Coordination Assistant - Urban Development

Contract

This is a UNV International Specialist contract. This kind of contract is known as International UN Volunteer. It is normally internationally recruited only. More about UNV International Specialist contracts.

The UNV will be based in the Regional Office for Africa (ROAF) and collaborating with substantive sections in UN-Habitat ( PLG, PFES) will provide project coordination and management support . The UN Volunteer will be guided by the Kenya Habitat Country Programme Document (HCPD) in his/her day to day assignments. The identified focus areas for the HCPD are: planning and land; infrastructure and basic services; housing and slum upgrading; urban economy and finance; urban governance and resilience; and capacity building and sensitization. The areas of intervention are aligned to those identified by the Government of Kenya in its pursuit to localizing the New Urban Agenda and the realization of Kenya Vision 2030, and related MTPs.

Under the direct supervision of the Representative, Regional Office for Africa (ROAF), and in collaboration with the Policy, Legislation and Governance Section, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

Programme and Project development, implementation and monitoring • Supporting the review process and implementation of Kenya Habitat Country Programme Document on sustainable urbanization borrowing from the UN-Habitat Strate-gic Plan and the ROAF Strategic Plan. • Contribute to development, implementation and monitoring of urban development programs in Kenya and contribute to developing partnership with other UN agencies and other donors such as Japan International Cooperation Agency. • Supporting the Senior Human Settlements Officer for Kenya in coordinating overall project implementation of UN-Habitat activities. • Providing substantive support to consultative and other meetings, conferences, etc., to include proposing agenda topics, identifying and proposed participants, preparation of background documents and presentations, handling logistics, etc. • Assisting in monitoring/evaluating project performance in relation to approved work plans and objectives and advise on corrective measures as required. • Supporting the resources mobilization activities in the Kenya office. • Supporting coordination UN-Habitat activities in Kenya in close liaison with staff from Sections, Branches and Units that contribute to the implementation of the HCPD. • Any other duty that may be required for exposure of the staff to UN mandate in Kenya.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are required to: • Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day); • Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country; • Reflect on the type and quality of voluntary action that they are undertaking, including participation in ongoing reflection activities; • Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publica-tions/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.; • Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers; • Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering, or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.

• Accountability
• Client Orientation
• Commitment to Continuous Learning
• Communication
• Creativity
• Planning and Organizing
• Professionalism
• Respect for Diversity
• Vision
• Working in Teams

urban programs development and implementation; studies on urbanization and design • Experience in identification and conceptualization of urban development’s projects and programs. • Experience in dealing with various stakeholders (national and local governments, civil society organizations, grassroots, practitioners) especially in Kenya. • Ability to drive consultative process to be understand needs and emerging issues in the urban sectors. • Familiar with Result based management and reporting mechanisms. • Experience in dealing with gender related issues in programs and management. • A good understanding of the Kenya context will be an asset.

The Republic of Kenya is an equatorial nation on the coast of East Africa, neighboring Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, and the Indian Ocean. Kenya has two levels of Government; National Government and 47 sub-national Governments called Counties. Counties are further divided into sub-counties. Kenya is a multi-party state with Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches. Kenya’s population of more than 40 million is growing at an annual rate of 2.2%. The country’s GNP per capita estimated at purchasing power parity (PPP) is $975, and the GNP is growing at an average rate of 0.1% annually. More than 26% of Kenya’s people live below the international poverty line of $1 per day. Kenya’s main food crops are “maize, wheat, pulses, roots and tubers.” (FAO).

Nairobi is a modern metropolitan city where most basic goods and services, health facilities, public transport, telecommunication and banking services and educational facilities are readily available. The city is widely connected through its main airport, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and the smaller Wilson Airport. Air transport is also available to many up country destinations. The city is home to some 3,000 UN personnel mainly attributed to the fact that it serves as the headquarters for both the UN HABITAT and UNEP.

The socio-economic and cultural background of the immediate society the UNV would be living and working in is diverse and prevailing security conditions at the place of assignment is modest. The topographic and climatic features of the assignment location is highland cool and warm tropical climate.