Specialist in Urban Regulations and Territorial Planning

The consultant will provide specialized technical advice on urban and territorial regulatory frameworks for the formulation and implementation of the Habitat Management Plan in Tumaco, Colombia. The role includes analyzing territorial-planning instruments, reviewing land tenure and legal status, assessing urban solutions, and supporting coordination and capacity strengthening activities.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialized technical advice to the local government of Tumaco on the applicable urban and territorial regulatory framework for the formulation and implementation of the Habitat Management Plan (PGH) of the three prioritized neighbourhoods, under Decree 1470 of 2024 and CONPES 4180 on Durable Solutions.
• Analyze the territorial-planning instruments in force in the District of San Andrés de Tumaco, their level of updating and their consistency with the PGH, identifying regulatory gaps, opportunities and the actions allowed by Decree 1470.
• Review land tenure, land-use classification and the legal status of the soil in the three neighbourhoods, and propose legal routes for the formalization or regularization required for the Territorial-Supports Study and the Integral Territorial Operation (OTI).
• Assess the regulatory and urban-planning feasibility of the three pilot urban solutions led by women and youth, ensuring their compliance with the applicable norms and their articulation with the circular and popular economy.
• Prepare regulatory inputs for the technical documents of the PGH and for the draft adoption Decree of the PGH, in coordination with the MVCT and the local government.
• Develop normative and territorial-planning content with an emphasis on productive systems oriented to the circular and popular economy and to sustainable territorial development.
• Ensure the consistency of the project’s proposals with national and local regulations and with the methodological guidelines of the MVCT for the formulation of Habitat Management Plans.
• Support the supervisor and the technical team in reviewing and validating the normative and territorial-planning components of the PGH and of the project deliverables, including the agreements reached with the community and the local government.
• Accompany the processing of the PGH towards its adoption, providing the corresponding legal and regulatory support.
• Accompany the participatory workshops and assemblies of the PGH and the co-design sessions of the pilot urban solutions, providing clear guidance on the regulatory framework.
• Attend the technical meetings required to meet the scope and objectives of the consultancy, including coordination spaces with the local government, the MVCT, the Comité de Barrios y Veredas de Paz and the partner agencies.
• Strengthen the capacities of the local government, public-utility companies and civil society on urban regulations and territorial planning for the circular economy, contributing to the linking of Tumaco with regional and global networks of practice and South–South cooperation.
• Provide inputs for the identification and mitigation of regulatory and institutional risks and for the systematization of good practices.
• Provide inputs for progress reports and for project closure documents, as required.
• Participate in work and follow-up meetings with other consultants, the Coordinator and team of the Andean Countries HUB of UN-Habitat and with the staff of the projects.
• Ensure that all activities comply with the principles of United Nations integrity.

Requirements

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Urban and Regional Planning, Territorial Planning, Land Management or Administrative/Urban Law or related fields is required.
• A first degree in areas related to Architecture, Law, Urban or Territorial Planning, Civil Engineering, Geography and/or related is required.
• A first-level university degree in combination with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• A minimum of three (3) years of professional experience in the application of urban and territorial regulations and/or in the formulation of land-use and territorial-planning instruments (POT/EOT, partial plans, regulatory instruments) is required.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the Colombian regulatory framework on land use, public space, land tenure and urban management is required.
• Previous experience working with local governments and/or communities, in territories affected by the armed conflict, and/or with the United Nations system is desirable.
• Knowledge of the Habitat Management Plan (PGH), the Barrios y Veredas de Paz programme (Decree 1470 of 2024) and/or CONPES 4180 on Durable Solutions is desirable.
• English and Spanish is required.
• Knowledge of another UN Official Language is desirable.

Skills

• Urban and Regional Planning
• Territorial Planning
• Land Management
• Administrative Law
• Urban Law
• Land Use Planning
• Territorial-planning Instruments
• Regulatory Framework Analysis
• Urban Regulations Application
• Land Tenure Assessment
• Habitat Management Plan
• Urban Management
• Legal Status Review
• Capacity Strengthening
• Coordination with Local Authorities
• Conflict-affected Territories Experience
• UN System Collaboration
• Spanish
• English

Languages

English, Spanish