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Urban Finance & Economy Specialist at UN-Habitat
UN-Habitat
September 07, 2026
Full-time
On-site
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Under the overall supervision of the Team Lead on Finance and Economy, the consultant will be responsible for the following duties: Diagnostic Assessment
Map the institutional landscape in Dadaab-Hagadera and Kakuma across county, national, humanitarian, and community actors • Review legal, policy, institutional, and administrative frameworks and governance constraints affecting revenue generation and service delivery in refugee-hosting areas • Assess service delivery responsibilities, gaps, and unfunded mandates
Estimate the scale and cost of current service needs
Conduct a literature review on local government finance, OSR, and land-based finance in refugee-hosting contexts
Assess existing revenue instruments, performance, and potential across 5 major revenue streams and identify opportunities to improve billing, collection, and enforcement
Analyze county assets, liabilities, revenues, expenditures, financing gaps, and fiscal sustainability building on the Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) Assessment
Identify cost-saving opportunities and financing options for capital investment projects
Analyze the landscape for external funding and financing Strategy and Reform Design
Develop case studies on public land use and land-value capture to identify revenue opportunities in both counties/municipalities • Assess realistic revenue options, including market fees, business permits, transport charges, and commercial land/asset revenues • Assess digital tools, mapping tools, or asset inventories to improve revenue administration
Develop practical recommendations for strengthening OSR and broader financial position, specifically tailored for refugee-hosting counties and the transition to the Shirika Plan
Develop an OSR strategy for each county and a phased implementation roadmap distinguishing immediate OSR opportunities from medium-term and transfer/concessional-dependent options Capacity Building
Draft a Practice Knowledge Tool on Municipal Revenue Enhancement & Financing, with a focus on Dadaab and Kakuma Stakeholder Engagement and Representation
Consult with county and municipal officials, national government stakeholders, humanitarian and development partners, private sector actors, and other relevant stakeholders
Prepare and submit high-quality written outputs, presentations, technical notes, and reports in line with UN-Habitat standards and the agreed consultancy workplan
Represent the Finance and Economy team in UN-Habitat meetings and with external partners; prepare and deliver presentations on UN-Habitat's work on Finance and Economy
Provide administrative and project management support to the Finance and Economy Team as needed
Qualifications/special skills
Academic Qualification: An advanced university degree (master's or equivalent) in Economics, Public Policy, Public Finance, Political Science, Development Studies or a related field is required.
A first-level university degree, combined with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience, may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.
Work Experience:
At least 2 years of relevant work experience in the field of public finance, public policy, and/or local economic development is required; • Experience working on Own Source Revenue and/or municipal finance is desirable;
Prior experience working in developing countries is desirable;
Working experience with international development agencies such as the United Nations is desirable.
Deadline : Sep 11, 2026
Under the overall supervision of the Team Lead on Finance and Economy, the consultant will be responsible for the following duties: Diagnostic Assessment
Map the institutional landscape in Dadaab-Hagadera and Kakuma across county, national, humanitarian, and community actors • Review legal, policy, institutional, and administrative frameworks and governance constraints affecting revenue generation and service delivery in refugee-hosting areas • Assess service delivery responsibilities, gaps, and unfunded mandates
Estimate the scale and cost of current service needs
Conduct a literature review on local government finance, OSR, and land-based finance in refugee-hosting contexts
Assess existing revenue instruments, performance, and potential across 5 major revenue streams and identify opportunities to improve billing, collection, and enforcement
Analyze county assets, liabilities, revenues, expenditures, financing gaps, and fiscal sustainability building on the Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) Assessment
Identify cost-saving opportunities and financing options for capital investment projects
Analyze the landscape for external funding and financing Strategy and Reform Design
Develop case studies on public land use and land-value capture to identify revenue opportunities in both counties/municipalities • Assess realistic revenue options, including market fees, business permits, transport charges, and commercial land/asset revenues • Assess digital tools, mapping tools, or asset inventories to improve revenue administration
Develop practical recommendations for strengthening OSR and broader financial position, specifically tailored for refugee-hosting counties and the transition to the Shirika Plan
Develop an OSR strategy for each county and a phased implementation roadmap distinguishing immediate OSR opportunities from medium-term and transfer/concessional-dependent options Capacity Building
Draft a Practice Knowledge Tool on Municipal Revenue Enhancement & Financing, with a focus on Dadaab and Kakuma Stakeholder Engagement and Representation
Consult with county and municipal officials, national government stakeholders, humanitarian and development partners, private sector actors, and other relevant stakeholders
Prepare and submit high-quality written outputs, presentations, technical notes, and reports in line with UN-Habitat standards and the agreed consultancy workplan
Represent the Finance and Economy team in UN-Habitat meetings and with external partners; prepare and deliver presentations on UN-Habitat's work on Finance and Economy
Provide administrative and project management support to the Finance and Economy Team as needed
Qualifications/special skills
Academic Qualification: An advanced university degree (master's or equivalent) in Economics, Public Policy, Public Finance, Political Science, Development Studies or a related field is required.
A first-level university degree, combined with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience, may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.
Work Experience:
At least 2 years of relevant work experience in the field of public finance, public policy, and/or local economic development is required; • Experience working on Own Source Revenue and/or municipal finance is desirable;
Prior experience working in developing countries is desirable;
Working experience with international development agencies such as the United Nations is desirable.
Deadline : Sep 11, 2026