SDG Localization Expert (Ramallah)

Overview

Support the localization of SDGs in Ramallah through comprehensive data analysis and stakeholder engagement.

You have:

• A first-level university degree in sustainable development, spatial planning, data and statistics, urban or local governance, urban management, public administration or a related field is required.
• A minimum of two (2) years of experience in project/programme management, data analysis and research or related area is required.
• Experience working on the development and publication of city reports is highly desirable.
• Previous experience of working with the SDGs at the local level is desirable.
• Knowledge of the local context of the city of Ramallah or experience with the Ramallah Municipality is desirable.
• Fluency in both oral and written English and Arabic is required.

Result of Service In performing the above-described duties and responsibilities, the Consultant shall provide the following results: Handover of the final report of the UMF of the city of Ramallah.

Work Location (Ramallah/OPT)

Expected duration 4 months

Duties and Responsibilities Organizational background The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat, is the United Nations agency for human settlements. Based in Nairobi (Kenya), 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.

UN-Habitat is the lead agency within the UN system for coordinating activities in the field of human settlement development and the UN leading the collaboration with local and regional governments and their networks. During the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York in 2015, 193 Member States, convened at the Global Summit on Sustainable Development to adopt the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the related 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs are universal and relevant to all Member States, from both the global north and global south. As demonstrated in the past years of implementation, it is widely acknowledged that the local level and local action are critical for the overall success of the 2030 Agenda – the SDGs need to be localized. This particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic that highlighted the critical role of local governments in responding to the immediate health emergency and in planning the long-term recovery. In this context, to complement national SDG review processes including the Voluntary National Reviews, cities have been developing and increasingly using VLRs as the main tool to monitor and report on their own SDG progress. The VLR global movement has grown exponentially and VLRs are emerging as critical instruments to accelerate the SDG localization process and to amplify the voice of local governments within international and UN-led fora.

As the UN Agency focal point to work with local and regional governments, UN-Habitat has supported VLRs through different workstreams and by intervening at different levels - local, national, and global:

i) UN-Habitat has established strategic partnerships with the main UN and international partners working on VLRs and SDG localization, such as UNDESA, UN Regional Economic Commissions, as well as member states and local and regional governments globally;

ii) UN-Habitat technically supports local governments across diverse regions to develop their VLRs;

iii) as of knowledge development, UN-Habitat works alongside partners to provide local and regional governments with cutting-edge knowledge and learning opportunities on VLRs and SDG localization;

iv) UN-Habitat advocates and builds capacities on sustainable local development and VLRs by organizing international events and peer learning opportunities. Finally, VLRs are the cornerstone of UN-Habitat's comprehensive approach to SDG localization, anchored on three intertwined pillars on: the Global Urban Monitoring Framework; Voluntary Local Reviews; and SDG Cities Flagship Programme.

Background The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At its heart are the 17 SDGs, which are an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a global partnership. They recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.

Cities accommodate more than half of the global population, and by 2050 more than 2.5 billion people will be added to the world’s urban population. Around two thirds of the SDG targets and indicators have an urban dimension. It is no surprise therefore that the “battle for sustainable development will be won or lost in cities.” The New Urban Agenda outlines how cities can drive the achievement of sustainable development and highlights the importance of urban policy, inclusive, accountable local governance, effective urban planning, efficient local revenue systems and effective, equitable service delivery.

SDG Cities facilitates global collaboration to enable cities to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs and improve quality of life. It offers a systematic way to support cities to become sustainable and resilient by connecting a value chain of data, inclusive, evidence-based strategic planning, strengthened capacity of local institutions and the development and financing of high impact projects. It aims to reach 1000 cities and 1 billion lives by 2030 by providing cities with: 1) an online bank of tools for data collection and analysis, institutional capacity development and project preparation and financial matchmaking; 2) supporting hubs that provide technical backstopping support backstopping to participating cities at each stage of the SDG City cycle; 3) fostering strategic partnerships with cities and investors, and 4) recognizing the achievement of cities through SDG Cities Certification.

The United Nations Peace and Development Trust Fund (hereafter referred to as "UNPDF") was established in 2016, following the pledge by the Government of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations. UNPDF has two sub-Funds. The Secretary- General's Peace and Security Sub-Fund, aims at financing projects and activities related to the maintenance of international peace and security. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Sub-Fund is intended to finance activities in support of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs adopted by Member States in September 2015.

The assignment is designed to technically support the implementation of the project Fostering COVID-19 recovery and SDG implementation through local action in Asia-Pacific, Arab and African countries. It aims at advancing inclusive post-pandemic recovery and advancing the localization of the SDGs in selected countries in Asia and the Pacific, Africa and the Arab States.

Ramallah is a pilot city of the 2030 Agenda Sub-fund project with the intention of providing lessons learned and innovative approaches to be scaled up and replicated in several other cities in the State of Palestine.

The initial phase of data collection and stakeholder engagement in preparation for the drafting of the VLR of Ramallah will be led by the consultant under the coordination of UN-Habitat's SDG Localization and Local Governments Team in coordination with UN-Habitat’s regional and country offices and in close collaboration with the technical focal points in Ramallah Municipality and partners at UN ESCWA.

The Consultant is expected to leverage and build upon a comprehensive set of existing documents and plans related to the city of Ramallah and the broader region. These documents include the Strategic Development and Investment Plan for Ramallah City (2023-2026), COVID-19 Recovery Plan for Ramallah City (2022), Spatial Development and Strategic Framework for Ramallah and Al-Bireh Governorate (2030), Resilient Ramallah (2050), National Urban Policy (2022), Status Report on the Achievement of Goal 11 in Palestine: Sustainable Cities and Communities (2022), and Implementation of the New Urban Agenda - National Report for the State of Palestine (2022), amongst others. By incorporating these existing plans and reports into their work, the Consultant can gain valuable insights into the current and future challenges, goals, and strategies for the development of Ramallah City and the surrounding areas. By doing so, the Consultant can ensure that the recommendations are well-grounded, aligned with existing plans, and contribute to the sustainable development of Ramallah City and the surrounding region.

Reporting line The consultant will be working under the direct supervision of the Human Settlements Officer of the SDG Localization and Local Governments Team of the Urban Practices Branch of UN-Habitat HQ, Nairobi, in close coordination with UN-Habitat Palestine and Programme Officer, UN-Habitat Regional Office for Arab States.

S/he will be responsible for contributing to the implementation of the activities in Ramallah linked to the Fostering COVID-19 recovery and SDG implementation through local action in Asia-Pacific, Arab and African countries project. The work and supervision of the consultant will be coordinated with the technical focal points of the city of Ramallah as well as with all the implementing partners of the project including UN-Habitat Regional Office for Arab States and UN ESCWA.

Duties and Responsibilities The consultant will carry out the following tasks and responsibilities:

Data Track Data collection: The consultant will be responsible for working with relevant partners and departments in Ramallah to collect the relevant data against the Global Urban Monitoring Framework.

Data cleaning: The consultant will be responsible for cleaning 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, the consultant will submit a series of analytical maps (tool: Spatial SWOT) to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the territory, and the opportunities and threats faced in the territory.

Stakeholder's Engagement Track Working with different stakeholders, including local community representatives, the consultants will support the organization of consultation forums to: - Map different stakeholders in academia, the private sector and civil society that could help Ramallah city in the VLR process. - Review the data and collect additional qualitative information. - Present and discuss the spatial SWOT, and to prioritize issues as perceived by different stakeholders.

SDG Research Track The consultant will draft SDG Discussion Papers that will provide a detailed overview of the status of progress towards the SDGs of Ramallah. Based on the data cleaned and analyzed (through the UMF) as well as on the basis of the information collected through the stakeholder engagement process (situation analysis described above, The SDG Discussion papers will constitute the core of the VLR and the basis for the development of the vision, strategic objectives, list of projects and action plan for Ramallah.

Qualifications/special skills A first-level university degree in sustainable development, spatial planning, data and statistics, urban or local governance, urban management, public administration or a related field is required.

A minimum of two (2) years of experience in project/programme management, data analysis and research or related area is required

Experience working on the development and publication of city reports is highly desirable.

Previous experience of working with the SDGs at the local level is desirable

Knowledge of the local context of the city of Ramallah or experience with the Ramallah Municipality is desirable.

Languages Fluency in both oral and written English and Arabic 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.

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Added 3 years ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: careers.un.org