Investment and Digital Platforms Development Consultant

Result of Service

The ultimate result of the consultancy is to develop a digital investment portal and private sector partnership mechanisms to promote local economic growth in Dahab City.

Work Location

Cairo, Egypt

Expected duration

6 months

Duties and Responsibilities

UN Habitat is the United Nations Agency for Human Settlements mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote social and environmentally sustainable towns and cities and to foster collaboration between urban actors. Its aim is to create inclusive, resilient, and equitable urban spaces with the mission to improve the living conditions of people in urban areas to achieve sustainable development. Urbanization is a key driver of development, and cities are seen to be on the frontline of many of the global challenges the world is currently facing. In Egypt, 75% of the GDP is generated in urban areas and 80% of the jobs are in existing cities. However, unplanned urbanization and rapid encroachment the valuable agricultural and desert land surrounding cities and rural settlements result in rapid growth of informal, unplanned urban expansion. Over 16 million urban inhabitants live today in informal and unplanned settlements around urban areas. Moreover, urban population in Egypt is not evenly distributed among its cities, 96 percent of total population lives on 4 percent of the total national area, while the remaining percentage spread on 96 percent of the total inhibited area. This led to more imbalances where 68 percent of the total population are living in three regions, Greater Cairo Region, Alexandria and Delta; representing 1.8 percent of Egypt’s total area, while 77 cities comprise 4 percent of the urban population. Urban planning and management plays an important role in ensuring urbanization values are optimized, captured, and fairly distributed among urban and rural populations. In Egypt, efforts to improve urban planning and management practices varies largely in their nature and effectiveness. The Ministry of Housing, Utilities and urban communities plays an effective role in guiding policies and programmes to improve urban development tools and programmes. In 2024, the UN-Habitat and the Ministry of Local Development (MOLD) signed a new project titled Identification of Priority Urban Development Interventions to Promote Investments, Smart Applications and Livable Dahab City. The project is Funded by the Islamic Development Bank and aims to inclusively improve the livelihood and living conditions for the population of Dahab city through identifying, prioritizing and advancing urban and social development interventions and improving urban governance. The primary purpose of this assignment is to understand the nature of the available resources in the governorate and transform them into attractive, market-ready investment opportunities. Additionally, it focuses on developing innovative strategies to maximize the utilization of these opportunities, thereby driving investment, creating jobs, and supporting local economic growth This will be achived by developing an integrated digital and institutional investment platform, designing and creating the investment opportunities component within the governorate's online portal, ensuring its technical and institutional integration with the national "Invest in Egypt" platform. It also seeks to establish a methodology to identify and evaluate existing potential and opportunities (including assets) for investment at the local level. The assignment involves developing clear mechanisms to foster public-private partnerships. This includes coordinating with the Legal Consultant, the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI), the Ministry of Local Development (MoLD), and the Ministry of Environment to prepare robust investment contract templates that ensure integrated developmental efforts in compliance with governing laws and regulations. Furthermore, it addresses ensuring the efficiency and sustainability of the system by preparing comprehensive guidelines (Manuals) for the selection of investment opportunities and methodology of selection, as well as implementing capacity-building programs at all stages. These programs will train local cadres on how to manage the platform, prepare opportunities, and maintain the linkage with the "Invest in Egypt" platform. Ultimately, the assignment aims to provide practical and sustainable digital solutions that boost the governorate's competitiveness and capacity to attract capital, thereby fostering comprehensive and integrated economic development. Reporting Line: Under the overall supervision of the Urban Development Programme Officer, with the support from the UN-Habitat Egypt office (ROAS) and in close collaboration with national and local counterparts, the incumbent of the post will have to fulfil the following duties and responsibilities: Duties and Responsibilities: The consultant will undertake the following duties and responsibilities: Task 1: Project inception and kick off  Prepare the project presentation, including the methodology, work plan, and timeline.  Conduct the kick-off meeting with stakeholders to discuss the project and align result. Task 2: Review of Strategic Plans and Situation Analysis  Review existing master plans and analyze the documentation of ready projects.  Conduct a field visit to gather on-ground data for the situation analysis.  Organize and facilitate a workshop to discuss and validate the situation analysis. Task 3: Identification and Assessment of Investment Opportunities:  Develop a methodology to identify available investment opportunities within the City of Dahab and the Governorate.  Assess untapped local assets and resources, and develop a methodology to transform them into viable, market-ready investment opportunities (in coordination with the Local resource development Consultant).  Categorize investment opportunities based on economic sectors and the local development priorities of the Governorate.  "Prepare the final list of investment opportunities based on various sectors and intervention priorities."  Create standardized templates for gathering opportunity data, and formulate comprehensive Investment Profiles to be featured on the digital investment platform.  Coordinate with the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI) to align the developed methodology and investment profiles with national standards and requirements. Task 4 : Development of the Governorate’s Digital Investment Portal  Design and develop the "Investment Portal" and effectively integrate it into the Governorate's official website.  Design and develop an engaging, user-friendly interface (UI/UX) focused on facilitating the investor journey to access information.  Electronic integration between the Governorate’s portal and the national "Invest in Egypt" platform.  Ensure data updates between the two platforms to unify the presentation of investment opportunities at the national level.  Coordinate with the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI) to ensure full technical compatibility and seamless integration with the national 'Invest in Egypt' platform. Task 5: Enhancing Private Sector Partnerships and Developing Contractual Models (in coordination with the Legal Consultant):  Design clear mechanisms and procedures for offering investment opportunities, and for attracting and engaging private sector entities.  Collaborate and coordinate continuously with the project’s Legal Consultant to develop and prepare "standardized contract templates" for private sector engagement.  Ensure contract templates support different types of investment including Islamic finance and blended finance to attract different types of funding.  Review and ensure the compliance of contractual models and offering mechanisms with the laws and regulations governing investment and local administration in Egypt.  Propose flexible business and partnership models that ensure economic returns for the Governorate while providing attractive incentives for investors. Task 6: Preparation of Operational Manuals and Capacity Building  Prepare and draft a comprehensive Manual documenting all system procedures, from identifying and preparing an investment opportunity to the contracting mechanisms.  Include in the manual the technical operation steps for the investment portal, data uploading procedures, and the management of integration with the "Invest in Egypt" platform.  Assess the training needs of the personnel and executive bodies responsible for the investment portfolio within the Governorate.  Design training materials and implement workshop programs to build the capacities of the Governorate's staff on applying standards, preparing opportunities, and managing the digital portal efficiently.

Qualifications/special skills

A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree or equivalent) in Business Administration, Economics, Public Administration, Information Technology, Urban Planning, or any related field is required.  At least 2 years of experience in investment promotion, business development, public-private partnerships (PPP), or the management of digital platforms is required.  Experience in identifying investment opportunities, structuring business models, and developing partnership contracts is required.  Experience in digital transformation, specifically in overseeing the development of digital portals and system integration (APIs), is highly desirable.  Experience with international organizations and previous work with local government agencies or national counterparts (particularly the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones - GAFI) is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nation Secretariat, for this position fluency in English and Arabic (both oral and written) is required.

Additional Information

Not available.

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.