The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat, is the UN 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.

Duties and Responsibilities,

Under the overall supervision of the Chief of the Knowledge and Innovation Branch, the consultant will perform the following duties and responsibilities;

Drafting the international guidelines on people-centred smart cities under UN-Habitat’s guidance

• Prepare and implement a details workplan for the drafting of the guidelines for approval by May 2025
• Develop a concept note for the guidelines defining scope, structure and content for review and approval
• Undertake expert research and analysis as inputs for the guidelines drawing on the latest global trends, thinking and evidence
• Draft the content of the guidelines based on inputs received from UN-Habitat, the World Smart Cities outlook findings, the inputs of global experts and other stakeholders
• Ensure integration of inputs received on drafts of the guidelines to produce updated versions
• Ensure state of the art and robust evidence is captured in the content of the guidelines

Technical support to the Global Experts Working Group composed of representatives of selected countries

• Present the draft guidelines to the working group at its different stages of preparation
• Ensure regular and effective consultation with the working on the draft/content of the guidelines
• Ensure effective integration of the guidance and advice received from the working group into the draft guidelines
• Technically backstop the meetings of the Experts Working Group in terms of the drafting of the guidelines
• Provide technical support to the work of the Experts Working group on the drafting process for the guidelines

Technical support to global consultations on the draft guidelines 

• Present the draft guidelines at relevant regional, thematic and stakeholder meetings
• Ensure effective integration of contributions and guidance from relevant stakeholders and external partners into the draft guidelines
• Present the draft guidelines at other relevant platforms and events for review and compilation of inputs and guidance

Requirements

Qualifications/special skills

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in urban planning, international development, digital transformation, economics or public policy of related fields is required. A first-level degree (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent) in the  specified fields of studies with two (2) additional years of relevant work experience may be  accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• A minimum of 2 years of experience in urban innovation, smart city development, digital urban transformation of technology or related fields is required.
• The ability to undertake research and policy analysis to produce substantive reports is highly desirable.
• International experience in research, policy analysis, policy, planning, with global coverage relevant across world regions is desirable.
• Two (2) years or more of experience in data analytics or related area is desirable.

Languages

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