Local Community Engagement Expert

Result of Service

Enhanced effectiveness, coordination and technical quality of UN-Habitat’s Durable Solutions Portfolio by strengthening meaningful community-based engagement and planning processes, Housing, Land and Property (topics) and access to services including improved local area-based coordination with the Municipality, local leaders and duty bearers and relevant Durable Solutions partners

Work Location

Baidoa

Expected duration

6 months

Duties and Responsibilities

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat, is the United Nations 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 housing and shelter for all. As the United Nations focal point on human settlements, UN-Habitat will lead advocacy efforts to raise awareness of sustainable urbanization issues; provide evidence-based policy advice; build capacities; develop tools, norms and standards based on best practices; work on demonstration projects and aid national and subnational governments, local authorities, and other public institutions responsible for urban issues. To enable it to respond to the challenges and opportunities of 21st Century cities and human settlement in a more holistic way, and to address one of the most significant areas of need in developing countries; With its Strategic Plan for the period 2026-2029, UN-Habitat introduces a strategic focus on access to adequate housing, land and basic services for all, including the urgent transformation of informal settlements and slums. It includes a more cohesive response to urban displacement and addresses access to adequate housing, land and basic services for a more integrated approach with all actors involved, to localize and enable solutions for migrants, refugees and Internally Displaced Persons. Somalia is a critical juncture with an estimated number of more than 3.9 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) with a confluence of both new and protracted displacement adversely impacting the humanitarian, development and peacebuilding goals of the country. Between 2022 – 2024, Somalia was one of the pilot countries of the Secretary-General’s Action Agenda on Internal Displacement and its push for government-led, development-anchored and development-financed solutions. In November 2024, the Federal Government of Somalia launched the National Solutions Pathways Action Plan (2024 – 2029) to provide durable solutions to approximately one million internally displaced persons (IDPs) across 33 key districts and with a projected budget of USD 2.09 billion. The plan focuses on six priority areas (pathways) and is accompanied by an M&E framework. In early 2025, a National Centre for Rural Development and Durable Solutions (NCRDS)) advocating, coordinating and overseeing durable solutions programmes and leading technical working group discussions. The Saameynta (Impact in Somali) Joint Programme addresses the complex challenges of internal displacement in Somalia through innovative and sustainable solutions. Saameynta specifically targets individuals and displacement affected communities in the cities of Baidoa (South West State) and Bosaso (Puntland). The Programme lays the foundation that empower cities to integrate IDP into urban environments by leveraging urban planning, inclusive land governance, infrastructure investments and economic empowerment to reduce dependency and increase self-reliance, tenure security and access to services towards. Hereby, the National Solutions Pathways Action Plan (2024-2029) provide the implementation framework. Phase I of the Saameynta Programme covered the period from 2021 till 2025. Phase II – started in June 2026 and builds on the proven approaches and lessons learned from Phase 1 to move from piloting to scaling up Durable Solutions for Displacement Affected Communities. Climate resilience is at the core of Saameynta’s approach by embedding climate risk urban and resilience planning, green infrastructure and adaptive livelihood opportunities, the programme reduces vulnerability to environmental shocks while enabling long-term, sustainable integration. The Saameynta Programme is implemented by IOM (lead), UNDP and Un-Habitat with the following outcome and technical lead responsibility: - Enhancing government leadership and coordination (IOM) - Inclusive land governance (UN-Habitat) - Economic empowerment and livelihoods (UNDP) - Access to basic services (IOM / UN-Habitat on housing system development) To facilitate the implementation of the Saameynta Programme in Bosaso and Baidoa, the Somalia Programme of UH-Habitat under the Regional Office for Arica and the Sub-Regional Unit Horn and Eastern Africa is seeking the support of qualified and experienced Local Community Engagement Experts – 2 for Bosaso and 1 for Baidoa - with possible entry date in September 2026. In line with UN-Habitat’s policy for gender equality, qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for the position. The incumbents work under the overall supervision of the Head of Programmes, Somalia Programme and the direct supervision of the assigned Project Manager. She/he will closely collaborate with the respective project managers and assigned programme team members from UN-Habitat and other implementing partners. Community Engagement & Participation and Municipal Liaison - Facilitate meaningful community participation and engagement in programme implementation. - Liaise with municipal departments and government counterparts on implementation of inclusive land governance activities in close coordination with project management team. - Coordinate community consultations and prepare and support awareness campaigns and participatory planning sessions. - Support implementation and monitoring of community action related aspects of Agreements of Cooperation (AoC) with municipal authorities in close collaboration with the assigned project manager. - Support strengthening of formats that ensure meaningful participation in planning and decision-making processes for solutions to displacement. Stakeholder Coordination - Maintain close working relationships with municipal departments for Social Affairs, Lands, and Planning, community leaders, government counterparts and Saameynta implementing partners. - Organize coordination meetings, consultations and workshops and include whenever suitable and meaningful, representatives from displacement affected communities. - Support preparation of consultation reports and meeting minutes. - Follow up agreed actions with respective stakeholders. - Represent UN-Habitat in local coordination meetings on Durable Solutions and establish close working relationships with Saameynta DS focal persons and Saameynta partner in the respective duty station. - Attend the regular project update meetings and report upon progress. - Regularly update programme management on meeting updates and agreed action of local partners. - Contribute significantly to project reports, success stories, technical documentation, social media content, and updates in coordination with the project team including the assigned Communications Expert and the assigned Specialist for Durable Solutions Coordination and Community Engagement. - Contribute to mission preparation including support to logistical arrangements and community engagement in close collaboration with the assigned Expert for Durable Solutions Coordination and Community Engagement. Support implementation of inclusive land governance related activities. - Support the implementation of Social Tenure Domain Model (STDM) activities, land tenure regularization and settlement mapping. - Follow-up with reporting and data tracking upon land dispute mechanism and release of land /tenure documents. - Compile quarterly disaggregated data on issuance of tenure security to IDPs and Host Community members in close collaboration with the municipal Lands Departments. - Provide support in operationalization of the property taxation by-law in Bosaso with regards to community awareness raising. - Support the promotion of lessons learned from Bosaso property tax by-law development and Puntland land reclamation for public space in Baidoa in close collaboration with the assigned programme team. - Establish close coordination and working relationship with NRC and other partners in the areas of HLP to facilitate a more coherent and coordinated approach on tenure documentation in close collaboration with the assigned Expert for Durable Solutions Coordination and Community Engagement. Support Housing models with private sector linking it to the National Housing Policy and the catalogue of best practices in housing for Somalia. - Support community engagement for settlement planning exercises in the target locations in close collaboration with the assigned urban planner. - Coordinate housing assessments in close collaboration with the assigned housing expert including support for data collection. - Support housing model consultations by ensuring inclusive community representation and in close collaboration with the assigned housing expert. - Facilitate municipal task force meetings on housing. - Any other assignments upon request.

Qualifications/special skills

A first university degree in social development and community engagement or related fields is required. Advanced studies in social science, development studies, business administration or another related field is desirable. A minimum of two (2) years of relevant professional experience working with public-sector institutions, including demonstrated experience in community engagement, is required. Demonstrated experience supporting project implementation in collaboration with government institutions and other relevant stakeholders is required. Knowledge of humanitarian and development issues, including gender mainstreaming, and experience engaging and coordinating with stakeholders at different levels is desirable Previous professional experience with the United Nations or another international organization is desirable.

Languages

Fluency in written and oral skills in both English and Somali language are a requirement.

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.