Strategic urban governance consultant

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 - São Paulo, SP, Brazil - Expected duration - Seven (7) monthsResponsibilities: - 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 city of São Paulo is the largest city in the Americas and one of the largest metropolises in the world. The municipality has a population of 12 million, of which approximately 3.6 million live in precarious areas or informal settlements, experiencing socioeconomic and climate vulnerability, and with little or no access to green spaces. The Municipality of São Paulo approached UN-Habitat to help address the uneven distribution of public green spaces and social inequality in the city's urban space. Thus, in September 2022, a Contribution Agreement was signed to improve access, inclusion, and sustainability of public green spaces in the city to improve climate adaptation and resilience in the long term. The project, named Viva o Verde SP, concluded in September 2025. A second phase of Viva o Verde SP was established to implement the main recommendations raised in the first phase and promote inclusive park governance, management and design. The two phases of Viva o Verde SP aim to support the Secretariat of Green and Environment (SVMA) of São Paulo Municipality in its efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the New Urban Agenda regarding green public spaces. As part of the second phase, a key expected output is the development of a proposal for intersectoral coordination within the municipal administration to enable the implementation of a co-management and territorial planning unit referred to as the Territory-Park. This concept is based on the area of influence of municipal parks, a perimeter for a shared agenda of partnerships, activities, actions, and interventions involving communities, councils, stakeholders, and public facilities located in proximity to the park, articulated through a socio-environmental network. The Territory-Park approach seeks to strengthen coordination across actors and sectors, fostering integrated territorial management, and enhancing the role of green public spaces as structuring elements of the urban environment. The consultancy will use the Viva o Verde SP project’s 19 parks of intervention as the territory of reference to develop the different products. To properly design the Territory-Park Strategy, a Strategic Urban Governance Consultant is required. Report to UN-Habitat Manager The Strategic Urban Governance Consultant reports to the Head of Brazil Office, who will evaluate him/her. Responsibilities The Strategic Urban Governance Consultant will support the implementation of the project, and its activities, with the following responsibilities: a) Develop the consultancy work plan, detailing the stages, methodology, timetable, stakeholders involved in the product’s development, interim deliverables, and other elements necessary for monitoring the consultancy’s progress. b) Map relevant initiatives, best practices and key concepts in São Paulo, Brazil and abroad, related to public space and urban park policies. c) Systematize and analyze the main public policies and programs in the city of São Paulo, relevant to the study areas, identifying strengths, challenges, and gaps for the establishment of the Territory-Park policy strategy. d) Participate in meetings and collaborative activities with public managers and the intersecretarial Working Group, created by the Viva o Verde SP project, to support the diagnosis and design of the Territory-Park Strategy. e)