Terms of Reference
Job Title
Urban Policy Consultant
Project Title
National Urban Policy for Sierra Leone
Location
Sierra Leone
Duration
6 months (within a 12-month period)
Closing Date
31 July 2019
I. BACKGROUND
Sierra Leone is a Least Developed Country (LDC) located on the South West coast of West Africa. The country is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. The country has a total area of 71,740 km2 (27,699 sq mi) with a total number of sixteen districts and five administrative regions. The 2015 national census estimates the population to be 7,075,641 million inhabitants.
Sierra Leone is a post conflict country with its own peculiarities such as economic, social and environmental degradation and persistent development challenges, including poverty, chronic malnutrition, income inequality and high unemployment rate. In 2014 the country experienced an Ebola outbreak that resulted in over 3,706 health cases of and 1,259 deaths. According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Index, Sierra Leone ranked 184 out of 189 countries and territories with a HDI value of 0.419 in 2017, putting the country in the lowest human development category position.[1] It is also ranked as one of the poorest countries globally in terms of life expectancy, educational attainment and income.
Economically, Sierra Leone is classified as a low-income country, with a GDP per capita income of about US$439. [2] While the outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease in 2014, as well as the decline in the international prices of iron ore in 2013 created a significant setback[3], economic growth has resumed supported by investments in the mining and agriculture sectors.
Although Sierra Leone has not yet developed a long-term strategy, the country has been actively working on Medium-term National Development Plans (MTNDP) to assist the country’s stability. The recent MTNDP (2019-2023) is the fourth in the series and is grounded on renewed optimism as the country’s democracy matures and public participation in development processes attains new heights. This plan represents the first five years of a 20-year long-term national commitment to a vision for a middle-income country. [4] To achieve its vision of Sierra Leone as a middle-income country by 2039, Sierra Leone has developed four Medium-term National Development Plans (MTNDP1 2005-2007), (MTNDP2 2008-2012), (MTNDP3 2013-2018) and lastly the fourth in the series (MTNDP4 2019-2023).
Due to UN-Habitat’s extensive experience in supporting African countries in the development of NUPs (19 African countries so far), the government of Sierra Leone through its Ministry of Lands, Housing and Environment and leadership has requested the technical support of UN-Habitat to technically backstop the National Urban Policy process and its integration into the National Development Plan (the 4th Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper for (2019-2023). UN-Habitat is vantage positioned to support the government of Sierra Leone, as its experience on NUP ranges from country assessment, advice on setting up of national processes and stakeholder participation, analysis of urban planning policies and instruments, facilitation of local-national dialogue on reforms and capacity development.
The National Development Plan (NDP) will be complemented by a NUP in Sierra Leone and will help align national urban strategies with global urban frameworks such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the New Urban Agenda (NUA). The formulation of a NUP could help to realistically confront challenges and improve governance in urban management. The NUP articulated in this proposal goes beyond the series of products by incorporating components of the urban agenda program (especially public communications and coalitional mobilization), and as such, it is as much an effort to building capacity, mobilize, and generate wholesale political consensus in Sierra Leone on the immense potential of planned urbanization. The adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the New Urban Agenda (NUA) has provided strong rationale for countries including Sierra Leone to develop and implement inclusive and participatory NUP frameworks.
II. OBJECTIVE
The overall objective is to support the government of Sierra Leone to initiate the process of formulating an inclusive, evidence-based, forward-thinking and participatory National Urban Policy that will be integrated in the National Development Plan (2023-2027). This project will provide an effective and enabling environment to develop a sustainable policy framework whilst building capacity required for the development and implementation of a National Urban policy in Sierra Leone.
III. DUTIES
Under the supervision of the Human Settlements Officer in the Regional Office for Africa, in collaboration with the Head of the Regional and Metropolitan Planning Unit at the Urban Planning and Design Branch, and close coordination with the Government of Sierra Leone through Ministries of Lands, Housing and Environment and Planning and Economic Development.
More specifically, the consultant will have to fulfil the following duties and responsibilities:
- Support the Sierra Leone Urban Policy process with research, data collection and analysis for the development of a feasibility study;
- Support the Sierra Leone Urban Policy process with the organization of capacity development and validation workshops and integrate feedbacks into the feasibility study;
- Organize and manage the logistics, content, programme, communication and reporting of the capacity development workshops in consultation with the UN-Habitat Headquarters, Regional Office, country office;
- Conduct research and produce reports on capacity assessment needs;
- Technically support the National Habitat Committee to back stop its activities and meetings;
- Ensure the Government, development partners and other relevant human settlement stakeholders’ involvement in the process.
IV. EXPECTED OUTPUT
- An Inception Report including proposed work plan and timeline for the delivery of the consultancy outputs;
- A report on the constitution and management of the National Habitat Committee, identifying and mobilizing members and action points;
- A final programme, list of (proposed) participant, and a report on each Capacity development workshops highlighting the key lessons learned, an evaluation of the event and including a section on agreed way forward;
- A National Urban Policy feasibility study on Sierra Leone including policy recommendations for mainstreaming NUP priorities within the National Development Plan, with policy recommendations for alignment with urban issues;
- A capacity needs assessment report;
- Programme agenda, participants lists, and repot for a capacity development and validation workshops.
V. COMPETENCIES
The following qualifications are required:
- Advanced university degree in urban planning/engineering/architecture, or discipline relevant to urban/rural or regional planning, urban management, and/or any relevant social science disciplines relating to international development;
- Minimum 5 years of working experience with relevant in urban development issues and strategies, social sciences, policy development, and institutional capacity building;
- Technical expertise, knowledge and programming skills relating to the area of urban planning, governance, and economy
- Extensive experience working with governments, including in policy formation and development
- Fluency in English with excellent written and oral communication skills, knowledge of local languages is an asset
- Good computer skills including Ms-Office (Word, Power Point)
- Ability to draft reports clearly and concisely
- Relevant working experience in Sierra Leone;
- Capability to organise and facilitate participatory meetings and building consensus.
VI. REMUNERATION
Payments will be on outputs basis, subject to satisfactory delivery of outputs and targets within the consultancy workplans. The rate is determined by functions performed and experience of the consultant. The fees will be paid as per agreement. The cost of organising expert group meetings and workshops will be supported by UN-Habitat.
VII. SCHEDULE
Output
Schedule
Elaboration of an Inception Report including proposed work plan and timeline for the delivery of the consultancy outputs.
1 month
A report on the constitution and management of the National Habitat Committee, identifying and mobilizing members and action points
A final programme, list of (proposed) participants for the first capacity development workshop and production of one report highlight key lessons learned, an evaluation of the event, including an agreed way forward.
A capacity gap assessment report
1 month
National Urban Policy feasibility study
1 month
A final programme, list of (proposed) participants and progress report on the organization of the second capacity development workshop / validation workshop and production of one report highlighting the key lessons learned, an evaluation of the event and including a section on agreed way forward
1 month
A report on policy recommendations for mainstreaming NUP priorities within the National Development Plan, with policy recommendations for alignment with urban issues
2 months
VII Reporting
The consultant will report to the Human Settlements Officer of ROAf in charge of the Sierra Leone.
VIII Assessment Method
Prospective candidates will be contacted by hiring manager directly for further consideration.
Applications should include:
• Cover memo (maximum 1 page)
• Summary CV (maximum 2 pages), indicating the following information:
1. Educational Background (incl. dates)
2. Professional Experience (assignments, tasks, achievements, duration by years/ months)
3. Other Experience and Expertise (e.g. Internships/ voluntary work, etc.)
4. Expertise and preferences regarding location of potential assignments
5. Expectations regarding remuneration
• Cover memo (maximum 1 page)
All applications should be submitted to:
Wanjiru Kahiga Email : wanjiru.kahiga@un.org
Cc: omoayena.odunbakun@un.org and alphajohcham@yahoo.com
[1] UNDP Human Development Report 2016
[2] World Bank 2011
[3] Authorities estimate that there was a 50% job loss in the private sector while the agricultural and manufacturing outputs declined 30% and 60% respectively. See National Ebola Recovery Strategy for Sierra Leone 2015-2017
[4] Sierra Leone’s Medium-term National Development Plan 2019-2023