International Consultant - Urban Resilience Strategy and Action Programme

Organizational Context

The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), through its Environment and Development Division, is developing a comprehensive Urban Resilience Framework. This initiative aims to strengthen regional efforts beyond SDG localization, addressing interconnected planetary crises and urbanization complexities. The role supports ESCAP's transition to a framework that aligns long-term development with crisis preparedness, ensuring cities are equipped for shocks and sustainable growth.

Job Purpose

This role serves to develop and implement ESCAP's Urban Resilience Framework and Strategy for the Asia-Pacific region. It involves synthesizing existing urban resilience work, identifying synergies across critical urban risks like land subsidence, heat, and air quality, and analyzing regional trends. The purpose is to create a robust framework that integrates environmental, social, digital, and economic systems, enabling cities to anticipate risks, manage shocks, and advance sustainable, inclusive, and low-carbon growth. The role will also design an action program, map donor landscapes, and provide policy recommendations to support the implementation of urban resilience projects, ultimately enhancing regional capacity and alignment with global agendas.

Responsibilities

The consultant will lead the development of an Urban Resilience Framework, including an annotated outline, methodology, and work plan. This involves conducting desk reviews and synthesis of ESCAP's urban resilience portfolio, identifying cross-cutting synergies, and analyzing regional trends and gaps. Key duties include developing a regional definition and principles of urban resilience, mapping policy levers, data needs, and institutional arrangements. The role requires drafting the vision, objectives, and pillars of the Urban Resilience Strategy, and designing the 2026-2030 Action Programme, including pilot concepts, toolkits, and capacity-building roadmaps. Additionally, the consultant will analyze the donor and partnership landscape, identify funding entry points, and provide policy recommendations and technical advice for project implementation, facilitating validation workshops and finalizing all deliverables.

Work Experience

A minimum of 10 years of progressive professional experience in urban resilience, sustainable urban development, environmental management, or climate adaptation is necessary. Experience in conducting analytical reviews, developing frameworks, preparing strategies and action plans, and facilitating multi-stakeholder consultations is crucial. Familiarity with urban finance, innovation ecosystems, and digital tools for urban planning is also required.

Skills

Expertise in urban resilience, sustainable urban development, environmental management, climate adaptation. Skills in analytical reviews, strategic synthesis, framework development, strategy and action plan preparation. Proficiency in facilitating multi-stakeholder engagement, donor landscape analysis, and policy recommendation development. Understanding of urban finance, innovation, and digital tools. Strong written and verbal communication skills.

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