Urban Resilience Junior Consultant - Part Time

Result of Service The overall objective of this project is to build more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient cities, by strengthening the capacity of key public, private and civil society stakeholders to measure, make decisions, plan and develop actions for building resilience to ensure that public and private investments are risk-informed and that early interventions in crisis-prone cities are linked to longer-term development goals in line with the actions of the New Urban Agenda. This joint initiative aims at improving local government and stakeholder understanding of, and capacity for, developing and implementing resilience action plans.

Work Location Home-based

Expected duration Eight(8) months

Duties and Responsibilities BACKGROUND

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is the agency for human settlements mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities. UN-Habitat helps the urban poor by transforming cities into safer and healthier places with better opportunities. It works with organizations at every level, including all spheres of government, civil society and the private sector.

As the main UN Agency responsible for ensuring the sustainable development of cities, towns, and other human settlements, UN-Habitat is strategically placed to coordinate the humanitarian and development efforts of multiple actors and policy makers at all levels in the common pursuit of urban resilience. UN- Habitat’s approach to strengthening urban resilience as a key determinant for ensuring the effectiveness of response interventions during times of crises, and subsequent sustainable development, is embodied in its City Resilience Global Programme (CRGP).

The CRGP goes beyond conventional approaches to ‘risk reduction’, delivering a forward-looking, multi- sectoral, multihazard, multi-stakeholder model for building resilience that recognizes the complexities and unique value of cities, and the inherent interdependencies of each part of an urban system.

Fast growing cities and urban areas of the world are engines of growth and wealth accumulation. This growth can have positive social, cultural and educational impacts. On the other hand, evidence demonstrates that fast economic growth, combined with rapid sprawling population expansion in urban areas, also increases disaster vulnerability and exposure. The level of urbanization is far higher in the developed world; however, the annual ‘urbanization rate ’ is much faster in the developing world. The primary urban agglomerations with the highest concentrations of people and economic activity mostly overlap with the areas of extreme or high risk related to disasters such as coastal areas, along rivers and in flood plains.

This joint initiative with UNDRR (UN Office on Disaster Risk Reduction), UN-Habitat and the European Commission aims at improving understanding of, and capacity to, address disaster risk at the local level in crisis-prone cities. UN-Habitat will focus on supporting local capacities from crisis-prone cities, and humanitarian partners, in measuring their resilience status and have an action plan in order to build resilience.

The action builds on the achievements of the Hyogo Framework for Action – Building the Resilience of Nations 2005-2015 and paves the way toward the implementation of the Sendai Framework for DRR (Disaster Risk Reduction) 2015-2030 at the local level and the New Urban Agenda adopted at Habitat III in Quito, Ecuador October 2016. The Action will also contribute to the European Commission’s Action Plan for Resilience in Crisis Prone Countries 2013-2020 and The EU Approach to Resilience: Learning from Food Security Crises.

The project will work with local government institutions, to plan, coordinate, implement and support the various outlined activities. The primary and most direct beneficiaries will be local stakeholders, city authorities and civil society. Women, children and other at-risk groups, often disproportionately affected by crises situations, will be engaged and receive additional attention.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the direct supervision of Head of the City Resilience Global Programme (CRGP), the consultant will contribute with substantive professional knowledge to the Programme and will undertake the following tasks:

• Task 1: Deliver technical outputs for project implementation in collaboration with technical experts and focal points in CRGP operations at regional level and city level with partner cities and regions. o Collaborate in conducting research, information gathering and analysis, as well as consultation with experts and institutions in the territory, for the development of resilience diagnostics. o Collaborate in the preparation and conduct of workshops, jointly with partner governments, as well as in the production of outputs and reports derived from such activities. o Collaborate in the preparation of diagnostic reports and recommendations for resilience and sustainability, including desk research, writing, preparation of maps and diagrams, and support report editing.
• Task 2: Deliver technical outputs for training and capacity building activities for local partners and stakeholders in the areas of urban and regional resilience, and collaborate in organising events, sessions and other knowledge sharing activities. o Collaborate in the preparation for events for dissemination, debate and knowledge sharing, and the organisation of meetings with the aim of raising awareness, fostering cooperation, and increasing the visibility of the actions of the programme and its partner entities, including preparation of presentations, facilitation, concept notes, minutes, . o Collaborate in preparing and conducting training, and developing guides, manuals, and reports for capacity building and knowledge sharing.

The expected results are:

1. Increased commitments to build local and regional level resilience. 2. Local and Regional Resilience assessments are conducted. 3. Key issues and challenges identified in linking early interventions in crisis-prone cities and regions to long-term sustainable development inputs. 4. Capacity is built in cities, territories, local and regional governments to develop and implement integrated local climate and disaster resilience action plans. 5. Crisis-prone cities and territories have enhanced capacity to develop and implement plans to increase their resiliency.

Qualifications/special skills Advanced university degree (Master's degree) is required in Urban or Regional Planning, Development Studies, Environmental Studies, Political Sciences, Economics, or similar fields, and a first-level university degree in combination with two qualified years of experience will be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Good communications, reporting and representation skills. Ability to work with minimal supervision and with good sense of initiative to keep the supervisor regularly informed of progress. Excellent computer skills in Microsoft Office, spreadsheets and other software packages required. Ability to work effectively under pressure. Good teamwork and drive for results. Ability to work co-operatively with other staff and share experience. Able to meet deadlines for reporting and all project work Willing to take responsibility, act professionally at all times, and make sure tasks are fully completed Familiar with and committed to the goals of international organizations.

Languages - Fluency in spoken and written English is required.

• Knowledge of other languages (Spanish, French, Portuguese and/or Catalan) would be an additional 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.