The ultimate result of the service is to is to provide the Union of Comoros government with the essential elements for the production of the National Urban Policy (NUP).
Moroni, Comoros
6 months
I. Context and organizational framework
The Union of the Comoros is in a region of Africa that is extremely vulnerable to climatic hazards and particularly to floods and cyclones. Indeed, in April 2019, Cyclone Kenneth was one of the most devastating tropical cyclones to hit the country. Over 40% of the population of the three islands was affected. The damage and losses caused by the storm are estimated at around 11,900 homes affected. In the agricultural sector, more than half of the food crops were damaged, and 30% of the cash crops were hit as well. The livestock sector was not spared, with around 13,500 cows lost to the cyclone. The figures do not stop there. The infrastructure, including roads, ports and airports, water, electricity, along with schools, hospitals, were damaged.
In order to support the reconstruction process, the World Bank has decided to finance the implementation of the Comoros Post-Kenneth Resilience and Reconstruction Project (PRPKR). The objective is to rehabilitate public and private infrastructure affected by Cyclone Kenneth. It also includes improving the country's resilience to natural climatic disasters. An essential step in this process is the strengthening of institutions and the regulatory framework around urban issues at the national level.
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat, is the agency mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable cities, with the aim of providing adequate shelter for all. UN-Habitat is the lead agency within the United Nations for the implementation of the New Urban Agenda. It provides technical support to Member States and development partners to transform cities into safer, more resilient and healthier places with better opportunities. It works with organizations at all levels, including all spheres of government, civil society and the private sector.
UN-Habitat will therefore provide technical assistance to the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning, Transport and Lands (MATUAFTT) of the Union of the Comoros, as well as to other government institutions. The aim is not only to provide expertise in land use planning, urbanism and housing, strengthening the urban system and construction standards, and developing a National Urban and Housing Policy (PUNH), but also to share planning, territorial and urban management tools for a safe, resilient and sustainable development of Comorian cities.
The consultant will be based in Moroni.
II. Objectives
The consultant's mission is to support the MATUAFTT in the formulation of a National Urban and Housing Policy (PUNH) with a particular focus on urban planning, land security, risk and disaster management, the fight against climate change as well as decentralization/devolution issues.
More specifically, the consultant will:
- Support the establishment of the steering committee chaired by the MATUAFTT;
- Carry out a diagnostic analysis, through documentary research, an institutional and legal analysis by organizing meetings and interviews with the officials of the various institutions involved in urban planning and housing. Particular attention will be paid to existing sectoral policies or strategies, including housing, disaster risk management, climate change and decentralization issues. An analysis of the strategy's alignment with the Emerging Comoros Plan will also be undertaken to ensure its conformity with the objectives of the strategic plan;
- Facilitate the organization of island awareness-raising workshops (3) and consultations with local authorities: A participatory and inclusive approach of all social strata is necessary for sustainable development on the islands;
- Elaborate prospective policy options;
- Participate in and facilitate meetings with the Technical Steering Committee
- Participate in meetings with the whole project team.
- Develop the national urban planning and housing policy of the Union of Comoros as well as its action and implementation plan, in line with the objectives of the New Urban Agenda (NUA);
- Facilitate the organization of the national urban workshop for the presentation and dissemination of the provisional version of the National Urban and Housing Policy.
III. Methodology
For the assignment, the consultant will first conduct a literature review. The literature review will also cover the foundations of sustainable development, urban management, multi-institutional coordination, governance, urban planning, land security, risk and disaster management, the fight against climate change, as well as the concepts of decentralization/devolution and shared financing of urban development.
During this mandate, He/she will facilitate the organization of various local consultations and workshops that will be held throughout the different islands of the Union of Comoros in the framework of the National Urban and Housing Policy (PNUH). He/she may conduct interviews and direct discussions with the previously mapped stakeholders. He will then proceed with the analysis and drafting of the various reports to meet the requirements of this mission in specific objectives. The national consultant will:
1. Establish a diagnostic analysis of the current situation and present the trends of urban perspectives and policy implications
This mission will start with the mapping of the stakeholders for the elaboration of the National Urban and Housing Policy of the Union of Comoros. Then, a diagnostic analysis of the current state of the urban environment will be carried out based on reports and studies available within the ministerial departments, universities, private sector cooperation, non-governmental organizations, and certain professional or neighborhood associations on various themes. Considering the inclusive perspective of the future policy, it would be important to review documents, both physical and online, on good practices and recommendations on land security, housing, vulnerability to natural disasters, spatial planning, national and urban investments, planning and design of urban spaces, climate change and urban risks, legislation, urban resilience and the application of spatial planning and urban design standards. Existing strategies and plans in the territory are to be analysed, including the National Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy 2015-2020.
The diagnostic report produced will not only analyze the current situation but also identify priority issues and challenges for sustainable urban development. This report will be transmitted and reviewed by UN-Habitat experts and then proposed to the Steering Committee for validation. The considering of the observations and contributions made by the latter will mark the end of this activity.
2. Propose prospective policy options
This consultancy phase will start as soon as the diagnostic document has been validated. It will focus on the content and critical analysis of the selected priority themes (challenges) and the proposed solutions in order to identify a minimum of three options for change including advantages and disadvantages. Urban development indexes will be defined in order to assess the current situation and determine options for the future. This exercise could be carried out in consultation with a multi-sectoral working group. Strategic meetings with senior decision-makers from the private and public sectors will be held. In a participatory approach, various local consultations will be carried out in the different islands of the Union of the Comoros in order to collect the opinions and contributions of the different social groups making up the country. This activity will culminate in three summary reports of the regional consultations.
The preliminary report resulting from this reflection will be a provisional report including three scenarios of urban perspectives, orientations and policy options including proposals for vision, principles, objectives of change as well as the advantages and disadvantages of these.
The provisional report will then be transmitted to the Steering Committee for analysis, contributions and opinions, the inclusion of which will condition the validation of the said document.
3. Develop the National Urban Planning and Housing Policy (PUNH) of the Union of Comoros and its action and implementation plan
Based on the analysis of the diagnosis and the report of the different urban prospects, the draft version of the National Urban and Housing Policy (PUNH) should be produced. It will present in detail the vision, objectives and strategic axes of the future PUNH of the Union of the Comoros. It will also focus on the institutional and financial arrangements necessary for its implementation.
This version will be presented during a national validation workshop. Training workshops on urban policies could be organized to facilitate the understanding of actors in the policy-making process and their appropriation of the strategic tool that the PUNH represents.
Considering the recommendations of the national validation workshop would enable the final version of the National Urban and Housing Policy of the Union of the Comoros to be produced.
4. Organize the National workshop for the presentation of the PUNH of the Union of the Comoros.
The draft version of the PUNH validated by the Steering Committee will then be presented to the stakeholders. This national workshop will bring together all the actors in charge of land security, housing, the vulnerability of populations to natural disasters, land use planning, investments at national, regional and local levels, planning and design of urban spaces, climate change and urban risks, legislation, urban resilience, and decentralization. These actors from the public, private, academic and civil society sectors will be presented with the document. Their opinions and contributions will be consolidated in the report of the National Workshop. The latter will include the recommendations made by the actors on the national policy and its action plan.
If these recommendations are considered, the final version of the PUNH will be produced and disseminated.
IV. Deliverables
1. The inception report
The inception report is the key document that serves as a road map for the managing the overall implementation of the mandate assigned to the consultant. The document is the product that comes from the Terms Of Reference where the consultant explain how he/she will execute the mandate. This comprises (i) Introduction, (ii) Methodology, (iii) Evaluation Design Matrix, (iv) Work Plan and (v) Annexes if necessary
2. The urban development diagnostic report
It is a document that presents an analysis of reports, documents, plans and political strategies, and existing legislation in the fields of urban planning and housing. The urban, housing and land situations are diagnosed, and the development issues highlighted. The challenges and opportunities will be highlighted in order to formulate a clear vision of Urban Habitat in the Union of Comoros.
3. A report on urban perspectives and policy options
Based on the diagnostic report, and the local consultations carried out, this report describes three scenarios for change including the advantages and disadvantages of each.
4. The National Urban Housing Policy and its action and implementation plan
It is a document presenting, in the context of the three islands and according to the issues at stake, a framework for the coordination of actions for the planning of housing, land management and construction. It will provide the vision, objectives and strategic axes of the new national policy on urban planning and housing of the Union of the Comoros, including the institutional framework and the budget necessary for its implementation.
5. The report of the National Validation Workshop including the recommendations
This is a document relating to the organization of an urban forum presenting the drafted version of the PUNH to the local actors. The recommendations and suggestions made during the National validation workshop will be considered in the final version.
Masters Degree or equivalent in a discipline relevant to the assignment in public policy development and analysis, urban planning, urban policy, engineering, architecture, urban geography, or any other related degree is required.
General experience: At least 7 years of professional experience in urban policy and strategy development, economics, planning and urban legislation (at least 3 relevant references) is required.
Specific experience: Professional experience in drafting completion reports with at least 3 relevant references in the field of urban policies and strategies is required.
Experience in writing reports of a similar nature:
At least one experience in writing a completion report with a project related to urban policies and strategies is required. English language skills would be an asset or desirable.
Organization/planning and delivery of workshops:
Demonstrated experience in organizing and facilitating participatory meetings is required.
Languages
The consultant must be able to read and write French fluently. A good command of English would be an asset.
Competencies and Skills required
The candidate requirements are:
• Expert in urban engineering or related topic with a minimum of 6years’ experience in urban policy and strategy development, economics, planning and urban legislation.
• Proven experience in urban policy development and institutional capacity building would be an asset.
• Excellent knowledge of institutional reform and inter-sectoral coordination.
• Have relevant experience working in developing countries, particularly in island territories.
• Have relevant experience in public policy, decentralisation, urban policy formulation and have in-depth knowledge of how to combine population growth with economic, social and environmental development.
• Have the ability to organise and facilitate participatory meetings with the aim of working towards consensus building for policy discourse.
• Ability to work independently with a high degree of responsibility, in a flexible manner and sometimes under pressure.
• Have good communication skills.
• Ability to write technical and project documents, in particular strategic documents.
• Good judgement and excellent analytical skills and, above all, the ability to plan and organize workshops.
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