Youth Engagement Project Consultant

Result of Service

The consultancy consists of the following outputs being these non-limitative: • Monthly progress and activity reports. This deliverable must be presented in PDF and Word format, up to 5 pages.

Work Location

Armenia (Home-based), Colombia

Expected duration

3-month

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. 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. UN-Habitat promotes urbanization as a positive transformative force for people and communities, reducing inequality, discrimination, and poverty. A brief description of the ROLAC region The UN-Habitat Andean Countries Hub leads and supports urban development initiatives across the region, promoting participatory governance, inclusive public spaces, resilience, youth engage-ment and sustainable territorial development. Within this framework, UN-Habitat is implementing the Young Gamechangers Initiative (YGI), a global initiative supported by Fondation Botnar and implemented in intermediary cities in Colom-bia, India and Senegal. The initiative seeks to improve the health and wellbeing of young people through strengthened governance systems, youth participation, digital engagement and inclusive public space interventions. The project promotes the meaningful engagement of youth in urban governance and participa-tory planning processes, while supporting local authorities in the delivery of safe, accessible and healthy public spaces. In Armenia, Quindío, the project is currently supporting community-based and participatory urban interventions in Barrio La Grecia, including tactical urbanism, green infrastructure, community gar-dening and co-creation methodologies aimed at strengthening local capacities and social appro-priation of public space. To support the territorial implementation of the initiative, the UN-Habitat Andean Countries Hub requires a Territorial Focal Point Consultant based in Armenia, Quindío, Colombia. The consultant will support local coordination, articulation with youth and institutional stakeholders, implemen-tation follow-up, community processes and strategic positioning of the initiative at the city level. The consultant will work under the supervision of the Project Coordination Team and the Coordi-nator of the UN-Habitat Andean Countries Hub. RESPONSIBILITIES a.) Information and validation: • Keep the Project Coordination Team and the UN-Habitat Andean Countries Hub Coor-dinator informed about all territorial activities and obtain validation of strategic ac-tions and deliverables. • Ensure timely communication regarding implementation progress, risks, opportunities and operational challenges in the territory. • The consultant will be responsible for keeping the HUB Coordinator informed and having to obtain validation of his/her activities in the full project cycle. b.) Development: • Serve as the territorial focal point of the Young Gamechangers Initiative (YGI) in Armenia, Quindío. • Lead local articulation processes with youth groups, community organizations, local au-thorities, educational institutions and strategic stakeholders linked to the project. • Support the coordination and implementation of participatory and community-based processes related to public space interventions, tactical urbanism, co-creation and youth engagement. • Monitor the implementation of public space intervention activities and provide follow-up on schedules, technical coordination and local participation processes. • Facilitate communication and coordination between UN-Habitat, community actors and municipal institutions. • Support the management of permits, authorizations and institutional procedures re-quired for project implementation in coordination with local authorities. • Support the organization and facilitation of workshops, meetings, participatory sessions, community activities and public events. • Assist in the implementation of participatory methodologies and co-creation processes focused on youth participation, public space and urban wellbeing. • Support local stakeholder mapping and the identification of strategic allies for project sustainability and scaling-up opportunities. • Identify opportunities for resource mobilization, partnerships and complementary fund-ing mechanisms to replicate or expand project actions in Armenia and other cities. • Support the visibility and positioning of the project through coordination with communi-cations activities and documentation of implementation processes. • Produce technical and operational inputs required for project implementation and re-porting. c.) Technical and Strategic Support: • Provide transversal support to the UN-Habitat Andean Countries Hub on thematic areas related to cities, urban governance, youth participation, public space and community engagement. • Support the preparation of concept notes, project documents, implementation plans, presentations, terms of reference and technical reports related to urban youth and gov-ernance initiatives. • Contribute to the systematization of good practices, lessons learned and knowledge products related to project implementation. • Support the development of strategic alliances with local institutions, academia, civil so-ciety organizations and cooperation actors. d.) Implementation: • Coordinate and monitor the territorial work plan and ensure compliance with agreed activities and timelines. • Support field visits, missions and coordination agendas of UN-Habitat technical teams and partners. • Participate in coordination meetings, technical committees, workshops and events re-lated to the initiative. • Support administrative and logistical processes required for implementation activities in accordance with UN-Habitat procedures. • Ensure that project implementation follows UN values and principles, including inclu-sion, participation, gender equality and integrity. e.) Knowledge Management: • Support the documentation and systematization of methodologies, participatory processes, and implementation experiences developed under the project. • Collect and organize relevant territorial information related to urban development, youth participation, public space and governance. • Support the preparation of reports, presentations, summaries and other knowledge products required by the project. • Contribute to strengthening networks and exchanges related to sustainable urban development and youth participation. f.) Others: • Other activities requested and by mutual agreement with the HUB Coordinator of The Andean Countries of UN-Habitat, within the framework of this consultancy and without prejudice to the achievement of its responsibilities. • The consultant will participate in work and follow-up meetings, both with other consultants, as well as with the Coordinator and team of the Andean Countries HUB of UN-Habitat and with the staff of the projects. • The consultant shall be responsible for ensuring that all activities comply with the principles of United Nations integrity.

Qualifications/special skills

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Urban Planning, Social Sciences, Political Science, Community Development, Urban Studies or related fields is required. A first de-gree in areas related to Architecture, Urban Development, Social Sciences, Government and Inter-national Relations and/or related is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. A minimum of three (3) years of relevant professional experience in urban development, youth participation, community processes, partnership building, public space projects, resource mobili-zation, territorial coordination and/or governance-related initiatives is required. Experience working with local governments, civil society organizations and community-based pro-cesses, including the implementation of participatory methodologies, urban interventions and en-gagement of stakeholders is required. Experience working in Armenia, Quindío, or within the Region (Eje Cafetero) is highly desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, English and Spanish is required. Knowledge of another UN Official Language is desirable.

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.