultant w