Result of Service
Ultimate result of service Under the guidance and supervision of the Human Settlements Officer (SDG Localization and Local Government), the consultant will contribute to the following objectives: i) Develop and structure knowledge products ii) refine and finalized digital learning materials and iii) review and update project-related learning materials, integrating stakeholder feedback to enhance knowledge dissemination.
Duties and Responsibilities
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. In addition, during the second session of the United Nations Habitat Assembly, the Brazil-promoted Resolution on Localizing the SDGs received wide consensus and was co-sponsored by twelve other countries. Through the resolution, Member States further mandated UN-Habitat to strengthen the capacities of local and national governments on SDG data, reporting and integrated planning as well as on multilevel governance approaches for SDG localization. UN-Habitat is the UN focal point for work with local and regional governments and the custodian of the New Urban Agenda and has been at the forefront of SDG Localization since the very endorsement of the 2030 Agenda. Building on its operational capacities and technical leadership, the Agency developed the most integrated approach to localizing the SDGs in the UN system, working on three levels: 1) supporting cities through the SDG Cities Global Initiative; 2) supporting national governments to develop SDG Localization Frameworks; 3) and coordinating the SDG Cities Global Community and political engagement within the main UN and intergovernmental fora. The SDG Cities Global Initiative is developing the SDG Cities Learning Path, a series of e-learning courses on key urban development topics: Project Development, Own Source Revenue, Urban Planning, and Urban Governance. The Project Development course aims to equip for local government officials and others interested in preparing sustainable urban projects with the basic concepts, practical knowledge, tools, and examples necessary for initiating project preparation processes. It aims to help participants understand the foundational steps for planning and structuring urban projects that align with sustainable development goals. By providing an overview of the project development cycle, the course will enhance participants’ confidence in navigating the early stages of urban project preparation. This e-learning course will be approximately 4 hours long. Reporting Line This post is located in the Urban Practices Branch of UN-Habitat and specifically within its SDG localization and local governments team. The incumbent will be supervised by the Human Settlements Officer coordinating the work of the team. The expert will work in proximity to other units, sections and offices across the Agency, including but limited to Cities Investment Facility, and Planning, Finance and Economics Section. Duties and Responsibilities The consultant will support project development efforts, focusing on designing and integrating key knowledge products into an accessible format for stakeholders, including e-learning courses as part of the SDG Cities Learning Path. This role involves translating technical knowledge on project development into well-structured capacity-building modules and packaging it for integration into future SDG projects. Key responsibilities are detailed below: • Develop project framework, including knowledge and capacity-building materials, ensuring alignment with project development objectives • Structure the learning path of the course by defining objectives, establishing alignment with stakeholder needs, and ensuring a logical progression of content • Conduct research on relevant courses, studies, papers, and publications to identify key concepts and examples that will support the project learning framework • Develop practical tools and templates to facilitate the application of project development knowledge to real-world scenarios. • Ensure the course content comprehensively covers key development themes, including ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) and SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) project assessment, pre-feasibility and feasibility studies, and Business model development. • Engage with colleagues, sector experts, and relevant stakeholders to gather feedback and refine the course content to enhance its relevance and applicability. • Support the digitization process by preparing structured materials such video scripts, assessment questions, and storyboards to facilitate knowledge transfer • Review and provide feedback to digitized course modules • Finalize and ensure all knowledge products are comprehensive, structured, and aligned with project development objectives. • Develop a brief guideline to streamline the preparation of high-quality proposals for future collaborations with SDG Cities and the Cities Investment Facility.
Qualifications/special skills
Masters Degree in Programme Management, Engineering, Urban Studies, Development Studies or other relevant areas such as Business Administration, Finance, Economics, and Social Sciences is required. A minimum of five (5) years of relevant working experience on issues related to project management, project development, sustainable development, urban planning, local development and project management, is required. Working experience on the Agenda 2030 and the local implementation of the SDGs will be highly valued. Working experience on project preparation related to climate or environment 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.
