International Consultant-Conservation Architect (CLT)

OVERVIEW

Parent Sector : Culture Sector (CLT)

Duty Station: Erbil, with frequent travel to Mousl & Basra

Job Family: Culture

Type of contract : Non Staff

Duration of contract : 7 months

Recruitment open to : External candidates

Application Deadline (Midnight Paris Time) : 06/10/2024

UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism

Background

UNESCO and the European Union completed recently the project “Reviving Mosul and Basra Old Cities”, Phases I and II. Recognizing the power of culture as a driver of social and economic development, the project aimed to support urban recovery, social cohesion and community reconciliation through participatory approaches to skills development and job creation in the framework of the critical reconstruction of Mosul’s historic urban landscape and urban conservation interventions in Basra.
The objective of the Third Phase of the Project, now underway, is to create the right conditions for local stakeholders to take over the process of urban and cultural revitalization by supporting them to develop policy frameworks while building up capacities at each step of the process: decision makers, community representatives, academics, technical agents, and workers involved in the recovery of the Old Cities and the promotion of their cultural life.
The four outputs of Phase III around which the activities of the project are articulated are: 
1.    An increased ability of the Public and Private Sectors to engage and participate in the recovery of Mosul and Basra’s urban heritage.
2.    Improved technical skills of the stakeholders involved in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Mosul and Basra’s urban heritage.
3.    The recovery of the Old Cities of Mosul and Basra driven by the reconstruction and rehabilitation of heritage buildings and spaces. 
4.    A revived cultural life contributing to community engagement, social cohesion, awareness raising, income generation and job creation.

The project focuses on youth employment and building the capacity of the institutions and actors, public and private, involved in the rehabilitation and safeguard of cultural heritage assets.
In line with the UNESCO Culture Sector’s strategies, UNESCO is seeking a Consultant Conservation Architect to work on guidelines for architectural interventions on the historical architecture of the Old Cities of Mosul and Basra. 
The planning situation is different in each city and is briefly outlined below.

In Mosul, there is a Masterplan, the Urban Renewal Plan for Mosul Old Town developed in 2009 by Studio Galli Ingegneria (SGI), which is the only approved planning document for the Old City of Mosul, and which is sorely out of date given the effects of the fighting against ISIL. Recently the Governorate of Mosul commissioned SGI to update the Masterplan.  There are other advisory documents, amongst which UN-Habitat’s Mosul Old City Strategic Spatial Plan for Recovery and Reconstruction and Mosul Old City – Regulatory Building Guidelines (henceforth “RBG”). As a complement to the RBG, UNESCO has authored Guidelines for Architectural Interventions on Historical Houses in the Old City of Mosul. All three documents were formulated in the framework of Phase I of the Reviving the Old Cities of Mosul and Basra Project.
In Basra, besides an advisory document, the Old Basra Conservation and Development Plan, authored by UN Habitat in 2018, there is no specific planning or heritage management document for the Old City, and the only urban planning tool in force is the Basra Masterplan drafted by Gulf Consult in 2012 which does not cover the Old City of Basra.
 

Long Description

Assignment

Under the overall authority of the Director of the UNESCO Office in Iraq and of the Chief of the Culture Program, and under the direct supervision of the Senior Architecture Advisor and in close consultation with the Project Officer, the Conservation Architect shall:

1.    Carry out a desk review of the existing documentation related to urban planning and urban conservation affecting the Old Cities of Mosul and Basra. 

2.    MOSUL. Analyze the two guidelines pertaining to architectural interventions in the Old City of Mosul prepared in Phase 1 of the project, the RBG authored by UN Habitat, dealing with architectural interventions on houses/buildings of the Old City in general, and the other, authored by UNESCO, dealing with architectural interventions on heritage houses. Identify discrepancies, contradictions or gaps in the two documents and propose the necessary corrections so the two documents constitute a coherent and seamless whole.

3.    MOSUL. Organize ad hoc consultation meetings and at least 2 workshops with designated technicians of the SBAH – State Board of Antiquity of Mosul and the Municipality of Mosul to share the contents of the two guidelines, explain their application and collect their feedback on the practicality and operativity of the two documents.

4.    MOSUL. Facilitate and participate in the formal handover of the Guidelines to the Mosul agencies in charge of the management of Mosul’s Old City: the Planning Department of the Municipality and the SBAH.

5.    MOSUL. Participate in and contribute, as needed, to workshops and presentations organized by UN-Habitat around the Recovery Plan for the Old City of Mosul.

Long Description

6.    BASRA. Prepare guidelines for architectural interventions on historic and heritage houses in the Old City of Basra. These guidelines will focus on the typologies, constructive techniques, and the characteristic elements of traditional Basrawi architecture, with emphasis on “shanasheel houses”. These guidelines, which will be published, will aim to serve both regulators — the Municipality and the State Board of Antiquities — and the public, as well as the agencies involved or interested in the conservation and rehabilitation of Basrawi architecture. The Consultant is expected to produce Arabic and English versions of the document.

For this task, the Consultant will have the support of a team of UNESCO technicians in Basra.

7.    BASRA. Organize ad hoc consultation meetings and at least 3 workshops with designated technicians of the SBAH – State Board of Antiquity of Basra and of the Municipality of Basra to share the draft contents of these guidelines, explain their application and incorporate pertinent feedback to the document, in view of final endorsement of the document by the SBAH. 

8.    BASRA. Collaborate with UNESCO and support UNESCO’s graphic designer in the preparation of didactic material and presentations that will disseminate the contents of the Guidelines among public and urban planning professionals.
 

Long Description

Deliverables

1.    Inception Report following the desk review and laying out the Consultant’s workplan and methodology for completing the assignments outlined in the points above. 
2.    Review of the existing guidelines and harmonization of their contents (UN Habitat’s Guidelines for Interventions on Buildings of the Old City of Mosul and UNESCO’s Guidelines for Architectural Interventions on Heritage Building of the Old City of Mosul).
3.    Report on the workshops held in Mosul around the Guidelines. Final version of the UNESCO Guidelines.
4.    Table of Contents of the Guidelines for Architectural Interventions on Heritage Houses in the Old City of Basra.
5.    Draft of the Basra Guidelines (70% completed, English version of the Guidelines). Report on the workshops held in Basra around the Guidelines.
6.    Final version of the Basra Guidelines (100% completed, Arabic and English version of the Guidelines). Support to the graphic designer for the preparation of didactic material on the Basra Guidelines. 
 

The deliverables should be according to the following schedule:

COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial)

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Required Qualifications

1.    Academic qualifications

Advanced university degree (equivalent to Masters) in architecture or conservation architecture, or a closely related field is required

2.    Work Experience

–    Professional background in architecture or conservation architecture with 5 or more years of experience in heritage or historical architecture is required.
–    Demonstrable experience of similar assignments, preferably in the MENA region is desired.
–    Previous direct experience in conservation/restoration/rehabilitation of historical heritage, preferably in Iraq or in the MENA region is desired.
–    Relevant 2 years of professional experience at the international level is desired.

3.    Competencies

–    Demonstrated competence in all aspects of documentation and architectural research.
–    Positive attitude and strong analytical, interpersonal and communication skills.
–    Excellent ability to exercise initiative and resourcefulness necessary for prioritizing multiple components and phases of work. 
–    Strong writing skills in English. 
–    Demonstrated aptitude for teamwork. 
–    Demonstrated ability to work in a multicultural environment and establish harmonious and effective working relationships (both within and outside the Organization). 
–    Good knowledge of standard office software (word processing, spreadsheets, etc.) and, more importantly, of graphic software used in architecture and desktop publishing (such as: AutoCAD, Indesign, Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Quarkxpress, CorelDraw, etc.). 

4.    Languages

–     Excellent knowledge of English language (both written and spoken) is required.

–    Knowledge of  Arabic language or other UN anguage (French, Russian, Spanish) is desirable.

Application Process

Interested candidates should click on “Apply Now”, then download and complete the Employment History form (Word file). At the end of the Word file, insert extra pages with the following required information in English:
* Upon completing the Word file with all the requested information above, upload the file at the “My Employment History Form / My Documents” section of the online application form. Only applications with the below requested information will be considered.
1- A Technical Written proposal (2-3 Pages Maximum) consisting of:
•    Comments on the Terms of Reference, if any (in brief);
•    An up-to-date curriculum vitae (CV), and a statement indicating how your qualifications and experience make you suitable for the assignment.

•    A cover letter outlining their relevant experience and proposal /approach to the assignment.
•    A description of your proposed approach and methodology for undertaking the assignment.

•    Examples of previous work related to undertaking assignment
•    A work plan with detailed milestones and key deliverables/activities 
•    List of work assignments and/or THREE (03) contacts as references – to be filled and returned to UNESCO as part of the submission.

2-A Financial proposal  in US dollars. Any travel and subsistence requirements should be indicated separately. Please design the payment scheme against a clear and specific set of deliverables and milestones as reflected in the work plan.

SELECTION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS

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