The overall result of this consultancy is to enhance the national and local governments to scale up successful local-level approaches through tools development and application, and project finance, planning and policy advise towards sustainable urbanization.
Malaysia
6 months (part time) with possibility to extensino based on performance
BACKGROUND
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 Urban Planning and Design Lab (Urban Lab) of UN-Habitat is an initiative to promptly respond to the requests of national and local governments to support sustainable urban development. The Urban Lab is the integrative facility of the Agency where innovative processes and partnerships are translated into tangible and transformative solutions to complex urban challenges. The Urban Lab acts as a neutral broker, managing knowledge in complex stakeholder settings to resolve multi-sectoral, multi-scalar and multi-stakeholder challenges, by offering a multi-disciplinary team capturing the necessary thematic areas. In this context, the Urban Lab applies an integrated approach to systemic and strategic planning to deliver transformative change for sustainable urbanization and to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda.
Global Future Cities Programme
The Global Future Cities Programme (GFCP) under the UK Foreign and Commonwealth's Prosperity Fund (UK FCO) aims to deliver targeted interventions in 19 cities across 10 countries to encourage sustainable development, increase prosperity whilst alleviating high levels of urban poverty. The programme will also create significant short and long-term business opportunities in growing markets forecast to be regional growth hubs. In addition, the programme will make a significant contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and implementation of the New Urban Agenda (NUA).
The Global Future Cities Programme includes cities in Brazil, South Africa, Nigeria, Turkey, Burma/Myanmar, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.
The programme builds upon three integrated pillars, that collectively will address key barriers to prosperity, in selected cities: Urban planning, Transportation and Resilience.
The programme is delivered in two phases: A Strategic Development Phase, followed by an Implementation Phase.
Strategic Development Phase
The Strategic Development Phase of the GFCP was implemented by UN-Habitat's Urban Lab as a lead executive agency from April to December 2018. This phase aimed at supporting the UK FCO in the identification, further definition and validation of 30 urban interventions in the 19 cities part of the Programme. UN-Habitat's contribution focused on supporting an improved definition of strategic and transformative projects that are implementable and which contribute to the city's objectives, while at the same time ensuring an adequate level of city ownership and citizen engagement. This resulted in the development of Terms of References (ToRs) for each of the 30 urban interventions, supported by 19 city context reports, eight thematic cluster papers, five policy papers and two normative reports, as input and basis for the Implementation Phase. The Strategic Development Phase contributed to demonstrating how each intervention could contribute to multiple SDGs and gave recommendations based on international practices, while aligning with city visions for development.
Implementation Phase
The Implementation Phase of the GFCP will occur from September 2019 to March 2022. During the Implementation Phase, the 30 urban interventions will be delivered also contributing to the positioning the GFCP in an international context and demonstrating the added value of bridging global and local development agendas through achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and implementing the New Urban Agenda.
While the UK FCO, including the Country Programme Managers, are ultimately responsible for the delivery of the Global Future Cities Programme, the 30 urban interventions will be carried out in the form of Technical Assistance by private sector Delivery Partners with international and national presence, as well as expertise in cross-cutting issues, SDGs and the NUA. The UK FCO has requested UN-Habitat's Urban Lab to support the Implementation Phase by providing strategic advice, knowledge management and quality recommendations on both Programme and local levels. A programme level capacity building component will be delivered with the support of an implementing partner, the United Kingdom Built Environment Advisory Group (UK BEAG). The Urban Lab's main contribution will be to work a neutral actor, facilitating a process to make sure that interventions adequately incorporate principles for sustainable urbanization, that cities are capacitated to sustain the interventions in the long-run and that knowledge will be shared on local and global level. UN-Habitat's Urban Lab now seeks to strengthen its team in the delivery of the programme by engaging local experts (Local Strategic Advisors).
Urban projects in Malaysia
Melaka:
1. Green Transport Corridor Implementation Plan
2. Heritage Area Integrated Mobility Plan
Melaka is a historic coastal town, parts of which is under UNESCO world heritage protection. The town is a major tourism destination and suffers from heavy traffic congestion. The interventions aim to promote an integrated and sustainable approach to developing Melaka’s urban mobility system, building upon the Green City Action Plan adopted in 2014. Intervention 1 comprises the development of an Implementation Plan for a Green Transport Corridor, starting at the Ayer Keroh toll station of the North-South Expressway and connecting to Melaka Historical City. The Green Transport Corridor Plan will include a comprehensive set of elements (smart information, inter-modal transport etc.) to encourage public and non-motorised transport along one of Melaka’s busiest access routes. Intervention 2 consists of the development of a Smart Integrated Mobility Plan for the UNESCO World Heritage area of Melaka. The plan will be integrated with the Green Transport Corridor (Intervention 1) to ensure sustainable transport to, from and within Melaka City. The plan will consider coordinated elements such as pedestrianisation, water transport, electric vehicle infrastructure and so forth. Two pilot projects will be implemented with the aim of creating momentum for sustainable mobility in Melaka.
Iskandar:
1. Implementation Strategy for Iskandar Malaysia’s Smart Integrated Mobility Management System (SIMMS)
2. Data Utilisation and Management for Evidence-based Urban and Transport Planning
Iskandar Melaka is a fast-growing development region bordering Singapore in the south of Malaysia. With the support of the Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA), the region aspires to use data-driven solutions to improve mobility and urban planning. Intervention 1 entails the development of an Implementation Strategy for a Smart Integrated Mobility Management System (SIMMS) that will allow for real-time operational management of traffic in Iskandar Malaysia, as well as data collection to inform long-term planning. Intervention 2 will enable the use of the collected data for evidence-based urban and transport planning through capacity-building and the development of an appropriate data governance framework. Intervention 2 links in directly with the Iskandar Malaysia Urban Observatory (IMUO), which serves as a data centre for the economic region. A yet to be defined pilot project will be launched to test the interventions and create momentum for their implementation.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Local Strategic Advisor role
The Local Strategic Advisor will represent UN-Habitat on the ground and interacts with all the stakeholders of the Programme, therefore he/she will be appointed on the basis of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. In Malaysia, UN-Habitat requires one consultant to manage the activities carry out in Melaka and Iskandar, alongside local UK Government representative(s). The workload will adapt to the needs of the activities implemented in the different phases of the Programme, therefore it is expected that periods of intense engagement will be alternated and compensated by periods of less demanding engagement. Under the overall supervision of the Head of the Urban Lab / programme manager of the Global Future Cities Programme, the consultant will carry out the following duties and responsibilities:
1. Logical Framework and Theory of Change
The Global Future Cities Programme will apply the Logical Framework and Theory of Change (ToC) on two different levels: one at Programme and one each at the Country/Intervention level. The ToCs will outline potential barriers and drivers, and the preconditions for achieving the expected outcomes. While the Programme level ToC has been developed by UK FCO, the Delivery Partners are responsible for developing a ToC in alignment with local contexts and conditions. UN-Habitat will support the Delivery Partners in development of this activity by providing guidelines and reviewing each ToC. The ToC will inform the Logical Framework of the Delivery Partner (to be reviewed by UN-Habitat). The Local Strategic Advisor will:
• Review the development of the Logical Framework and ToC developed by the Delivery Partner;
• Review the ToC, the Logical Framework and the related indicators, if needed due to relevant changes during implementation.
2. SDG Project Assessment Tool:
The ‘SDG Project Assessment Tool; Guidance for cities to develop interventions towards inclusive and sustainable urbanization’ (the Tool) will be developed and applied to capacitate city authorities to conduct quality recommendations during the interventions’ development, and to enhance their ability for executing and sustaining the interventions beyond the Programme’s timeframe. The Local Strategic Advisor will support the Urban Lab in the process of tailoring the SDG Project Assessment Tool for each intervention. This will include:
• Support in the assessment of the Logical Framework for each intervention to inform the SDG tailor-made tool;
• Organize and facilitate consultation with the City Authorities on the frameworks tailored to each intervention, reporting to UN-Habitat and informing UK FCO;
• Provide technical input and expertise from local perspective to contextualize the Tool, for example by considering Malaysia’s commitment to the SDGs and following policy developments and informing UN-Habitat and UK FCO about potential relevance for the GFCP.
3. SDG Project Assessment Sessions:
Throughout the Programme period, the SDG Project Assessment Tool will be applied at periodic ‘SDG Project Assessment Sessions’ in each city. The sessions will provide a qualitative assessment of deliverables submitted by the Delivery Partners against each Terms of Reference (ToR). The sessions will be participatory events between city authorities, delivery partners and the UK FCO. During the Programme, it is expected that 4 to 6 assessment sessions will be conducted. This includes engagements both in the inception and implementation phase. The Local Strategic Advisor, with the support of the Urban Lab, will be responsible for the organization and delivery of these events. This will include:
• Support the Urban Lab in the technical review of the ToR deliverables by applying the SDG Project Assessment Tool, including provision of recommendations to support alignment of the intervention to the SDG and the NUA;
• Organization of consultations with the city authorities to evaluate the ToR deliverables through the SDG Project Assessment Tool in preparation of the multi-stakeholder SDG Project Assessment Session;
• Host multi-stakeholder SDG Project Assessment Sessions in each city, including organization and moderation;
• Coordination of participants attendance and arrangements of any logistic needs for the events;
• Develop a report of the main conclusions of the SDG Project Assessment Sessions based on a template provided by the Urban Lab;
• Review and provide input on the technical recommendations as part of the SDG Project Assessment Report, eventually adapted into roadmaps/ strategies to sustain the interventions beyond the programme period (considering financial strategies, legal frameworks, local capacity, governance); and
• Carry out brief surveys to monitor the city authorities’ perception of the SDG Project Assessment Sessions and Capacity Building events to evaluate, learn, and improve the activities development.
4. Capacity Building Programme:
As part of the programme implementation, city authorities will be supported with strategic advice and capacity building through an integrated approach. Technical assistance of the Delivery Partners will be complemented with learning-by-doing capacity building activities, (i.e. embedded in SDG project assessment process) and with a programme level capacity building and training component. The methodology and the thematic of these activities will be developed by UN-Habitat together with the implementing partner (UK BEAG), while the organization and delivery of the specific events will be led by UK BEAG. To support the implementation of this programme component, the Local Strategic Advisor will:
• Provide inputs for the city-to-city learning and knowledge exchange methodology for the Capacity Building Programme;
• Provide review and inputs on the capacity building methodology and timeline according to cities’ needs;
• Provide review and inputs on methodology and contents of the thematic learning events and webinars;
• Provide input on selection of participants to attend the events;
• Attend the thematic learning events in the cities of assignment and report on attendance;
• Provide input to, and potentially participate in, a Programme level Training and Dialogue event, if necessary;
• Review and validate the reports prepared by UK BEAG to capture main finding and conclusion of the thematic learning events and provide input to the translation of these documents; and
• Where necessary, support organisation and logistics for the thematic learning events.
5. Expert Groups Meetings (EGMs):
A component of the programme aims to increase local and global knowledge on inclusive and sustainable urbanization through the production of normative work and a systematic capture and dissemination of the knowledge produced. In order to bolster the normative work, three EGMs will be held bringing together globally leading expertise around a certain topic area. The EGMs will help explore relevant contemporary research and analysis, identify inspiring practices and lessons learned and develop independent recommendations on a particular issue. The Urban Lab will organize and deliver these events and the Local Strategic Advisor will support when necessary. This will include:
• Provide inputs to the events related to the technical expertise and local knowledge of the Local Strategic Advisor; and
• In case the EGMs will take place in the country or city of assignment, the Local Strategic Advisor will support in the logistic organization of the events and attend if necessary.
6. Knowledge Management:
A web-based platform will be created to facilitate the management of the knowledge captured and produced from the different activities of the Programme. The platform is envisioned as a tool for disseminating knowledge between the multiple partners and stakeholders of the Global Future Cities Programme, enabling knowledge exchange amongst them and particularly city-to-city learning. A public component of the platform will disseminate knowledge to the global audience. The platform will be established and managed by the Urban Lab. To support, the Local Strategic Advisor will:
• Facilitate the exchange and dissemination of the thematic documentation among the cities and the local networks through the platform;
• Support the city in developing a story on the Global Future Cities Programme’s interventions, to be published and disseminated on the Knowledge Management Platform;
• Increase the visibility of the GFCP using the SDG narrative, e.g. by participating as a speaker and sharing the programme’s best practise at relevant local events with sustainable urbanization themes.
7. Other activities:
The Local Strategic Advisor will be responsible of cross-cutting activities according to specific needs of the Programme implementation. This will include:
• To facilitate the communication between stakeholders and overcome potential linguistic barriers the Local Strategic Advisor will be responsible for the translation of key documents and moderate meeting and events when necessary.
• To optimize the logistic organization and to ensure a time- and cost-effective development of the activities, the Local Strategic Advisor will support the Urban Lab to find substantive and logistic synergies between different components of the Programme.
• Safeguarding the cross-cutting issues of the programme that are considered in each project: Climate Change, Gender Equality, Human Rights, and Youth.
Skills: • Working knowledge and experience in mobility planning, urban planning, data-driven and smart solutions;
• Working knowledge and understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals and of the New Urban Agenda;
• Strong network within local government and private sector in Malaysia;
• Extensive, proven experience in producing feasibility, evaluation or policy recommendation reports;
• Strong communications skills, including writing, presenting and facilitating workshops in English; and
• Able to work independently and as part of team and deliver on time under pressure.
Academic Qualifications: Advanced University degree in transport or urban planning, architecture, engineering or related fields is required.A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Experience: • A minimum of 5 years of relevant work experience in the fields of urban planning, (smart) mobility, sustainable development, or similar is required;
• Experience in all levels of urban development from project development to practical completion and monitoring;
• Experience working in the relevant country and understanding of the cities’ government institutional set-up required;
• Experience working on social change projects is an asset;
• Working knowledge and experience in transportation systems and policies is an asset;
Language: English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post
advertised, fluency in oral and written English and Malay is required. Knowledge of another United Nations official language
is an advantage.
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.