Urban Planning and Resilience Consultant

Project Context and Scope:

The initial phase of this assignment will be a scoping exercise under an EU‑funded project.

The scoping exercise will focus primarily on Yei town, a border‑adjacent trading centre that operates outside a typical humanitarian setting yet remains constrained by South Sudan’s limited infrastructure and governance systems. Given that existing assessments may be incomplete or inaccessible, the consultant’s immediate task is to define the realistic scope of Yei’s town plan; map key data gaps; identify appropriate assessment methodologies; analyse hazards; and outline the sequence of diagnostics required to inform full planning phases.

In parallel, the consultant will provide targeted support for strategic urban settlement planning in Bentiu–Rubkona (Unity State) during the initial four‑ month period, contributing to integrated programming needs where urban spatial considerations are required during duty travel (short missions).

The consultant will apply the LOCALISE Toolkit, IOM’s structured, area-based urban response and strategic planning approach for crisis-affected contexts. Through the LOCALISE methodology, the consultant will lead urban profiling using both spatial and non-spatial analyses, alongside participatory planning processes, to identify priority data needs, assess risks and opportunities, and define the analytical and community-based inputs required for effective area-based planning.

In Yei, the application of LOCALISE will be framed explicitly within a development setting, supporting settlement profiling, community action planning, and complementary planning instruments that align with local development frameworks and municipal priorities. The focus will be on strengthening evidence-based urban planning, service prioritisation, and inclusive community engagement in a relatively stable environment. 

In Bentiu–Rubkona, the approach will be tailored to a transitional and fragile context, where settlement planning must bridge humanitarian response and early recovery. The consultant will support planning processes that integrate existing but outdated government master plans with the realities of newly reclaimed land following flooding, incorporating climate resilience considerations essential for sustainable return and town development. Given the fragile durable solutions context, planning will emphasise risk-informed land use, infrastructure alignment, and phased development pathways.

Across both contexts, all analytical and planning outputs will be tailored to South Sudan’s distinct urbanisation patterns, displacement dynamics, governance systems, and land tenure realities, ensuring that settlement profiles and action plans provide practical, context-sensitive guidance for coordinated interventions and long-term resilience.

Under the supervision of the Shelter and Settlement Programme Coordinator and in close collaboration with the Transition and Recovery Unit, the consultant will guide next steps for data collection, advise on the design of further assessments, and recommend when specialised companies or contractors should be engaged. The role includes stakeholder liaison with local authorities, technical departments, communities, market actors, and development partners. 

Tasks to be performed under this contract: 

Under the overall supervision of the Programme Coordinator and in close coordination with relevant IOM technical units, local authorities, and partners, the consultant will undertake the following tasks:

• Conduct comprehensive settlement profiling to gather detailed insights into the demographic, socio-economic, and spatial characteristics of the urban area, in line with the LOCALISE Toolkit.

• Engage with local communities and stakeholders to understand data gaps, validate data and ensure a holistic understanding of the area’s context. 

• Design, facilitate, and consolidate participatory, area-based planning processes, including the co-development of Community Action Plans grounded in LOCALISE analysis and community priorities.

• Utilise the profiling data and analysis to inform strategic planning, ensuring that interventions are context-specific, evidence-based, and responsive to settlement-level needs and risks.Conduct  spatial analysis utilising Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and/or other relevant tools to create accurate maps related to land use, infrastructure, services, environmental risks, and population dynamics, integrating climate and disaster risk considerations.

• Provide technical inputs to urban land use planning, land governance coordination, and tenure-related analysis, in alignment with applicable legal and customary frameworks.

• Facilitate coordination with local and state authorities to strengthen institutional ownership and alignment and uptake of area-based planning outputs.

• Contribute to technical documentation and knowledge products, including maps, planning notes, and analytical briefs to supportprogramme implementation and learning.

Performance indicators for the evaluation of results

• Quality, relevance, and completion of a Settlement Profile and Community Action Plans/or technical outputs.

• Effective application of the LOCALISE Toolkit in urban and territorial planning processes.

• Degree of institutional alignment and stakeholder ownership achieved.

• Contribution to coherent, evidence-based, and sustainable area-based urban programming.

Education, Experience and/or skills required

The consultant is expected to have strong technical qualifications in urban planning, with experience in fragile, underdeveloped contexts—preferably in Africa. Technical responsibilities include spatial analysis, urban diagnostics, risk and hazard mapping, settlement pattern analysis, participatory planning, and land‑use assessments. 

• Advanced university degree in Urban Planning, Urban Development, Spatial Planning, Geography, Architecture, or a related field.

• Minimum of 2–5 years of relevant professional experience in urban resilience, urban recovery, or development programming, preferably in fragile or post-crisis contexts.

• Demonstrated experience with area-based urban approaches, participatory planning, and/or territorial development initiatives.

• Experience implementing IOMs LOCALISE framework is an advantage

• Experience working with local authorities and community stakeholders in low-capacity or conflict-affected environments.

• Experience in data analysis, spatial analysis and GIS is an asset.

• Excellent written and spoken English; knowledge of local languages is an advantage.

Competencies

Values

• Inclusion and respect for diversity: respects and promotes individual and cultural differences; encourages diversity and inclusion wherever possible.

  • Integrity and transparency: maintains high ethical standards and acts in a manner consistent with organizational principles/rules and standards of conduct.

    • Professionalism: demonstrates ability to work in a composed, competent and committed manner and exercises careful judgment in meeting day-to-day challenges.

Core Competencies – behavioural indicators

• Teamwork: develops and promotes effective collaboration within and across units to achieve shared goals and optimize results.

  • Delivering results: produces and delivers quality results in a service-oriented and timely manner; is action-oriented and committed to achieving agreed outcomes.

    • Managing and sharing knowledge: continuously seeks to learn, share knowledge and innovate.

    • Accountability: takes ownership for achieving the Organization’s priorities and assumes responsibility for own action and delegated work.

    • Communication: encourages and contributes to clear and open communication; explains complex matters in an informative, inspiring and motivational way.