Consultant – Minecraft Workshop Facilitator

CONSULTANT VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENTUN-Habitat Headquarters DUTY STATION:Consultant – Minecraft Workshop Facilitator POST DURATION:1 August 2014 VACANCY CLOSING DATE:The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat, is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all. The main documents outlining the mandate of the organization are the Vancouver Declaration on Human Settlements, the Habitat Agenda, the Istanbul Declaration on Human Settlements, the Declaration on Cities and Other Human Settlements in the New Millennium, and UN General Assembly Resolution A/56/206.The United Nations Millennium Declaration recognizes the dire circumstances of the world’s urban poor. It articulates the commitment of Member States to improve the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers by the year 2020- Millennium Development Goal No. 7, Target 11- which is UN-HABITAT’s mandate.As our cities and towns grow at unprecedented rates, setting the social, political, cultural and environmental trends of the world, sustainable urbanization is one of the most pressing challenges for the global community in the 21st century. In 1950, one-third of the world’s population lived in cities. Just 50 years later, this proportion has risen to one-half and will continue to grow to two-thirds, or six billion people, by 2050. Cities are now home to half of humankind. They are the hub for much national production and consumption- economic processes that generate wealth and opportunity. But they also create disease, crime, pollution and poverty. In many cities, especially in developing countries, slum dwellers number more than 50% of the population and have little or no access to shelter, water and sanitation. This is where UN-HABITAT is mandate to make a difference for the better.Public space projects and Block by BlockPublic spaces - parks, squares and plazas as well as pedestrian streets and commercial places such as markets – are crucial for well-functioning, inclusive and sustainable cities. Unfortunately, many cities, particularly in the global South, lack sufficient public space. UN-Habitat therefore runs a global public space programme with the aim of influencing the improvement of 300 public spaces across the world by the end of 2016. Project are already underway in Kenya, Haiti, Nepal, India, Ethiopia and Mexico, with additional projects planned in Nigeria, Solomon Islands, Peru, Argentina and Colombia.As part of the public space development process, UN-Habitat run participatory planning processes in which members of the local community can provide input into the design and management of the spaces. The public space projects are usually implemented as a partnership between UN-Habitat and local development partners such as local authorities, NGOs and community organizations.Block by Block is an innovative partnership between UN-Habitat and Mojang AB, the makers of the popular game Minecraft, launched in September 2012. Through the Block by Block project, UN-Habitat and Mojang use Minecraft as a way to involve communities – particularly young people – in the participatory planning processes. Experience shows that through the use of a three-dimensional modeling tool such as Minecraft the workshops run smoother, are more inclusive and produce better outcomes.Over the coming 12 months, UN-Habitat is implementing four public space projects in Latin America. The sites are expected to be in Argentina, Peru and ColombiaThe consultant will work under the supervision of the Public Space Programme Manager and Digital Project Officer and to perform the following tasks to support UN-Habitat’s Global Public Space Programme in the Latin America region:Provide technical advice on the use of Minecraft to UN-Habitat staff and implementing partners.Train local communities, UN-Habitat staff and partners in the use of Minecraft.Assist UN-Habitat staff and partners in the facilitation of community participation processes and workshops using Minecraft.Manage Minecraft models, servers and local area networks to facilitate the smooth setup and development of Minecraft workshops.This assignment will be for twelve months starting 01 August 2014 and end 30 July 2015.Education:Due to the highly specialized nature of the Minecraft work to be undertaken, formal higher education is not required. However, the selected consultant will hold a minimum of High School Level diploma, with qualifications in technical and communication fields such as IT, media production, desk top publishing, web design or similar considered an asset.Work Experience:A minimum of two years’ Minecraft experience, including the production of models, server administration and community management is an absolute requirement for the assignment. Experience of producing advocacy and communications materials is an asset.Languages:Fluent written and spoken English and Spanish is a requirement.The principle competencies required to carry out the duties of the job are:Professionalism:Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrated ability to think strategically, to analyze complex information and offer creative, practical solutions, is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges, remains calm in stressful situations and promotes the vision, mission and strategic goals of UN-Habitat.Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed, Excellent drafting ability and communications skills, both oral and written; proven ability to communicate complex concepts orally; ability to prepare written reports that are clear, concise and meaningful.Teamwork:Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.Technological awareness:Keeps abreast of available technology; understands applicability and limitations of technology to the work of the Office; actively seeks to apply technology to appropriate tasks; shows willingness to learn new technology.Payments will be based on deliverables over the consultancy period. There are set remuneration rates for consultancies. The rate is determined by functions performed and experience of the consultant. The fees will be paid as per agreement.• CV in the PHP format, accessible through the INSPIRA website (inspira.un.org) Please note, if using INSPIRA for the first time, you need to register in order to activate your account, which will allow you to log in and create a personal History Profile.• The PHP should be attached to the application as a PDF file.• Summary CV (maximum 2 pages), indicating the following information:Educational Background (incl. dates)Professional Experience (assignments, tasks, achievements, duration by years/ months)Other Experience and Expertise (e.g. Internships/ voluntary work, etc.)Expertise and preferences regarding location of potential assignmentsExpectations regarding remunerationPlease also be advised that since April 15th 2010, applicants for consultancies must be part of theUN-HABITAT e-Roster in order for their application to be considered. You can reach the e-RosterAll applications should be submitted to:P.O. Box 30030, 00100 Nairobi, KenyaDeadline for applications: 23 June, 2014UN-HABITAT does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process. If you have any questions concerning persons or companies claiming to be recruiting on behalf of these offices and requesting the payment of a fee, please contact: recruitment@unon.orgAll applications should be submitted to:P.O. Box 30030, 00100 Nairobi, KenyaDeadline for applications: 23 June, 2014UN-HABITAT does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process. If you have any questions concerning persons or companies claiming to be recruiting on behalf of these offices and requesting the payment of a fee, please contact: recruitment@unon.org