Duties and Responsibilities
Background The main mandate of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is to promote sustainable development of human settlements and policies conducive to adequate housing for all. Within this framework, UN-Habitat supports central and state governments, as well as local authorities and other partners for the implementation of the Habitat Agenda, the 2030 Agenda with the Sustainable Development Goals and the New Urban Agenda. UN-Habitat helps the urban poor by transforming cities into safer, more inclusive, compact, integrated, resilient and connected places with better opportunities where everyone can live with dignity. It works with organizations at every level, including all spheres of government, civil society, and the private sector to help build, manage, plan and finance sustainable urban development. The Regional Office for Latin American and the Caribbean – ROLAC – is based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Agency puts emphasis in developing and managing activities in the host country. Indeed, for the past years, UN-Habitat has expanded its portfolio in Brazil by working with the three tiers of government to support the formulation and implementation of more effective, sustainable, participative, and socially fairer urban economic, social, and environmental policies. UN-Habitat and the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro have a long-standing history of collaboration. In partnership with the Planning Office (Escritório de Planejamento) of the Municipality, nine (9) workshops will be held across the city of Rio de Janeiro, organized by region in line with the Regional Education Coordination Offices (CRE), for the revision of the City of Rio de Janeiro’s Sustainable Development and Climate Action Plan. The target audience for these activities consist of resident population of Rio de Janeiro, civil society organizations working with the implementation of the SDGs in the city, and representatives from the municipality of Rio de Janeiro who work directly on strategic planning and urban sustainable development. In this regard, a Technical Consultant (Participatory Workshops) is required to ensure the effective planning, coordination and implementation of the above-mentioned participatory workshops. Report to UN-Habitat Manager The Technical Consultant (Participatory Workshops) reports to the Head of Brazil Office, who will evaluate him/her. Responsibilities The Technical Consultant (Participatory Workshops) will support the implementation of the participatory workshops, with the following responsibilities: a) Develop a detailed Work Plan, outlining objectives, activities, methodologies, expected results, and a timeline, aligned with UN-Habitat guidelines and Rio de Janeiro's strategic plans. b) Coordinate and facilitate nine (9) participatory workshops with civil society, academia, government officials and experts on sustainable urban development. c) Develop all necessary materials for the workshops, including visual presentations (Power Points, posters, handouts), participatory mapping tools and activity scripts tailored to the target audience. d) Design and apply innovative participatory methodologies, placemaking exercises, and co-creation techniques, in line with UN-Habitat global practices. e) Conduct a participatory diagnosis of the plan review identifying opportunities for interventions based on technical criteria and community inputs. f) Oversee and monitor the logistical, material, and technical preparation of the workshops, liaising with local teams to ensure feasibility and smooth implementation. g) Document and systematize data, inputs and results generated during the workshops, ensuring clarity, consistency and traceability, in accessible and editable formats. h) Present the results and deliverables to UN-Habitat and the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro through visual, clear, and accessible formats (executive reports, illustrated presentations, posters, short videos, etc.). i) Ensure compliance with UN-Habitat's standards for visibility, data protection, and ethics, respecting the rights, privacy, and representation of community participants. j) Participate in meetings with UN-Habitat teams, the Planning Office of the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro and other relevant stakeholders to align expectations and refine the scope of analysis. k) Ensure all content is aligned with UN-Habitat standards, methodologies, and expectations, while maintaining confidentiality and data protection protocols. The consultant will be responsible for completing all courses and training activities that are indicated to him/her by his/her supervisor. The security course BSAFE, from UNDSS, is required to be accredited during the first month of employment. The consultant will be responsible for his/her own security, so the person should get familiarized with United Nations security mechanisms and comply with them according to the Framework of Accountability for the United Nations Security Management System. Outputs/Work Assignment The Technical Consultant (Participatory Workshops) shall assist the implementation of the workshops, according to the stated responsibilities and the delivery of the following products: Product 1 – Work Plan and Methodological Proposal for the Participatory Workshops Description: The Product 1 must contain: (i) a detailed Work Plan including objectives, timeline, activities, responsibilities, and risk mitigation strategies; (ii) a Methodological Note outlining the participatory design approach for the Plan’s priority areas (water, climate justice, food security and industry), aligned with UN-Habitat principles; (iii) guidelines to ensure inclusive participation (children, gender, youth, people with disabilities); and (iv) preliminary analysis of target areas based on existing diagnostics. Expected delivery date: 15 days after signing the contract. Product 2 – Participatory Workshops Reports Description: The Product 2 must contain: (i) full documentation of the nine (9) workshops held in Rio de Janeiro, including used materials, group activity summaries, and participatory mapping results; (ii) characterization of addressed territories, participants and priority areas to be revised; (iii) lessons learned and recommendations for future stages and replication; (iv) institutional and community feedback and presentation of results to the Municipality and the initiative’s monitoring committee. Expected delivery date: 90 days after signing the contract.
Qualifications/special skills
Education Required: • Bachelor’s degree in Education, Architecture and Urbanism, Social Sciences, Peda-gogy or related fields is required. • Postgraduate degree (Lato Sensu or Stricto Sensu) in Education, Architecture and Ur-banism, Social Sciences, Pedagogy or related fields is required, or additional four (4) years of relevant experience to the post, beyond the requirement. Work experience: • Minimum six (6) years of professional experience providing technical support for the development of participatory urban design projects in Brazil is required. • Previous academic or professional experience working with the 2030 Agenda and the New Urban Agenda is required. • Previous experience within the UN System is desirable. Skills: • Good handling of technological tools, such as Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Of-fice, is required. • Strong facilitation and communication skills, particularly with children and diverse community groups are required. • Ability to design and apply age-appropriate, creative and participatory methodologies is required. • Capacity to systematize qualitative information and produce clear technical reports aligned with institutional standards is required. • Ability to work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams and public institutions is desirable. Competencies • Professionalism: Experience working in an inter-institutional environment, project management, monitoring-evaluation; approaches and strategies regarding good ur-ban governance and local and regional development. • Planning and organization: Professional approach to work, strong sense of responsi-bility, operate with minimal supervision; proven organizational skills and ability to manage a workload efficiently and within set deadlines. • Communication: Ability to write clearly and effectively; listen to others, interpret mes-sages correctly and respond appropriately; show openness in information sharing and keep everyone informed; solid abstract reasoning skills together with a proven capac-ity to write documents for diverse audiences. • Teamwork: Ability to work with teams, demonstrate leadership, conflict management and consensus facilitation skills; ability to work in a multicultural and multi-ethnic envi-ronment, and to respect diversity; sensitivity to the main streaming of vulnerability; willingness and ability to work in difficult environments. Knowledge Management • The person must know the processes, procedures, and norms of UN-Habitat, to guar-antee an adequate quality of the activities described above, following the standards of the organization. • The person will propose formats and procedures that allow the efficient implementa-tion of the activities related to the project development. • The person must know the file of the Office, work with it, and ensure its proper maintenance, accessibility for all staff, and due updating. • The person will prepare databases related to the project running. • The person will make sure that all relevant technical information will be adequately shared with the correspondent staff. • The person will ensure that all produced material will be fit-for-purpose and delivered, in an organized way, for posterior consultation and use of the Agency. • The person will only share the information produced with the team agency, assuring the privacy of the content.
