UNDP Jobs - 50003- Re-advertisement - National Consultant on Housing

Re-advertisement - National Consultant on Housing and Land Use Development

Location :

Amman, JORDAN

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

25-Oct-14 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

National Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

5 weeks

Languages Required :

Arabic English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

5 weeks

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

Candidates who previously applied need not re-apply.

In March of this year, King Abdullah II ordered the government to prepare a ten-year economic development plan followed by an implementation roadmap that will address the developmental and economic challenges the Kingdom is facing. The King’s letter requested that the preparation process maintain a participatory and consultative approach towards all stakeholders, namely governmental institutions, Parliament, the private sector, civil society organizations and local communities. The vision’s framework addresses five main pillars: human resource development, social development, economic development, decentralization and governorate development, and infrastructure. In addition, sixteen technical committees have been formed with members from public, private and civil society partners. The technical committees are led by a high-level steering committee that reports to the Jordanian Royal Court. The plan will be constantly reviewed and updated year after year to remain a reference for officials during these 10 years. The final 10 year economic blueprint will be presented at the end of the year.

Duties and Responsibilities

Objectives and Scope of Work

Jordan is witnessing remarkable population growth in its urban centers that is a product of natural population growth, rural urban migration, and the influx of refugees from the region. This poses a challenge to the national and local governments in Jordan as they grapple to deliver for such rapid growth in their cities. Furthermore, the government of Jordan acknowledges that gaps and shortcoming in public policy that have lead to inequitable growth and fragmented urban development in its biggest cities to some extent, but especially in other municipalities. The purpose of this assignment is to assist national and municipal governments in Jordan in formulating policies and programs to improve urban development and deliver adequate services to city dwellers in light of these challenges. Specifically, the objective of this consultation is to develop actionable recommendations that would:

Link real estate market development to overall economic development;
Make the housing market more efficient to provide adequate shelter for all city dwellers;
Address land use and zoning inefficiencies and identify gaps in policy that need to be tackled in this area;
Provide reforms that address social and economic inequality that come about as a product of previous growth patterns, at the city and country level.

The report will feed directly into the preparation of the BP and must be tailored to propose a set of actionable recommendations. Importantly, the consultant is expected to identify a set of quick wins that when implemented will develop the appropriate momentum – and encouragement – to carry out the remaining recommendations.

Outputs and tasks

The consultant is expected to deliver a report with a diagnostic portion, and a more detailed portion specifying recommendations and policy options;
The consultant is expected to develop a diagnostic research based on consultations with relevant stakeholders when possible;
The diagnostic portion of the study should specify the different challenges based on their severity and importance;
Policy recommendations and action plans must be categorized into short-term, medium term, and long term plans based on importance and achievability;
Closely coordinate with other sector consultants to avoid contradictory planning proposals and indicators;
Revise the previous working plans of the country;
Participate in EBP’s technical and steering committee meetings as deemed necessary.

Competencies

Ability to work under pressure against strict deadlines
Ability to think out-of-the-box
Ability to present complex issues persuasively and simply
Ability to contextualize global trends in accordance with the dynamics of the operating (working) environment;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
Highest standards of integrity, discretionand loyalty.

Required Skills and Experience

Education

Graduate degree in urban Planning, Economy, Marketing, Civil Engineering, Social Sciences or any other relevant field.

Experience

A minimum of ten years’ experience, and importantly, demonstrated knowledge and experience in the sector and region.

Language:

Fluency in both written and spoken English;
Arabic will be an asset.

Documents to be included when submitting the proposals

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:

2-3 page proposal:(i) Explaining why they are the most suitable for the work; (ii) Provide a brief methodology on how they will approach and conduct the work (if applicable);
Financial proposal (which includes a breakdown of consultancy fees);
Personal CV including past experience in similar projects and at least 3 references.

Noting that, only applications which include the above, will be considered.