Web Developer (I) - Shanghai Award Website

Result of Service Development of the Shanghai Award website.

Work Location Nairobi

Expected duration 6 months

Duties and Responsibilities Background and Organizational Setting:

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.

The External Relations Strategy Knowledge and Innovation (ERSKI) is a division of UN-Habitat.

The “Shanghai Global Award for Sustainable Development in Cities” (“Shanghai Award”) is a global initiative led by UN-Habitat and jointly operated by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the People’s Republic of China (MoHURD) and Shanghai Municipal Commission of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and Management (SMCHURDM). “Shanghai Award” incentivises cities around the world to advance their implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the New Urban Agenda by honouring cities for their progress and achievements in sustainable urban development and by promoting the exchange of experience among cities around the world.

It is planned that “Shanghai Award” will be formally announced in March 2022, and the Call for Application for its first cycle will start at the end of April 2022. The selection process starts in early July, which is followed by an Awarding Ceremony at the World Cities Day Global Observance on 31 October 2022.

Objective of the Consultancy:

To achieve the above, ERSKI seeks a primary Web Development consultant to participate in the creation of a dynamic, functional and user-friendly Shanghai Award website that ensures its publicity and increase the efficiency and transparency of the selection process. The website will be used to announce the Call for Application, enable easy-to-navigate online applications, collect and store the application data in a structured fashion, assist the selection process by digitizing and streamlining the review process, and provide a platform for publicizing news and information, promoting events, sharing the experience of the award-winning cities. The website could also be connected with other digital tools/products and online platforms when needed.

Responsibilities:

Under the overall supervision and oversight from the Head of the Production Unit, the incumbent will be required to perform the following functions:

• Develop a website for the Shanghai Award on the Drupal 9 platform, including theming, front-end development and back-end development. The website should be built in line with the following principles: o Secure and reliable: As the website will be collecting information and storing data, it is ultimately important to make sure that the website is built with sufficient security protocols. Measures should be taken to protect the uploading, downloading and storage of data from attacks and leaks. Additionally, the website should provide a reliable environment for the applicants and the reviewers (technical review team and the Jury) to save, retrieve and submit information. o Flexible and expandable: The Shanghai Award is an annual award and is likely to grow/change every year. These changes may include adjustments to the themes and categories of the award, the materials required for the applications, the selection criteria, etc. Therefore, in the technical design of the website, it is important to adopt a modular design approach, ensuring that the components of the website enable the content managers / admins to make such adjustments without going through new development work. The website may also include more advanced features or be linked with other digital platforms, tools and products in the future. Although the website does not aim to present complex features at this phase, the technical foundation of the website should allow for such expansions in the future. o Sustainable for long-term maintenance: The plan for technical maintenance and updates as well as content management need to be designed and planned together with the initial development. A clear and effective permission system should be included to make sure that the admins/project team can manage the content in the long-term with sustainability. o User-friendly and simple: The overall style, both visual and functional, of the website aims to be clear, simple and straight forward. The components should remain consistent across different sections of the website. The navigation should be clear and intuitive, and the website should be responsive to different screen sizes.
• Incorporate inclusive web design standards to make the website accessible to people with disabilities.
• Maintain and support deployment procedures on the UN’s Microsoft Azure platform.
• Take part in the technical reviews and testing processes for quality control and security.
• Provide technical support and address any issues as users submit applications, conduct reviews, and manage the application process.
• Install and configure Drupal 9 framework, establishment of CI/CD workflow, and deployment to dev/test environments.
• Development of custom theme, system for administrators to design questionnaires for applicants and reviewers.
• Development of forms for applicants to submit applications for the awards. Development of account management functions for applicants to allow editing of applications and contact information.
• Review and optimization of mobile responsiveness, security, performance, and SEO.

• Final integration of feedback, review, testing and launch.

  Qualifications/special skills Competency: PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of web development best practices and procedures for the creation and maintenance of high-quality websites and web applications; shows pride in work and in achievements; 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; establish effective collaboration and partnerships with officials at all levels inside and outside the organization.

PLANNING AND 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 language, tone, style and format to match the audience; Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed

Skills: - Technical proficiency in HTML, CSS, JavaScript/jQuery, and PHP - Competency with Git version control, working on the command line, database operations, and Continuous Integration/Continuos Deployment (CI/CD) workflows. - Self-motivated, critical thinker and the ability to thrive in a team environment. - Strong client-services orientation with excellent communication skills to non-technical staff. - Ability to work with minimal supervision and a high level of resilience. - Excellent team player with strong interpersonal skills and ability to work in a multicultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity.

Academic Qualifications: Post-secondary training in Information Technology is required.

Experience: - Minimum 2 years of experience in modern web development, web best practices, and responsive design, with post-secondary training in IT. - Proven experience in Drupal, especially with user permissions, configuration management, and custom code integration.

Language: English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage.

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.