Consultant for Participatory Processes (Social Work)

Result of Service

The consultant shall duly and timely perform his/her obligations, under these Terms of Reference and will work in close collaboration with the UN-Habitat’s operational and technical teams.

Work Location

São Paulo (SP), Brazil

Expected duration

Six (6) months

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 on 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, the São Paulo Council of Architecture and Urbanism (Conselho de Arquitetura e Urbanismo de São Paulo - CAU/SP) and the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC) are implementing the project “Building capacity and connections in Technical Assistance for Social Housing (ATHIS - Assistência Técnica de Habitação de Interesse Social)” with the objective of equipping professionals with the necessary skills to reduce the gap between policy and practice of ATHIS, ensuring that municipalities and institutions have the technical knowledge to implement sustainable and equitable housing solutions. To properly implement the above-mentioned project, a Consultant for Participatory Processes (Social Work) is required. Report to UN-Habitat Manager The consultant reports to the Head of Brazil Office, who will evaluate him/her. Responsibilities The consultant will support the implementation of the project, and its activities, with the following responsibilities: a) Provide technical support to ensure that all project activities are conducted through participatory processes, guaranteeing inclusiveness, representativeness, gender sensitivity, and accountability. b) Provide technical support to adapt UN-Habitat’s Capacity Needs Assessment (CNA) methodology to the context of Social Housing Technical Assistance (ATHIS) in Brazil and for partners from the Global South, in close coordination with team working on data collection and analysis. c) Provide technical support and guidance, in close coordination with the Monitoring and Evaluation team, for the conduction of workshops with local and international partners (Global South) to develop a participatory, gender-oriented methodology for assessing ATHIS demands and defining criteria for prioritizing intervention territories. d) Development of a methodological guide systematizing participatory tools and methods for the collection, analysis, and categorization of demands in housing and ATHIS, with a particular focus on gender-related issues (e.g., social mapping, exploratory walks, gender and age-segmented focus group discussions, and key informant interviews, including community leaders). e) Lead the process of defining priority communities for the implementation of ATHIS interventions, in close collaboration with municipal technical teams and community leaders, ensuring that the specific housing needs of vulnerable groups (e.g. elderly persons, persons with disabilities, and women-headed or single-parent households) are duly considered. f) Engage directly with social and community leaders to ensure the legitimacy and depth of housing demand assessments and to strengthen the potential for effective ATHIS implementation. g) Provide technical support to the development and implementation of a communication and mobilization plan with tailored strategies for priority target audiences, and architecture and urban planning professionals. h) Organize and conduct events and information sessions to raise awareness of the ATHIS Law and related procedures to engage local communities, professionals and key stakeholders on the topic. i) Provide support and technical guidance for conducting a Global Forum in São Paulo, including defining key thematic areas and mobilizing speakers and participants from Brazil and other Global South countries, in collaboration with CAU/SP and ABC/MRE. j) Conduct, in close collaboration with ATHIS platform designated team, a mapping of relevant professionals and institutions in São Paulo and partner countries involved in social housing programs to create a comprehensive database of key actors and initiatives in the sector. k) Provide support for the creation of a collaboration platform for ATHIS professionals from the Global South, including organizing and facilitating virtual or hybrid meetings to connect the network and facilitate experience sharing among members. l) Provide support to the development of a sustainability plan to support the long-term maintenance and expansion of the ATHIS network. m) Participate in field work missions as required. 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 consultant shall be paid a monthly allowance, upon presentation and approval by the Head of Brazil Office of monthly activities’ report.

Qualifications/special skills

Education Required: • Bachelor's degree in Social Work or related fields is required or additional three (3) years of relevant experience to the post, beyond the requirement. Desirable: • Postgraduate degree (Lato Sensu or Stricto Sensu) in Sociology, Social Work, Applied Social Sciences, or related fields is desirable. Work experience • A minimum of three (3) years of experience in the development and implementation of participatory processes and community relationships in Brazil is required. • Experience in capacity building is required. • Experience with social housing is desirable. • Experience with South-South Cooperation is desirable. • Experience in the social area and in coordinating fieldwork, preferably in the public sector, is desirable. • Previous experience working in the United Nations is desirable. Skills • Good computer skills in Windows and Office packages and Web search engines are required. • Good handling of technological tools and use of software and online platforms is desirable. • Good handling of online events and conference tools is desirable. • Good knowledge of project management methodologies is desirable. Competencies • Professionalism: Experience working in an inter-institutional environment, project management, monitoring-evaluation; approaches and strategies regarding good urban governance and local and regional development. • Planning and organization: Professional approach to work, strong sense of responsibility, 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 messages correctly and respond appropriately; show openness in information sharing and keep everyone informed; solid abstract reasoning skills together with a proven capacity 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 environment, 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 guarantee 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 implementation 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.

Languages

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat, and Spanish is the working language of the Regional Office. • For the post advertised, fluency in Portuguese is required. Working knowledge of English is desirable.

Additional Information

Travel details: Applicable The consultant must be available to travel to the places related to the activities in the country, if requested by the Head of Brazil Office. Missions will be coordinated and financed by UN-Habitat, according to the United Nations travel rules and guidelines. Remuneration LICA 1 (part-time 80%). UNOPS Salary Scale. Notes Appointment against this post is on local basis and only nationals from Brazil or external candidates who hold a permanent visa in Brazil may apply.  The extension of this contract is subject to availability of funds and/or performance. Any contract extension is not automatic.   It is required for all the curricular information to be inserted in the system, which may take a few hours. Only complete applications in English will be considered.    All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. Due to the volume of applications received, receipt of applications cannot be acknowledged individually. Only short-listed applicants will be contacted.  Applications should be submitted through INSPIRA and must include all documents required at the system, please be ready to include the following information at the “Candidate Profile” (CP) at Inspira:    • Cover memo (maximum 1 page)  • Educational Background (incl. dates)  • Professional Experience (assignments, tasks, achievements, duration by years/ months)  • Expertise and preferences regarding location of potential assignments  • Other Experience and Expertise (e.g. Internships/ voluntary work, etc.)* * Please note that Internships, part-time and voluntary work count as 50%. In addition to it, note experience not relevant to the position will not be considered.   All applications should be submitted to: Inspira    UN-HABITAT does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process. If you have any questions concerning people or companies claiming to be recruiting on behalf of these offices and requesting the payment of a fee, please contact: recruitment@unon.org.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.