VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT Issued on: 25 January 2012
ORGANIZATIONAL LOCATION: UN-HABITAT DUTY STATION: Nairobi FUNCTIONAL TITLE: Consultant for strengthening the capacities of training institutions DURATION: 27 February – 26 August 2012 (full time)
CLOSING DATE: 5 February 2012
BACKGROUND Training institutions area key actor in supporting the capacity development of government authorities – both at national and local level alike. By having the “capacity to build capacity,” training institutions play a key role in promoting and fostering sustainable urban development, and strengthening key actors who contribute to the achievement of the MDGs. Additionally, for many bilateral and multilateral agencies, training institutions are essential in taking normative or pilot capacity development initiatives to scale. Yet training institutions themselves are not well understood and comparatively little attention has been paid to strengthening them and understanding their unique opportunities and challenges; some endure and have significant impact, some collapse, others are bypassed completely or compete with other institutions that have similar or overlapping mandates. In short, the potential of training institutions is large, the successes exist, but a more detailed understanding of training institutions is lacking.
Against this background the Capacity Development Unit UN-Habitat has begun a three year initiative with the support of UN DESA that aims to strengthen the capacity of training institutions. An Expert Group Meeting was held in Nairobi, Kenya in March 2011 that brought together 34 participants representing training institutions and other related organizations from 26 countries. In the meeting the participants explored elements such as what constitutes an enabling environment for training institutions, the pros and cons of different business models, collaborative arrangements they utilize, and how some training institutions have begun to shift towards becoming learning institutions. The broad outlines of the debates were informed by the OECD working paper “Training and Beyond: Seeking Better Practices for Capacity Development.” Over the next two and half years more specific regional level work will be undertaken to assist training institutions in providing relevant services to their key counterparts through an array of capacity development actions.
In collaboration with Danida Fellowship Centre (DFC) two regional capacity development workshops will be held in Africa during the spring of 2012. Later similar interventions will be carried out in Latin America and Asia. As additional support for training institutions to strengthen their capacities three tools are currently being developed; a Capacity Self-Assessment Tool, a Training Needs Assessment and Training Outcome Evaluation Manual, and an Online Training Management Tool. These tools are building on needs and challenges identified during the Expert Group Meeting in March 2011 and to ensure relevance they will be tested with training institutions during the upcoming regional workshops and other events or meetings. This consultancy is for carrying out tests and adapt the respective tools according to the feedback received, as well as to, based on the experiences of the regional workshops in Africa, outline a strategy for how to roll out the regional work in Latin America and Asia. RESPONSIBILITIES
A. Training Needs Assessment and Training Outcome Evaluation Manual A1. Collect feedback on the Training Needs Assessment and Training Outcome Evaluation Manual from UN Habitat staff and based on the feedback revise the manual (text and illustrations). A2. Collect feedback on the Training Needs Assessment and Training Outcome Evaluation Manual from training institutions during the regional capacity development workshops in Africa and/or in other meetings with training institutions. This includes planning a session for the workshops to present the content of the manual and exercises/discussions where the participants can give feedback. A3. Finalize the Training Needs Assessment and Training Outcome Evaluation Manual based on the feedback from training institutions.
B. Capacity Self-Assessment Tool B1. Test the Capacity Self-Assessment Tool with training institutions during the regional capacity development workshops in Africa and/or in other meetings with training institutions. This includes planning a session for the workshops where the participants test the tool and are supported in analysing the results and plan and prioritise actions. B2. Adapt the Capacity Self-Assessment Tool based on the feedback from training institutions.
C. Online Training Management Tool C1. As per available funding, work with a programmer to develop a beta-version of the Training Management Tool. Provide the programmer with visual material on the functions and interface as well as texts and images for the theoretical content of the tool.
D. Regional Work Strategy for Latin America and Asia D1. In cooperation with UN-HABITAT regional offices, technical experts and other relevant staff, develop a strategy for how to carry out capacity development activities with training institutions in Latin America and Asia, building on experiences from the regional workshops in Africa. Consider need of partners; how and which to collaborate with for the organization and delivery of the activities.
COMPETENCIES Professionalism: Knowledge of the training process and the components of an effective training program. Ability to engage clients in participatory exercises, to identify and analyze current, and desired capacities. Communication: Excellent written, verbal and visual communication skills and ability to articulate ideas in a clear and accurate manner. Planning and organizing: Ability to work under pressure, establish priorities and plan, coordinate own work plan, use time efficiently and apply judgment in the context of competing deadlines. Creativity: Is not bound by current thinking or traditional approaches, takes calculated risks on new and unusual ideas; thinks “outside the box”, and offers new and different options to solve problems or meet client needs. Client Orientation: Ability to identify clients’ needs and support creation of appropriate solutions; establish and maintain productive partnerships with clients.
EDUCATION Advanced University degree (masters or similar) in a field deemed relevant to the subject areas covered by these Terms of Reference such as international relations/development, industrial design engineering, human factors engineering, interaction design, education/learning, training, or similar.
WORK EXPERIENCE • Experience of conducting user studies and collecting feedback in a development context – using creative and participatory research and analysis methods. • Experience of website development and interface design with a focus on usability. • Previous working experience with an international development assistance agency, within the field of capacity development, is required. LANGUAGE SKILLS English and French are the working languages of the United Nations. For the post advertised, excellent proficiency in spoken and written English is required.
OTHER SKILLS • Proficient in use of Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint and Adobe Illustrator and InDesign, or equivalent software. • Ability to be flexible with changes in timelines. 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 payment schedule is as follows: • 30 per cent of the total is payable upon completion of output A1. • 40 per cent payable upon completion of outputs A2, A3, B1 and B2 respectively.
• 30 per cent is payable upon completion of output C1 and D1.
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. Travel costs, (airplane tickets economy class), transfers, and daily allowance as per the UN rate is payable in addition to the daily fee when travelling for example to attend workshops.
ITEM ACTIVITY TIME FRAME (tentative) OUTPUT A Training Needs Assessment and Training Outcome Evaluation Manual A1 Collect feedback on the Training Needs Assessment and Training Outcome Evaluation Manual from UN Habitat staff and based on the feedback revise the manual (including text and illustrations). 27 Feb 2012 – 26 March 2012 Manual revised A2 Collect feedback on the Training Needs Assessment and Training Outcome Evaluation Manual from training institutions during the regional capacity development workshops in Africa and/or in other meetings with training institutions. This includes planning a session for the workshops to present the content of the manual and exercises/discussions where the participants can give feedback. 27 March 2012 – 26 June 2012 Feedback collected A3 Finalize the Training Needs Assessment and Training Outcome Evaluation Manual based on the feedback from training institutions. 27 June 2012 – 26 July 2012 Manual finalized B Capacity Self-Assessment Tool B1 Test the Capacity Self-Assessment Tool with training institutions during the regional capacity development workshops in Africa and/or in other meetings with training institutions. This includes planning a session for the workshops where the participants test the tool and are supported in analysing the results and plan and prioritise actions. 27 Feb 2012 – 26 April 2012 Tool tested B2 Adapt the Capacity Self-Assessment Tool based on the feedback from training institutions. 27 April 2012 – 26 May 2012 Tool adapted C Online Training Management Tool C1 As per available funding, work with a programmer to develop a beta-version of the Training Management Tool. Provide the programmer with visual material on the functions and interface as well as texts and images for the theoretical content of the tool. 27 Feb 2012 – 26 Aug 2012 Material provided D Regional Work Strategy for Latin America and Asia D1 In cooperation with UN-HABITAT regional offices, technical experts and other relevant staff, develop a strategy for how to carry out capacity development activities with training institutions in Latin America and Asia, building on experiences from the regional workshops in Africa. Consider need of partners; how and which to collaborate with for the organization and delivery of the activities. 27 March 2012 – 26 Aug 2012 Strategy developed
Applications should include: • Cover memo (maximum 1 page) • 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
All applications should be submitted to: Ms. Anne Kuria UN-HABITAT P.O. Box 30030, 00100 Nairobi, Kenya Email: anne.kuria@unhabitat.org Fax: + 254 20 762 4881
Please be advised that since April 15th 2010, applicants for consultancies must be part of the UN-HABITAT e-Roster in order for their application to be considered. You can reach the e-Roster through the following link: http://e-roster.unhabitat.org
Deadline for applications: 5 February 2012
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
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