Capacity and Learning Development Expert

ONSULTANT VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
Issued on: 10 April 2015

ORGANIZATIONAL LOCATION:Regional and Metropolitan Planning Unit (UPDB), UN-Habitat

DUTY STATION:Nairobi

FUNCTIONAL TITLE:Capacity and Learning Development Expert

DURATION:3-4 months spread over 10 months.

(2015-FSE-4650-J100-2842)

CLOSING DATE:30th April 2015

BACKGROUND

Brief Project Description: The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat is the agency for human settlements. It is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all.

Urban Planning and Design Branch

The Urban Planning and Design Branch (UPDB) was created in December 2011 following the translation of the new UN-Habitat priorities in seven new thematic branches. Urban planning and design is increasingly projected as one of the top priorities of the agency.

Urban Planning & Design Branch (UPDB) of UN-Habitat supports countries in developing urban planning methods and systems that address current urbanization challenges. It promotes urban planning and environmental management approaches to address climate change mitigation and adaptation in urban areas, as well as urban biodiversity, urban mobility and energy in the context of sustainable urban development.

UPDB builds on the heritage of the Urban Environment and Planning Branch, which was created in September 2008 when the Urban Environment Section was upgraded to the level of a Branch, with the mandate to serve as the agency’s focal point branch for urban environment and urban planning. The Branch has three Units which are closely related: (1) Regional and Metropolitan Planning, (2) City Planning, Extension and Design, and (3) Climate Change Planning. To implement the UN-Habitat’s 2014-2019 work programme, all the three Units will continue to work in synergy, across other UN-Habitat branches and Units as well as a range of partners.

Regional and Metropolitan Planning Unit

The Regional and Metropolitan Planning Unit is playing a key role in supporting the delivery of the 2014-2019 strategic plan through the following 4 (four) intervention areas:

1. National Urban Policies from pre-feasibility, diagnostic (feasibility), development, implementation to monitoring and tracking progress;
2. Regional, Metropolitan and City-region planning including in development of corridors, clusters and systems of cities and promotion of a green economy and urban-rural linkages;
3. The International Guidelines on Urban and Territorial Planning including its rolling out, implementation and monitoring;
4. National Spatial Frameworks, Strategies and Plans at metropolitan, regional, national and supra-national levels

Capacity Development Unit – Research and Capacity Building Branch

The Capacity Development Unit develops knowledge products and provides capacity building services to strengthen the skills and competencies of UN-Habitat staff and UN-Habitat partners on sustainable urbanization at city, national, regional and global levels.

1. The case for National Urban Policies

The development of a National Urban Policy (NUP) is the key step for reasserting urban space and territoriality and for providing the needed direction and course of action to support urban development. The National Urban Policy provides an overarching coordinating framework to address the most pressing issues related to rapid urban development, including slum prevention and regularization, access to land, basic services and infrastructure, urban legislation, delegation of authority to subnational and local governments, financial flows, urban planning regulations, urban mobility and urban energy requirements, as well as job creation.

Approved at the highest level, a National Urban Policy could be seen as the general framework to guide public and private interventions in urban areas and be a reference for sectoral ministries and service providers. When developed through a consultative process, the NUP can serve as one of the key references for legislative institutional reform. Countries that have developed and are implementing National Urban Policy often use it as a good instrument for public and political awareness because such policy highlights the gains to be obtained from sustainable urban development, as well as an opportunity to promote consultation with urban stakeholders.

Through the development of a National Urban Policy the following results are expected: (a) the identification of urban development priorities towards socially and economically equitable and environmentally friendly urban and national development; (b) guidance on the future development of the national urban system and its spatial configuration concretized through National and Regional Spatial Plans for Territorial Development; (c) better coordination and guidance of actions by national actors, as well as lower levels of government in all sectors; (d) increased and more coordinated private and public investments in urban development and consequent improvement of cities productivity, inclusiveness and environmental conditions.

UN-Habitat has received a range of requests to support national governments to develop, implement and/or track progress of their national urban policies. Thus, it is required to develop training and capacity development packages to support member states.

1. The case for green economy in the context of regional, metropolitan and city-region planning.

In preparation for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, Rio+20), which focused, amongst others on the Green Economy, within the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication, UN-Habitat contributed through the promotion of Urban Patterns for Sustainable Development towards a Green Economy. The central idea in the contribution was to demonstrate how cities are crucial lever for delivering a green economy. Four main strategies emerged from the contribution that were captured in a series of four publications entitled ‘Urban Patterns for a Green Economy’, dealing respectively with ‘Working with Nature’, ‘Leveraging Density’, ‘Optimizing Infrastructure’, ‘Clustering for Competitiveness’. There is now a growing demand to make use of the publication to enhance the capacity of local and subnational government planning officials on sustainable urban patterns and landscape connectivity. Hence, UN-Habitat is planning to develop a learning package on urban green economy to facilitate its advisory services to and capacity development of member States. The development of the training and learning packages will contribute towards the implementation of Rio+20 outcome document as well as the post-2015 development agenda.

1. The Urban and Territorial Planning

The draft International Guidelines on Urban and Territorial Planning constitute a global framework for improving policies, plans and designs for more compact, socially inclusive, better integrated and connected cities and territories that foster sustainable urban development and are resilient to climate change.

Four goals sustained the intention behind the development of these Guidelines:

• Develop a universally applicable reference framework for national urban policy reforms;
• Capture universal principles from national experiences that could support the development of a diversity of planning approaches adapted to different contexts and scales;
• Complement and link other international guidelines aiming at fostering urban development;
• Raise the urban and territorial dimensions in the development agendas of national, provincial and local governments.

The national urban policies and international Guidelines on Urban and Territorial Planning form two key pillars of the work of the RMPU. Given the relative new focus provided by the programme to urban planning work of UN-Habitat, the Unit is reinforcing its ability and strategies to provide targeted technical support to its programmatic areas of work to benefits its various stakeholders and member States.

This consultancy is located in the Regional & Metropolitan Planning Unit of the Urban Planning and Design Branch;

RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the co-supervision of the Regional and Metropolitan Planning Unit and Capacity Development Unit of UN-Habitat, the consultant will carry out the following duties:

• Undertake a capacity needs assessment among member states and UN-Habitat partners to develop and implement National Urban Policies, green economy and metropolitan planning. Research existing material and relevant publications available in house on developing National Urban Policies, Urban Patterns for a Green Economy, training tools, as well as external sources. Prepare a pool of reference material for Capacity Development in those areas.
• Design acapacity development strategy to cover the overall portfolio of the RMPU, specifically addressing the capacity needs for Green Economy, National Urban Policies and metropolitan planning, in consultation with the Capacity Development Unit and other relevant branches. The strategy will include the following components: Conclusions of the Capacity Needs Assessment; Identification of target groups; Statement of the overall Capacity Development Objective as well as priority areas; identification of key partners and strategic stakeholders to implement learning activities; Description of learning methods and Implementation plan (e.g. training, learning platform, and learning/policy transfer); Monitoring; Evaluation and follow up;
• In consultation with UN-Habitat Capacity Development Unit and in collaboration with subject matter experts, develop thecontents of the capacity development / learning development packages, a per proposed strategy
• Develop capacity and learning tools including but not limited to incorporating and piloting appropriateICTs and social media toolsin the approach/strategy and training packages - Green Economy, National Urban Policy and metropolitan planning or the International Guidelines on Urban and Territorial Planning;
• Train subject matter experts in the approach/strategy and facilitate their implementation of it by developing up to three training and trainers packages (e.g. Guide, Manual, Learning exchange Protocols, etc.) on targeted areas of work of the RMPU, mainly on Green Economy, National Urban Policies and metropolitan planning or the International Guidelines on Urban and Territorial Planning;
• Support the Regional and Metropolitan Planning Unit and Capacity Development Unit in the delivery of a training of trainers in workshop design, delivery and monitoring with the identified subject matter experts
• Facilitate at least one pilot training of trainers package including a training of trainer’s guide and a participant guide (e.g. based on UN-Habitat publication on urban patterns) with the subject matter experts;
• Design and implement an evaluation of the initiative, as well as the training impact evaluation. Include relevant follow-up in the findings.
• Undertake otherrelevant activities supporting the capacity development of the portfolio of the RMPU.

Task-related Opportunities
Familiarizing one-self with:

• The United Nations and UN-Habitat’s work;
• The training and capacity development strategies, tools and approaches within UN-Habitat and other best practices of strategic stakeholders;
• The RMPU key products, portfolio, areas of work and publications
• Key partners involved in capacity development on the subject matters

Deliverables

• One inception report;
• One capacity needs assessment report;
• Capacity development strategy for the RMPU;
• Production and delivery three pilot training of trainers packages on Green Economy, National Urban Policy and International Guidelines on Urban and Territorial Planning;
• One report per pilot training;
• Selected capacity development and learning and development tools to include ICTs and social media tools;
• Report on the implementation of the Capacity Development Strategy;
• One final report including the feedback, outcomes and impact evaluation of capacity development interventions, as well as a summary of interventions.

COMPETENCIES

Professionalism: Knowledge and understanding of theories, concepts and approaches relevant to land and indicators and monitoring and evaluation; Ability to identify issues, analyse and participate in the resolution of issues/problems; Ability to apply judgement, plan own work and manage conflicting priorities.

Planning and Organizing: Develop clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; Identify priority activities and assignments; adjust priorities as required; Allocate appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; Foresee and allow for contingencies when planning; Monitor and adjust plans and actions as necessary; use time efficiently. Ability to work under pressure, establish priorities and plan, coordinate own work plan, use time efficiently and apply judgment in the context of competing deadlines. Ability to work with minimal supervision and with good sense of initiative.

Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills and ability to articulate complex ideas in a clear and accurate manner including the ability to present the content of the thematic area in a clear and concise manner. Keep the supervisor regularly informed of progress.

Creativity: Is not bound by current thinking or traditional approaches, takes calculated risks on new and unusual ideas; is flexible and able to think "outside the box", and offers new and different options to solve problems or meet client needs.

EDUCATION

• Advanced university degree in Communication, Education or another related development field, ideally within adult education; Proven knowledge and experience in policy development and human settlements matters would be an advantage.
• A first-level university degree in combination with five additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree;

WORK EXPERIENCE

• At least 10 years of professional experience in communication, ICT, social media, training and adult education;
• Experience developing and implementing capacity development strategies, packages and programs;
• Experience working with e-communications, ICT and new learning technologies;
• Extensive demonstrable experience in research and documentation of urban-related matters is desirable;
• Demonstrable ability to innovate and initiate activities from scratch;
• Strong networking, team work and communication skills;
• Ability to work under pressure in diverse environments and cultures with minimum supervision;
• Demonstrable effective written communication skills including the ability to prepare reports, proposals, manuals, policies and procedures;

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of and ability to work in other official UN languages is an advantage.

OTHER SKILLS

• Very strong analytical and interpersonal skills;
• Experience working with UN and particularly UN-Habitat.

REMUNERATION

Payment will be based on outputs subject to satisfactory delivery of agreed tasks and time and cost implications. The rate is determined by functions performed and the Experience of the Consultant. The fees will be paid as per agreement.

HOW TO APPLY:

APPLICATION

Applications should include:
• Cover memo (maximum 1 page)
• CV in the PHP format, accessible through the INSPIRA website (inspira.un.org) Please note, if using INSPIRA for the first time, you need to register in order to activate your account, which will allow you to log in and create a personal History Profile.
• The PHP should be attached to the application as a PDF file.
• Summary CV (maximum 2 pages), indicating the following information:

1. Educational Background (incl. dates)
2. Professional Experience (assignments, tasks, achievements, duration by years/ months)
3. Other Experience and Expertise (e.g. Internships/ voluntary work, etc.)
4. Expertise and preferences regarding location of potential assignments
5. Expectations regarding remuneration
   • Cover memo (maximum 1 page)

Please also be advised that since April 15th 2010, applicants for consultancies must be part of the
UN-HABITAT e-Roster in order for their application to be considered. You can reach the e-Roster
through the following link: http://e-roster.unhabitat.org

All applications should be submitted to:
Mr./ Ms.Caroline Murihia
Regional and Metropolitan Planning Unit
UN-HABITAT
P.O. Box 30030, 00100 Nairobi, Kenya
Email: caroline.murihia@unhabitat.org

Deadline for applications:30th April 2015

UN-HABITAT does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process. If you have any questions concerning persons or companies claiming to be recruiting on behalf of these offices and requesting the payment of a fee, please contact: recruitment@unon.org

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