Project Implementation and Coordination Support Consultant

Result of Service

Ultimate result of service Under the guidance and supervision of the Local2030 Coalition Secretariat Team Lead, the consultant will contribute to the successful implementation and achievement of the expected results of the “Enhancing the role of municipalities to accelerate SDG Localization” project by ensuring effective coordination of project activities, timely delivery of outputs, and strengthened engagement with Coalition stakeholders and partners. The consultant will contribute to: • Ensuring the effective implementation, monitoring, and reporting of project activities in line with agreed objectives, workplans, timelines, and donor requirements. • Strengthening the availability and dissemination of knowledge and policy products that support municipalities and local stakeholders in advancing SDG Localization and contributing to global sustainable development processes. • Facilitating meaningful engagement of local and regional actors through consultations, dialogues, learning activities, and knowledge exchange processes that elevate local experiences and solutions. • Supporting the documentation, communication, and visibility of project results, lessons learned, and good practices to inform the work of the Local2030 Coalition and its partners. • Ensuring effective coordination among Coalition stakeholders, UN entities, donors, and strategic partners to support coherent implementation and maximize the impact of project interventions. As a result of the consultancy, the project will achieve strengthened coordination, increased visibility of local contributions to SDG Localization, improved access to knowledge and evidence-based solutions, and enhanced capacity to inform policy processes at local, national, regional, and global levels.

Work Location

Bilbao

Expected duration

9 Months

Duties and Responsibilities

Background. The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities. Based in Nairobi (Kenya), UN-Habitat is the focal point for all urbanization and human settlement matters within the UN system. UN-Habitat works with partners to build inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities and communities – promoting urbanization as a positive, transformative force for people and communities and reducing inequality, discrimination, and poverty. This position is located in the Local2030 Coalition Secretariat, within UN-Habitat’s Global Solutions Division. The Global Solutions Division provides programmatic direction for UN-Habitat and is responsible and accountable for the programmatic delivery of the Strategic Plan. The Division leads the tools and methodology production and the integration of the various substantive competencies towards the effective delivery of the Strategic Plan and the mandate of UN- Habitat. It provides substantive training and supports capacity development of Member States and partners. The Local 2030 Coalition is the United Nations System platform to accelerate the localization of the 2030 Agenda, enhancing coherence, efficiency, and the impact of UN action. 14 UN entities drive the Coalition, co-chaired by UN-Habitat and FAO, ensuring that the UN system is equipped to articulate global goals and national policies with local contexts, needs, and priorities, while securing a single and powerful UN approach vto localization. Through its Constituencies - National Governments, Local and Regional Governments, Civil Society and Academia, the Private sector, and Youth – the Local2030 Coalition is also a bridge between the United Nations and local development stakeholders, co-creating solutions for systemic transformation, with a focus on those furthest behind. Concretely, the Coalition’s members, Constituencies, and partners join forces to: 1. Ensure the continuous engagement of local stakeholders in the design and implementation of development agendas, tailoring global processes to local realities. 2. Build capacities in the UN system and beyond to mainstream localization and accelerate the SDGs. 3. Scale up contextualized innovative actions and financing solutions, increasing local impact for territorial transformation. 4. Enhance data analysis and inform multilevel-multistakeholder dialogue for collective review of sustainable development processes. In this context, the Local2030 Coalition is implementing a GIZ-funded project, “Enhancing the role of municipalities to accelerate SDG Localization,” which builds on Germany’s long-standing commitment to SDG localization, decentralized development cooperation, and the empowerment of municipalities. The project builds on Germany’s long-standing commitment to SDG localization, decentralized development cooperation, multilevel governance, and the empowerment of municipalities. It will champion localization across global and regional processes and strengthen dialogue-oriented, data-driven policymaking and accountability for delivering the SDGs at the local level. Within both objectives, the project will refine key messages and generate additional evidence to promote localization, a key driver of the 2030 Agenda. In particular, it will focus on a bottom-up approach that enhances municipal capacity to act, often associated with strong mandates for municipalities to decide on a wide array of development matters within their own territory, in accordance with sufficient capacities and resources. It will also emphasize an “all types of local administrative entity” approach, capacitating all forms and sizes of municipalities, including small towns and villages, or their joint municipal authorities, to deliver locally on the SDGs. Duties and Responsibilities The consultant will assist the Local2030 Coalition Secretariat in implementing the “Enhancing the role of municipalities to accelerate SDG Localization” project, providing support for coordinating and implementing project activities, managing knowledge and information, and timely reporting on how the project’s objectives and its expected results are being delivered. Specifically, the consultant will manage the following responsibilities: 1. Knowledge and Policy Products Duties • Serve as the Secretariat focal point for the development of knowledge and policy products under the project, including guidelines, policy briefs, guidance notes, and other strategic publications. • Coordinate the preparation of Terms of Reference in consultation with Coalition members and relevant partners. • Support the procurement and contract management of drafting teams, consultants, or service providers responsible for developing project knowledge products. • Coordinate drafting processes by organizing meetings, consultations, interviews, and exchanges with relevant stakeholders. • Compile and provide technical inputs, background documentation, evidence, and stakeholder feedback to support the development of knowledge and policy products. • Monitor implementation against agreed milestones, identify risks or bottlenecks, and keep the Secretariat informed to ensure timely delivery and quality assurance. • Review draft versions of knowledge and policy products and provide technical comments to ensure alignment with project objectives, Coalition priorities, and relevant global policy processes. • Coordinate the editing, design, publication, launch, and dissemination of project knowledge and policy products, liaising with relevant service providers and ensuring timely delivery of high-quality final outputs. Deliverables • Terms of Reference for the development of project knowledge and policy products, prepared in consultation with Coalition members and relevant partners. • Compilation of stakeholder consultations and technical inputs, including agendas, minutes of meetings, interview summaries, consolidated stakeholder feedback, technical contributions, and background materials collected throughout the development of project knowledge and policy products. • Consolidated technical review comments and recommendations on draft knowledge and policy products, including comment matrices documenting feedback received, recommendations for quality assurance, and alignment with project objectives and Coalition priorities. • Coordination of the editing, design, publication, and dissemination process for project knowledge and policy products, including liaison with consultants, service providers, graphic designers, and relevant stakeholders; coordination of inputs and revisions; quality review of publication-ready versions; and support for final publication and launch. • Progress report documenting the implementation status of knowledge and policy products, coordination undertaken, milestones achieved, risks identified, mitigation measures, key decisions, and recommendations to support their timely development, publication, and dissemination 2. Engagement Processes, Events, and Knowledge Mobilization Duties • Support the implementation of Local2030 Coalition’s Road to(s) engagement processes by coordinating local, regional, and global consultations, dialogues, and engagement activities, ensuring effective participation of local and regional actors and the mobilization of local voices. • Organize high-level events, workshops, consultations, side events, trainings, and peer-to-peer learning activities by coordinating logistical arrangements, participant engagement, and the preparation of event-related materials, including invitations, agendas, concept notes, talking points, speeches, and promotional content. • Document and report engagement activities and high-profile events by capturing key messages, lessons learned, outcomes, and recommendations, ensuring their integration into Local2030 Coalition activities and relevant UN, multilateral, and regional sustainable development processes. • Support the identification, collection, and systematization of locally driven solutions, policies, and experiences from municipalities and local stakeholders to strengthen knowledge exchange and inform global policy discussions and sustainable development processes. • Support the monitoring and documentation of local contributions, ensuring that evidence, good practices, and lessons learned are captured and aligned with relevant global mechanisms, initiatives, and policy platforms. Deliverables • Engagement activities and Road to(s) processes supported through coordinated consultations, dialogues, and outreach activities, including participant records, agendas, concept notes, and supporting materials. • Event preparation packages developed for high-level events, workshops, and learning activities, including invitations, agendas, background documents, talking points, speeches, presentations, and promotional materials. • Event and engagement report prepared, capturing key messages, outcomes, recommendations, participant contributions, and follow-up actions to inform Local2030 Coalition programming and reporting. • Repository of documented local solutions, case studies, and good practices established and maintained, including relevant data, descriptions, and supporting evidence from municipalities and local stakeholders. • Knowledge products and summaries developed to showcase local experiences and contributions, supporting their dissemination through Local2030 Coalition platforms and informing UN and multilateral policy processes. 3. Knowledge Management, Communication, and Promotion Duties • Manage and maintain project documentation and online collaboration platforms, ensuring timely organization and accessibility of project information and outputs. • Support the development and dissemination of communication materials highlighting project activities, milestones, and results through the Local2030 Coalition website and social media channels. • Coordinate with Secretariat staff and partners to ensure consistent messaging and visibility of project achievements across relevant communication platforms. • Support the preparation of communication products, including newsletters, presentations, factsheets, and promotional materials for project activities. Deliverables • Structured online repository established and maintained, including organized folders for project documents, event materials, knowledge products, communication assets, and donor reporting, with periodic updates and version control. • Communication and visibility materials prepared for key project milestones and events, including draft web stories, social media posts, newsletters, presentations, factsheets, banners, talking points, speeches, and promotional text. • Publication and dissemination records documenting the posting of approved content on the Local2030 Coalition website and social media channels, including links, screenshots, publication dates, and audience reach where available. • Knowledge management report compiling project results, lessons learned, good practices, and communication metrics to support reporting and future project implementation. 4. Project Implementation and Coordination Duties • Coordinate the implementation of the project workplan, ensuring the timely delivery of activities, outputs, and milestones in line with project objectives and agreed timelines. • Facilitate collaboration with Coalition stakeholders, including the donor, UN member entities, the Local2030 Hubs and Steering Committee, the Local2030 Knowledge and Scientific Network, and strategic partners, to mobilize technical expertise, coordinate contributions to project activities and knowledge products, and ensure effective follow-up on agreed actions. • Coordinate the operational processes required for project delivery, including procurement, recruitment of services, travel arrangements, financial follow-up, contractual processes, and administrative documentation. • Identify implementation challenges, dependencies, and operational risks, proposing corrective actions and coordinating with relevant stakeholders to ensure the timely resolution of bottlenecks. • Coordinate project planning and reporting processes, ensuring that work plans, implementation updates, project documentation, and donor reporting accurately reflect project progress, results, and strategic achievements. • Support the preparation of strategic project documents, including implementation updates, briefing notes, donor communications, proposals, and the final project achievements report, ensuring consistency with project objectives and expected results. • Prepare briefing notes, key messages, meeting records, and follow-up documentation for strategic exchanges. • Support the identification of opportunities to sustain and expand cooperation to support the project’s goal of enhancing the role of municipalities to accelerate SDG Localization. Deliverables • Project implementation workplan and periodic implementation updates, documenting progress against planned activities, key achievements, implementation challenges, mitigation measures, and next steps. • Roadmap prepared, identifying opportunities, potential partners, and recommended actions to continue or expand cooperation to support the project’s goal of enhancing the role of municipalities to accelerate SDG Localization. • Records of project coordination, including agendas, minutes, action trackers, and follow-up documentation for coordination meetings with partners. • Project implementation documentation, including procurement and recruitment documentation, travel and mission documentation, contractual and financial follow-up, and other operational records required to ensure timely project delivery. • Strategic project reporting documents, including implementation summaries, briefing notes, donor updates, and contributions to progress reports highlighting results achieved, lessons learned, and recommendations. • Draft and final Project Achievement Report, consolidating project outputs, results, evidence of implementation, lessons learned, and recommendations to inform future project programming. Reporting line. Te consultant will work under the guidance and supervision of the Local2030 Coalition Secretariat Team Lead, Ms. Francine Melchioretto.

Qualifications/special skills

An advanced university degree in public affairs, political science, social sciences, development studies, or other relevant areas is required. A first-level university degree, combined with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience, may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree is required. At least 2 years of experience in supporting project implementation, including monitoring progress, coordinating activities, managing online shared folders, and ensuring the timely delivery of outputs, experience in organizing global events and meetings with multi-stakeholder participation, including drafting and managing invitations, agendas, concept notes, and talking points, and coordinating with both internal and external stakeholders, experience in advocacy, including developing key messages, and promoting project outputs through online platforms and social media is required. Demonstrated experience in administrative and operational support, including preparing Terms of Reference, maintaining documentation, and contributing to internal operational processes (such as hiring of services, support payment of invoices, drafting travel documents and reports, etc.) is desirable.

Languages

• Fluency in English and German is required for this specific consultancy. • Knowledge of another UN official language is an asset.

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.