Jobs at UN-Habitat

OBJECTIVES OF THE CONSULTANCY  

• The overall objective of this consultancy is to review the existing local government municipal finance instruments and produce a clear concise and user-friendly booklet to guide the day-to-day operation of the local government staff and enhance municipal finance management of the local governments. The consultancy also intends to design and develop a uniform, transparent, and efficient approach to streamline business licensing processes of Adado, Kismayo, Jawhar and Barawe local governments.
• This is part of the programme’s effort to unlock the potential revenue of businesses within the jurisdiction of the local governments.
• Furthermore, the consultancy aimed to design on-the-job training tailored to the needs of the local governments.  

SCOPE OF WORK  

The consultancy is focused primarily on the following outputs  

Manual for standardized and harmonized business licensing processes:

This is a manual that provide a step-by-step procedure for registering and licensing businesses within the jurisdiction of the local government that is based on the State and local government laws, policies and regulatory frameworks.  
Municipal finance booklet: The booklet will comprise of the essence of and key contents of key municipal finance instruments namely 

• Local government finance policy 
• local government budget guideline 
• domestic revenue mobilization plan 
• harmonized chart of accounts and 
• internal audit charter.   
• Under the overall supervision of the Head of Programmes and the direct supervision of the Dowlaadkaab Project Manager and in close cooperation with the national field staffs the consultant is required to:   

Task 1: 

• Develop a manual for standardized and harmonized business licensing processes 
• Review the business licensing processes and procedures currently used by the local government administrations of Jawhar, Kismayo, Barawe and Adado; and analyse governing state and local government legal, policy and regulatory frameworks; 
• Identify and examine challenges, inconsistencies, and gaps and where appropriate, propose a way to better adjust them; 
• Based on the review, develop a comprehensive business licensing manual for local governments to serve as a standard reference guide that ensures consistency, transparency, and efficiency in how business registration is conducted across all local governments or districts; 
• Ensure that the manual includes standardized business licensing procedures, forms and templates to enable local staff to easily follow and apply the process. 
• It should also provide clear operational step-by-step implementation, approval procedures and guidelines for fee collection and revenue tracking; 
• Develop transparency and accountability mechanisms for business licensing to improve the management of business registration and revenue collection; and  
• Convene a one-day validation meeting together with the local government and related stakeholders  

Task 2: 

• Review municipal finance instruments and produce a simple and user-friendly municipal finance booklet 
• Review the existing urban planning instruments  
• Local government finance policy 
• local government budget guideline 
• domestic revenue mobilization plan 
• harmonized chart of accounts 
• internal audit charter and 
• manual for standardized and harmonized business licensing processes which shall be produced under this consultancy.  

Produce a concise and practical booklet that guides local governments in implementing coherent municipal finance system effectively.

• The consultant needs to ensure the booklet includes maps, visuals and policy recommendation into a readable and publishable format;
• Ensure the booklet have template, checklist, graphics and illustrations to make it interactive, engaging and facilitate learning and application and it is written in simple language and presented in a clear and concise manner  
• During the booklet development, ensure  the coherence, interconnection, sequency and the synergy between the instruments and their complementarity, and how should the local government and other end user use it for their day-to-day operations;  
• Organize the booklet around five thematic areas: Planning and budgeting, Revenue collection and management, Expenditure management, Financial reporting and auditing and  Accountability, internal controls and auditing.

Qualifications/special skills

• An advanced university degree (master’s or equivalent) in Public Finance, Economics, Public Administration, Local Governance, Urban/Regional Planning, or a related field is required.  
• A first-level university degree, combined with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience, may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.
• Minimum seven (7) years of progressively responsible professional experience in municipal finance, public financial management, or domestic revenue mobilisation is required Demonstrated experience in the design or reform of business licensing systems, revenue administration procedures, or local taxation frameworks is required
• Demonstrated track record in translating government policies and technical guidelines into clear operational manuals, toolkits or reference booklets is an added advantage Solid understanding of local government structures and fiscal systems in decentralised or post-conflict environments, with exposure to sub-national regulatory frameworks, budget cycle processes, and financial reporting requirements is desirable

Languages

• For the position advertised, fluency in oral and written English is required.

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The internship is for six (6) months. 

• Applicants may request to undertake the internship remotely for a short part of the internship in view of constraints regarding their travels.
• The work hours during the internship shall be determined based on individual discussion between the intern and the supervisor(s) taking into consideration the minimum requirements of the organization and the time difference between the hosting office and the location of the intern. The Internship is UNPAID and full-time. Interns work five days per week under the supervision of a staff member in the department or office to which they are assigned.  
• Responsibilities Daily responsibilities will depend on the individual's background, the intern's assigned office as well as the internship period.

Under the direct supervision of the Associate Programme Management Officer, and in collaboration with colleagues from the LHSS, the intern will:  

• Develop and format knowledge products, including policy briefs, data analysis, case studies, and human-interest stories, in collaboration with Land, Housing and Shelter technical teams. 
• Draft and edit communication materials to support advocacy efforts and knowledge sharing such as articles, newsletters, and social media content to promote land, housing, and shelter initiatives. 
• Support the communications team with media monitoring and assist in growing the number of subscribers and followers across the LHS section’s communication channels. 
• Assist in summarizing and translating complex data and research findings into clear, accessible content to support the development of infographics. 
• Update and develop content for the Land, Housing and Shelter knowledge management platforms, such as the Housing Knowledge Platform, the Arab Land Initiative and the Global Land Tool Network websites, ensuring resources are current, well-organized, and easy to access.
• Assist in carrying out research activities and compiling and analyzing data and documents related to UN-Habitat’s land and housing projects within the LHS section and across regional and country offices. 
• Support the design and implementation of land and housing-related advocacy campaigns. 
• Support the preparation of background documents, agendas, and logistic presentations for events and meetings related to land and housing, and provide on-site or virtual support during Land, Housing and Shelter-related workshops, webinars, and training sessions.
• Map national, regional, and international events relevant to land and housing, with attention to cross-cutting themes such as human rights, climate change, and gender. Contribute to the monitoring of project activities, collecting inputs for progress reports and tracking results.
• Attend meetings and events as needed and prepare summaries or reports of key discussions and outcomes. Perform any other related tasks as required to support the implementation of the Land, Housing and Shelter Section’s work plan and objectives

Qualifications/special skills
Applicants must at the time of application, meet one of the following requirements: 

• Be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher),  
• Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree program (minimum Bachelor's level or equivalent),  
• Have graduated with Bachelor's degree, Masters, PhD or equivalent.    
• Be computer literate in standard software applications (Microsoft Office Suite).  
• Have demonstrated a keen interest in the work of the United Nations and have a personal commitment to the ideals of the Charter.  
• Have a demonstrated ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs, which includes a willingness to try and understand and be tolerant of differing opinions and views.  
• Preferred areas of study: Journalism, Communication, Philosophy, Social Sciences, Political Sciences, Gender Studies, International Development, Land Governance, Housing Studies, Urban and Rural Development, Migration or related field.  Applicants to the UN Internship Programme are not required to have professional work experience.
• However, a field of study that is closely related to the type of internship that you are applying for is required.  Applicants must be a student in the final year of the first university degree (bachelor or equivalent), Master’s or Ph.D. Programme or equivalent, or have completed a Bachelor’s, Master’s or Ph.D. Programme.  
• Do you meet any of the above criteria? If yes, please indicate which one and attach proof to the application. Please note that you will have to provide an official certificate at a later stage.  
• Experience in research, technical writing, knowledge management and project development is desirable.  Knowledge of land and housing policy is desirable.

Languages

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. 
• For this internship position, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of another UN language is desirable.

Deadline : Nov 24, 2025