National Consultant Infrastructure Asset Management Zambia

Result of Service

A successful implementation of the infrastructure asset management activities in Zambia in coordination with government officials, other stakeholders and FSDO staff.

Work Location

Home-based

Expected duration

11 months

Duties and Responsibilities

This position is located in the International Tax and Development Cooperation Branch (ITDCB) of the Financing for Sustainable Development Office of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA). The FSDO works to advance policy and action on financing for sustainable development to support Member States and other stakeholders in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and follow-up and implementation to the Financing for Development process: by providing thought leadership and agenda shaping, promoting multistakeholder dialogue, identifying policy options and best practices, and offering strategic advice and support for capacity development in key areas. The incumbent reports to the Senior Economic Affairs Officer in ITDCB. More information can be found at: https://financing.desa.un.org/ . Background and Objectives These Terms of Reference supports implementation of the UN DESA project “Localizing the SDGs through more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable infrastructure (Phase 2)”, implemented by the Financing for Sustainable Development Office (FSDO) of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), in partnership with the United Nations Office for Project Services, in Zambia. The project aims to accelerate the localization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by strengthening the capacity of local and national governments in six countries to plan, manage, and sustain resilient infrastructure systems. Building on Phase 1of the project this phase focuses on institutionalizing infrastructure asset management (IAM) practices and strengthening enabling policy frameworks for sustainable, inclusive, and risk-informed infrastructure development. The expected outcomes include improved IAM practices, institutionalized training programs, and enhanced resilience and sustainability of infrastructure systems. Phase II will deliver strengthened infrastructure asset management (IAM) systems in each participating country, the integration of Asset Management Action Plans (AMAPs) into local development plans, expanded training for public officials, and a new edition of the United Nations Handbook on Infrastructure Asset Management incorporating case studies, and refined and new tools as per government demand. It will provide tailored technical assistance and capacity-building to address country-specific gaps while fostering regional peer learning and South-South cooperation. In this context, FSDO will engage the services of a national consultant to provide tailored technical assistance and substantive support to project implementation in close coordination with relevant government officials and other stakeholders, international consultants and FSDO staff. The national consultant will provide local contextualization, facilitate stakeholder engagement, and contribute to the design, adaptation, implementation and follow-up to all IAM project activities in Zambia. Work Assignments Under the supervision of the Senior Economic Affairs Officer, International Tax and Development Cooperation Branch (ITDCB), the national consultant will carry out the following work assignments: 1. Online Awareness-Raising Workshop: Design and co-implement a customized online workshop on infrastructure asset management, designed to raise awareness of resilient IAM approaches and introduce relevant tools from the Handbook. Support expert instructors in contextualizing workshop content to reflect local realities and emphasize strategies for climate adaptation, lifecycle planning, and inclusivity. Support identification and selection of 30-40 participating officials from targeted local governments. 2. Diagnostic Missions and Asset Management Profiling. Liaise with national authorities to confirm participating local governments, participating entities and contacts; develop an implementation schedule and stakeholder engagement plan; and review existing sectoral or national frameworks relevant to IAM in Zambia. Conduct diagnostic and training missions to each of these local governments—spending at least one work week with each participating local government—applying the UN IAM diagnostic tool, supporting self-assessments by participating entities; conducting on-site interviews and document reviews; and guiding staff in identifying current practices, roles, systems, and gaps across policy, finance, climate risks and service delivery related to infrastructure asset management. Analyze findings and prepare a customized Asset Management Profile for each local government summarizing current practices, strengths, gaps, and priority reforms, and presenting draft profiles for review and feedback by the UN IAM team. These profiles will provide the baseline on measuring progress moving forward. 3. In-Person AMAP Workshop. Based on the Asset Management Profiles, provide substantive input to the preparation of training content, including reviewing relevant training materials and coordinating with the international consultant on delivery plans; identifying national policies, strategies, data systems, and institutional arrangements relevant to IAM; compiling local case studies, examples, and challenges for each training topic; and customizing training materials by integrating national references to ensure relevance for participating entities. Co-facilitate at least one in-person in-country workshop, including introducing national institutional, legal, and policy frameworks to contextualize IAM principles; providing local examples of IAM application or challenges; facilitating discussions, Q&A sessions, and peer learning by linking international concepts with local realities; assisting in the interpretation of technical content; and guiding participants through practical exercises on Asset Management Action Plans (AMAPs), asset management policies, data challenges, climate risk assessments, and portfolio management.

Qualifications/special skills

- Advanced degree in engineering, business, project management, public administration, urban planning, economics, or related field is required. - Minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience in infrastructure, infrastructure asset management (IAM), or urban development, with demonstrated expertise in areas such as asset inventories, lifecycle planning, service delivery, public sector investment planning, or institutional capacity development is required. - Knowledge of Zambian public sector and infrastructure systems is required. - Familiarity with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and UN IAM tools is desirable. - Familiarity with global asset management standards and geographic information systems (GIS) is desirable.

Languages

Excellent oral and written communication skills in English is required.

Additional Information

The consultant must reside in and/or have the right to work in Zambia.

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.