Programme Management Officer, Human Settlements at UN-Habitat

The position is located in the Planning, Finance & Economy Section of the Urban Practices Branch (UPB) with the Global Solutions Division in Nairobi. The Global Solutions Division (GSD) is responsible for providing programmatic direction for UN-Habitat and is responsible and accountable for the programmatic delivery of the Strategic Plan. The Division leads the tools and methodology production and the integration of the various substantive competencies towards effective delivery of the Strategic Plan and the mandate of UN-Habitat. It provides substantive training to staff members and supports capacity development of Member States and partners.

The Urban Practices Branch (UPB) is the tools and methodology production and skills centre of the UN-Habitat, that develops normative guidance and cutting-edge tools through communities of urban practice. It provides technical and policy advice approaches and methodologies to MCOs/CO, government and partners and mainstreams them throughout the programme portfolio. It also ensures that the cross-cutting area of safety and the social inclusion issues of human rights; gender; children, youth and older persons; and disability are developed and mainstreamed across the Agency.

The Planning, Finance & Economy Section is responsible for coordinating the Agency’s substantive, normative and operational work on various dimensions of planning, finance and economy. The Planning, Finance & Economy Section aims to develop, document, pilot/test and disseminate planning policies, norms, standards, tools, methodologies, regulatory frameworks, operating procedures and practices at global, regional, national and sub-national levels in support of (a) urban and territorial planning at all scales including urban design and public space design; (b) urban finance (municipal finance and urban development/projects finance); and (c) local economic development.

Under the direction supervision of the Chief of the Section, the incumbent will be responsible for the following:

Responsibilities

• Contributes to the implementation of the Section workplan and activities in the field of urban and territorial planning.
• Identifies and develops tools, norms and guidance in the field of urban and territorial planning in support of the implementation of the New Urban Agenda, the SDGs and the International Guidelines on Urban and Territorial Planning,
• Develops the PFES portfolio and expands the application of urban and territorial planning norms and tools, as well as the integration between urban planning and finance and economy for the delivery of innovative and effective urban projects. Participates in the development, implementation and evaluation of urban and territorial planning projects and programmes as assigned; etc.; monitors and analyzes programme/project development and implementation; reviews relevant documents and reports; identifies problems and issues to be addressed and proposes corrective actions; liaises with relevant parties; identifies and tracks follow-up actions. Undertakes resource mobilization activities and analyzes risk and opportunities for increasing the efficiency of delivery.
• Performs consulting assignments, in collaboration with the client, by planning facilitating workshops and assisting in developing the action plan the client will use to manage the change. Performs a variety of urban planning policy and practice assessments, develop recommendations and produce advisory reports.
• Researches, analyzes and presents information gathered from diverse sources.
• Assists in policy development, including the review and analysis of issues and trends, preparation of evaluations or other research activities and studies.
• Undertakes survey initiatives; designs data collection tools; reviews, analyzes and interprets responses, identifies problems/issues and prepares conclusions.
• Prepares various written outputs, e.g. draft background papers, analysis, sections of reports and studies, inputs to publications, etc.
• Assesses UN-Habitat capacity for the delivery of urban and territorial planning to cities and regional and national governments and develops capacity development content for internal use; ensure quality control of the organization’s norms and guidance on urban and territorial planning and ensures quality control of technical cooperation outputs and activities as requested;
• Provides substantive support to consultative and other meetings, conferences, etc., to include proposing agenda topics, identifying participants, preparation of documents and presentations, etc.
• Undertakes outreach activities; conducts training workshops, seminars, etc.; makes presentations on assigned topics/activities.
• Participates in or leads field missions, in close collaboration with UN-Habitat’s regional and country offices and by informing the Resident Coordinator’s office, including provision of guidance to external consultants, government officials and other parties and drafting mission summaries, etc.
• Establishes and manages coalitions of partners in support of the Section activities and mandate.
• Coordinates activities related to budget and funding (programme/project preparation and submissions, progress reports, financial statements, etc.) and prepares related documents/reports (pledging, work programme, programme budget, etc.).
• Performs other duties as required.

Competencies

• Professionalism: Knowledge and understanding of theories, concepts and approaches relevant to territorial and urban planning. Ability to identify issues, analyze and participate in the resolution of issues/problems in the fields of urban and territorial planning. Ability to conduct data collection using various methods. Conceptual analytical and evaluative skills to conduct independent research and analysis, including familiarity with and experience in the use of various research sources. Familiarity with decision making process, participatory processes and tools for urban planning. Ability to apply judgment in the context of assignments given, plan own work and manage conflicting priorities. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.
• Planning & Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.
• Accountability: Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours commitments; delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards; operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules; supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated assignments; takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable.
• Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

Education

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in architecture, urban planning or a related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience

• A minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in urban development, regional and urban planning with direct proven experience in management of programmes is required.
• Experience in the United Nations system or a comparable international organization is desirable.
• Experience in the use of most common physical planning and design software (such as AUTOCAD, ARCGIS or Adobe Illustrator) is desirable.
• Experience in the use of data analysis tools desirable,

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English is required; and knowledge of French is desirable. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include submission of portfolio and an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.

Special Notice

This position is open for recruitment for an initial period of one year and may be subject to extension. Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures.

For this position, applicants from the following Member States, which are unrepresented or underrepresented in the UN Secretariat as of 31 January 2020, are strongly encouraged to apply: Afghanistan, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahrain, Belize, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Central African Republic, China, Colombia, Comoros, Cuba, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Monaco, Mozambique, Nauru, Norway, Oman, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Solomon Islands, South Sudan, Suriname, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Vanuatu, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.