Technical Advisor (Project Management) at the United Nations Human Settlements Programme

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-HABITAT, is the 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. The main documents outlining the mandate of the organization are the Vancouver Declaration on Human Settlements, Habitat Agenda, Istanbul Declaration on Human Settlements, the Declaration on Cities and Other Human Settlements in the New Millennium, and Resolution 56/206. Its activities contribute to the overall objective of the United Nations to reduce poverty and promote sustainable development within the context and the challenges of a rapidly urbanising world.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Technical Advisor (Project Management)

Location: Aba City, Abia
Department/Office: UN-Habitat Programme Support Office, Abuja
Duration: Four Work Months over 10 months
Starting Date: September 2023
Full/Part Time: Part-Time

Description 

• The Technical Advisor (Project Management) will work under the overall guidance of the UN-Habitat Regional Office for Africa (ROAf), Nairobi, Kenya, the overall supervision of the Senior Human Settlements Office for West Africa/Human Settlements Officer responsible for Nigeria and the Coordination of the Habitat Programme Support Office (HAPSO), Abuja.
• The duty station shall be in Aba City, Abia State and the incumbent , as lead of the Technical Team, will support the Abia State Government in implementation of this project working closely with relevant state ministries especially the Ministry of Lands and Survey, in collaboration with relevant UN-Habitat branches: Urban and Regional Planning Branch (Metropolitan Planning Unit, Urban Planning and Design Lab), Global Urban Observatory/Data and Statistics Unit, Urban Basic Services, and Urban Economy.

Responsibilities
Within delegated authority, the Technical Advisor (Project Management) will be responsible for the following duties:

Liaise with relevant stakeholders

• The Chief Technical Adviser will especially liaise with key officials of the Ministry of Lands and Survey as well as other relevant state ministries to ensure prompt and efficient completion of the project and strengthen their institutional capacities. This includes the training in participatory urban planning as well as the application of modern technologies such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
• In addition to these, the Technical Adviser will also liaise with the project team that will be involved in data collection processes and facilitate enggement other key stakeholder such as traditional institutions, community associatins and civil society organizations, etc.

Coordinate the Outputs of the Technical Team:

• Under the supervision of UN-Habitat, work in close collaboration with the Ministry of Lands and Survey to define content and structure of the Structure Plan report, criteria for maps and agreea on guidelines for data collection.

Ensure Quality Control of Output / Time Management:

• Meet frequently with the Technical Team and the GIS expert to be adequately informed about project progress; oversee establishment and work of GIS lab; control quality of data and maps produced in GIS lab; review desk studies, drafted city profiles, consultation reports, draft structure plan as well as the final structure plan with Land Use and Transportation proposals; and, review the report including all documentation of the Team Leaders (completed interview questionnaires, photos and data, overall thematic analysis, recommendations for strategic interventions, city profiles and consultation material).
• The TA will also ensure that Structure Plans are developed in real participatory processes by ensuring stakeholders’ involvement and that the Project is completed on schedule as per the adopted Work Plan.
• Provide technical support for the preparation of the draft report (analysis, visualization, conceptual designs, formution of development, and the initial environmental assessment/Development Impact Plan (DIP)), the review of the draft, and the integration of comments/corrections. The Technical Adviser will provide backstopping to the Technical team, supporting the organization of city consultations and attending those in all nine cities.

Training:

• Provide technical and strategic assistance to the project team on baseline assessment which include the review of existing and relevant methodologies, provision of an overview situation analysis and assessment, development of a public participation process and strtegy, development of a work plan validation, and the evaluation of the existing resources.

Steering Committee:

• The Chief Technical Adviser will act as Secretary and work under the guidance of the Project Advisory Team/Steering Committee for the project. He/she will give briefings about project progress at steering committee meetings and communicate the Committee’s suggestions and concerns to the Technical team as well as develop strategies to implement the committee’s suggestions and provide guidance on this for the Technical team.

Support to Fundraising at the state Level:

• Assist the coordination of fund raising support for priority projects, city consultations (consensus on city vision, development plans & strategies, and priority projects, and consensus on implementation plan and fast track infrastructure plnning), capacity building, and other workshops.
• Provide technical support for the preparation of the final project reports and support the final review/approval/legislation of report by the Abia State Government.
• Performs other duties as required, to ensure that:
• The relationship with various relevant stakeholders is harmoniously maintained.
• The Training Report and Evaluation is prepared.
• Key technical capacities (Ministry of of Lands and Survey, local governments and other key institutions) have been reinforced.
• The Draft Structure Plans are shared with and responded to by all relevant key stakeholders.
• Final Structure Plans with required Land Use and Transportation Proposals are shared with and accepted by all relevant key stakeholders.

Competencies:

• Professionalism: Demonstrable understanding theories and concepts related to urbanization including social and economic development, urban economics, spatial development, local economic development and planning, urban, and regional and territorial planning.
• Planning & Organizing: 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.
• Strong research and writing skills. Ability to carry out research on the social, economic, political, spatial and planning dimensions of cities and human settlements at local levels.
• Ability to evaluate and integrate information from a variety of sources using standard methodologies and analytical techniques and draw conclusions and assess impacts at different levels. Experience in preparing structure plans and write technical reports.
• Ability to review, edit and summarize the work of others. Strong analytical capacity and the ability to identify, analyze and articulate difficult issues/problems. 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 organizational 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.

Education

• Advanced University Degree (Master’s Degree or equivalent) in Urban Planning, Urban Development, Urban Geography, Economics, Social Sciences, Development Studies, Urban Governance, Regional Planning, Civil Engineering, Architecture, or any other related field. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience:

• At least five years of progressive experience urban planning, research and policy analysis at the local, national and international levels is required.
• Experience of networking; experience of project and programme management; experience of conducting policy reviews and preparation of policy recommendations for decision makers; demonstrable analytical, drafting, reporting and presentation experience; experience of analyzing, summarizing and presenting large quantities of statistics on urban issues using relevant computer software; experience in the coordination of multiple contributors to major reports is desirable; and experience in coordinating trainings, technical, fundraising and capacity building workshops.

Languages:

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of French is desirable. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage.

Special Notice:

• Subject to the funding source of the position, the eligibility for this temporary job opening may be limited to candidates based at the duty station or environs.

Method of Application

Interested consultants should send soft copies of their cover letter and curriculum vitae (CV) to: [email protected] using ‘Aba Structure Plan Project’ as the subject of the mail

Application Deadline 4th August, 2023.