Kenya: ICTs and Sustainable Cities Project Assistant (Consultant),(Nairobi),Deadline:1 December 2014

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VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT****Issued on: 13 November, 2014

ORGANIZATIONAL LOCATION:UN-HABITAT

DUTY STATION:****Nairobi

FUNCTIONAL TITLE:****ICTs and Sustainable Cities Project Assistant (Consultant)

DURATION:****11 months

CLOSING DATE:****1 December 2014

Background information on UN-Habitat and requesting Unit

UN-Habitat
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat, 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. The main documents outlining the mandate of the organization are the Vancouver Declaration on Human Settlements, the Habitat Agenda, the Istanbul Declaration on Human Settlements, the Declaration on Cities and Other Human Settlements in the New Millennium, and UN General Assembly Resolution A/56/206.
The United Nations Millennium Declaration recognizes the dire circumstances of the world’s urban poor. It articulates the commitment of Member States to improve the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers by the year 2020- Millennium Development Goal No. 7, Target 11- which is UN-Habitat’s mandate.

As our cities and towns grow at unprecedented rates, setting the social, political, cultural and environmental trends of the world, sustainable urbanization is one of the most pressing challenges for the global community in the 21st century. In 1950, one-third of the world’s population lived in cities. Just 50 years later, this proportion has risen to one-half and will continue to grow to two-thirds, or six billion people, by 2050. Cities are now home to half of humankind. They are the hub for much national production and consumption- economic processes that generate wealth and opportunity. But they also create disease, crime, pollution and poverty. In many cities, especially in developing countries, slum dwellers number more than 50% of the population and have little or no access to shelter, water and sanitation. This is where UN-Habitat is mandate to make a difference for the better.

Office of External Relations
The Office of External Relations coordinates both the Partnerships and Interagency Branch and the Advocacy and Communications Branch. In providing tools for transformative change and the implementation of effective joint projects, the Partnership Unit works to build stronger relationships between UN-Habitat and Civil society, Local Government and the private sector, while the Interagency Unit focuses on the relationships between UN-Habitat and other UN agencies around the issue of urbanization. The Advocacy and Communication Branch coordinates all UN-Habitat communication, is the secretariat for the main UN-Habitat events, such as the World Urban Forum and is a crucial link between UN-Habitat and our main donors.

About the project
To deal with the challenges of the 21st century, new city thinking is needed. Information and
communications technologies (ICTs) present opportunities for developing more economically,
socially and environmentally sustainable cities. In addition, they present opportunities for
citizens to take part in decision making and governance processes and hold policy makers to
account for their decisions. These ICT processes have the potential of creating the
progressive cities of the future.

As part of its work on ICTs and cities, UN-Habitat is collaborating with a private sector technology partner on a three-year project addressing the contribution of ICTs to sustainable urban development. ICTs are a major infrastructure component of most cities but are not always considered a natural part of the planning and implementation of development and extension of urban areas. The ICT and Sustainable Cities Project investigates the roles ICTs can take as a technical component for connectivity and an enabler for social change in the society at large and combines both research and practical elements.

A major component of the collaboration will be a research project investigating ICTs as a driver of urban prosperity and the role of ICTs in UN-Habitat’s City Prosperity Initiative. A conceptual ‘holistic view’ of the role of ICTs in cities will be developed, serving as a baseline for the exploration of specific cities and thematic areas, drawing in examples from UN-Habitat’s work in urban planning, mobility, governance and resilience. Through the project process frameworks and theories will be also developed through the production of concrete concepts, prototypes, data visualizations, analytics assessments, toolkits, and guidance notes.

Why is a Consultant requested/needed?

UN-Habitat requires a consultant to provide coordination and administrative support to the project and assist with the collaboration with the technology partner. The consultant will assist in the design, planning and implementation of the jointly developed work programme. The consultant will also work on concept papers, arrange expert group meetings, map out the ICTs and cities ecosystem, develop practical projects and provide communications and administrative support to the programme.
Supervision

The incumbent will be under the overall supervision of Mr. Thomas Melin, Head of the Office of External Relation. The Consultant will also report to Mr. Eduardo Moreno, Head of the Research and Capacity Development and liaise with relevant UN-Habitat programme officers and administrative staff and with the technology partner and coordinate with them to implement the duties according to programme priorities.

The Consultant will participate in internal meetings of the Office of External Relations, and will receive feedback on his/her daily work. Mr. Thomas Melin will provide a biannual evaluation in light of the United Nations Performance Appraisal System (PAS) that includes review of the problems, discussions on job satisfaction, discussion on the development plan and learning objectives.

Duties, responsibilities and output expectations

Terms of reference:
The consultant will spend 100% of their time providing support to the ICTs and Sustainable Cities Project.
The expected tasks include:

Assist with the coordination of the ICTs and sustainable cities programme within UN-Habitat and with external partners in the in the implementation, methodological and technical activities of the project.Assist UN-Habitat’s Research and Capacity Building Branch in the production of a report on ICTs as drivers for urban prosperity.Assist in the preparation of ToRs for local experts to prepare city profiles, and for national consultants for data collection and action plansAssist with the arrangement of expert group meetings, training sessions and multi stakeholder sessions and coordinate expert groups related to ICTs and cities.Develop and maintain partnerships with cities, academic institutions and researchers as and when required by the programme., including with the preparation of agreements of cooperation with research and implementing partnersProvide communications, monitoring and administrative support to the programme.Arrange and take part in regular meetings of the project team;

The consultant will coordinate and consult with all concerned units and branches within UN-Habitat, and with external partners at the various key stages of the initiative. Finally, the prospective Consultant may be required to carry out any other duties, either in addition to, or instead of those outlined above, which are considered to be within the individual’s level of competence.

Output expectations:
Monthly progress report on the coordination activities undertaken to support the project implementation

Travel:
It is expected that the consultant will undertake occasional missions to meet with the technology partner’s project team and to support pilot projects in selected cities.

Training:
The UN Office at Nairobi (UNON) provides language training in all official UN-languages plus Kiswahili. This service is also available to the Consultant. UNON also periodically offers training in a number of other areas such as competency-based interviewing skills, results-based management and project management. These trainings courses will be open to the Consultant. However, participation on a course cannot be guaranteed as limited places are available.

The supervisor and Consultant will discuss and agree on specific training needs and opportunities (for example in relation to project development and management).

Qualifications and experience

Qualifications, skills and working experience:

The incumbent is required to have a university degree fulfilled when applying for the position. The academic background should be in any of the following fields: International Development, Social Sciences, Administration, Urban Development. A relevant Masters degree is an asset.The incumbent should have at least 3 years of relevant work experience. Experience from the ICT or telecommunications sector is an asset.Good project cycle coordination and management skills covering project design, implementation and monitoring.An understanding of urban planning, urban development, urban policy and legislation and sustainable urbanisation. Knowledge of the smart cities field, ICT4D projects, or urban indicators is an asset.Excellent ICT skills and analytical and communication skills.The ability to draft a wide selection of written communication and to articulate ideas in a clear and concise manner. Research skills, particularly in the technology field, are an asset.Good interpersonal skills, previous exposure to cross cultural environments is advantageous.Ability to work well in a team whilst also having the capacity and initiative to work independently is required.Knowledge of the UN, including working experience in a developing country and working experience with the UN (work within the UN, or working with UN agencies and programmes) are assets.Fluency in English, written and verbal, is required. Working knowledge of another UN language, particularly Spanish or Arabic, is an asset.

Competencies:

The principal competencies required to carry out the duties of the job are:

Technological AwarenessKeeps abreast of available technology, understands applicability and limitations of technology to the work of the office, actively seeks to apply technology to appropriate tasks, shows willingness to learn new technology.Communication Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed, Excellent drafting ability and communications skills, both oral and written; proven ability to communicate complex concepts orally; ability to prepare written reports that are clear, concise and meaningful.TeamworkWorks collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; 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 organizingAble to develop clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for contingencies in planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.

Living conditions at duty station

The UN classifies Nairobi as a class B duty stationNairobi enjoys normal living conditions for a developing country in Africa.Comprehensive security advice and support is provided upon arrival.

Remuneration

USD 2,000.00 per month (Total USD 22,000.000)

Payment Schedule
USD 2,000.00 Upon the delivery and acceptance of a monthly progress report

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 assignmentsExpectations regarding remuneration
• Cover memo (maximum 1 page)

All applications should be submitted to:
Mr. Rizwan Kasmani
UN-HABITAT
P.O. Box 30030, 00100 Nairobi, Kenya
Email: rizwan.kasmani@unhabitat.org
Fax: + 254 20 7625325

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

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