Result of Service

The incumbent will be responsible for the following: – Training material on the localization of the SDGs in the Arab region guided by the UNESCWA Guidelines for the development of VLRs in the Arab region; – Proposed programme for the new iteration of the Arab Mayors Academy; – Two E-learning courses on the guidelines for the development of VLRs in the Arab region and building urban economic resilience in Arabic; – Draft regulatory framework for governing the work of localities in the Arab region; – Technical material on the use of new technologies and the future of Arab cities; – Profiles for selected Arab cities as smart and sustainable based on the indicators of urban economic resilience, united for smart sustainable cities and the urban monitoring framework; – Step-by Step guide on the localization of national urban policies in the Arab region; – Policy papers: on Quality of life in Arab cities informed by the developed quality of life in cities index; technology and future of Arab Cities; – Support the technical assistance provided to Member States through preparing training material and coordinating with local entities and partners; – Identify emerging urban development trends and draft related project proposals completing the scope of the urban development portfolio; – Proposal for an extra-budgetary project building on the scope of work of the urban portfolio; – A plan for resource mobilization for the expansion of the urban development portfolio; – Other outputs within the scope of substantive and technical scopes are expected based on the development of the activities of the urban portfolio.

Work Location

UN-House ESCWA

Expected duration

12 Months

Duties and Responsibilities

Background: The United Nations Economic and Social Commission (UNESCWA) is committed to advancing sustainable, smart, resilient, and inclusive urban development in the Arab region (https://www.unescwa.org/urban-development). UNESCWA supports national and local governments in designing, implementing, and monitoring urban initiatives by building their capacity to develop cross-sectoral urban action plans, localize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and establish mechanisms for knowledge sharing. ESCWA also promotes the adoption of smart digital solutions for urban development and fosters regional cooperation through monitoring and reporting on sustainable urbanization frameworks. By empowering local authorities and facilitating policy coherence, ESCWA aims to improve the quality of life in Arab cities and contribute to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the New Urban Agenda. UNESCWA is currently implementing, under its urban development portfolio, several projects, and activities to achieve the above-mentioned commitment. These projects include, but are not limited to, the “Arab Mayors Academy”, a regional initiative aimed at strengthening the capacities of local leaders in the Arab region in fostering sustainable; “Quality of Life in Cities”, an initiative aimed at strengthening the capacities of city leaders in the Arab region and promoting good practices for increased quality of life in cities; “SDGs localization and Voluntary Local Reviews”, aimed at supporting cities in advancing SDGs localization and adapting the UNESCWA Practical Guidelines for the development of VLRs in the Arab region and the global urban monitoring framework; “Building Urban Economic Resilience and the transformation towards Smart Sustainable Cities”, aimed at supporting Arab cities in building urban resilience, mainly urban economic resilience and support them in adapting the UNESCWA diagnosis and planning tool for building urban economic resilience and ensure that smart and digital technologies are mainstreamed to ensure an inclusive and resilient transformation process. In this context UN-ESCWA seeks to recruit a consultant (Urban Analysis and Development Expert), with work experience in urban development to contribute to UNESCWA efforts in advancing the urban development agenda in the Arab region. The consultant will be supporting UNESCWA in advancing the above-mentioned initiatives among others under the umbrella of the urban development portfolio. The consultant will also support UNESCWA’s efforts in advocating for increased local-national policy development dialogue and coherence amongst member States and promote improved capacities of institutions and other agents of change in the implementation and monitoring of the 2030 Agenda and the New Urban Agenda. Duties and Responsibilities: The consultant will be supporting UNESCWA efforts in advancing the different projects of the UNESCWA urban development portfolio. The consultant is expected to: – Undertake research and develop background papers, policy briefs and training material on SDGs localization in the Arab region, quality of life, smart sustainable cities, urban resilience among others; – Support the implementation of the Quality of Life in Cities Initiative through drafting technical material, preparing training material and coordinating related competitions and awareness raising campaigns, among others; – Contribute to strengthening the knowledge of local authorities in the Arab region on urban development trends and strengthen their skills through the implementation of the first iteration of the Arab Mayors Academy and preparing the grounds for the second iteration among other initiatives; – Contribute to the technical assistance provided to Member States aimed at strengthening the capacities of local governments in the Arab region and fostering local development in alignment with national development; – Contribute to organizing events at national, regional and global venues for outreach and exposure of achievements of the UNESCWA urban development portfolio; – Contribute to developing e-learning material on urban development and ; – Organize regional, national, and local meetings and capacity development workshops on various dimensions of urban development; – Support UNESCWA in advancing the development of national urban policies, action plans and related regulatory frameworks in the Arab region; – Identify emerging urban development trends and draft related project proposals completing the scope of the urban development portfolio; – Contribute to mobilizing resources for the expansion of the urban portfolio; – Represent the urban portfolio in online and/or in-person events (travel may be needed for this task); – Undertake other duties as needed.

Qualifications/special skills

A Bachelor’s degree in urban planning, sustainable development or a related field is required. A master’s degree in the previously mentioned fields is desirable. All candidates must submit a copy of the required educational degree. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. A minimum of 5 years of experience in sustainable development is required. 2 years of experience in research, drafting, and statistical analysis is required. Experience in providing training workshops and/or seminars and/or teaching is required. 2 years of experience in developing urban policies/plans is desirable. Experience with local governments is desirable. Experience using digital technologies and visualization tools is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat; and Arabic is a working language of ESCWA. For this position, fluency in English and Arabic is required. Knowledge of French is desirable. Note: “Fluency” equals a rating of ‘fluent’ in all four areas (speak, read, write, and understand) and “Knowledge of” equals a rating of ‘confident’ in two of the four areas.

Additional Information

Recruitment for this position is on a local basis. The incumbent is required to have the legal right to live and work in the specified working location.

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.