SDG Localization Consultant

Organisational Context:

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat, is the agency for human settlements and sustainable urbanisation. It is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all. Leading efforts to advance UN system-wide coherence for sustainable urbanisation, UN-Habitat is playing a key role implementing the Goal 11 of the Sustainable Development Goals adopted in September 2015 as well as the New Urban Agenda (NUA) adopted in Quito, Ecuador in October 2016.

For over a decade, the UN-Habitat presence in Bangkok has served as an integral arm of the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP), assisting in facilitating inter-agency partnerships and collaboration with Bangkok based regional bodies, institutions, UN and civil society agencies.

In recent years the UN-Habitat Bangkok Programme Office supported projects spanning South-East Asia while further deepening its presence and cooperation in all of Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam Bangkok Programme Office supports the UN-Habitat Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific in the liaison and coordination with key partners, several UN agencies regional and country offices and especially with the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). The Bangkok Programme Office supports the development of strategic partnerships with key donors and partners and the contribution of UN-Habitat to key functions and initiatives to advance the implementation and reporting of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Bangkok Programme Office is at the forefront of supporting ROAP and UN-Habitat HQ in contributing directly to the implementation of global flagship initiatives and programmes in the region and to key events such as the Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development, advocating and preparing the World Urban Forum.

Purpose:

UN-Habitat is working to promote the localization of the SDGs across different programmes and initiatives globally and regionally and is implementing a new generation of Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs), anchored on well-structured and inclusive stakeholders’ engagement processes. Building on existing local, provincial, and national SDG frameworks, this approach integrates in the VLR development process the Global Urban Monitoring Framework (UMF) as a key tool to support the identification of SDG priorities and indicators to consider and to analyze. Furthermore, with the support of the SDG Cities flagship programme, the findings and results of stakeholder consultations and data analysis will be translated into action-oriented recommendations, supporting cities to connect evidence to policies and to further a sustainable city development. UN-Habitat cooperates and aligns its support to cities with the work of key international partners, namely: United Nations Economic Commission for Asia Pacific (UNESCAP), United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) and United Cities Local Governments (UCLG). In the past years, these partners have been working together with UN-Habitat to consolidate guidance, develop knowledge and offer capacity building opportunities to local and national governments interested in strengthening their reporting against the SDGs, and specifically on VLRs. The selected candidate will provide technical assistance with the overall implementation of the projects and initiatives focused on SDG localization, including the development of VLRs.

Functional and Reporting Relationships:

The individual will be based at the UN-Habitat Bangkok Programme Office located in Bangkok, Thailand. The office supports UN-Habitat coordination with UN agencies based in Bangkok, as well as, partnerships with regional entities. Under the overall guidance and supervision of the Chief of Bangkok Programme Office the individual will work closely with regional and global focal points of UN-Habitat as well as with all the implementing partners of the project.

Key Responsibilities:

The consultant will be support the development of the project activities in close collaboration with the local authorities and under the supervision and guidance of the UN-Habitat Bangkok Programme Office team. The tasks include:

1. Project development and data analysis to implement VLR

Overall responsibilities (throughout the project):

• Support the roll out of the SDG localization and VLR related initiatives in Thailand, starting from the collaboration with Udon Thani;
• Serve as the local focal point for city authorities and provide technical inputs for the organization of workshops and city-level training on VLRs. The number of workshops will be defined in line with the VLR process map and work plan.
• Utilize the Asia-Pacific Regional Guidelines on VLRs to assist city authorities map local policies and strategies against the SDGs, identify key stakeholder groups, set local-level indicators and collect relevant data.
• Work closely with city authorities to pave the way to integrate the VLR within national VNR processes.
• Provide technical inputs to city authorities to draft their VLR report.
• Support non-official translation of documents and communication materials between local language and English as required.

Detailed responsibilities aligned with the VLR Process (by phases):

Phase 1: Stakeholder's Engagement and VLR planning

* Define a comprehensive stakeholder engagement plan;
* Develop VLR process map and work plan for each city in consultation with city authorities.

Phase 2. Definition of VLR SDG Targets and local-level indicators

* Support the local government in the definition of the city SDG target priority mapping matrix;
* Identify local-level indicators to measure progress against the SDGs, in alignment with the Global Urban Monitoring Framework and existing local, provincial and national mechanisms.

Phase 3: Gathering inputs and data

* Data collection: work with relevant partners and departments to define a data collection methodology and identify relevant data against the Global Urban Monitoring Framework;
* Data cleaning: clean the vector data to properly analyze the data generated by piloting the Global Urban Monitoring Framework;
* Generate map-based analysis: based on the cleaned data, prepare a series of analytical maps to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the territory, and the opportunities and threats faced in the territory;
* Collect and integrate as possible data set and inputs from external stakeholders, such as academia and NGOs, through surveys and/or consultations.

Phase 4: Provide technical inputs to city authorities to draft their VLR report

* Provide technical inputs to the development of the final VLR report;
* Provide technical inputs to translate the findings and results of stakeholder consultations and data analysis into action-oriented recommendations, to connect evidence to policies and to further a sustainable city development in line with the SDG Cities cycle.
* Provide inputs for a dissemination strategy for the VLR report for Udon Thani.

2. Advocacy and Communications

• Assist ROAP and the Chief, Bangkok Programme Office, in ensuring adequate representation of UN-Habitat in relevant events;
• Develop presentations and other material relevant to the supported initiatives;
• Compile briefing notes and slides for presentations relevant to national, regional and global events;
• Facilitate the production of visual content and materials as required.

3. Monitoring and Evaluation

• Regular monitoring and reporting on all activities with partners and stakeholders to ensure a high-quality services and outputs being delivered within the agreed upon time frame;
• Supporting the mainstreaming of gender, environmental and social issues into the office initiatives and carrying out social and gender analyses across all project deliverables;
• Support evaluation and audit processes as required.

All the information gathered, communication, resources and materials along with documents developed will be assets of UN-Habitat.

Competencies:

• Professionalism: Ability to perform a broad range of administrative functions, e.g., budget/work programme, human resources, database management, etc. Ability to apply knowledge of various United Nations administrative, financial and human resources rules and regulations in work situations. 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 organisational 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.
• 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.
• Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors their language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

Qualifications:

Education

For this position it is required to have a first level university degree (Bachelor) or equivalent in development, urban and/or regional planning and governance, economy, data and statistic, geography, social studies, or relevant fields.

Experience

• A minimum of 2 year of progressive and relevant work experience in sustainable development, data analysis and research, urban development and program management, in the context of Thailand;
• Work with the SDGs or other global agendas is an asset. Familiarity working with national, provincial and local governments in Thailand in the field of urban development is desirable.
• Knowledge and understanding of Udon Thani’s institutions is an asset.
• Understanding of key national stakeholders and partners relevant to the area of sustainable urbanization in the context of Thailand;
• Work experience in the United Nations are an advantage.

Language

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, fluency in both English and Thai is required.

Other

Familiarity and previous experience with GIS software use, maps production and graphic design tools use will be an added advantage. Experience in substantive human settlements development issues related to urban development especially working in the context of Thailand will be an added advantage.

Contract period, level of engagement and duty station

The engagement will be from 15 July 2023 to 31 December 2023, with a planned extension upon performance evaluation. The post is based in Bangkok or Udon Thani, Thailand.

Remuneration

In compliance with UN-Habitat policy.

Payment Schedule:

The payment shall be made on a monthly based upon satisfactory completion of work and approval by the Chief of UN-Habitat Bangkok Programme Office.

Applications should include:

• Cover memo (maximum 1 page)
• CV in the PHP format, accessible through the INSPIRA website (inspira.un.org) - MANDATORY
• Please note, if using INSPIRA for the first time, you need to register in order to activate your account, which will allow you to log in and create a personal History Profile.
• The PHP should be attached to the application as a PDF file.
• Summary CV (maximum 2 pages), indicating the following information:
  • Educational Background (incl. dates)
  • Professional Experience (assignments, tasks, achievements, duration by years/ months)
  • Other Experience and Expertise (e.g. Internships/ voluntary work, etc.)
  • Expertise and preferences regarding location of potential assignments

All applications should be submitted to:

UN-Habitat Bangkok Office
[email protected]

Please indicate the Post Title: “SDG Localization Consultant BKK” in your e-mail subject. Please note that applications received after the closing date stated below, will not be given consideration. Only short-listed candidates whose applications respond to the above criteria will be contacted for an interview. The fee will be determined according to the qualifications, skills and relevant experience of the selected candidate. In line with UN-Habitat policy on gender equity, applications from female candidates will be particularly welcome.

Deadline for applications: Monday, 3 July 2023