Kenya: Habitat III Regional Reports Coordinator (Consultant),(Nairobi),Deadline:1 December 2014

TERMS OF REFERENCE

POSITION:Habitat III Regional Reports Coordinator (Consultant)
SECTION:United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III)
DUTY STATION:Nairobi
CONTRACT TYPE: Consultant (level C)
DURATION:12 working months
CLOSING DATE: 1 December 2014

BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION

Habitat III is the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development to take place in 2016. In resolution 66/207 and in line with the bi-decennial cycle (1976, 1996 and 2016), the United Nations General Assembly decided to convene, the Habitat III Conference to reinvigorate the global commitment to sustainable urbanization, to focus on the implementation of a “New Urban Agenda”, building on the Habitat Agenda of Istanbul in 1996.

The objective of the Conference is to secure renewed political commitment for sustainable urban development, assess accomplishments to date, address poverty and identify and address new and emerging challenges. The conference will result in a concise, focused, forward-looking and action-oriented outcome document.

The Conference is addressed to all Member States and relevant stakeholders, including parliamentarians, civil society organizations, regional and local government and municipality representatives, professionals and researchers, academia, foundations, women and youth groups, trade unions, and the private sector, as well as organizations of the United Nations system and intergovernmental organizations.

Habitat III will be one of the first UN global summits after the adoption of the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Agenda. It offers a unique opportunity to discuss the important challenge of how cities, towns and villages are planned and managed, in order to fulfill their role as drivers of sustainable development, and hence shape the implementation of new global development and climate change goals.

In line with Paragraphs 6 (a) and 6(c) of GA Resolution 67/216 which indicate that the outcome document of Habitat III will be evidence-based and should be based on a highly inclusive preparatory process, UN-Habitat requires the services of a regional reports coordinator consultant to (i) prepare the methodology for the elaboration of the Habitat III regional reports in coordination with the UN regional commissions, (ii) to assess and validate the national reports submitted, and identify the key emerging issues to be considered in the regional reports (iii) to supervise the regional summaries synthesizing the results of the national reports.

DUTIES AND RESPONSABILITIES

Under the overall guidance of the Habitat III Secretariat Coordinator and in coordination with the Research and information coordinator/Monitoring and data coordinator, the consultant will:

Design relevant assessment tools, methodologies for the regional reports, in coordination with the UN regional commissions;Work on the validation of national and regional reports, ensuring that the reports attain the expected outputs;Coordinate the assessment of the Habitat III national reports to ensure coherence and comparability;Assesses as necessary additional capacity that may be required to produce the Habitat III regional reports;Liaise with relevant governmental departments and other stakeholders to ensure smooth and coordinated delivery of substantive inputs, tools or technical advice required;Review and analyse issues and trends, preparation of evaluations or other research activities and provide, and coordinate, inputs to key periodic reports and studies as required.Manage, develop and maintain close working relationships with relevant national, regional and international partners, stakeholders, and other UN Agencies.Perform other duties relevant to the position defined as per country/region project and approved work plan.Perform other duties which may be requested by the coordinator.

Work implies frequent interaction with the following: Counterparts, Senior UN officers, representatives and officials of national and local governments, and non-governmental organizations.

COMPETENCIES

Professionalism: Strong conceptual skills required. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery in policy issues related to the New Urban Agenda, including; Urban Land Legislation and Governance, Urban Planning and Design, Urban Economy, Urban Basic Services, Housing and Slum Upgrading, Risk Reduction and Rehabilitation, Research and Capacity Development and other; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations.
Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; Ask questions to clarify and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; Tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.
Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.
Planning and Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.
Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.
Judgment/Decision-making:Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly; gathers relevant information before making a decision; considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them; takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization; proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information; checks assumptions against facts; determines the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary.
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Education
Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in urban planning, architecture, engineering, sociology, international relations or a related field. A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Work Experience
A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in human settlements, programme management and/or development, and related fields at the international level, which should also include experience working at the national level and developing countries.
Languages
English and French are the official working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. Excellent written and oral English is required; knowledge of another UN language will be an added advantage.
Assessment Method
Evaluation of qualified candidates for this position may include a substantive assessment and/or competency-based interview.

TRAVEL
This position may require availability to travel including travel to UN HQ locations, and countries within the region.

DURATION OF ASSIGNMENT

12 months

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:Educational Background (incl. dates)Professional Experience (assignments, tasks, achievements, duration by years/ months)Other Experience and Expertise (e.g. Internships/ voluntary work, etc.)Expertise and preferences regarding location of potential assignments.Expectations regarding remuneration

All applications should be submitted to habitat3secretariat@un.org
Please 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/

Deadline for applications: 1 December 2014