UNDP Urban Planner and Project Lead Jobs in Ethiopia
Job Purpose and Organizational Context
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat, is the agency for human settlements mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable cities, with the aim of providing adequate housing for all. It is the lead agency within the United Nations for the implementation of the New Urban Agenda.
UN-Habitat supports Member States and development partners to transform cities into safer, more resilient and healthier places with better opportunities working towards achieving inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities and communities, with a focus on addressing urban challenges and improving the quality of life for all people.
UN-Habitat advocates for policies and practices that promote sustainable urbanization, including the integration of social, economic, and environmental dimensions. It also helps build the capacity of governments, local authorities, and communities to plan, manage, and govern urban areas effectively, including promoting participatory approaches and inclusive decision-making processes.
The incumbent under this call is expected to join a team of professionals for a multi-agency joint project to pursue a nexus-based multi-dimensional and integrated approach to enable internally displaced communities in Somali and Oromia regions of Ethiopia to move towards recovery and resilience by employing durable solutions actions that enhance communities’ coping mechanisms against future shocks to anthropogenic disasters and natural hazards by rolling out a multi-pillar intervention that aims to take into consideration the diverse aspects of solutions-based programming among UN Habitat, FAO and IOM.
The general objective of the project is to employ durable solutions that enhance IDPs’ and host communities’ capacities to move towards recovery and resilience with a particular focus on the Fafan and Shebelle zones of the Somali Region, and the East and West Hararghe zones of the Oromia Region.
Scope of the work
The incumbent will work under the direct supervision of the project manager and the UN-Habitat Ethiopia Programme Manager, and he/she will be responsible for the following duties:
Provide leadership, coordination and technical expertise to the team to carry out preparation and reporting of trainings, events, exchanges for synchronized and coordinated outputs.
Lead Community Planning components, Participate in site/neighborhood assessments, support participatory planning processes with the local government, host and displacement affected communities and different organizations to inform area-based multisectoral interventions.
Work with a team of experts and relevant stakeholders to ensure that basic services and shelter beneficiary selection process prioritizes the needs of the most vulnerable persons of concern.
Assess progress and results, identify problem areas, and take corrective steps to achieve program and project objectives.
Careful follow-up of the workplan for the project, support monitoring of project implementation and report against milestones to project team members.
Undertake settlement planning and spatial profiling exercise using UN habitat tools and GIS software
Any other tasks requested by the Project and Programme Manager.
Duties and Expected deliverables
The incumbent will have to perform the following assignments independently and in collaboration with the project lead and other team members:
Within their assigned regions or responsibility, the Urban Planning Experts will provide support in the daily management of all project activities ensuring that works are carried out in compliance to the agreed project deliverable and UN Habitat’s best practices for the full project life.
The Urban Planning Experts will provide technical support to the project teams, local government and displacement affected communities in the areas of participatory planning exercise including settlement planning, mapping, spatial profiling with location of key functions for target project locations in Oromia and Somali regions.
Provide details on affected and host communities such as land tenure and ownership, size and mix of communities, quality of housing etc.. to prioritize project activities at project locations to develop short- and long-term programmes for upgrading housing, improving security of tenure and proving support to the affected community in a way that considers the gender dimension and the peaceful co-existence of communities.
The urban planning experts will support in mapping stakeholders, assessment of displacement causes, analyze institutional capacity and gaps in responding to the needs of displacement affected and host communities to inform decision making.
Follow up reports on community planning workshops with disaggregated data, results, and findings.
Conduct meetings with local government and hosting community on various topics including tenure arrangements, land uses, settlement planning etc…
Follow up periodic progress reports against milestones based on monitoring of project activities.
Coordinate with consultants on research, data collection, participatory planning and capacity building trainings towards targeted results.
Qualifications/Experience/Skills
Education
Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) or BA/BSC degree in Urban Planning, Architecture/ human settlements, Spatial Planning or other relevant discipline or BA/BSC degree in the fields mentioned above.
Work Experience
For MA/MSC. degree in a relevant field, four (4) years of relevant work experience in urban planning including community mapping, GIS and participatory monitoring.
For BA/BSC degree in a relevant field, six (6) years of relevant work experience in urban planning including community mapping, GIS and participatory monitoring.
Training development and facilitation including experience in drafting and encouraging the implementation of policy/strategic guidance and developing practical tools and resources.
Proven experience and knowledge in urban planning fields, projects/ programme design and implementation with the UN or other international agencies is desirable.
Proven experience in leading and managing people and projects
Experience in report writing, making presentations and case study development.
Experience in working with the United Nations is an advantage. Experience in the humanitarian sector, including field experience is an asset.
Ability to work independently or with minimal supervision with a high degree of responsibility, in a flexible manner and often under pressure.
Displays cultural, gender, religion, and age sensitivity and adaptability.
Commitment to gender sensitivity. Have conception on social inclusion and pro-poor development works.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
Excellent writing skills, with analytical capacity and ability to synthesize project outputs and relevant findings for preparation of quality reports as well as media stories.
Capacity to coordinate and organize a team and to support project implementation.
Ability to conduct interviews, surveys, and other data collection techniques.
Ability to follow work plans and schedules.
Consultative and empowering working style and willingness to learn from others.
Willingness to travel as required.
Computer skills in ArcGIS, Database Software, Microsoft applications
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 Ethiopian working language and the language of working regions is desirable. Ability to communicate technical knowledge to non-expert audience is preferred.
How to Apply
For more information and job application details, see; UNDP Urban Planner and Project Lead Jobs in Ethiopia
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