Job Summary

Nature of the consultancy: Project Support (Urban Expansion Planner) – Category [B] Consultancy
Under the overall supervision of the Transition and Recovery Coordinator (TRC) Unit and the direct supervision of the head of sub-office in Atbara and in close cooperation with project staff, consultant will be recruited for state . the successful candidate will be responsible for facilitating the implementation of Strengthen the capacities of local technical staff and political leaders to effectively and inclusively plan, design, and manage public spaces under Peace and Recovery projects. This includes peacebuilding, resilience, and durable solutions, as well as applying a community-based planning approach across the portfolio, including for the capacity building at the state level.

Key Responsibilities

TAsks: Tangible and measurable outputs of the work assignment

Category B Consultant hired to deliver a report, with a single payment to be issued upon completion of all reports and delivery of one workshop within four months. The deliverables are as follows:

1. Urban planning analysis completed and validated with local authorities.

2. Displacement sensitive urban expansion strategy developed and aligned with local priorities.

3. Municipal staff capacities strengthened through targeted training and coaching.

4. Practical planning tools, manuals, and guidelines produced for local use.

5. Concept plans, spatial maps, and public space improvement proposals delivered.

6. Stakeholder coordination improved among municipalities, ministries, CSOs, RLOs, and DAC representatives.

7. Working groups and planning committees supported and functioning more effectively.

9. Government sensitized through one workshop, with consensus reached on planning approaches amid security challenges.

10. Workplan and capacity needs assessment completed to guide implementation.

11. Final report submitted summarizing activities, results, and recommendations.

Performance indicators for the evaluation of results

1. Urban planning analysis is completed, endorsed by local authorities, and reflects accurate, context‑specific data.

2. A displacement‑sensitive urban expansion strategy is developed, aligned with local priorities, and validated by key stakeholders.

3. Municipal staff demonstrate improved knowledge and skills based on training evaluations and pre/post assessments.

4. Practical planning tools, manuals, and guidelines are produced, user‑friendly, and adopted by local authorities.

5. Concept plans, spatial maps, and public‑space improvement proposals are delivered, technically sound, and applicable for implementation.

6. Stakeholder coordination improves, demonstrated by increased participation and effective collaboration among municipalities, ministries, CSOs, RLOs, and DAC representatives.

7. Working groups and planning committees function effectively, with regular meetings, documented decisions, and follow‑up actions.

9. Government stakeholders participate in the workshop and demonstrate consensus on planning approaches despite security challenges.

10. Workplan and capacity‑needs assessment are completed, comprehensive, and used to guide subsequent implementation steps.

11. Final report is submitted on time, clearly summarizes activities, results, challenges, and provides actionable recommendations.

Required Qualifications

Education

• Advanced degree in Urban Planning, Urban Development, Architecture, Geography, Public Administration, Migration Studies, or a related field.

• Additional training in displacement-sensitive planning, GIS, or urban governance is an asset

• A specialization or formal training in displacement‑sensitive urban planning, public space design, or urban governance is an asset.

Experience

• Minimum 5 years of professional experience in urban planning, city development, or local governance.

• Proven experience developing urban expansion strategies, spatial plans, or public space designs.

• Experience conducting capacity needs assessments and designing training programmes for local authorities.

• Demonstrated ability to deliver capacity building and hands‑on coaching for municipal staff and political leaders.

• Strong experience in GIS mapping and Remote sensing, spatial analysis, and data collection.

• Background in working with displacement‑affected communities (DACs) or fragile/complex urban environments.

• Experience facilitating multi‑stakeholder workshops, policy dialogues, and government consultations.

Skills

• Strong analytical and technical writing skills for producing strategies, manuals, and concept plans

• Excellent facilitation, presentation, and communication skills.

• Ability to work with diverse stakeholders, including ministries, municipalities, CSOs, RLOs, and community groups.

• Proficiency in GIS and Remote Sensing software and planning tools is highly desirable.

• Ability to work with diverse stakeholders (government, CSOs, RLOs, DAC representatives) in sensitive and politically complex environments.

• Strong communication skills, including verbal and written

Languages

• Fluency in English and Arabic is required

IOM’s official languages are English, French and Spanish.

Proficiency of language(s) required will be specifically evaluated during the selection process, which may include written and/or oral assessments.

Travel required

• Frequent travel to Atbara in River Nile State and Port Sudan will be required to conduct the workshops.

Required Competencies

IOM’s competency framework can be found at this link. Competencies will be assessed during the selection process.

Values – all IOM staff members must abide by and demonstrate these three values:

• Inclusion and respect for diversity: Respects and promotes individual and cultural differences. Encourages diversity and inclusion.
• Integrity and transparency: Maintains high ethical standards and acts in a manner consistent with organizational principles/rules and standards of conduct.
• Professionalism: Demonstrates ability to work in a composed, competent and committed manner and exercises careful judgment in meeting day-to-day challenges.
• Courage: Demonstrates willingness to take a stand on issues of importance.
• Empathy: Shows compassion for others, makes people feel safe, respected and fairly treated.

Core Competencies – behavioural indicators

• Teamwork: Develops and promotes effective collaboration within and across units to achieve shared goals and optimize results.
• Delivering results: Produces and delivers quality results in a service-oriented and timely manner. Is action oriented and committed to achieving agreed outcomes.
• Managing and sharing knowledge: Continuously seeks to learn, share knowledge and innovate.
• Accountability: Takes ownership for achieving the Organization’s priorities and assumes responsibility for own actions and delegated work.
• Communication: Encourages and contributes to clear and open communication. Explains complex matters in an informative, inspiring and motivational way.

Notes

1. The call is open to national and international candidates.
2. It is a home based consultancy with frequent travel.
3. Any offer made to the candidate in relation to this vacancy notice is subject to funding confirmation.
4. Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, verification of residency, visa, and authorizations by the concerned Government, where applicable.
5. IOM covers Consultants against occupational accidents and illnesses under the Compensation Plan (CP), free of charge, for the duration of the consultancy. IOM does not provide evacuation or medical insurance for reasons related to non-occupational accidents and illnesses. Consultants are responsible for their own medical insurance for non-occupational accident or illness and will be required to provide written proof of such coverage before commencing work.
6. IOM has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and IOM, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities.
7. IOM does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, processing, training or other fee). IOM does not request any information related to bank accounts.
9. IOM only accepts duly completed applications submitted through the IOM online recruitment system. The online tool also allows candidates to track the status of their application.

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