Consultant on Financing Green Public Spaces

Consultant on Financing Green Public Spaces

The Consultant on Financing Green Public Spaces will develop substantive inputs for Parts I, II and III, according to this Terms of Reference. Part I will be partially developed by the Viva o Verde SP project team in advance, which will be made available to be part of the consultancy products. The Consultant will work in close collaboration with the operational and technical teams of UN-Habitat in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Government officials, multilateral and bilateral donors, and civil society.

Work Location: Home based

Duration: The consultancy has an expected duration of four (4) months.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Background: The main mandate of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is to promote sustainable development of human settlements and policies conducive to adequate housing for all. Within this framework, UN-Habitat supports central and state governments, as well as local authorities and other partners for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda with the Sustainable Development Goals and the New Urban Agenda. UN-Habitat helps reduce urban poverty 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. UN-Habitat’s Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean – ROLAC – is based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Agency puts emphasis on developing and managing activities in the host country. Indeed, for the past years, UN-Habitat has expanded its portfolio in Brazil by working with the three tiers of government in order to support the formulation and implementation of more effective, sustainable, participative and socially fair urban economic, social and environmental policies. As part of a partnership with the Municipality of São Paulo to improve green public spaces, the project “Viva o Verde SP” implements city-wide and neighborhood-level approaches to generate more inclusive and sustainable green public spaces. One of the expected results of this project (Outcome 3) is to improve the municipality of São Paulo's framework for managing public green spaces. To contribute to this outcome, as part of Output 3.2, the project will develop innovative models for financing green areas. This output consists of a systematization of existing forms of financing in São Paulo and other innovative ones, presenting viable alternatives for mobilizing resources for the creation, renovation, maintenance and operation of the city's urban parks. The project aims to provide São Paulo’s Municipal Secretariat of Green and the Environment (SVMA) with innovative financial models for the production and maintenance of spaces that are well distributed throughout the city, well maintained and frequented by all, in an accessible and sustainable way. Output 3.3 will train at least 25 City Officials and 25 civil society/NGO representatives on the innovative models for financing and managing green areas from Output 3.2, considering a gender balance. The project’s Output 3.2 and Output 3.3 are structured in three parts, which consist of:

1. Current mechanisms, instruments and sources for financing parks, being applied by SVMA or in the planning/implementation stage;
2. Case studies that present new ways of approaching instruments already used or can instruct on practices and tools not yet used in the city of São Paulo;
3. A propositional Financial Strategic Report that will critically assess the information from the first two parts, in order to correlate the financing instruments and methods considered viable in São Paulo’s municipal administration.

The report will provide methodologies for selecting the identified tools to be applied to the city's parks according to the specific needs and opportunities and each park’s vocation. Part III also includes training 25 representatives of the municipality, and 25 representatives of civil society involved in park management, operation, research and activism, for which specific training materials are required to conduct capacity building workshops.

Report to: UN-Habitat Manager

The Consultant on Financing Green Public Spaces will report to the National Officer for Brazil, who will evaluate him/her.

Expected outputs:

1. The Consultant will be responsible for writing the preliminary and final reports of the abovementioned Parts I, II and III.

Product 1: Work plan and systematisation of information

Develop a Work Plan including:

1. Purposes, goals, and a preliminary summary;
2. Description and schedule of activities;
3. Preliminary summary listing the experiences and methodologies that will be presented in Products 2 and 3 and main references;
4. Evaluation of available data, needs assessment, and prioritization needs. The Consultant must indicate if the primary and secondary data needed is unavailable or insufficient;
5. A methodology to collect the needed data that is unavailable or insufficient.

The definition of the Work Plan for the implementation of this consultancy may include other activities beyond those indicated in this Term of Reference.

• Expected delivery date: 7 days after the signature of the contract.

Develop a report that systematises and complements the information provided by UN-Habitat on current mechanisms, instruments and sources for financing parks, being applied by SVMA and those in a planning/implementation stage. It will include:

1. Budgetary and extra-budgetary public resources: list the sources of these resources, their legal basis and destination.
2. Other sources: list resources from private sources to create, maintain and operate green public spaces.
3. Expansion prospects: list current plans and future plans for expansion of the current 117 parks, note the current volume of resources required for their implementation and operation and estimate the budgetary impact of expansion.

In conjunction with the UN-Habitat team, the consultant must establish a meeting schedule with SVMA public agents to obtain the information necessary to complete this product.

• Expected delivery date: 30 days after the signature of the contract.

Product 2: Case Studies Report and other financing sources

Develop a set of minimum 10 case studies of financing instruments for urban public spaces - especially green public spaces – applied in other locations in Brazil and around the world, preferably in Latin America and the Caribbean and in the global South. There will be case studies on models for financing the construction or rehabilitation of public space, and also for financing operation and maintenance of public space. The format and structure of the case studies must be validated by UN-Habitat technical team in advance. The experiences will be detailed, containing at least:

1. Technical fact sheet: name of the site, year of foundation (and year of last renovation, if applicable); location (city and surroundings); description of the space: dimensions, typology, program of activities, facilities. Other relevant information.
2. Context of establishment: observe the political, social, environmental and urban aspects of the location and its regulatory structure. Produce a brief description of the conditions of these aspects that can form a scenario that explains how the space was implemented, its forms of management and financing.
3. Form of financing: what are the sources of the funds obtained for setting up the equipment and/or for its operation. Legal structure of the funding source(s). Governance structure of the site and resource allocation.
4. Analysis of the case: what were the main challenges faced which explain the successes and/or failures of the financing strategies in the experience presented. Identify and describe other sources of financing not covered in product 1 or in the case studies, including sources from national, international and multilateral development banks that may comprise the portfolio of new sources of resources not accessed by the municipality. Describe the prerequisites for each financial institution and respective financing line, average approval times, necessary counterparts and other relevant characteristics.

• Expected delivery date: 60 days after the signature of the contract.

Product 3: Financial Strategy Report and training materials

The consultancy will correlate the methods researched by she/him and UN-Habitat team in Parts I and II and present them in a way that demonstrates their applicability to the context of São Paulo. This will be the basis for the proposal for a methodology to typify the financing methods listed and their proposed application, urban, social and environmental contexts that could be applied to each type of urban park in the city. Special attention is needed on how to make green public spaces viable in peripheral territories. The conclusion will support the strategy for approaching green public spaces and the construction and/or renovation and operation and maintenance according to different contexts and particularities.

• Expected delivery date of the preliminary Financial Strategy Report: 90 days after the signature of the contract.

Description of the training material: the content produced in Output 3.2 will be summarized and laid out in the form of training materials to be discussed, scrutinized and disseminated among public officials and civil society representatives. To this end, the consultancy must produce such materials that provide the knowledge, its methods of application, the case studies that base them, their legal frameworks and their main challenges, considering the two target audiences differently. It will be necessary to produce written material, more specifically, a workbook that contains graphic materials, annexes with secondary source content and other resources that those involved will need for the training. The material includes individual work methodologies, such as complementary readings, online content available on the subject and the development of exercises, activities, dynamics, workshops, games, etc., to be used by park and administration managers and actors in civil society.

• Expected delivery date of the final Financial Strategy Report and Training Materials: 120 days after the signature of the contract.

Products can be supported by graphics and tables inserted in or attached to them, as well as documents from secondary sources.

Responsibilities:

Under the overall supervision of the National Officer for Brazil and the Viva o Verde SP Project Coordinator, the Consultant on Financing Green Public Spaces will:

1. Deliver a work plan for the consultancy process;
2. Discuss the Work Plan and the expected results of the management plans with members of UN-Habitat São Paulo;
3. Present any need for changes to the Work Plan to the Viva o Verde SP coordinators in advance, which will be discussed and agreed between the parties;
4. Review the reports into final reports;
5. Desk review of different methodologies for financing the implementation, renovation, operation and maintenance of the green spaces studied;
6. Participate in meetings with UN-Habitat and other partners;
7. Assess available data, prioritized information, needs and develop recommendations;
8. Deliver detailed documentation of the case studies, including the concept, references, and methodologies used in the project;
9. Deliver technical information and materials and perform other duties which may be requested by the supervisor;
10. Keep the consultancy aligned with the Agenda 2030 for the Sustainable Development, the New Urban Agenda, presenting ideas on how to include these agendas into the financing methods for São Paulo´s parks.

Monitoring and reporting:

1. Gather and compile all information necessary for monitoring and reporting from the planning to the evaluation stages;
2. Document the management plans development process and products;
3. Conduct regular monitoring activities;
4. Record and maintain documents on relevant programme activities, issues, and risks;
5. Ensure efficient communication with Viva o Verde.

The Consultant will be responsible for completing all courses and training activities that are indicated to them by their supervisor. The security course BSAFE is required to be accredited during the first month of employment. The Consultant will be responsible for their own security, so the person must get familiarized with United Nations security mechanisms and comply with them according to the Framework of Accountability for the United Nations Security Management System.

Qualifications/special skills:

Required Academic Qualifications: • Postgraduate Degree (Lato Sensu or Stricto Sensu) in Public Policy, Sociology, Political Science, Geography, Economics, Urban Studies, Statistics, Urban Management, Urban Law, Business, Finance or related fields is required, or additional 4 (four) years of relevant experience to the post, beyond the requirement.

Experience: • A minimum of four (4) years of experience in social, economic and environmental assessment, and/or management of urban public spaces, and/or urban planning is required; • Experience in urban park management, urban planning and urban regulation in Brazil is required; • Experience related to partnerships and resource mobilization is required; • Work experience in the municipality of São Paulo is highly desired; • Experience related to public concessions and public space management and/or finance is highly desirable; • Experience in urban planning and environmental legislation highly desired; • Experience in the implementation of participatory workshops and its methodologies is desirable; • Professional experience on themes related to public policies, public administration, sustainability, social and urban development, public spaces, articulation and coordination of stakeholders on implementation of policies and projects is an asset; • Previous experience within the UN System would be an asset.

Skills: • Good computer skills in Windows, Word, Excel, Outlook and Web search engines is required; • Good handling of technological tools and use of softwares and online platforms is desirable; • Command of financial and economic modelling, is desirable; • Good knowledge on project management methodologies is desirable; • Knowledge and experience with data collection and analysis is desired.

Knowledge Management: • The person must know the processes, procedures, and norms of UN-Habitat, in order to guarantee an adequate quality of the activities described above, following the standards of the organization. • The person will propose formats and procedures that allow the efficient implementation of the activities related to the project development. • The person must know the file of the Office, work with it and ensure its proper maintenance, accessibility for all staff and due updating. • The person will prepare databases related to the project running. • The person will make sure that all relevant technical information will be adequately shared with the correspondent staff. • The person will ensure that all produced material will be fit-for-purpose and delivered, in an organized way, for posterior consultation and use of the Agency.

Competencies:

• Professionalism: Experience working in inter-institutional environment, project management, monitoring-evaluation; approaches and strategies regarding to good urban governance and local and regional development.

• Planning and organization: Professional approach to work, strong sense of responsibility, operate with minimal supervision; proven organizational skills and ability to manage a workload efficiently and within set deadlines.

• Communication: Ability to write clearly and effectively; listen to others, interpret messages correctly and respond appropriately; show openness in information sharing and keep everyone informed; solid abstract reasoning skills together with a proven capacity to write documents for diverse audiences.

• Teamwork: Ability to work with teams, demonstrate leadership, conflict management and consensus facilitation skills; ability to work in a multicultural and multi-ethnic environment, and to respect diversity; sensitivity to the mainstreaming of vulnerability; willingness and ability to work in difficult environments.

Languages:

• Fluency in Portuguese is required; • English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat, and Spanish is the working language of the Regional Office. Good command in oral and written Spanish and English will be considered an added advantage.

Additional Information:

Travel details: The Consultant must be available to travel to the places related to the activities in the country, if requested by the National Officer for Brazil and/or the International Officer. If the Consultant is not based in São Paulo, he/she will be responsible for travel expenses to the duty station when needed.

Remuneration: SB-4/1 The consultant will receive an amount of BRL 34.862, to be paid in three (3) installments, upon the presentation and approval by supervisor of the following products:

1. Payment 1 (20%): Upon delivery and approval of Product 1 (BRL 6.972,40).
2. Payment 2 (35%): Upon delivery and approval of Product 2 (BRL 12.201,70).
3. Payment 3 (45%): Upon delivery and approval of Product 3 (BRL 15.687,90).

Notes: Appointment against this post is on local basis and only nationals from Brazil or external candidates who hold a permanent visa in Brazil may apply. It is required for all the curricular information to be inserted in the system, which may take a few hours. Only complete applications in English will be considered. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. Due to the volume of applications received, receipt of applications cannot be acknowledged individually. Only short-listed applicants will be contacted. Applications should be submitted through INSPIRA and must include all documents required at the system, please be ready to include the following information at the “Candidate Profile” (CP) at Inspira:

1. Cover memo (maximum 1 page)
2. Educational Background (incl. dates)
3. Professional Experience (assignments, tasks, achievements, duration by years/ months)
4. Expertise and preferences regarding location of potential assignments
5. Other Experience and Expertise (e.g. Internships/ voluntary work, etc.)

* Please note that Internships, self-employment and part-time count as 50%. In addition to it, note experience not relevant to the position will not be considered.

All applications should be submitted to: Inspira

Deadline for applications: 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:

No Fee

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