Result of Service

A documented and practical set of quality-assurance analyses, recommendations, tools and knowledge-transfer products that enables designated UN officials to improve the consistency, timeliness and quality of PRC-LWG project reviews while retaining full accountability for decisions and approvals.

Work Location

Home based - The consultancy will be home based, at 50 per cent part-time, for a fixed period of three months. Any extension will require a documented continuing need, revised measurable outputs, funding confirmation and prior approval by the authorized officials. No renewal is guaranteed.

Expected duration

Six (6) months

Duties and Responsibilities

Background With UN-Habitat's growing project portfolio and the introduction of the Programme Review Committee (PRC) processes, there is an increased need for technical coordination to ensure that projects align with organizational objectives, regional needs, and global standards. The PRC serves as a critical quality assurance mechanism, ensuring coherence, efficiency, and effectiveness of projects across UN-Habitat' s operations. The PRC's review and approval process supports the strategic alignment of projects through co-creation, collaboration across divisions, and mainstreaming cross-cutting themes such as environmental and social safeguards, gender equity, and risk management. The PRC Secretariat, located at UN-Habitat Headquarters in Nairobi, is responsible for coordinating project reviews and approvals across regions. It ensures that projects comply with UN-Habitat's Strategic Plan and Results-Based Management (RBM) frameworks while facilitating knowledge sharing and continuous improvement within the organization. PRC Local Working Groups (PRC LWGs) have been established at the regional and divisional levels to handle the review and approval of smaller, region-specific projects. The Regional Representatives or Directors of Divisions chair these working groups, with support from standing members who are responsible for quality control and ensuring alignment with the Strategic Plan. This home-based consultancy will provide time-bound technical advisory and quality-assurance services to strengthen the PRC LWG serving the Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (ROLAC). The assignment will focus on defined analytical products, technical reviews, process-improvement recommendations and knowledge-transfer deliverables. The consultant will not exercise representative, certifying, approving or supervisory authority, nor replace regular and continuing staff functions. Duties and Responsibilities Under the supervision of the Regional Director for ROLAC, and under the overall guidance of the Chair of the PRC-LWG ROAF-ROLAC, the consultant will coordinate with the designated ROAF counterpart and provide specialized advisory services through the following time-bound activities: 1. Project Review Support a. Contribute to the project review processes under the Programme Review Committee Headquarters Working Group (PRC-HQ WG) and Local Working Groups (PRC-LWGs) through the review of project documentation against established guidance, templates and procedures. b. Review selected project documents and identify areas requiring clarification or further alignment with Results-Based Management principles and the UN-Habitat Strategic Plan. c. Examine project documentation and highlight considerations related to gender equality, social inclusion, environmental sustainability, safeguards and risk management for the attention of responsible officials. d. Prepare draft meeting materials, summaries of discussions, action trackers and background information for designated PRC meetings. The convening of meetings, approval of records and follow-up decisions remain the responsibility of designated UN officials. e. Assess project documentation for completeness and consistency before submission to IPMR, and provide observations for consideration by the responsible approving authority. 2. Coordination Support a. Facilitate communication and information exchange among headquarters, regional offices and designated technical focal points involved in project review processes. b. Compile and document inputs received from relevant stakeholders and support the incorporation of regional perspectives into project documentation, where appropriate. c. Maintain records of comments, recommendations and follow-up actions arising from project review processes. 3. Monitoring, Reporting and Documentation Support a. Review the status of project submissions recorded in IPMR and prepare summary reports highlighting pending actions, documentation gaps and issues requiring attention by responsible officials. b. Compile and analyze information from project review processes and prepare periodic summaries of recurring issues and lessons identified. c. Review project documentation and provide suggestions for improving document organization, filing and record-management practices. Official records and systems shall remain under the responsibility of designated UN personnel. d. Contribute to the preparation of knowledge products, reference materials, guidance notes and lessons-learned documents for institutional learning purposes. 4. Capacity Building and Knowledge Sharing a. Contribute to the delivery of guidance sessions on project formulation, PRC procedures and Results-Based Management using approved methodologies, tools and materials. b. Facilitate knowledge-sharing activities and provide practical guidance to staff involved in project development and review processes. c. Contribute to the development and dissemination of standard reference materials, templates and good-practice examples to support compliance with established procedures. Objectives To provide specialized, time-bound technical advisory and quality-assurance services that strengthen PRC-LWG ROAF-ROLAC project-review methodology, documentation quality, cross-cutting integration and organizational learning through measurable deliverables, without exercising approval authority or assuming regular and continuing staff functions. Output/Work Assignments The consultant will deliver the following substantive, measurable outputs. Each output must be submitted electronically in editable format and accepted in writing by the supervisor based on completeness, technical accuracy, usefulness, timeliness and consistency with applicable UN-Habitat guidance:

Output 1 - Inception and baseline assessment package
An inception report, workplan and process map identifying the assignment methodology, selected project pipeline, review criteria, milestones, risks and data requirements.
Delivery: by the end of the first contract month.
Acceptance indicators: agreed scope and methodology; complete process map; actionable workplan; supervisor acceptance.
Output 2 - Project quality-assurance review package
Documented technical assessments of the agreed project submissions, including findings on strategic alignment, RBM quality, gender equality, social inclusion, environmental sustainability, safeguards and risk mitigation, with recommendations for action by responsible officials.
Delivery: by the end of the second contract month. Acceptance indicators: evidence-based findings; clear recommendations; no exercise of approval authority; supervisor acceptance.
Output 3 - PRC process improvement and tracking package
A consolidated analysis of recurring review gaps, proposed corrective actions, a refined action-tracking tool and draft technical inputs for designated PRC-LWG records.
Delivery: by the end of the third contract month. Acceptance indicators: traceable analysis; usable tracking tool; practical corrective actions; supervisor acceptance.
Output 4 - Knowledge-transfer package
Training or advisory materials on PRC processes, project formulation and RBM, together with a record of delivered sessions and consolidated participant feedback.
Delivery: by the end of the fourth contract month. Acceptance indicators: technically accurate materials; delivery of agreed sessions; documented feedback; supervisor acceptance.
Output 5 - Lessons learned and final advisory package: a lessons-learned brief, recommendations for sustainable PRC-LWG implementation, an organized handover index of consultancy products and a final report summarizing results against the agreed indicators. Delivery: during months five and six, with the final package due by the contract end date. Acceptance indicators: actionable recommendations; complete handover index; results traced to the TOR; supervisor acceptance.

Qualifications/special skills

Academic Qualifications Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in Urban Development, Social Sciences, Economics, Public Administration, International Development, or a related field. A first-level university degree combined with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Work experience

A minimum of three (3) years of progressively responsible experience in programme support, project management support, project coordination, results-based management, monitoring and reporting, urban development, or a related area is required.
Experience supporting project review processes, preparing reports, maintaining project information systems, or coordinating programme-related activities within the United Nations system or another international organization is desirable.
Experience facilitating meetings, compiling technical inputs from multiple stakeholders, and preparing documentation or knowledge products is desirable. Skills
Familiarity with Results-Based Management concepts and project-cycle management is desirable.
Experience using project management or information-management tools and standard reporting templates is desirable.
Knowledge of UN-Habitat programme management processes and procedures is an asset. Competencies Professionalism: Strong understanding of urban development processes, project management, and results-based management. Proven ability to produce reports tailored to different audiences. Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English. Ability to convey complex information clearly and concisely. Planning and Organizing: Ability to manage priorities, meet deadlines, and deliver high-quality outputs. Teamwork: Ability to work collaboratively with internal stakeholders.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat.

For this consultancy, fluency in oral and written English is required.
Fluency in other UN languages, particularly Spanish or Portuguese, is an asset.

Additional Information

Travel Details: Not Applicable Purpose The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is mandated to promote sustainable development of human settlements and policies conducive to adequate housing for all. UN-Habitat supports various stakeholders, including national and local governments, civil society, and the private sector, to implement the Habitat Agenda, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the New Urban Agenda. UN-Habitat helps the urban poor by transforming cities into safer, more inclusive, compact, integrated, resilient and connected places with better opportunities where everyone can live with dignity. It works with organizations at every level, including all spheres of government, civil society, and the private sector to help build, manage, plan and finance sustainable urban development. Within this mission, UN-Habitat's efforts are organized through regional offices to better respond to the local needs and challenges of urban development. The Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (ROLAC), headquartered in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is one such key office responsible for developing and implementing projects in the region, with a focus on supporting national and municipal governments in formulating participative and sustainable urban policies. Over the years, ROLAC has strengthened its collaboration with local governments and stakeholders to promote integrated approaches to urban development, resource mobilization, and policy implementation. ROLAC oversees and coordinate the portfolio across the three sub-regional offices, which implement the projects on the field and liaise with the country governments of region. Reporting Requirements The consultant will report directly to the Regional Director for ROLAC and work under the overall guidance of the Chair of the PRC-LWG ROAF-ROLAC. The consultant will submit a concise monthly activity report summarizing the support provided, activities undertaken, outputs produced, coordination efforts completed, and progress against the agreed workplan during the reporting period. Performance will be assessed based on the satisfactory completion of assigned activities, quality of outputs, responsiveness to requests, adherence to agreed timelines, and contribution to the effective functioning of project review processes. The consultant will provide technical support and recommendations only. All project approvals, certifications, endorsements, and organizational decisions remain the responsibility of duly authorized UN officials. The consultancy will be performed on a 50 per cent part-time basis over a period of six months. Contract Duration: Six (6) months. Level of effort: 50 per cent part-time. The consultant is expected to provide ongoing support and perform the activities described in the Terms of Reference throughout the contract period in accordance with priorities established by the supervisor. Remuneration and Payment Schedule: Payments will be made in three (3) equal monthly instalments subject to:

Submission of a monthly activity report;
Certification by the supervisor that services were satisfactorily performed during the reporting period; and
Compliance with the terms and conditions of the contract. Payment is linked to the satisfactory performance of assigned activities during each month and is not contingent upon the completion of specific lump-sum deliverables or milestone outputs. United Nations Considerations The United Nations shall place no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. (Charter of the United Nations - Chapter 3, article 8). The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment. As per UN policy, Consultants and Individual Contractors may not apply for or be appointed to any position in the Professional or above categories and for positions at the FS-6 and FS-7 levels in the Field Service category within six months of the end of their current or most recent service. This restriction does not apply to associate experts(Junior Professional Officers) appointed under the Staff Rules. 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.

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.

Local Programme Review Committee Secretariat Consultant