Urban Innovation Specialist

Innovation

Overview

Provide technical advice and support for innovation project implementation.

You have:

• Advanced university degree in public policy, social sciences, creativity and innovation, international development, urban studies, or related subjects is required.
• At least four years’ experience in the field of innovation/creativity related to sustainable development or sustainable land management and of programme development and coordination in an international context is required.
• Experience of policy communication, including writing policy briefs, reports and producing publications is required.
• Professional and academic experience on themes related to urban policy and development, public policy, social inclusion, open/digital government, innovation or open data is required.
• Experience and knowledge of innovation processes and methodology, including challenge-driven innovation, design thinking, user research, product design, and systems thinking is required.
• Fluency in written and oral English required. Additional languages relevant to the project, including Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Hindi are an asset.
• Good general knowledge of the issues of sustainable development is desirable.
• Proven experience in the development of programmes/strategies on and for innovation is desirable.
• Excellent research skills are desirable.
• Experience of facilitating workshops and public speaking is desirable.

Result of Service The consultant will provide technical advice and support the execution of activities related to the implementation of innovation projects. The Innovation Consultant will work in close collaboration with the Innovation Unit, the People-Centered Smart Cities Flagship Programme and the Global Public Space Programme of UN-Habitat and local project teams, staff of other UN Agencies, Government officials, media, multilateral and bilateral donors and civil society.

Work Location Home-based

Expected duration 12 Months

Duties and Responsibilities The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat, is the agency for human settlements. 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’s Strategic Plan for the years 2020 – 2023 reinforces UN-Habitat’s position as the global centre of excellence on sustainable urban development, offering solutions that help seize the opportunities presented by urbanisation while bringing about transformational change for the benefit of millions of people, ensuring that no one and no place is left behind.

The Strategic Plan lays out a recalibrated vision and mission, and a sharpened focus. UN-Habitat proposes to serve Member States, sub-national and local governments, and other key urban actors in the pursuit of four mutually reinforcing and integrated domains of change: 1. Reduced poverty and spatial inequality in urban and rural communities; 2. Enhanced shared prosperity of cities and regions; 3. Strengthened climate action and improved urban environment; and 4. Effective urban crisis prevention and response.

Outcome 2.3 of the Strategic Plan is “expanded deployment of frontier technologies and innovations for urban development”. Frontier technologies are influencing the emergence of smart cities, how we build and manage our cities and human settlements, and how urban managers take more informed decisions. The New Urban Agenda calls for technology and communication networks to be strengthened and for smart-city approaches that use digitalization, clean energy, and technologies to boost economic growth and improve service delivery, while promoting broad-based inclusion, including of persons with disabilities.

The consultant will support UN-Habitat’s work on the Climate Smart Cities Challenge the Innovation Section and the Youth Gamechangers Initiative in the Planning, Finance and Economy Section.

The Innovation Section The External Relations, Strategy, Knowledge and Innovation Division is responsible for strategic planning, programmatic direction and operationalization of UN-Habitat's focal point role for the New Urban Agenda in the UN system; knowledge management, data and reporting; innovation; resource mobilization; and strategic partnerships. The Knowledge and Innovation Branch is responsible to generate data and analysis which feeds into high-level global reporting on substantive findings as well as identifying emerging innovations and solutions which are scalable, expanding and leveraging greater impact of the UN-Habitat work programme and strategy. The Innovation Section promotes an innovation culture for improved sustainable urbanization outcomes. Acts as an enabler and broker for new ideas and partnerships for inclusive and at scale impacts. Develops knowledge and tools to strengthen innovation. Promotes innovation in project and programme design and implementation by providing advice on tools, methodologies, technologies and partnerships.

Climate Smart Cities Challenge

Over the last year, UN-Habitat and Viable Cities, the Swedish national city innovation programme, have established a strong partnership of more than 15 public and private organizations working closely with the cities of Bogotá, Bristol, Curitiba and Makindye Ssabagabo. The Climate Smart Cities Challenge is an open innovation competition to identify climate smart solutions to reduce the climate impact of Bogotá, Colombia; Bristol, United Kingdom; Curitiba, Brazil; and Makindye Ssabagabo, Uganda, while creating a better future for all. The climate ambitions of these cities are impressive and addressing them will have a powerful impact in shaping how city leaders, innovators and local communities respond to the climate emergency. The competition asked innovators – technologists, SMEs, start-ups, developers, finance experts and more – to submit their best ideas and solutions to one of the unique challenges identified by the four partner cities. People-centered Smart Cities Flagship Programme Flagship Programme 2 focuses on people-centered smart cities to act as an umbrella and enabler for mainstreaming people-centered smart cities across all of UN-Habitat work. The objective of this flagship programme is to ensure that the smart cities field is focused on ensuring sustainable development outcomes aligned with human rights, including ensuring that no one and no space is left behind, and that cities reduce carbon emissions. Planning, finance and Economy Section (PFES) The Urban Practices Branch (UPB) is the tools and methodology production and skills centre of the UN-Habitat, that develops normative guidance and cutting-edge tools through communities of urban practice. It provides technical and policy advice approaches and methodologies to MCOs/CO, government and partners and mainstreams them throughout the programme portfolio. It also ensures that the cross-cutting area of safety and the social inclusion issues of human rights; gender; children, youth and older persons; and disability are developed and mainstreamed across the Agency. The Planning, Finance & Economy Section is responsible for coordinating the Agency’s substantive, normative and operational work on various dimensions of planning, finance and economy. The Planning, Finance & Economy Section aims to develop, document, pilot/test and disseminate planning policies, norms, standards, tools, methodologies, regulatory frameworks, operating procedures and practices at global, regional, national and sub-national levels. The consultant will support the Young Gamechangers Initiative activities, a project focusing on young people’s urban health and wellbeing through their engagement in urban decisions and the use of digital technologies in Senegal, India and Colombia.

Supervision The Consultant will be under the overall leadership of ERSKI and report to the Programme Management Officer – Tech and Innovation in the Innovation Section with a second reporting line to the Programme Management Officer – Young Gamechangers Initiative in the Planning, Finance and Economy Section.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The consultant will be responsible for the following tasks: 1. Serve as UN-Habitat’s focal point for the Climate Smart Cities Challenge. 2. Coordination of the Climate Smart Cities Challenge consortium of partners and local system demonstration orchestration teams. 3. Act as focal point for relationships with the four Climate Smart Cities Challenge cities. 4. Produce guidance on challenge-driven innovation for the four cities and UN-Habitat’s Innovation Unit. 5. Engage in research work related to young people health and wellbeing, public space, and digital engagement 6. Preparation of background reports for the Young Gamechangers Initiative 7. Coordinate the team in the development of publications, project documents, concept notes and more 8. Provide appropriate technical support to implement activities related to the following areas: digital government, open government, transparency, innovation, open data, social mobilisation and participation, public policies, and effective advocacy. 9. Prepare reports to partners, internal reports, etc. at various stages of the project. 10. Document expert group meetings, forums, consultations, training events and other activities related to the planning, development and project’s implementation. 11. Participate in meetings and events promoted by UN-Habitat partners in order to strengthen Project’s position and presence. 12. Prepare and be responsible for maintaining an organised and accessible information file. 13. Participate and provide advise in missions if requested.

The consultant will be responsible for completing all courses or training activities that are indicated to him/her by his/her supervisor. The security course BSAFE is required to be accredited during the first month of employment.

The consultant will be responsible for his/her own security, so the person should get familiarized with United Nations security mechanisms and comply with them according to the Framework of Accountability for the United Nations Security Management System.

Qualifications/special skills Academic Qualifications: Advanced university degree in public policy and management, social sciences connected to the fields of creativity and innovation; international development, urban studies or related subjects is required. Experience: - At least four (4) years’ experience of working in the field of innovation/creativity in the area of sustainable development in general, science relating to the same, and/or promoting sustainable land management in particular and of programme development and coordination in an international context is required; - Experience of policy communication, including writing policy briefs, reports and producing publications is required. - Professional and academic experience on themes related to urban policy and development, public policy, social inclusion, open/digital government, innovation or open data is required. - Experience and knowledge of innovation processes and methodology, including challenge-driven innovation, design thinking, user research, product design and systems thinking is required. - Good general knowledge of the issues of sustainable development is desirable; - Proven experience in the development of programmes/strategies on and for innovation is desirable; - Excellent research skills is desirable; - Experience of facilitating workshops and public speaking is desirable. Language: Fluency in written and oral English required. Experience of other languages relevant to the project including Spanish, Portuguese, French and Hindi is an asset.

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