Junior Urban Planner

Provide technical support to urban planning and development projects

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UN-HABITAT - United Nations Human Settlements Programme

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Application deadline 3 years ago: Tuesday 13 Jun 2023 at 23:59 UTC

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Overview

Provide technical support to urban planning and development projects

You have:

  • Advanced degree in Architecture, Urban Planning, Civil Engineering, Sustainable Urban Development, Geography, or a related field is required.
  • At least 2 years of relevant work experience in the field of urban development and planning in the local context with direct proven experience is required.
  • Ability to write technical reports, concept notes, and project documents is required.
  • Direct proven experience of urban infrastructure development projects/processes is desirable.
  • Experience of working on migration and displacement issues is desirable.
  • Understanding of and experience from managing urban data is desirable.
  • Experience organizing local workshops and community engagement processes is desirable.
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are desirable.
  • Working knowledge and understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (and their monitoring/evaluation) and of the New Urban Agenda is desirable.
  • Fluency in English and Arabic (both oral and written) is required.

Result of Service Provide technical support to the UN-Habitat Jordan National Programme Coordinator, the Jordan Project Coordinator, and the project team to deliver the technical outputs, such as to: 1. Develop a comprehensive spatial understanding of the existing situation in their city and in urban settlements hosting displaced populations to inform decision making. 2. Support the development of detailed strategic visioning and scenario building for urban development in selected neighbourhoods, 3. Support municipalities in identifying financeable investment opportunities to support linking displaced and hosting communities to infrastructure financing. 4. Increase the capacities of local and national stakeholders, including in collecting and analysing data and information and use it to prioritize interventions.

Work Location Amman

Expected duration 6 months

Duties and Responsibilities Org. Setting and Reporting Relationships:

UN-Habitat, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities. It is the focal point for all urbanization and human settlement matters within the UN system. UN-Habitat envisions well-planned, well-governed and efficient cities and towns, with adequate housing, infrastructure and universal access to employment and basic services such as water, energy, and sanitation.

Background

UN-Habitat is partnering with the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) to improve access to reliable services and socio-economic opportunities for migrants and refugees in urban settlements. The Urban Planning and Infrastructure in Migration Contexts (UPIMC) programme will focus on activities that develop a common understanding of the issues affecting cities, towns and neighbourhoods, mapping provisions and gaps in public infrastructure services in coordination with humanitarian interventions.

The preparation of urban profiles for the selected vulnerable neighbourhoods will enable the development of shared visions and prioritised interventions that improve living conditions to be identified, agreed upon and potentially funded. The programme will support municipalities hosting displaced populations in Jordan, Egypt, and Cameroon. Cities in these 3 countries have been selected through full consultation with both SECO and UN-Habitat country representatives. In the selected cities, the programme will foster multi-sectoral collaboration between UN-Habitat, national and local governments, humanitarian actors, development banks and local communities including displaced populations. The scope of work will also ensure significant contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by supporting the selected cities and neighbourhoods to become increasingly inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.

This Programme will address the critical challenges in supporting refugees in urban areas, through integrating them into overall urban development processes, considering the Humanitarian-Development and Peace/Triple Nexus. The Overall Programme aims include:

  • Support municipalities to mainstream migration challenges into spatial urban analytics and urban infrastructure investment planning.

  • Conduct activities that will go beyond a pure planning stage, by supporting the prioritization of infrastructure investments and their linkage to financing.

  • Benefit migrant communities and urban dwellers in general with better quality of life and better access to economic opportunities.

The programme will achieve this through 4 main components: 1. Spatial analytics and urban profiling; 2. Develop strategic vision and scenario building; 3. Define prioritized infrastructure investments and linkage to financing; 4. Knowledge exchange and capacity sharing.

The programme is divided into two phases. Phase 1 has been finalized and included Amman and Irbid Cities. Phase 2 will include replicating the programmes’ components for Mafraq City, in addition to building the capacities of Greater Amman and Irbid Municipalities’ team members so that they replicate the 2nd and 3rd components of the UPIMC programme for the second most vulnerable neighbourhoods identified in the Phase 1 Amman and Irbid spatial profiles.

Reporting Line The consultant will be hired and work under the overall supervision of the Head of UN-Habitat Jordan Programme.

Duties And Responsibilities: As per the ToR, the Consultant will support the Head of UN-Habitat Jordan Programme, and the Jordan Project Coordinator for the duration of the project. They will interact with certain stakeholders of the Programme on behalf of UN-Habitat and therefore he/she will be appointed on the basis of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. As a UN representative, he/she is expected to exhibit and adhere to the highest standards of ethical conduct.

The consultant will be responsible for providing technical advice for effective coordination and implementation of UPIMC project activities during Phase 2 (component 1) including: - Provide technical support in developing the spatial profile for Mafraq City; - Carry out desktop review information for spatial and city data collection for the spatial profiling activities, including infrastructure mapping and spatial data collection; - Collect available relevant data and attend field visits; - Contribute to the identification and mapping of stakeholders to be involved throughout the programme’s components; - Provide technical input to contextualise stakeholder engagement tools for community consultations; - Prepare reports and minutes for dissemination of project information to the network of stakeholders involved in project-related meetings and workshops; - Provide the technical support needed to prepare for the community events/workshops including, to prepare agenda and invitations, presentations, and post-workshop reports. - Prepare the needed capacity building training documents.

Qualifications/special skills - Advanced degree in Architecture, Urban Planning, Civil Engineering, Sustainable Urban Development, Geography, or a related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with additional two years of qualifying experience will be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. - At least 2 years of relevant work experience in the field of urban development and planning (and/or related fields) in the local context with direct proven experience is required. - Ability to write technical report, concept notes and project documents is required. - Direct proven experience of urban infrastructure development projects/processes is desirable. - Experience of working on migration and displacement issues is desirable. - Understanding of and experience from managing urban data is desirable. - Experience organizing local workshops and community engagement processes is desirable. - Experience working on social change projects is desirable. - Facilitating, designing, and managing capacity building processes is desirable. - Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are desirable. - Sound judgment and excellent analytical skills, ability to plan and organise workshops is desirable. - Working knowledge and understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (and their monitoring/evaluation) and of the New Urban Agenda is desirable. - Working experience with international development organizations is desirable.

Languages - English and French are the working languages of the United Nation Secretariat, for this position fluency in English and Arabic (both oral and written) is required.

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.

Potential interview questions

Can you describe a project where you utilized spatial analysis to inform urban planning decisions? This assesses your practical experience with spatial analytics in urban contexts. Provide specific details about the project, the tools used, and the impact of your work.
How do you approach stakeholder engagement in urban planning projects? This evaluates your skills in collaboration and community involvement. Pro members can see the explanation.
What strategies do you use to ensure effective data collection and management in urban development projects? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Can you share an experience where you led a capacity-building workshop? What were the outcomes? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
What challenges have you faced while working on projects related to migration and displacement, and how did you address them? Pro members can see the explanation. Pro members can see the explanation.
Added 3 years ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: careers.un.org