Urban Planner / Technical Advisor - Aba Masterplan at the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)

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 main documents outlining the mandate of the organization are the Vancouver Declaration on Human Settlements, Habitat Agenda, Istanbul Declaration on Human Settlements, the Declaration on Cities and Other Human Settlements in the New Millennium, and Resolution 56/206. Its activities contribute to the overall objective of the United Nations to reduce poverty and promote sustainable development within the context and the challenges of a rapidly urbanising world.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Urban Planner / Technical Advisor - Aba Masterplan

Location: Aba City, Abia
Employment Type: Full Time
Career Category: Program / Project Management

Job Description
The Aba Master Plan will comprise the following:

• Text and maps which illustrate the designated land use zoning in measurable areas using the established definitions for urban and rural functions scale (1:30,000)
• Definitions of the relevant land use concrete guidelines to be followed concerning existing and future land use, and protection of the land resource. These development goals and guidelines will identify other existing planning activities (from neighboring LGAs, states and national development plans) that will be relevant for the future development of the project area
• Definitions of the planning standards to be used in the project area, deriving from state and national planning standards complemented with standards related to Greater Aba Development Authority (GADA) decisions and visions for the development of the Master Plan area
• Proposals for actions and management/organizational structures to ensure that the Master Plan will be implemented, action plans to be prepared including initiatives needed for joint development with community and investor participation
• Preliminary draft budget for the municipal investments needed and indicators of the role of private sector and other funding agencies that may be involved in the Plan implementation
• Specification of the Master Planning monitoring and evaluation methodology and designation of the monitoring and evaluation body. This includes definition of clear targets and key performance indicators for the planning process. Long term impact monitoring and evaluation will be part of the MTDP planning process.

Responsibilities
Within delegated authority, the Urban Planner / Technical Advisor Aba Masterplan will be responsible for the following duties:

• Liaison with relevant stakeholders
• Liaise with key officials of the Ministry of Lands and Survey as well as other relevant state ministries to ensure prompt and efficient completion of the project and strengthen their institutional capacities.
• Liaise with the project team that will be involved in data collection processes and facilitate enggement other key stakeholder such as traditional institutions, community associatins and civil society organizations, etc.
• Coordinate the outputs of the Technical Team
• Ensure quality control of outputs / time management
• Support to Fundraising at the state Level:
• Under the supervision of UN-Habitat, work in close collaboration with the Greater Aba Development Authority (GADA) and Ministry of Lands and Survey to define content and structure of the Master Plan report, criteria for maps and agree on guidelines for data collection.
• Meet frequently with the Technical Team and the GIS expert to be adequately informed about project progress; oversee establishment and work of GIS lab; control quality of data and maps produced in GIS lab; review desk studies, drafted city profiles, consultation reports and draft Master plan with Land Use and Transportation proposals; and, review the final report including all documentation of the Team Leaders;
• Ensure that the Master Plan is developed through real participatory processes by facilitating stakeholders' involvement and compliance with the adopted Work Plan.
• Provide technical support for the preparation of the draft report (analysis, visualization, conceptual designs, formulation of development, and review of the draft, and the integration of comments/corrections. The Technical Adviser will provide backstopping to the Technical team, supporting the organization of city consultations and attending those in all nine cities.
• Assist the coordination of fund raising support for priority projects, city consultations (consensus on city vision, development plans & strategies, and priority projects, and consensus on implementation plan and fast track infrastructure plnning), capacity building, and other workshops.
• Provide technical support for the preparation of the final project reports and support the final review/approval/legislation of report by the Abia State Government.
• Performs other duties as required, to ensure that:
• The relationship with various relevant stakeholders is harmoniously maintained..
• Key technical capacities (Ministry of of Lands and Survey, local governments and other key institutions) have been reinforced.
• The Master Plan is shared with and responded to by all relevant key stakeholders.

Qualifications / Education

• Advanced University Degree (Masters Degree or equivalent) in Urban Planning / Urban Development / Urban Geography / Economics / Social Sciences / Development Studies / Urban Governance / Regional Planning / Civil Engineering / Architecture, or any other related field. A first-level university degree in combination with five additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience:

• At least five (5) years of progressive experience urban planning, research and policy analysis at the local, national and international levels is required.
• Experience of networking; experience of project and programme management; experience of conducting policy reviews and preparation of policy recommendations for decision makers; demonstrable analytical, drafting, reporting and presentation experience; experience of analyzing, summarizing and presenting large quantities of statistics on urban issue.

Competencies:

• Professionalism: Demonstrable understanding theories and concepts related to urbanization including social and economic development, urban economics, spatial development, local economic development and planning, urban, and regional and territorial planning.
• Strong research and writing skills. Ability to carry out research on the social, economic, political, spatial and planning dimensions of cities and human settlements at local levels.
• Ability to evaluate and integrate information from a variety of sources using standard methodologies and analytical techniques and draw conclusions and assess impacts at different levels. Experience in preparing Master Plans and write technical reports.
• Ability to review, edit and summarize the work of others. Strong analytical capacity and the ability to identify, analyze and articulate difficult issues/problems. 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.
• Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.
• 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.

Languages:

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

Special Notice:

• Subject to the funding source of the position, the eligibility for this temporary job opening may be limited to candidates based at the duty station or environs.

Application Closing Date
7th June, 2024.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should send soft copies of their cover letter and curriculum vitae (CV) to: [email protected] using the Job Title as the subject of the mail.