Data Assistant

Result of Service

The consultant shall duly and timely perform his/her obligations, under this Terms of Reference, and will work in close collaboration with the UN-Habitat’s operational and technical teams.

Work Location

Niterói (RJ), Brazil

Expected duration

Ten (10) months, with possibility of extension

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 Habitat Agenda, the 2030 Agenda with the Sustainable Development Goals and the New Urban Agenda.

UN-Habitat helps the urban poor 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.

The Regional Office for Latin American and the Caribbean – ROLAC – is based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Agency puts emphasis in 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 to support the formulation and implementation of more effective, sustainable, participative, and socially fairer urban economic, social, and environmental policies.

The “Vida Nova no Morro – Supporting Sustainable Urban Development in Informal Settlements in Niterói” project is being implemented by UN-Habitat in partnership with the Municipality of Niterói, through the Municipal Secretariat of Housing and Land Regularization. The initiative aims to strengthen the Municipality’s data systems and institutional capacities to develop social housing policies responsive to the needs of vulnerable territories and populations, while promoting sustainable, inclusive, and integrated urban development through evidence-based planning, housing assessments, and community engagement in line with the Sustainable Development Goals and the New Urban Agenda.

The project proposes a set of interventions to improve housing and urban conditions in favelas and urban communities through housing mapping, community mobilization, and innovative participatory methodologies. Through these actions, the initiative seeks to reduce socio-spatial inequalities, strengthen local capacities, and support sustainable urban development that leaves no one and no territory behind.

To properly implement this project, a Data Assistant is required.

Report to UN-Habitat Manager The Data Assistant reports to the Head of Brazil Office, who will evaluate him/her.

Responsibilities The Data Assistant will support the implementation of the project and its activities, with the following responsibilities:

a) Assist in the elaboration and calculation of variables, indicators, and other data and information. b) Extract, process, and analyse data from public databases and statistics - such as those produced by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics and other organizations – and present them in various formats (tables, graphs, charts, maps). c) Provide technical support to the collection, production, analysis, and management of data, information, and urban indicators. d) Support the creation of georeferenced information.

e) Support studies and research on favelas and the programme territorial scope. f) Revise all produced documents related to spatial data and information. g) Participate and organize capacity building activities for UN-Habitat and government staff working in the implementation of UN-Habitat’s projects in Brazil. h) Support the drafting of analyses of the programme’s results from a territorial perspective to support public policy planning. i) Provide information for the systematization and exchange of successful practices and experiences with other offices in the region and with headquarters divisions. j) Support the identification of project risks. k) Document and maintain an orderly and accessible information file related to all undertaken activities. l) Support programme management activities to ensure deadlines, quality, and budget compliance. m) Document expert group meetings, training events, and technical activities. n) Perform other duties which may be requested by the supervisor. o) Participate in missions as requested.

The consultant will be responsible for completing all courses and training activities that are indicated to him/her by his/her supervisor. The security course BSAFE, from UNDSS, is required to be accredited during the first month of employment.

The consultant will be responsible for his/her own security, so the person should get familiarized with United Nations security mechanisms and comply with them according to the Framework of Accountability for the United Nations Security Management System.

Outputs/Work Assignment The Data Assistant will support the implementation of the project according to the stated responsibilities.

Qualifications/special skills

Education Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in Geography, Economics, Urban Studies, Architecture and Urbanism, Public Policy, Sociology, Political Science, Statistics or related fields is required, or additional three (3) years of relevant experience to the post, beyond the requirement. Desirable:
• Postgraduate degree (Lato Sensu or Stricto Sensu) in Public Policy, Sociology, Political Science, Geography, Economics, Urban Studies, Statistics or related fields is desirable. Work experience
• A minimum of three (3) years of progressively responsible experience in project/programme management on urban related themes in Brazil is required.
• Professional and academic experiences on themes related to data analysis, reports and information for public policy, data visualization, data collection, processing, and analysis are required.
• Previous experience within the UN System is desirable. Skills
• Proficiency in Windows, Word, Excel, Outlook and Web search engines are required.
• Good command of geographical information systems (GIS) software such as QGIS or ArcGIS is required.
• Knowledge of programming languages such as R or Python is required.
• Good handling of software, online platforms and other tools for data visualization is desirable.
• Good knowledge on project management methodologies is desirable.
• Basic experience with platforms for sharing programming and version control such as GitHub or GitLab is desirable.
• Experience in public policies in favelas is desirable.
• Additional knowledge of the XLS Form, Kobo Toolbox or ArcGIS Survey 123 templates is desirable. Competencies
• Professionalism: Experience working in an inter-institutional environment, project management, monitoring-evaluation; approaches and strategies regarding 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 main streaming of vulnerability; willingness and ability to work in difficult environments. Knowledge Management
• The person must know the processes, procedures, and norms of UN-Habitat, 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.
• The person will only share the information produced with the team agency, assuring the privacy of the content.

Languages

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat, and Spanish is the working language of the Regional Office. • For the post advertised, fluency in Portuguese is required. Good command in English and Spanish is desirable.

Additional Information

Travel details: Applicable The consultant must be available to travel to the places related to the activities in the country, if requested by the Head of Brazil Office. Missions will be coordinated and financed by UN-Habitat, according to the United Nations travel rules and guidelines.

Contract type LICA, UNOPS Remuneration LICA 1 plus Cigna health insurance. UNOPS Salary Scale.

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.  The extension of this contract is subject to availability of funds and/or performance. Any contract extension is not automatic.   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:

• Cover memo (maximum 1 page)
• Educational Background (incl. dates)
• Professional Experience (assignments, tasks, achievements, duration by years/ months)
• Expertise and preferences regarding location of potential assignments
• Other Experience and Expertise (e.g. Internships/ voluntary work, etc.)* * Please note that Internships, part-time and voluntary work 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    UN-HABITAT does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process. If you have any questions concerning people or companies claiming to be recruiting on behalf of these offices and requesting the payment of a fee, please contact: [email protected].

No Fee

THE 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.