VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
Issued on 24 August 2017
ORGANIZATIONAL LOCATION:
UN-Habitat Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP)
DUTY STATION:
Kabul, AFGHANISTAN; travel to other provinces may be required for programme familiarisation
FUNCTIONAL TITLE:
Technical Advisor (Land Management), City for All Programme (CFA)
DURATION:
12 months, extendable max for 30 months, subject to performance appraisal and funding availability. Contract will be issued in each year. 2017 and 2018 contracts will be issued, separately
GRADE:
UNOPS IICA-2 (P-4 Equivalent)
SUPERVISOR
Country Programme Manager, UN-Habitat Afghanistan and the Senior Human Settlements Officer based in ROAP
CLOSING DATE:
30 September 2017
BACKGROUND
UN-Habitat has supported the Government of Afghanistan to implement the five year City for All programmesince 2015. The programme is underpinned by the fact that harnessing Afghanistan’s cities for state building and peace-building requires three fundamental components:
- Effective land management with clear land rights, restrictions and responsibilities;
- Strategic urban planning to establish a common vision and guide public investments for an inclusive and prosperous urban future; and
- Improved municipal finance and governance, citizen engagement and representation.
Together, these create the fundamental conditions for improved state-society relations, stimulating the economy, promoting investment, increasing the legitimacy of the state in the eyes of the citizens and strengthening municipal institutions. See full version of programme background in Annex.
UN-Habitat is looking for a qualified land management expert for the City for All Programme. The expert will work under the overall supervision of the Senior Human Settlements Officer, UN-Habitat Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP) and the direct supervision of the Country Programme Manager for Afghanistan. S/he will collaborate closely with the Chief of Party for City for All programme, and with the Urban Legislation, Land and Governance Branch at UN-Habitat headquarters (ULLG/HQs).
RESPONSIBILITIES
1) Provide support for programme management and implementation
- Support the technical management of project design, work planning, budgeting,
procurement, and monitoring of project activities in the field
- Assist the Chief of Party in the effective and efficient execution of project activities by working in close collaboration with the relevant institutions and project teams, at the national and local levels
- Contribute to results-oriented monitoring and reporting, including baseline assessments, mid-term reviews and evaluations for the programme
- Support the development and implementation of on-the-job capacity development and knowledge transfer mechanisms for government partners and national programme staff
- Provide advisory services to national and local government institutions, including support to policy processes, technical advice and support through seminars, training and on-the-job capacity building
- Undertake in-country missions to field sites to monitor programme implementation and
strengthen partnerships with local authorities and partners
- Participate in senior staff team and programme management meetings as required
- Contribute to the systematic mainstreaming of cross cutting issues of gender, youth, climate change and human rights in programme activities
2) Contribute to UN-Habitat's support to the Government of Afghanistan
- Support the institutional and technical capacity development of national and local government counterparts for programme implementation and the development of technical guidelines, regulations, policy and legislation
- Support co-ordination and consultation with concerned Ministries, Departments, and Local Authorities to ensure programme alignment with government needs and priorities
- Contribute to the consolidation and development of new ideas, concepts, innovations and new programmes and approaches in collaboration with government counterparts
3) Lead the CFA urban land management pillar
- Provide technical assistance to ARAZI to provide an enabling environment for property survey and land occupancy certification by revising occupancy certificate regulations and drafting guidelines for dispute resolution and issuance of occupancy certificates
- Guide the development of a property survey manual and an occupancy certificates manual
- Advise on property survey and registration methods to ensure consistency of data collection and maintenance methods and efficient occupancy certificates issuance process
- Advise on the establishment of a Directorate of Occupancy Certificates at ARAZI, including the development of a training package and work plans for directorate staff
- Support the National Programme Officer in the development of annual programme work plans and to coordinate activities under the land management pillar
4) Perform other duties and which are within the expertise and experience required for this position as may be required by ROAP or the Country Programme in support of the activities of UN-Habitat and/or programme.
COMPETENCIES
- Professionalism: Ability to perform a broad range of administrative functions, e.g., budget/work programme, human resources, database management, etc. Ability to apply knowledge of various United Nations administrative, financial and human resources rules and regulations in work situations. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.
- Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.
- Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.
- Planning& Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.
Other desired competencies/skills include:
- Capacity to provide quick and practical feedback and guidance to programme staff, and to adapt existing methodologies to the Afghan context
- Maintaining appropriate balance between operational needs of the project and contributing to developing a longer-term vision of the programme
- Good coordination skills, with ability to handle multiple activities concurrently, work under pressure and observe tight deadlines
- Positive approach to work with consistent energy and a positive, constructive attitude
- Ability to participate effectively in a diverse teams of different nationalities and cultures and various expertise
- Good leadership, diplomatic qualities and negotiating skills
EDUCATION
Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in survey/geodetic engineering, land
management/administration, land economics, urban planning/design, urban development studies or related discipline is required.
WORKING EXPERIENCE
A minimum of seven years working experience required in land management including:
- Experience with complex development projects in difficult environments
- Providing policy advise and technical assistance to government partners
Previous working experience within the UN system is an advantage
LANGUAGES
English and French are the working languages of the UN secretariat. For the advertised post, fluency
in English (both oral and written) is required. Knowledge of another UN official language is an
advantage.
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
- Proficiency in Microsoft packages and GIS tools is essential
- Proficiency in project management applications is necessary
- Proficiency in database management, Word, Excel, email, internet and preferably project management
- Knowledge of database management systems is a definite advantage
REMUNERATION
Payments will be based on deliverables over the consultancy period. There are set remuneration rates for consultancies. The rate is determined by functions performed and experience of the consultant. The fees will be paid as per agreement.
International travel (Home-Kabul)
For travel to the duty station, a return air ticket on least-cost economy to Afghanistan, and visa fee will be paid on arrival at the duty station and upon submission of Travel Claim form, copy of E-ticket, used boarding passes, visa receipt and other relevant travel documents. Three quotations from the reputable travel agents shall be submitted for UN-Habitat’s clearance prior to purchase of tickets.
Local Transportation
All local travels including flight arrangements and airport pickups and drops will be covered by UN-Habitat.
Security and Travel Requirements
The Technical Advisor (Land Management) must abide by all UN security instructions. Upon arrival in Afghanistan, s/he must attend a security briefing provided by UN-Habitat Security Unit and/or UNDSS. S/he must undertake Basic and Advanced Security in the Field training as prescribed by UNDSS. Travel authorisation by UNDSS must be sought and granted before any missions are undertaken within Afghanistan.
Reporting Arrangements
The Technical Advisor (Land Management) shall report to the Country Programme Manager in Afghanistan and the Senior Human Settlements Officer based in ROAP.
Applications should include:
• Cover memo (maximum 1 page)
• CV in the PHP format, accessible through the INSPIRA website (inspira.un.org) Please note, if using INSPIRA for the first time, you need to register in order to activate your account, which will allow you to log in and create a personal History Profile.
• The PHP should be attached to the application as a PDF file.
• 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:
UN-Habitat Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
ACROS Fukuoka, 8th Floor
1-1-1 Tenjin Chuo-ku, Fukuoka, 810-0001 Japan
habitat.fukuoka@unhabitat.org
Please indicate the Post Title: “31. AFG-LMA-CFA” in your e-mail subject.
Please note that applications received after the closing date stated below, will not be given consideration. Only short-listed candidates whose applications respond to the above criteria will be contacted for an interview. The fee will be determined according to the qualifications, skills and relevant experience of the selected candidate. In line with UN-Habitat policy on gender equity, applications from female candidates will be particularly welcome.
Deadline for applications: 30 September 2017
UN-HABITAT does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process. If you have any questions concerning persons or companies claiming to be recruiting on behalf of these offices and requesting the payment of a fee, please contact: recruitment@unon.org
Annex
BACKGROUND
UN-Habitat is supporting the Government of Afghanistan to implement the four year “City for All” programmestarting in 2016. The programme is underpinned by the fact that harnessing Afghanistan’s cities for state building and peace-building requires three fundamental components: (i) effective land management with clear land rights, restrictions and responsibilities; (ii) strategic urban planning to establish a common vision and guide public investments for an inclusive and prosperous urban future; and (iii) improved municipal finance and governance, citizen engagement and representation. Together, these create the fundamental conditions for improved state-society relations, stimulating the economy, promoting investment, increasing the legitimacy of the state in the eyes of the citizens and strengthening municipal institutions.
This programme is being implemented in Kabul city (funded by USAID) and other major urban centers in Afghanistan (funded by European Union). The action is supporting Kabul and other municipalities to survey and register all properties within their municipal boundaries (both residential and non-residential properties) including vacant land. This will improve land management as well as significantly expand the potential property tax base. Aligned with the land survey is a street addressing (and lighting) and house numbering exercise which is essential for improving urban management and increasing citizens’ socio-economic inclusion.
Based on the property survey and registration, property occupants will be required to pay the annual safayi tax, and be issued with safayi certificates (municipal note-book) by the municipalities. While not a land tenure document per-se, the certificate gives some degree of tenure security and recognition by municipal authorities. This programme will also support the issuance of land occupancy certificates to improve tenure security for households and other property occupants.
An urgent need in Afghan cities is strategic action planning to develop a common vision at city level of how to promote local economic development (LED), to stimulate investment and expand inclusive service delivery. The property survey provides the ideal baseline from which to plan. The process will be driven by local stakeholders and focus on linking urban planning with finance (public and private investments) to ensure plans are realistic and actually implemented (not wish-lists). As Afghanistan is rapidly urbanizing, strategic planning (rather than traditional master planning) is an essential tool for managing urban growth and expanding access to services in already crowded and largely informal cities.
Planning needs to be followed up with finance for projects so the plan can be implemented and citizens see results from their engagement. The programme will provide performance-based block grants for infrastructure at Gozar and Nahia level to: (i) act as a catalyst toward implementation of the strategic plans; (ii) build the capacity of municipal finance, engineering and service departments in sub-project planning, design, implementation and monitoring; (iii) as an incentive to motivate the collection of safayi tax (grants will be released once certain tax collection targets are achieved); and (iv) strengthen the legitimacy of the National Unity Government.
To achieve these results at local level, significant central-government capacity development and reforms are required. The programme will therefore also improve the enabling environment by providing technical support to central government-level authorities, including the Afghan Land Authority (ARAZI), Ministry of Urban Development & Housing (MUDH), Deputy Ministry of Municipalities/Independent Directorate on Local Governance (DMM/IDLG) and Kabul Municipality (KM) to improve relevant national policies, legislation, regulations and guidelines. This is essential to enable up-scaling, replication and sustainability.
Overall, through targeting both duty bearers and duty holders, the programme will increase a sense of civic responsibility and collective action, and enhance the social contract between citizens and the state. Citizens will pay safayi tax and invest in their properties and contribute to economies of agglomeration if they see tangible improvements and feel they have a “stake in the city”. In post-conflict countries and fragile states this enhanced social contract is essential to state building and security goals, especially in urban areas which offer a density advantage in which taxes and endogenous revenue generation has greater potential.
The programme objectives and approach reflects the stated vision of H.E. President Ashraf Ghani and the National Unity Government, as outlined in the Realizing Self Reliance Framework (RSR) : cities as drivers of economic development; making better use of existing resources; increasing local government revenues for service delivery; stimulating local economic development and investment in cities; and fostering a sense of civic responsibility to strengthen the legitimacy of government and state institutions.
The Overall Objective (OO) is to improve stability and stimulate local economic development in Kabul city through enhancing municipal governance and strengthening the social contract between citizens and the state.
The Specific Objective (SO) is to increase tenure security and land management and administration for inclusive urban economic growth and service delivery in Kabul city.
The three expected Results (R) are:
R1: Strengthened municipal capacities and systems for urban planning, land management and municipal revenue/finance;
R2: Improved municipal service delivery and strengthened “social contract” between citizens and municipal authorities;
R3: Improved enabling environment for urban land management and administration, municipal governance, local economic development and service delivery.
GoIRA (2014) Realizing Self Reliance: Commitments to reforms and a renewed partnership. London Conference, December 2014.