Overview
The role involves developing an integrated Urban Resilience Strategy and Action Programme for ESCAP, guiding regional efforts to address interconnected urban challenges and climate change impacts.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop an annotated outline and proposed methodology for the Urban Resilience Framework.
- Conduct a desk review and synthesis of ESCAP’s urban resilience work, identifying synergies and analyzing regional trends.
- Develop ESCAP’s regional definition and principles of urban resilience.
- Draft the vision, objectives, and four pillars of the Urban Resilience Strategy.
- Design pilot concepts, regional toolkits, and a capacity-building roadmap for the Urban Resilience Action Programme.
- Map key donors and initiatives, identifying funding entry points and pilot-ready concept ideas.
- Facilitate a hybrid consultation workshop and integrate feedback to finalize deliverables.
- Provide expert advice to support implementation of urban resilience projects and develop policy recommendations.
Required Experience
- Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible professional experience in urban resilience, sustainable urban development, environmental management, climate adaptation, water resource management, or related fields.
- Demonstrated experience conducting analytical reviews, portfolio assessments, or strategic synthesis across multiple programmes, preferably within the UN or development cooperation context.
- Proven track record in developing conceptual or analytical frameworks, including theories of change, indicator sets, methodology papers, or integrated resilience models.
- Experience preparing strategies, action plans, policy briefs, donor analyses, or programmatic roadmaps for governments, regional bodies, or development partners.
- Demonstrated ability to work with national and subnational governments, including on environmental assessment, disaster risk reduction, land/water/heat-related risks, or strategic urban development.
- Experience designing or contributing to diagnostic tools, monitoring frameworks, geospatial or data-driven assessments, or other methodologies supporting evidence-based planning.
- Experience planning, facilitating, or delivering multi-stakeholder consultations, validation workshops, city-to-city exchanges, or capacity-building sessions, both in-person and virtual.
- Comprehensive understanding of urban and regional development challenges in Asia and the Pacific, including emerging climate-related urban risks and integrated urban systems.
- Knowledge of circular economy approaches, healthy cities frameworks, nature-based solutions, and sustainability mainstreaming into urban governance and infrastructure.
- Familiarity with urban finance, innovation ecosystems, and digital tools that support climate-resilient urban planning and local action.
- Ability to conduct or interpret risk assessments, synergy mapping, policy analyses, and institutional/gap assessments.
Qualifications
Advanced degree (Master’s or Doctorate) in urban planning, geography, sustainable development, environmental sciences, public policy, engineering, social sciences, or a related discipline relevant to integrated urban resilience and climate-environment systems.
