Housing, Land and Property Specialist

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 objective of this assignment is to assist the day-to-day management, coordination, monitoring and reporting of UN-Habitat’s Housing, Land and Property Rights (HLP) project.

The incumbent will be based in Amman, Jordan and will travel frequently in mission to Aden, Yemen. UN personnel in Yemen operate in a volatile security environment. In Aden, personnel work in secured compound with limited access outside of the city, which usually can only be done with stringent clearances and depending on the destination, a military escort. Aden is a non-family duty station and is classified as security risk moderate. UN personnel in Aden live in Minimum Operational Security Standards (MOSS) compliant residences outside of the UN compound.

UN-Habitat Yemen is also focusing on helping the most vulnerable, most affected population in a number of cities to rehabilitate damaged housing and community infrastructure facilities and systems; starting with Al-Hudaydah and expanding to other most affected cities, with the aim to provide safe, adequate and dignified living conditions. Given the huge influx of IDPs to urban settings looking for safe heaven, they usually lose their Housing, Land and Property documentations, hence UN-Habitat and GLTN is working jointly with UNCHR, and UN Women to start an initiative to increase Access for Women to HLP rights.

In Yemen, UN-Habitat is the chair of the Housing, Land and Property Rights (HLP) sub-cluster, under the Protection cluster. The overarching goal of the HLP sub-cluster is to facilitate a more predictable, accountable and effective HLP response in humanitarian emergencies. In line with the Principles of Partnership endorsed by the Global Humanitarian Platform, the HLP sub-cluster operates as an open and inclusive forum to benefit from the wide range of expertise within the HLP community of practice.

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of Head of Country Programme of Yemen or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the UN Volunteer-HLP Specialist will be responsible for the following duties: • Project Management and Implementation. • Ensure effective and efficient execution of UN-Habitat HLP projects and management of the project resources through resource mobilization activities, technical guidance, quality, cost control and ensure support of the project resources as per approved project document and substantive work plan. • Prepare relevant documentation and reports related to projects • Conduct training workshops and seminars on HLP. • Plan, organize and facilitate HLP sub-cluster meetings in coordination with cluster members and partners. • Represent UN-Habitat in HLP sub-cluster, inter-cluster coordination mechanisms and other relevant forums as HLP sub- cluster coordinator. • Plan and lead UN-Habitat’s initiatives related to HLP in coordination with relevant project staff. • Ensure appropriate cross-sectoral coordination with other related clusters such as Protection, Shelter, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM); • Develop and maintain effective partnership with counterparts including members of HLP sub-cluster and other relevant clusters, government counterparts and donors. • Advocate for HLP in the humanitarian response and leads the mainstreaming of HLP in recovery, stabilization and reconstruction activities. • Support resource mobilization efforts for HLP-related projects and activities and develop project proposals, concept notes and project briefs as required. • Facilitate integration of cross-cutting issues into the work of the HLP sub-cluster, especially, gender, diversity, HIV, environment and human rights. • Support information gathering and data collection for programmes and activities related to HLP, legal issues and tenure through both desk review and field visits; • Compile, summarize and analyze information, data and reports. • Provide support to plan, implement and monitor HLP sub-cluster activities. • Support the customization of the Social Tenure Domain Model (STDM) tool to the Yemen context. • Support data collection, information management and development of data collection tools related to HLP, legal and tenure. • Provide technical inputs in the development of relevant UN-Habitat projects, plans and strategies; and Perform other relevant duties as assigned by Head of UN-Habitat Kurdistan Region of Yemen Office. • Manage, develop and maintain close working relationships with relevant national and international partners, stakeholders, and other UN Agencies in the duty station. • Any other related tasks as may be required or assigned by the supervisor.

• Accountability
• Adaptability and Flexibility
• Building Trust
• Commitment to Continuous
• Learning Creativity
• Ethics and Values
• Integrity
• Planning and Organizing
• Respect for Diversity
• Self-Management Vision
• Working in Teams

• University degree in urban planning, law, political science, international relations, development, or other relevant field of studies is required. • Experience in project management and • Experience in law, protection, human rights, land administration, or another relevant field is required. • Experience in coordination and facilitation of clusters and multi-stakeholder forum and/or advocacy is an • • • • Motivated to contribute towards peace and development and to serve others; Good interpersonal, networking and communication skills. • Excellent oral and written skills: excellent drafting, formulation, reporting skills. • Willingness to contribute and work as part of a team; Flexible and open to learning and new experiences. • Respect for diversity and adaptability to other cultures, environments and living conditions; and • Previous experience as a volunteer and/or experience of another culture, (i.e. studies, volunteer work, internship) would be highly regarded.

Other desired technical skills • Accuracy and professionalism in document production and editing. • Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members, religious and youth organizations, and authorities at different levels; familiarity with tools and approaches of communications for development. • Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel. • Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various MS Office applications (Excel, Word, etc.) and email/internet; familiarity with database management; and office technology equipment. • Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; ability to work with tight deadlines.

Location: The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is located in the Middle East. Bound by Syria to the north, Iraq to the northeast, Saudi Arabia to the east and south, Red Sea to the south and the Palestinian National Authority to the west.

Weather: Jordan’s climate can be classified as semi-arid (Bsh) on the Koeppen-Geiger classification. It features a hot, dry climate characterized by long, hot, dry summers and short, cool winters. The climate is influenced by Jordan's location between the subtropical aridity of the Arabian desert areas and the subtropical humidity of the eastern Mediterranean area. January is the coldest month, with temperatures from 5°C to 10°C, and August is the hottest month at 20°C to 35°C. Daily temperatures can be quite hot, especially in the summer; on some days it can be 40°C or more, especially when a hot, dry southerly wind blows. Such winds can sometimes be very strong and can cause sandstorms. About 70 percent of the average rainfall in the country falls between November and March; June through August are often rainless. Rainfall varies from season to season and from year to year. Precipitation is often concentrated in violent storms, causing erosion and local flooding, especially in the winter months.

Safety and Security: Jordan is a relatively stable country. The potentials for internal or external armed conflict are considered very unlikely in the current political environment. Peaceful demonstrations, and sometimes road blockages, do occur in Jordan, motivated by domestic factors such as unemployment, deprivation of resources and development or for regional issues such as solidarity with the Palestinian cause or with the Syrian crises. Most of these events are driven by civil society unions and Islamic parties. Domestic tribal civil unrest sometimes turns violent, especially outside main cities, due to tribal disputes or socio-economic reasons. In all occasions law enforcement agencies usually manage to contain the situation rapidly. Road traffic accidents are the primary threat against UN personnel in Jordan. Poor road conditions and bad driving behaviours are the main reasons for the high rate of traffic accidents. Amman is a category A duty station with security level 1.

Transportation: Taxis are abundant and readily available in Amman. Public minibuses are the most common form of public transport. They normally only leave when full, so waiting times of an hour or more are inevitable, especially in rural areas. The larger air-con buses offer a speedy and reliable service, departing according to a fixed schedule.

Health Services: Medical facilities are generally very good, particularly in Amman where there are several modern, well-equipped public and private hospitals. Almost all doctors (and most pharmacists) speak English; many have studied abroad.

Language: The official language of Jordan is Arabic, but English is widely spoken – especially in the cities. Many Jordanians have travelled or have been educated abroad so French, German, Italian and Spanish are also spoken, but to a lesser extent.