Result of Service

The ultimate result of the consultancy services includes:
Provide technical expertise to the UPIMC Egypt project team to deliver the technical outputs as required to support New Damietta to;
1) have a comprehensive spatial understanding of the existing situation in their city and in urban settlements hosting displaced populations to inform decision making,
2) agree on detailed strategic visioning and scenario building for urban development in selected neighbourhoods,
3) identify bankable investment opportunities to support linking displaced and hosting communities to infrastructure financing; and;
4) have increased capacity to collect and analyze data and information map them, and use it to prioritize interventions.

Work Location

Home based

Expected duration

5 months

Duties and Responsibilities

ABOUT UN-HABITAT
UN-Habitat, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities. It is the focal point for all urbanization and human settlement matters within the UN system.

BACKGROUND
UN-Habitat and the New Urban Agenda (NUA)
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is the United Nations programme working towards a better urban future. Its mission is to promote socially and environmentally sustainable human settlement development and the achievement of adequate shelter for all.

Mandated by the UN General Assembly in 1978 to address urban growth issues, it is a knowledgeable institution on urban development processes. It understands the aspirations of cities and their residents. For forty years, UN-Habitat has been working in human settlements worldwide, focusing on building a brighter future for villages, towns, and cities of all sizes. Because of these four decades of extensive experience, from the highest levels of policy to a range of specific technical issues, UN-Habitat has gained a unique and universally acknowledged expertise in all things urban. This has placed UN-Habitat in the best position to provide answers and achievable solutions to the current challenges faced by our cities. UN-Habitat is capitalizing on its experience and position to work with partners to formulate the urban vision of tomorrow. It works to ensure that cities become inclusive and affordable drivers of economic growth and social development.

In October 2016, at the UN Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development – Habitat III – member states signed the New Urban Agenda. This action-oriented document sets global standards of achievement in sustainable urban development, rethinking the way we build, manage, and live in cities. Through drawing together cooperation with committed partners, relevant stakeholders, and urban actors, including at all levels of government as well as the private sector, UN-Habitat is applying its technical expertise, normative work, and capacity development to implement the New Urban Agenda and Sustainable Development Goal 11 – to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.

Urbanization is a key driver of development. Hence, sustainable planning and governance of urbanization are crucial to accommodate the rapid population growth, empower cities to optimize the value of urbanization, and ensure even development, inclusion, and equality. Rapid urbanization presents a unique opportunity to lift millions out of poverty when managed sustainably. However, inadequate urbanization management, which doubled with rapid population growth, has adversely affected the quality of life, leading to a lack of adequate housing and increasing inequality. These conditions contribute to diseconomies (e.g., congestion, pollution, displacement) that negatively affect overall city prosperity, efficiency, productivity, and competitiveness over time.


UN-Habitat in Egypt

Established in 2005, UN-Habitat Egypt Country Programme has provided technical support to national counterparts on a wide range of urban issues. Adopting an integrated approach, UN-Habitat Egypt has supported reforming and improving urban planning and management through three main sub-programs: urban planning and design; urban policies, legislation, and governance; and urban basic services and mobility.


Urban Policy, Legislation and Governance Programme
Egypt's Urban Governance, Policies, and Legislation Programme tackle the multi-dimensional urbanization context with special attention to urban management, urban planning, and urban economy. All stakeholders are empowered to engage and play their expected role(s). The Programme is working with all stakeholders and on different levels to find new appropriate, realistic, and context-driven ways of ensuring that the urbanization processes provide acceptable spatial standards and services. The Programme is also working towards enhancing the capacity of relevant actors in reforming the legal and institutional framework governing urban development, promoting the empowerment of local government, enhancing land tenure security, establishing processes for participating and inclusive planning process, enhancing local economic development social entrepreneurs. The Programme provides legislation enhancement and policy development support on the national level to replicate and scale up all of its successful interventions.

Urban Planning and Infrastructure for Migration Contexts Programme
UN-Habitat is partnering with the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) to improve access to reliable services and socio-economic opportunities for migrants and refugees in urban settlements. The Urban Planning and Infrastructure in Migration Contexts (UPIMC) programme will focus on activities that develop a common understanding of the issues affecting cities, towns, and neighborhoods, mapping provisions and gaps in public infrastructure services in coordination with humanitarian interventions.

The Programme will support municipalities hosting displaced populations in Jordan, Egypt, and Cameroon. Cities in these three countries have been selected through full consultation with SECO and UN-Habitat country representatives. The Programme will foster multi-sectoral collaboration between UN-Habitat, national and local governments, humanitarian actors, development banks, and local communities, including displaced populations in the selected cities. Preparing urban profiles for the selected vulnerable neighborhoods will enable the development of shared visions and prioritized interventions that improve living conditions to be identified, agreed upon, and potentially funded. The scope of work will also ensure significant contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by supporting the selected cities and neighborhoods to become increasingly inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.
This Programme will address the critical challenges in supporting vulnerable groups, including refugees, in urban areas through integrating them into overall urban development processes, considering the Humanitarian-Development and Peace/Triple Nexus. The Overall Programme aims include:
- Supporting municipalities to mainstream inclusion challenges into spatial/ urban analytics and urban infrastructure investment planning.
- Conducting activities that will go beyond a pure planning stage by supporting the prioritization of infrastructure investments and their linkage to financing.
- Benefiting migrant communities and urban dwellers in general with better quality of life and better access to economic opportunities.

The programme will be delivered in two phases. The first phase consists of four interlinked components: 1. Spatial analytics and urban profiling; 2. Develop strategic vision and scenario building; 3. Define prioritized infrastructure investments and linkage to financing; and 4. Knowledge exchange and capacity sharing. The component 1 of the first phase has been nearly completed.

UN-Habitat's Project Team in Egypt seeks to hire a Junior Urban Planner to support the preparation of written and spatial data and analysis.

REPORTING LINE
The consultant will be hired and work under the overall supervision of the UPIMC Egypt Coordinator, and the Programme Management Officer at UN-Habitat HQ,. The consultant will work closely with the UPIMC Egypt Team under the Urban Planning in Migration Context Programme and in close coordination with the Technical Backstopping Team in UN-Habitat HQ. The entire UPIMC Programme Team also includes a network of Country Project Teams spread across the 3 countries of the Programme.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The consultant will undertake the following responsibilities for the selected governorate/ areas (Damietta Governorate: Kafr El Bateekh and New Damietta cities):
1. Work with UPIMC Egypt Project Team and UPIMC Programme Management Team (UN-Habitat HQ)
• Work with the UPIMC Egypt coordinator with specific activities and tasks as required
• Remain abreast of projects conducted by the UN-Habitat Egypt Country Programme, seeking opportunities to align UPIMC with other UN-Habitat activities in Egypt

2. Provide technical expertise to the UPIMC Egypt team in the finalization of multi-sectoral spatial profiles providing a city/neighbourhood-wide overview and multi-scalar assessment of displaced communities
• Proofread and edit outputs, ensuring Spatial Settlement Profiling and UN-Habitat standards are met

3. Provide technical expertise to the UPIMC Egypt team in the identification of suitable pilot areas within the supported cities with all relevant stakeholders and priorities agreed in line with Sustainable Development Goals
• Development of technical conclusions and strategic spatial recommendations
• Utilization of tools to refine local priorities with key stakeholders
• Stakeholder validation of conclusions and recommendations for pilot areas

4. Provide technical expertise to the UPIMC Egypt team to carry out preparation and reporting of trainings, events, exchanges for local authorities and other stakeholders
• Prepare briefing notes, presentations, and technical materials for trainings and events
• Prepare minutes and reports from trainings and events carried, to be synthesized.

Qualifications/special skills

Academic Qualifications:
A first level university degree in Architecture, Urban Development, and Urban Planning, or a related field is required.

Work Experience:
• At least 2 years of relevant work experience in the field of urban development and planning (and/or related fields) is required;
• Experience working on issues related to migration and displacement is desirable;
• Working knowledge and understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (and their monitoring/evaluation) and of the New Urban Agenda is an asset;
• Knowledge in GIS is an asset.

Languages

Fluency in oral and written English and Arabic is required

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.