Result of Service

The consultancy will result in comprehensive urban strategic plans for secondary and tertiary cities across Somalia. It will also produce detailed city, territorial and district profile and foster enhanced community engagement into urban planning process particularly for marginalized and vulnerable communities. It will also facilitate improved knowledge transfer among external and internal stakeholders.

Work Location

Nairobi

Expected duration

6 months

Duties and Responsibilities

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat, is the United Nations agency for Human Settlements. It is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all. As the United Nations focal point on human settlements, UN-Habitat will lead advocacy efforts to raise awareness of sustainable urbanization issues; provide evidence-based policy advice; build capacities; develop tools, norms and standards based on best practices; work on demonstration projects and aid national Governments, local authorities, and other public institutions responsible for urban issues. To enable it to respond to the challenges and opportunities of 21st Century cities and human settlement in a more holistic way, and to address one of the most significant areas of need in developing countries; UN Habitat has adopted a more strategic and integrated approach that is more systematic, going beyond addressing only the symptoms of malfunctioning urbanization. It is integrated, rather than sectorial, transformative rather than fragmentary and links urbanization and human settlements to sustainable development by focusing on prosperity, livelihoods and employment. The consultancy is located in the Somalia Programme, Regional Office for Africa (ROAF). Prolonged instability in Somalia has culminated in widespread adverse social and economic consequences that have inhibited the development of the livelihood asset base of the Somali people. The country’s more than 25 year conflict period has seen the destruction of key economic infrastructure on a scale seen nowhere else on earth; government buildings, public facilities, roads, and transportation and communication networks have been destroyed or severely damaged. Although this destruction has been wide-spread and affected populations throughout the country, urban centres – hubs for economic activity and development – have been emerging. However, the lack of integrated urban development plans in conjunction with weak legal frameworks and enforcement and implementation capacities has resulted in spatial fragmention and limited investment in the productive sectors, effectively constraining the urban population to rely predominantly on an informal economy based on trade, transport, utilities, communication and construction, for income and service provision. Subsistence petty trading and micro-sized enterprises have become the primary sources of employment and income for most city-dwellers. The international consultant will work under the overall coordination of the Head of Programmes and direct supervision of the assigned Project Manager and in close collaboration with the urban planning experts within the Programme will be responsible for the following: • Remote collection, generation and management of geo-spatial and socio-economic data, risk analysis, and urban resilience in the project locations • Layout and compilation of research study and other relevant documents, such, urban- and city-region profiles, community action plans, and district development plans, capacity assessments • Preparation of training materials for government staff and government training providers on participatory and rapid urban planning and urban resilience; • Prepare and edit spatial and socio-economic analyses and coordinate with further programme partners to make the data available; • Draft, review and finalize spatial development plans incl. preparation of urban regeneration plans (e.g. settlement upgrading and development plans for areas with displacement affected communities and prone to climate change impact) – hereby, closely wollaborating with relevant government partners; • Produce and visualize thematic area maps and other socio-economic data to be used for participatory and inclusive planning processes, studies and land management aspects; • Prepare information material for planning exercises at neighborhood, city and regional level by using various means of communication (online tools, apps, flyers, website, presentations); • Provide substantial inputs to the formulation of project proposals and concept notes and review them related to settlement planning,upgrading and management; • Review technical plans and their compliance with necessary formal and professional requirements (e.g. application of integrated planning standards and principles as per UN-Habitat normative tools) as well as construction projects and compliance with national andstate and local frameworks); • Prepare and review site maps and locations provided by programme partners to minimize and mitigate any associated risk with community infrastructure projects; • Contribute to knowledge transfer products of Somalia Programme, for example training manuals, fact sheets etc. and participate in UN-Habitat Community-of Practice activities as well as in coordination meetings with the Urban Lab and colleagues from UN-Habitat Crises Office;events ;

Qualifications/special skills

Advanced University degree in Urban and Regional Planning, or Architecture and Urban Planning, or Urban Management or any other relevant field to urban planning management and design is required At least five years working experience in urban planning and design, urban management and participatory planning processes and /or local governance matters is required Previous work experience related to working with displacements or environmental context is desirable Previous work experience related to territorial planning is desirable. Previous work experience working with international agencies is a major asset. Application skills in geo-data software (Arc GIS, Quantum GIS, AutoCAD and others) and data bank management is required for the position.

Languages

Fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of Somali language is an added advantage

Additional Information

Not available.

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.