Result of Service
The Urban Policy Expert reports to the Head of Brazil Office and OiC for Southern Cone Office. He/She shall duly and timely perform his/her obligations, under this Terms of Reference. The consultant will work in close collaboration with the UN-Habitat’s operational and technical teams.
Work Location
Homebased with missions to Paraguay
Expected duration
3 months (part-time)
Duties and Responsibilities
BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION UN-Habitat, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate and affordable housing for all. It works with organisations at every level, including all spheres of government, civil society and the private sector, to help build, manage, plan and finance sustainable urban development. UN-Habitat supports New Urban Agenda partners and governments at all levels in formulating and implementing progressive urban and housing sector reforms, policies, programmes and legislation which contribute to the creation of inclusive and sustainable cities, and comply with international law relating to the right to adequate housing. It provides expertise to support sound analysis of the housing sector and, in particular, the review of key legislation and elements affecting affordable housing provisions. It assists governments to formulate and implement policies and strategies designed to maximise the impact of housing in national socio-economic development and employment generation, as well as in urban development. UN-Habitat also helps with in-depth local diagnosis of the state of the housing sector and provides technical support to the formulation of national urban and housing policies and subsequent implementation strategies, and provides tailor-made capacity development for all urban and housing sector stakeholders. Paraguay was selected to be part of the second phase of the National Urban Policy Programme “National Urban Policy Programme, Phase Two: Scaling up people-centred Smart Cities through National urban Policies”, which allows UN-Habitat to continue supporting the country in the elaboration and implementation of policies and strategies on urban and housing development. The programme initiated in October 2022 and extends up to October 2026, and will include activities related to the development of national and local urban policies and strategies; capacity building of policy makers and stakeholders; the implementation of demonstrative urban interventions; and the enhancement of global knowledge creation and sharing. The workplan for this project that has been agreed upon with Paraguay’s Ministry of Urbanism, Housing and Habitat (MUVH) includes the elaboration of a National Plan for Urbanism, Housing and Habitat (PLANUVIH), its implementation instruments at metropolitan and city level as well as demonstrative projects. To support the Regional Office for Latin American and Caribbean (ROLAC) in these efforts, UN-Habitat is looking at an Urban Policy Expert according to the following terms. REPORT TO UN-HABITAT MANAGER The Urban Policy Expert reports to the Head of Brazil Office and OiC for Southern Cone Office, who will evaluate him/her. RESPONSIBILITES The consultant will be responsible for the following duties: (a) To provide technical support for the elaboration of the National Urbanism, Housing and Habitat Plan and corresponding implementing instruments. (b) To carry out periodic meetings with governmental focal points to discuss on the progress of the project. (c) To carry out remote and in-person consultations with relevant stakeholders as necessary throughout the project implementation. (d) To support the monitoring & evaluation (M&E) process of the project. (e) To facilitate knowledge exchange between Paraguay and other relevant countries. The consultant will be responsible for completing all courses and training activities that are indicated to him/her by his/her supervisor. The security course BSAFE, from UNDSS, is required to be accredited during the first month of employment, The consultant will be responsible for his/her own security, so the person should ger familiarized with United Nations security mechanisms and comply with them according to the Framework of Accountability for the United Nations Security Management System. OUTPUTS/WORK ASSIGNMENT The Urban Policy Expert shall assist the implementation of the project, according to the stated responsibilities and the delivery of the following products: 1) Draft version of the National Urbanism, Housing and Habitat Plan for 2035. Description: National Urbanism, Housing and Habitat Plan for 2035 (around 70 pages in total), which must contain: (i) context within which the plan was elaborated; (ii) methodological approach; (iii) set of actions and targets defined for the plan; (x) implementation mechanisms, including governance structures, monitoring and evaluation and communication instruments. The document will be based on the recently-approved National Urbanism, Housing and Habitat Policy for Paraguay, and relevant UN-Habitat guidelines on National Urban Policies and National Housing Strategies. Expected delivery date: 15 March 2025. 2) Final version of the National Urbanism, Housing and Habitat Plan for 2035 and draft version of the guide for local implementation of the National Urbanism, Housing and Habitat Policy. Description: National Urbanism, Housing and Habitat Plan for 2035 finalized based on feedback received on the draft document during public review process, and draft version of the Guide for Implementation (around 50 pages in total), which must contain: (i) legal references for urban and housing initiatives at the local level; (ii) step-by-step approach for project implementation at local level; (iii) case studies and best practices. Expected delivery date: 30 April 2025.
Qualifications/special skills
Education: Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in a field relevant to urban and public policy, social sciences, international development, political science, or similar. A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Experience: At least ten (10) years of relevant professional experience in policy development related to sustainable urban development, housing, policy preferably in developing country contexts and within international organizations. Experience with housing and urban policy formulation and implementation in developing countries, in particular Latin America. Expertise in the following areas should be represented: • Urban and housing policy, with strong expertise in analysis of environmental, economic and social aspects of the elaboration and implementation of urban and housing policies; • Institutional development, with experience in the development of intergovernmental institutional arrangements for urban and housing delivery; • Project and programme management, with experience in management of resources and monitoring & evaluation. Previous experience with UN policies and procedures as well as prior experience working with the United Nations is a desirable. The assignment requires a highly competent expert professional with a track record of delivering timely and good quality services. COMPETENCIES Professionalism: Proven ability to integrate different perspectives, i.e. political, civil affairs, military, police, security, humanitarian, human rights, gender, child protection perspectives into analytical products. Skills in developing networks for data collection. Demonstrated ability to complete in-depth studies and to formulate conclusions and/or recommendations. Shows pride in work and in achievements; Demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; 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; Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. 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. 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; Tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed. Planning and Organization: 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. KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT • The person must know the processes, procedures, and norms of UN-Habitat, to guarantee an adequate quality of the activities described above, following the standards of the organization. • The person will propose formats and procedures that allow the efficient implementation of the activities related to the project development. • The person must know the file of the Office, work with it, and ensure its proper maintenance, accessibility for all staff, and due updating. • The person will prepare databases related to the project running. • The person will make sure that all relevant technical information will be adequately shared with the correspondent staff. • The person will ensure that all produced material will be fit-for-purpose and delivered, in an organized way, for posterior consultation and use of the Agency. • The person will only share the information produced with the team agency, assuring the privacy of the content.
Languages
Fluency in English and Spanish (both oral and written) is required; knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage.
Additional Information
TRAVEL DETAILS: The consultant must be available to travel to the places related to the activities in the country, if requested by the Head of Brazil Office and OiC for Southern Cone Office. Missions will be coordinated and finances by UN-Habitat, according to the United Nations travel rules and guidelines. REMUNERATION Payments will be based on deliverables over the consultancy period. The fees will be paid in instalments upon completion and acceptance of the outputs. The total amount to be received by the international consultant is USD 20,000.00 (twenty thousand US dollars), to be paid according to the following schedule: • USD 10,000.00 (ten thousand US dollars) upon the delivery of Output 1 (expected date – 15 March 2025). • USD 10,000.00 (ten thousand US dollars) upon the delivery of Output 2 (expected date – 30 April 2025). NOTES It is required for all the curricular information to be inserted in the system, which may take a few hours. Only complete applications in English will be considered. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. Due to the volume of applications received, receipt of applications cannot be acknowledged individually. Only short-listed applicants will be contacted. Applications should be submitted through INSPIRA and must include all documents required at the system, please be ready to include the following information at the “Candidate Profile” (CP) at Inspira: • Cover memo (maximum 1 page) • Educational Background (incl. dates) • Professional Experience (assignments, tasks, achievements, duration by years/ months) • Expertise and preferences regarding location of potential assignments • Other Experience and Expertise (e.g. Internships/ voluntary work, etc.)* * Please note that Internships, self-employment and part-time count as 50%. In addition to it, note experience not relevant to the position will not be considered. All applications should be submitted to: Inspira UN-HABITAT does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process. If you have any questions concerning people or companies claiming to be recruiting on behalf of these offices and requesting the payment of a fee, please contact: recruitment@unon.org.
No Fee
THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.