Senior Urban Programme Development Specialist

Development of urban-related projects and programmes based on identified needs, demands and arising funding opportunities in West Africa, with special focus on the Sahel, and specific senior technical support provided for the implementation of EU-funded projects in Burkina Faso and Mali

Home-based

3 months

National and local authorities in West Africa are generally struggling with adequate urban planning and management. There is a need to improve institutional capacities; for this purpose, a number of projects and programmes, of different sizes and with various components, were developed by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) with the idea to be catalytic, by demonstrating in practice how to proceed in terms of fit-for-purpose solutions, building capacities on-the-job and enhancing systems in place, while establishing partnerships with key partners, including international finance institutions (IFIs) for scaling up. In this set up, it is crucial to mobilise technical capacity at the level of the West Africa Sub-Regional Hub (see draft strategy in Annex 1), which is part of the Regional Office for Africa (ROAf), to support project and programme development, as well as to help with the follow up of ongoing initiatives. Organisational Settings UN-Habitat is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities. ROAf supports Sub-Saharan African countries developing human settlements projects to address fast urbanisation and achieve sustainable urban development. Currently, the West Africa portfolio, managed by the Sub-Regional Hub, is expanding, especially in Central Sahel, with important programmes under implementation in countries like Burkina Faso and Mali. Rationale For almost a decade, the Sahel region has been suffering from different conflicts which originated from indigenous populations claiming independence (Mali, spread into Burkina Faso and Niger) or caused by Boko Haram (North-East Nigeria, Northern Cameroon, Western Chad). This crisis is complex: Islamic groups carry out terror attacks in the region that exacerbate existing tensions between ethnic groups competing over access to natural resources – themselves scarcening due to the impacts of climate change – or over precious metals and minerals. As a result, approximately 14 million internally displaced people (IDPs), refugees, or returnees have been displaced, with no possibility to return, through the rather porous boundaries of the Sahel.   UN-Habitat, in partnership with other UN Agencies (such as UNDP, IOM, UNHCR, among others), has been carrying out strategic spatial analysis in various countries of West Africa to understand the territorial dynamics and the movement of people beyond countries’ boundaries. Through a multi-scale territorial integrated approach, this UN Agency is now focusing at city and neighbourhood/village/community scale, especially to implement durable solutions for displaced populations. Housing construction for the most vulnerable (benefitting both host and displaced communities to strengthen social cohesion) is on-going at a large scale in Burkina Faso and will start soon in Mali and Nigeria. Fund raising is needed in Niger though, as part of the Alliance of the Sahel States (Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger). In addition, in partnership with the governments of Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Nigeria, UN-Habitat is currently developing the Strategic Spatial Action Plans (SSAP) for two transboundary areas, the Liptako-Gourma area and the Kano-Agadez Corridor, to provide a clear roadmap for selecting and prioritizing investments that best meet the region's development priorities and financing needs. Moreover, the Study to strengthen peace and resilience through the development of key economic corridors in West Africa commissioned to the Agency by the African Development Bank, which was recently finalised and is under editing, contributes to make more informed decisions to foster resilience and peace in these corridors. The West Africa Hub has already mobilized expertise to support the development of urban resilience and climate adaptation projects, but needs more senior capacity to develop projects related to adequate housing, slum upgrading, delivery of basic services, land management, etc. Duties and Responsibilities Under the supervision of Head of the West Africa Sub-Regional Hub, the International Contractor will be responsible for supporting the development of country and sub-regional programmes in West Africa, with a special focus on the Sahel, in close coordination with the concerned country teams and the Hub team. He/she will carry out the following duties and responsibilities: • Develop at least two (2) sub-regional/multi-country concept notes/project proposals providing continuity to on-going projects, including supporting potential source of funding and project development negotiations. • Provide senior technical advice and support in project development to at least four (4) country programmes to maintain and expand their current portfolios. • Within the framework of the on-going EU-funded programmes in Burkina Faso and Mali, provide senior technical expertise for project implementation on what concerns community participatory planning and social cohesion promotion, land management issues, design of adequate housing and basic services solutions, local economic development strategies, internal and external communication and dissemination of projects’ results • Liaise with UN-Habitat Headquarters to link proposal development with existing tools and knowledge embedded in thematic sections. • Support project acquisition’s processes by going through the Project Review Committee mechanism. • Carry out scoping or support missions as necessary for refining the formulation of project proposals. Ultimate result of service Development of urban-related projects and programmes based on identified needs, demands and arising funding opportunities in West Africa, with special focus on the Sahel, and specific senior technical support provided for the implementation of EU-funded projects in Burkina Faso and Mali.

An advance university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in urban planning, urban management, architecture, engineering, international cooperation is required. A first-level university degree, combined with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience, may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Minimum 7 years of relevant professional experience at the regional and/or international/regional level on human settlements in the areas of urban planning, urban development or in urban planning, urban management, architecture, engineering, international cooperation is required. Strong understanding of UN-Habitat’s mandate, principles, and operations is desirable.

English and French are the official working languages of the United Nations. Fluency in oral and written English language is required.

Not available.

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.