National Consultant: Urban Development and Finance Consultant

Result of ServiceThe service will ultimately result in the development of innovative financing mechanisms for infrastructure provision tailored to the local context of the Hayenna Project areas. These pilots will explore tools such as betterment levies, land value capture, and participatory budgeting, etc. while fostering collaboration among public, private, and community stakeholders. In addition to, an implementation plan to a leading project for local economic development produced in collaboration with the LED consultant. Work LocationCairo, Egypt Expected duration1 year 3 months Duties and ResponsibilitiesORGANIZATIONAL SETTING UN-Habitat, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities. It is the focal point for all urbanization and human settlement matters within the UN system. BACKGROUND UN-Habitat and the New Urban Agenda (NUA) The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is the United Nations programme working towards a better urban future. Its mission is to promote socially and environmentally sustainable human settlements development and the achievement of adequate shelter for all. Mandated by the UN General Assembly in 1978 to address the issues of urban growth, it is a knowledgeable institution on urban development processes, and understands the aspirations of cities and their residents. For forty years, UN-Habitat has been working in human settlements throughout the world, focusing on building a brighter future for villages, towns, and cities of all sizes. Because of these four decades of extensive experience, from the highest levels of policy to a range of specific technical issues, UN-Habitat has gained a unique and a universally acknowledged expertise in all things urban. This has placed UN-Habitat in the best position to provide answers and achievable solutions to the current challenges faced by our cities. UN-Habitat is capitalizing on its experience and position to work with partners to formulate the urban vision of tomorrow. It works to ensure that cities become inclusive and affordable drivers of economic growth and social development. In October 2016, at the UN Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development – Habitat III – member states signed the New Urban Agenda. This is an action-oriented document which sets global standards of achievement in sustainable urban development, rethinking the way we build, manage, and live in cities. Through drawing together cooperation with committed partners, relevant stakeholders, and urban actors, including at all levels of government as well as the private sector, UN-Habitat is applying its technical expertise, normative work and capacity development to implement the New Urban Agenda and Sustainable Development Goal 11 – to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. Urbanization is a key driver of development. Hence, sustainable planning and governance of urbanization is crucial to accommodate the rapid population growth, empower cities to optimize the value of urbanization and ensure even development, inclusion and equality. Rapid urbanization presents a unique opportunity to lift millions out of poverty when managed sustainably. However, inadequate urbanization management, doubled with rapid population growth has adversely affected quality of life leading to lack of adequate housing, and increasing inequality. These conditions contribute to diseconomies (e.g., congestion, pollution, displacement) that overtime negatively affects the overall city prosperity, efficiency, productivity and competitiveness. UN Habitat in Egypt Established in 2005, UN-Habitat Egypt Programme has been providing technical support to national counterparts on a wide range of urban issues. Adopting an integrated approach, UN-Habitat Egypt has supported reforming and improving urban planning and management through three main sub-programmes, namely, urban planning and design; urban policies, legislation and governance; and urban basic services and mobility. Local Development and Urban Economy Policies Programme The Local Development and Urban Economy Policies Programme in Egypt, previously Urban Governance, Policies and Legislation, works towards tackling the multi-dimensional urbanization context with a special attention to urban management, urban planning, urban economy where all stakeholders are empowered and enabled to engage and play their expected role(s).The programme is working with all stakeholders and on different levels to find new appropriate, realistic and context driven ways of making sure that the urbanization processes are providing acceptable spatial standards and services. The programme is also working towards enhancing the capacity of relevant actors in reforming the legal and institutional framework governing urban development; promoting the empowerment of local government; enhancing land tenure security; establishing processes for participating and inclusive planning process; enhancing local economic development and social entrepreneurs. The programme provides legislation enhancement and policies development support on the national level in order to replicate and scale up all of its successful interventions. “Hayenna” – Integrated Urban Development Project In 2018, the Ministry of Housing, Utilities, Urban Communities (MoHUUC), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), the General Organization for Physical Planning (GOPP), the UN-Habitat and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Cooperation (SECO) signed three different agreements (the project agreement, the separate agreement, and the contract) governing the Hayenna- Integrated Urban Development Project. The Integrated Urban Development Project “Hayenna” presents an innovative model for applying the Participatory and Inclusive Land Re-adjustment methodology (PILaR) as a mechanism for preparing detailed plans. The PILaR allows for the incorporation of the status of private properties and the natural, social, economic and cultural determinants of the place into the urban detailed plan; to ensure responsiveness to citizen’s needs. A detailed plan, according to Egyptian Building Law No. 119 of 2008, is the executive plan for the building and planning requirements and the executive programs for land use and infrastructure in the general strategic plan approved for the city or village, and it includes all integrated development projects from urban design, land division, or site coordination that are proposed for implementation as of the general strategic plan. Land Re-adjustment mechanism is a process in which the government works with private landowners, who each own small pieces of fragmented land, to bring them together so that the whole parcel of land can be managed more efficiently. Two sites were selected in Qena Governorate (Al-Hamaidat and Al-Maana) and a site in Damietta Governorate (Al-Shuara'a) to implement the project. These sites vary between extension and internal areas. The Qena and Damietta governorates represent a good base for initiating the project and accumulating knowledge for future replication. Both governorates are witnessing rapid urban growth, despite being located in different regions. The critical criteria for selecting the governorate and city were: availability of an approved strategic plan for the city, level of political support regarding expected project outcomes, capacity of local administration, and level of coordination between key actors responsible for land management and infrastructure provision. The project includes four components: First, Developing a More Transparent and Efficient Methodology for Urban Planning, Design, and Land Management. This is related to preparing the detailed plan in a participatory manner with landowners. Detailed plan for the Al-Humaidat area in Qena is completed, and “Al-Ma’ana” plan is about to be completed. Work is underway to prepare the “Al-Shuara’a” plan. The project includes funds to provide few infrastructure projects for one of the public services in each region (water/sewage...). Second, Raising the Efficiency of Public Finance Management and Using Land as a Financing Tool. This is concerned with examining possible financing methods to complete infrastructure work and public services for the detailed planned areas, the most important of which are tools for land value capture. This should be achieved without putting pressure on the State’s General Budget or violating any of the financial rules, efficiency and solvency standards. Third, Raising the Efficiency and Effectiveness of the Local Economic Development Framework. This aims to develop a strategy for local economic development on the city level that goes hand in hand with developing a detailed plan, so that projects/sectors that can drive the local economy of the city as a whole are localized. Fourth, Supporting Urban Policies and Laws. This is concerned with extracting lessons learned from the project and providing recommendations regarding public policies and/or needed legislative amendments. The underlying terms of reference fall under the second dimension of the project; Raising the Efficiency of Public Finance Management. Infrastructure Planning and Provision for Urban Development in Egypt The (Hayenna) project primarily seeks to transform detailed plans from a snapshot into a process with simultaneous and successive stages of execution. Infrastructure planning and localization based on (urban) detailed plans, falls under the responsibility of different mandated authorities operating centrally. The detachment of responsibilities between urban detailed plans currently under the mandate of the local administrative units (governorates and city-councils) and mid-term/annual economic development plans under the mandate of the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, along with the limited authority for the localities to finance its needs; put heavy concerns over the actualization of the spatially developed objectives. The overarching goal of the Hayenna Project is to enhance urban governance and transparency in land management and planning, while delivering essential infrastructure to support sustainable urbanization. Given that the detailed plans for the projects’ sites in Qena and Damietta are near their finalization stage, where investments are required to develop the area, it is necessary to assign appropriate sequencing for the implementation of the plan. It is also important to define the different financing models for the localized investments. To address the challenges of infrastructure provision in the Hayenna Project areas, we are seeking through this consultancy to develop innovative financing mechanisms tailored to the needs and preferences of landowners. The proposed approaches should leverage the Infrastructure Provision Supply Chain and integrate principles of Design Thinking to create, test, and scale solutions that enhance public and private financing as well as overall project management. By emphasizing inclusivity, collaboration, and innovation, this exercise seeks to overcome existing barriers, identify challenges and opportunities for different stakeholders, and provide a replicable model for sustainable infrastructure development at the national level. It is important to identify financing gaps and align resources with the various stages of infrastructure development. It is important also to take into consideration planning and policy development, land acquisition and preparation, design and engineering, financing and resource mobilization, construction and implementation, operation and maintenance, and monitoring and evaluation. Each of these phases plays a crucial role in ensuring that infrastructure provision is efficient, sustainable, and aligned with local needs. Moreover, by analyzing each phase of infrastructure supply chain provision, the solution model will identify not only challenges but also opportunities for stakeholders such as local authorities, private sector partners, and community members to play active and complementary roles in the project’s success. Design Thinking is central to this approach, as it provides a structured, human-centered process for rethinking infrastructure financing. The methodology emphasizes understanding stakeholder needs through empathy, defining financing gaps and systemic challenges, brainstorming and co-creating innovative solutions, prototyping financing models through pilot projects, and testing them in real-world conditions to gather feedback and refine the approach. This iterative process not only develops practical and scalable solutions but also enables the identification of areas where stakeholders can contribute more effectively, building consensus and strengthening partnerships. In the planning phase, tools such as Betterment Levies and Land Value Capture can be used to generate revenue from increased property values resulting from infrastructure investments. Relevant forms of public-private partnerships (PPPs) are emphasized during resource mobilization, fostering collaboration between government and private sector entities to share financial risks and rewards. Additionally, community-based financing models, such as micro-financing schemes and participatory budgeting, allow local stakeholders to contribute to infrastructure projects while prioritizing essential services. Technology-driven solutions, such as digital payment platforms and data analytics, further enhance transparency and efficiency in financial management across the supply chain. These solutions are designed to address specific stakeholder concerns while offering new opportunities for collaboration and resource mobilization. To ensure the feasibility and effectiveness of these financing mechanisms, stakeholders must collaborate to co-create financing models tailored to local contexts. Regular feedback loops should be established to evaluate the performance and impact of these mechanisms, and lessons learned will be documented to inform refinements. By doing so, the pilot phase will also serve as a platform to identify challenges and opportunities specific to each stakeholder group, ensuring their concerns are addressed while leveraging their strengths for future scalability. REPORTING LINE The consultant will work closely with the Local Development and Urban Economy Policies Programme and under the direct supervision of the Local Development and Urban Economy Policies Programme Manager to fulfill the following tasks: Duties and responsibilities The consultant will undertake the following responsibilities: (a) Understand the legal and institutional set-up of urban planning, financing & provision of services in Egypt. (b) Collect and analyze data on existing infrastructure provision, financing models, and technical solutions to establish a knowledge base. (c) Navigate the detailed plans for the assigned sites and list the included projects. (d) Estimate the cost of infrastructure provision, buildings and public spaces as per the detailed plans. (e) Co-create and evaluate potential scenarios for infrastructure provision and financing, integrating innovative solutions. (f) Define the business model/ financing solution for sites’ urban development. (g) Define organizational solutions for landowners to lead and follow-up sites development, for instance the creation of a cooperative or a company. Such solutions should be presented to landowners for validation. (h) Develop a financial plan for the localized projects on the three sites. The plan should define the appropriate pace of implementation to guarantee positive returns on investments. This should consider the interdependence between the different types of projects and/or infrastructure, leading to the clarification of the appropriate sequencing for the provision. (i) Support the local economic development consultant in issues related to localization aspects of the projects to lead the city development, by ensuring the physical (infrastructure) and social readiness of the location to incubate the targeted sector. (j) Produce an action plan to a leading project out of the LED strategy. (k) Establish a monitoring system to track the progress and outcomes of the pilots. Collect feedback from stakeholders, including local authorities and community members, to refine the approach. (l) Produce a manual for capital investment planning and implementation to be used by landowners and local administration units to enhance their ability to plan for the implementation of urban development and to negotiate with the partners/ authorities for the provision of infrastructure and services to the newly planned areas. (m) Build the capacity of local officials to be able to apply the framework of infrastructure planning and financing. This should cover, identification of the relevant stakeholder, the capacity needs assessment for each stakeholder, proposed capacity-building intervention for each stakeholder and development of all training materials. Qualifications/special skillsAdvanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in urban planning, urban economics, or any related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two (2) additional years of qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Minimum 5 years of relevant practical experiences in urban development, real-estate development, and/or infrastructure execution planning is required. Familiarity working with local administration units and local communities is required. Familiarity dealing with real-estate and/or infrastructure developers is required. Experience in capacity building of related subjects is desirable. Publications and record research is an asset. LanguagesFluency in oral and written English and Arabic is required. Additional InformationNot available. No FeeTHE 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.