Team Leader – ASEAN Sustainable Urbanization Project

Terms of Reference

29 January 2020

 

ORGANIZATION:	United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat
DUTY STATION:	Bangkok, Thailand
FUNCTIONAL TITLE:	Team Leader – ASEAN Sustainable Urbanization Project
DURATION:	15 February 2020 – 30 June 2021
CONTRACT MODALITY:	ICA 1 (UNOPS), Full time

 

United Nations Core Values: Integrity, Professionalism, Respect for Diversity

 

Organisational Context:

 

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat, is the agency for human settlements and sustainable urbanisation. It is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all. Leading efforts to advance UN system-wide coherence for sustainable urbanisation, UN-Habitat is playing a key role implementing the Goal 11 of the Sustainable Development Goals adopted in September 2015 as well as the New Urban Agenda (NUA) adopted in Quito, Ecuador in October 2016.

 

Founded in 1967, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN, was established with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration, aiming to promote collaboration and cooperation among the Member States, as well as, to advance the interests of the region as-a-whole. Today, there are currently 10 Member States: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam, forging ahead together towards the achievement of ASEAN Community Vision 2025.

 

Since 2008, UN-Habitat and the ASEAN Secretariat have engaged in a variety of UN and ASEAN Secretariat engagements. Most notably, UN-Habitat has been developing a new generation of sub-regional programmes which target all or selected ASEAN countries, especially in the area of cities and climate change. Meanwhile, the Bangkok Office of UN-Habitat is increasingly engaged in knowledge programmes with fellow UN agencies, on issues of migration, health, resilience and urban data in support of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and implementation of the New Urban Agenda.

 

About the Project:

 

Half of the 600 million people in the ASEAN region already live in urban areas and by 2025 a further 70 million people in ASEAN will be city dwellers. Seeking to address this “mega-trend” of urbanisation, the ASEAN Sustainable Urbanisation Strategy (ASUS) was launched at the 22nd ASEAN Coordinating Council (ACC) Meeting in November 2018, as one of the initiatives under the ‘Sustainable Infrastructure’ strategic area of the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC) 2025.

 

Nearly one year after its launch, the ASUS and its two accompanying toolkits remains key to raising the standards of living of the citizens of ASEAN, enhancing shared prosperity of cities and regions, as well as strengthening climate action and resilience. In this regard, the period between 2020-2021 will be crucial to accelerating the implementation of the ASUS, with a special emphasis on small to medium-sized cities and intermediate cities, which are witnessing the majority of the growth in the ASEAN region over recent years and which will continue to exhibit significant upward population and economic trends.

 

As such, the accelerated implementation of ASUS will provide ASEAN cities with the opportunity to prioritise actions to achieve sustainable urbanisation, while implementing practical activities customised to their unique city contexts, designed to raise the standards of living of those within ASEAN which lie at the core of the New Urban Agenda and ASEAN Community Vision 2025.

 

Towards this end, the ASUS has been disseminated to city networks in ASEAN, with many cities in each of these networks sharing common priorities and concerns. While some technical support is provided through the various city networks in ASEAN, further resources are needed to help cities develop credible action plans and/or financially viable project proposals. As part of this project, an implementation plan integrating several initiatives and intended to accelerate sustainable urbanisation during the period of January 2020-June 2021 (Phase 1) could support the achievement of the expected ASUS outcomes by 2025, with a second phase of intensified action at the local level between 2022 to 2025.

 

In summary, these initiatives and proposed key outputs in Phase 1 includes:

1.      Technical advisory support to 8 selected pilot cities within ASEAN established as leaders in ASUS implementation in developing high-quality proposals within the ASUS Framework;

2.      Assist UN-Habitat in organizing ASEAN Sustainable Urbanisation Forum bringing together diverse stakeholders from across ASEAN and supporting the development of improved urban policies;

3.      Research and development of a report detailing the “State of Urbanisation in ASEAN”.

 

Functional and Reporting Relationships:

The expert will be based at the UN-Habitat Bangkok Office (HBO) located in Bangkok, Thailand. Recognised as a focal point for human settlements and sustainable urban development, HBO supports coordination and liaison functions amongst UN agencies based in Bangkok, as well as, enhancing partnerships with regional entities such as ASEAN.  Under the overall guidance of the Regional Representative UN-Habitat Regional Office of Asia and the Pacific, and with direct supervision of the Chief of UN-Habitat Bangkok Office, the expert will work closely with officials at regional, and headquarter offices of UN-Habitat.

 

Responsibilities and Expected Outputs:

The Project Team Leader - ASEAN Sustainable Urbanisation will be responsible for the coordination of project rollout and implementation with guidance from UN-Habitat RO and HQ. The regular tasks include:

Project Management

·       Development of the project inception report in preparation for the inception meeting;

·       Assist the office recruitment and management of project personnel in accordance with the project plan and approved budget as agreed by the ASEAN Secretariat;

·       With guidance from Chief, HBO and with responsible Country Offices, coordinate with the national government, local authorities and Local Project Officers to perform participatory and consultative city diagnosis in each selected pilot city;

·       Organisation of Expert Group Meetings with full coordination with ASEAN in developing high-quality technical proposals and the report on the “State of Urbanisation in ASEAN”;

·       Provide substantial help to in-country consultations with local governments and key stakeholders;

·       Assist UN-Habitat in organizing ASEAN Sustainable Urbanisation Forum and associated events;

·       Development of a report on the “State of Urbanisation in ASEAN” assisted by a Lead Author and several subject matter experts, peer reviewers and substantive experts;

·       Coordination with a Reports Editor to carry out quality assurance and peer-review process;

·       Achievement of all project targets in alignment with agreement and commitments to ASEAN;

·       Overall responsibility for the delivery of project outputs and related outcomes.

Advocacy and Communications

·       Implementation of the media, advocacy and communications plan with the support of a dedicated Event & Communications Officer, as well as, relevant vendors as deemed suitable;

·       Assist Chief, HBO and RR in delivering presentations to ASEAN upon project inception, evaluation and upon request;

·       Facilitate the production of visual content and materials with contracted designers;

·       Support with updates to a website showcasing progress as part of the project in accelerating the implementation of the ASUS hosted on the ASEAN Connectivity Division micro-site;

·       Review and prepare press releases and other project materials as necessary.

Monitoring and Evaluation

·       Regular monitoring and reporting on all project activities with partners and stakeholders to ensure a high quality of outputs being delivered within the agreed-upon time frame;

·       Reviewing ASUS Framework and New Urban Agenda documents to ensure that project outputs are in accordance with the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC) 2025;

·       Supporting the mainstreaming of gender, environmental and social issues into the project activities and carrying out social and gender analyses across all project deliverables;

·       Development of the project evaluation report in preparation for the evaluation meeting.

 

Competencies

• Professionalism: Ability to perform a broad range of administrative functions, e.g., budget/work programme, human resources, database management, etc. Ability to apply knowledge of various United Nations administrative, financial and human resources rules and regulations in work situations.  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 organisational 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 & Organising:  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.

• 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 their language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

Qualifications

Education

An advanced degree in urban and/or regional planning, urban economy, sustainable development,  sustainable urbanisation or human settlements from reputed universities with the most relevant and progressive experience in the said fields.

Experience

A minimum of four years’ progressive and relevant work experience in international economic development, urban development and program management, preferably in the field of human settlements in the region. Previous experience in producing high-quality city assessment and investment frameworks and spearheading flagship reports is added advantage. Work experiences with the UN and general knowledge of UN rules and regulations are desirable.

Language

For this position, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language and/or Southeast Asian will be considered an advantage.

Other

Experience in substantive human settlements development issues related to urban development especially working in the context of ASEAN Member States will be an added advantage.

Contract period, level of engagement and duty station

The contract will start from mid-February 2020 and ending 30 June 2021. The post is based in Bangkok, Thailand with highly frequent travel to be expected within Southeast Asia.

Remuneration

Fee is monthly payment and in compliance with UNOPS established ICA policy.

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:

1.           Educational Background (incl. dates)

2.           Professional Experience (assignments, tasks, achievements, duration by years/ months)

3.           Other Experience and Expertise (e.g. Internships/ voluntary work, etc.)

4.           Expertise and preferences regarding location of potential assignments

All applications should be submitted to:

UN-Habitat Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific  

habitat.fukuoka@un.org

Please indicate the Post Title: “THA Team Leader for UN-Habitat ASUS project” in your e-mail subject.

Please note that applications received after the closing date stated below, will not be given consideration. Only short-listed candidates whose applications respond to the above criteria will be contacted for an interview. The fee will be determined according to the qualifications, skills and relevant experience of the selected candidate. In line with UN-Habitat policy on gender equity, applications from female candidates will be particularly welcome.

Deadline for applications: 13 February 2020

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