Urban Policy Consultants, UNICEF

Terms of Reference Urban Policy Consultants, UNICEF Urban Planning and Programming

The purpose of this announcement is to attract suitable candidates to be included in UNICEF’s Urban Policy Consultant roster. The roster is a confidential database used only by UNICEF managers to identify candidates for various short-term assignments. This is not a regular vacancy announcement but rather an outreach campaign to attract candidates interested in short-term urban policy and planning consultancies and continued engagement with UNICEF. Candidates with suitable qualifications will be placed on the roster to be considered for consultancies worldwide. In case of a consultant vacancy, selected candidates will receive e-mail queries of interest and availability from the UNICEF Urban Planning and Programming team and deliverables and expected results will be determined at that time.

Background:

Hundreds of millions of children and young people living in poverty are often overlooked. Already, one city dweller in three lives in slum conditions, lacking security of tenure in overcrowded, unhygienic places characterized by unemployment, climate-induced disasters, pollution, violence, poor services and competition over resources. Infrastructure and services are not keeping up with urban growth in many regions and children's most basic needs are not being met.

UNICEF is responding to these increasing risks by developing global programmes and policies that focus on building sustainable cities for and with children and young people and in close partnership with municipal leaders. UNICEF is also committed to ensuring that the risks and opportunities for children and young people -- the inheritors of the post-2015 development agenda -- are incorporated into the global sustainable city consultations.

Purpose:

The Urban Policy Consultants will provide strategic guidance, analysis, and programmatic advice on policy and advocacy related to UNICEF’s urban programmes and initiatives. As a member of the roster, consultants will be selected to support the development of results based on people-centred strategies and interventions relevant to working with municipalities to build safe and sustainable cities for children and young people. This work will strengthen UNICEF's policy recommendations and advocacy for, and programmes related to, urbanization.

Education, Work Experience, Language, and Key Competencies required:

Education:

Master’s degree required/PhD preferred in at least one of the disciplines relevant to the following areas: urban planning, international urban development, development economics, social policy, evaluation or other fields relevant to urban policy and sustainable urbanization. Experience in the areas of basic service delivery (i.e. public health, education, sanitation) and climate change adaptation in urban areas is also an advantage.

Work Experience:

Minimum 7 years of professional work experience at the national and international levels in urban development, urban planning, programming, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and/or managing of urban programmes as well experience in policy analysis. Professional work experience in a managerial position, or a technical expert position in urban issues preferred.

Language:

Fluency in English required. Fluency in French, Spanish or another UN language is considered an additional strength.

Competencies:

• Current knowledge of urban policy, advocacy, and development issues and strategies as well as excellent knowledge of urban inequities; • Strong field experience working with urban populations and federations of the urban poor; • Experience working with municipalities to develop sustainable policies that have demonstrated results for the urban poor; • Ability to develop and facilitate training on policy frameworks; • Proven analytical, communication, negotiation, and advocacy skills; • Ability to express clearly and concisely ideas and concepts in written and oral form; • Computer skills, including internet navigation, and various office applications; • Experience working within a highly results-oriented non-profit, and/or municipality required and prior work experience with the United Nations preferred.

General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants / Individual Contractors

1. Legal Status The individual engaged by UNICEF under this contract as a consultant or individual contractors (the “Contractor”) is engaged in a personal capacity and not as representatives of a Government or of any other entity external to the United Nations. The Contractor is neither a "staff member" under the Staff Regulations of the United Nations and UNICEF policies and procedures nor an "official" for the purpose of the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations, 1946. The Contractor may, however, be afforded the status of "Experts on Mission" in the sense of Section 22 of Article VI of the Convention and the Contractor is required by UNICEF to travel in order to fulfill the requirements of this contract , the Contractor may be issued a United Nations Certificate in accordance with Section 26 of Article VII of the Convention.
2. Obligations The Contractor shall complete the assignment set out in the Terms of Reference for this contract with due diligence, efficiency and economy, in accordance with generally accepted professional techniques and practices. The Contractor must respect the impartiality and independence of UNICEF and the United Nations and in connection with this contract must neither seek nor accept instructions from anyone other than UNICEF. During the term of this contract the Contractor must refrain from any conduct that would adversely reflect on UNICEF or the United Nations and must not engage in any activity that is incompatible with the administrative instructions and policies and procedures of UNICEF. The Contractor must exercise the utmost discretion in all matters relating to this contract.
   In particular, but without limiting the foregoing, the Contractor (a) will conduct him- or herself in a manner consistent with the Standards of Conduct in the International Civil Service; and (b) will comply with the administrative instructions and policies and procedures of UNICE relating to fraud and corruption; information disclosure; use of electronic communication assets; harassment, sexual harassment and abuse of authority; and the requirements set forth in the Secretary General's Bulletin on Special Measures for Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse.
   Unless otherwise authorized by the appropriate official in the office concerned, the Contractor must not communicate at any time to the media or to any institution, person, Government or other entity external to UNICEF any information that has not been made public and which has become known to the Contractor by reason of his or her association with UNICEF or the United Nations. The Contractor may not use such information without the written authorization of UNICEF, and shall under no circumstances use such information for his or her private advantage or that of others. These obligations do not lapse upon termination of this contact.
3. Title rights UNICEF shall be entitled to all property rights, including but not limited to patents, copyrights and trademarks, with regard to material created by the Contractor which bears a direct relation to, or is made in order to perform, this contract. At the request of UNICEF, the Contractor shall assist in securing such property rights and transferring them to UNICEF in compliance with the requirements of the law governing such rights.
4. Travel If UNICEF determines that the Contractor needs to travel in order to perform this contract, that travel shall be specified in the contract and the Contractor’s travel costs shall be set out in the contract, on the following basis:

(a) UNICEF will pay for travel in economy class via the most direct and economical route; provided however that in exceptional circumstances, such as for medical reasons, travel in business class may be approved by UNICEF on a case-by-case basis.

(b) UNICEF will reimburse the Contractor for out-of-pocket expenses associated with such travel by paying an amount equivalent to the daily subsistence allowance that would be paid to staff members undertaking similar travel for official purposes.

1. Statement of good health Before commencing work, the Contractor must deliver to UNICEF a certified self-statement of good health and to take full responsibility for the accuracy of that statement. In addition, the Contractor must include in this statement of good health (a) confirmation that he or she has been informed regarding inoculations required for him or her to receive, at his or her own cost and from his or her own medical practitioner or other party, for travel to the country or countries to which travel is authorized; and (b) a statement he or she is covered by medical/health insurance and that, if required to travel beyond commuting distance from his or her usual place or residence to UNICEF (other than to duty station(s) with hardship ratings “H” and “A”, a list of which has been provided to the Contractor) the Contractor’s medical/health insurance covers medical evacuations. The Contractor will be responsible for assuming all costs that may be occurred in relation to the statement of good health.
2. Insurance The Contractor is fully responsible for arranging, at his or her own expense, such life, health and other forms of insurance covering the term of this contract as he or she considers appropriate taking into account, among other things, the requirements of paragraph 5 above. The Contractor is not eligible to participate in the life or health insurance schemes available to UNICEF and United Nations staff members. The responsibility of UNICEF and the United Nations is limited solely to the payment of compensation under the conditions described in paragraph 7 below.
3. Service incurred death, injury or illness If the Contractor is travelling with UNICEF’s prior approval and at UNICEF's expense in order to perform his or her obligations under this contract, or is performing his or her obligations under this contract in a UNICEF or United Nations office with UNICEF’s approval, the Contractor (or his or her dependents as appropriate), shall be entitled to compensation from UNICEF in the event of death, injury or illness attributable to the fact that the Contractor was travelling with UNICEF’s prior approval and at UNICEF's expense in order to perform his or her obligations under this contractor, or was performing his or her obligations under this contract in a UNICEF or United Nations office with UNICEF’s approval. Such compensation will be paid through a third party insurance provider retained by UNICEF and shall be capped at the amounts set out in the Administrative Instruction on Individual Consultants and Contractors. Under no circumstances will UNICEF be liable for any other or greater payments to the Contractor (or his or her dependents as appropriate).
4. Arbitration (a) Any dispute arising out of or, in connection with, this contract shall be resolved through amicable negotiation between the parties.

(b) If the parties are not able to reach agreement after attempting amicable negotiation for a period of thirty (30) days after one party has notified the other of such a dispute, either party may submit the matter to arbitration in accordance with the UNCITRAL procedures within fifteen (15) days thereafter. If neither party submits the matter for arbitration within the specified time the dispute will be deemed resolved to the full satisfaction of both parties. Such arbitration shall take place in New York before a single arbitrator agreed to by both parties; provided however that should the parties be unable to agree on a single arbitrator within thirty days of the request for arbitration, the arbitrator shall be designated by the United Nations Legal Counsel. The decision rendered in the arbitration shall constitute final adjudication of the dispute.

1. Penalties for Underperformance Payment of fees to the Contractor under this contractor, including each installment or periodic payment (if any), is subject to the Contractor’s full and complete performance of his or her obligations under this contract with regard to such payment to UNICEF’s satisfaction, and UNICEF’s certification to that effect.
2. Termination of Contract This contract may be terminated by either party before its specified termination date by giving notice in writing to the other party. The period of notice shall be five (5) business days (in the UNICEF office engaging the Contractor) in the case of contracts for a total period of less than two (2) months and ten (10) business days (in the UNICEF office engaging the Contractor) in the case of contracts for a longer period; provided however that in the event of termination on the grounds of impropriety or other misconduct by the Contractor (including but not limited to breach by the Contractor of relevant UNICEF policies, procedures, and administrative instructions), UNICEF shall be entitled to terminate the contract without notice. If this contract is terminated in accordance with this paragraph 10, the Contractor shall be paid on a pro rata basis determined by UNICEF for the actual amount of work performed to UNICEF’s satisfaction at the time of termination. UNICEF will also pay any outstanding reimbursement claims related to travel by the Contractor. Any additional costs incurred by UNICEF resulting from the termination of the contract by either party may be withheld from any amount otherwise due to the Contractor under this paragraph 10.
3. Taxation UNICEF and the United Nations accept no liability for any taxes, duty or other contribution payable by the consultant and individual contractor on payments made under this contract. Neither UNICEF nor the United Nations will issue a statement of earnings to the consultant and individual contractor.

How to apply:

Qualified candidates are requested to submit a cover letter, CV and P 11 form (which can be downloaded from our website at http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/index_53129.html) to pdconsultants@unicef.org with subject line “Urban Policy Consultants” by April 12, 2013, 5:00pm EST. Please indicate your ability, availability and daily/monthly rate to undertake the terms of reference above. Applications submitted without a daily/monthly rate will not be considered.