National Urban Mobility Planning Expert

Functional title: National Urban Mobility Planning ExpertDuty station of assignment: ChișinăuContract type: Individual Contract (Consultancy Assignment- IC)Duration of assignment: 100 working days over the period April 2026 – 30 September 2026Closing date for applications: 5 April 2025BACKGROUNDThe 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. UN-Habitat works with varied partners, including cities, central governments, local authorities, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector in the implementation of the Habitat Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular, Goal 11 of “Making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable**”.**As cities around the world rapidly urbanising, they are increasingly facing urban mobility challenges, among them traffic congestion, pollution and road traffic crashes. The transport sector also significantly contributes to global energy related carbon emissions. Public transport comprising efficient bus systems, trams, metros and non-motorised mobility such as walking, and cycling are emerging an ideal mix to curb the growing urban transport challenges and meet the transport needs of citizens. UN-Habitat collaborates with governments at city, regional and national levels on development and implementation of policy, guides and tools for sustainable urban mobility; provides technical support for development of effective transport systems and supports knowledge, advocacy and capacity building.UN-Habitat is the lead implementing agency for the MoveSafet+ project: “Building back safe, sustainable and resilient transport and urban mobility systems in Western Balkan and Central Asian landlocked developing regions”. This initiative is funded by the 15th tranche of the United Nations Development Account with the primary objective to strengthen the capacity of local and national governments within the Western Balkans, Eastern Europe and Central Asia Regions in sustainable urban mobility planning. The focus is on establishing durable, long-term investment strategies that improve accessibility and connectivity for all while concurrently addressing climate emissions and reducing road fatalities. Through the project, UN-Habitat is supporting the municipality of Chisinau to create an enabling environment for practical institutionalization of the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) for Chișinău, with a specific focus on ensuring coherent alignment between the ongoing update of the General Urban Plan (GUP) and the SUMP. This initiative is implemented in close collaboration with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).GENERAL SCOPE OF THE ASSIGNMENTThe National Transport Expert will work under the overall supervision of the Programme Management Officer, Urban Mobility of UN-Habitat. The National Transport Consultant will work in close collaboration with the International Experts – Sustainable Urban Plan Expert (SUMP Expert) and Transport Data and Planning (Transport Data Expert) – to coordinate and implement the project and engage in day-to-day communication with the local stakeholders for the project to support the City of Chisinau to enable practical institutionalization of the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) for Chișinău, with a specific focus on ensuring coherent alignment between the ongoing update of the General Urban Plan (GUP) and the SUMP. The approach responds to the shared understanding that institutionalization requires policy recommendations grounded in an assessment of the existing regulatory and planning framework, while simultaneously addressing an immediate gap in planning practice: integrating mobility provisions into the GUP and ensuring that the updated GUP informs the subsequent update of the SUMP. This would include undertaking activities regarding capacity building and training activities, data gathering and analytic works, stakeholder engagements through Workshops, drafting of reports and documents under guidance of UN-Habitat members and International Experts and collaboration with local stakeholders, taking into account the following parameters:1. On capacity building and training activities 1. Assessing the level of skills and experiences for collecting and utilising transport data, and urban mobility planning in the relevant team in the City of Vushtrri; 2. Plan and implement capacity building and training activities according to the identified future human resources requirements while ensuring alignment to the City’s priorities; 2. On data gathering and analysis 1. Gathering information/data and reviewing/analysing the current mobility situation of motorized (private vehicles, freight, and public transport) and non-motorized (pedestrian and cycling) transport network, physical condition, accessibility, efficiency, safety, and congestion; 2. Reviewing the legal framework (central and local strategies, plans etc.) and make sure that these are taken into account for implementing an efficient mobility strategy at study area level; 3. Assess the transport data gaps through literature review and consultation with the key stakeholders. 4. Provide technical guidance for the transport data collection and analysis through a co-development approach, where city officials would work alongside the International and National Experts in the data collection; 3. On technical support to stakeholder engagements through Workshops 1. Provide technical inputs to the development of urban mobility future vision and strategy, and identify priority measures and actions through participatory process, engaging with key stakeholders at the local and national level; 2. Consulting the final proposal for development of the concept of the urban mobility plan with the groups of interest; 3. Support in identifying key decision-makers, private sector, investors and various transport operators to explore opportunities on collaboration for the planning process and operationalization of the plan. 4. On drafting of reports and documents 1. Documenting the data gathering and analytic works, capacity building and training activities to develop and propose a mobility plan for the City of Vushtrri that integrates findings from transport data gathering and analysis, co-developed and consulted goals and objectives, priority actions and plan of activities with proposed budgeting and investment, and monitoring frameworks.GOALS AND OBJECTIVESThe objective of this assignment is to support UN-Habitat to deliver an operational, replicable planning and policy solution that (i) integrates SUMP provisions into the updated GUP of Chișinău, (ii) establishes a clear two-way interface between GUP and SUMP processes, and (iii) produces evidence-based policy recommendations to embed and scale this practice through appropriate legislative and normative proposals. These goals are aligned with the following two outcomes:Outcome 1: Strengthened capacity of local governments to plan for sustainable, resilient and low-carbon mobility systems based on evidence- and data-based planning approaches and in alignment with international best practice methodologiesOutcome.2: Improved planning frameworks for informing investment decisions for urban land-use and mobility planningTASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIESDuration: The start of the consultancy is scheduled for April 2026, and the last deliverable must be submitted by 30th September 2026.Reporting: The National Urban Mobility Planning Expert will work under the overall supervision of the Programme Management Officer, Urban Mobility of UN-Habitat.Duty Station: The national urban mobility planning expert is expected to work closely with municipal staff and participate in field activities, workshops, and coordination meetings in Chisinau, with regular presence in the municipality during key phases of the assignment.Coordination: The National Urban Mobility Planning Expert will work in close collaboration with the International Experts – Sustainable Urban Plan Expert (SUMP Expert) and Transport Data and Planning (Transport Data Expert), the Implementing Partner and the Municipality of Chisinau. This will be through: weekly coordination meeting (UN-Habitat, DGAURF, Consultant; GUP Team invited as needed); ad-hoc technical working sessions with the GUP Team (especially during geocoding review and spatial proposal assessment) and two formal validation points with DGAURF: end of analytical phase; end of policy brief package.The National Urban Mobility Planning Expert will provide technical expertise to support the institutionalization of SUMP and the alignements between SUMP and GUP. The expert will contribute to both the assessment of the current mobility situation and the formulation of a concept framework. In collaboration with the key actors, the Urban Mobility Expert will perform the following tasks:TasksWP1. REVIEW OF GUP STRATEGIC/VISION COMPONENT AND MOBILITY RECOMMENDATIONSObjective: strengthen the mobility dimension of the GUP vision and strategic narrative using SUMP principles and evidence.* Review the completed draft of the GUP strategic and vision section (mobility-related parts). * Provide written comments, proposed text amendments, and prioritized recommendations suitable for incorporation into the GUP report.WP2. CONFERENCE SUPPORT AND PRESENTATION (END OF MARCH 2026)Objective: support public/professional communication of the GUP mobility vision and the integrated planning approach.* Prepare and deliver a presentation at the GUP-related conference (mobility component), coordinated with DGAURF and the GUP Team. * Ensure messaging on GUP-SUMP coherence, implementation orientation, and expected benefits.WP3. GEOCODING OF SUMP MEASURES AND JOINT TECHNICAL REVIEW FOR LAND REGULATION INTEGRATIONObjective: translate SUMP measures into spatially-referenced inputs usable in the GUP land regulation and zoning components.* Geocode SUMP measures/actions (location, corridor, area, network, or citywide classification; where applicable define geometry type and attributes). * Prepare an annotated measure inventory suitable for integration into GUP. * Conduct end-of-March joint review sessions with the GUP Team to validate geocoding, resolve ambiguities, and agree on how measures will be reflected in land regulation.WP4. ASSESSMENT OF GUP SPATIAL/TERRITORIAL PROPOSALS AND MOBILITY IMPACT GUIDANCE (APRIL–MAY 2026)Objective: assess proposed territorial interventions through a mobility lens and define practical methods to measure/monitor impacts.* Review GUP spatial proposals with direct territorial component (e.g., zoning changes, development areas, street network proposals, functional structuring). * Agree with the GUP Team on zones/units of analysis for mobility assessment. * Provide an assessment of mobility impacts and recommendations, including a concise set of indicators and an approach to measuring impacts (qualitative and, where feasible, quantitative). * Identify priority institutional, technical, and analytical capacity gaps affecting the implementation, monitoring, and institutionalisation of integrated mobility planning * Support the preparation of a concise training-needs assessment to inform the design and targeting of the training session for Chisinau urban and mobility plannersWP5. SUPPORT FOR POLICY BRIEFS PREPARATION FOR SUMP INSTITUTIONALIZATIONObjective: Support to produce evidence-based policy directions to embed the GUP–SUMP interface and strengthen planning practice.To support implementing partner expert with:* Preparation of policy briefs analyzing current legal, institutional, and planning practices affecting SUMP implementation and the GUP-SUMP interface. * Identifying gaps and bottlenecks; propose practical policy directions aligned with European best practices (including replicable procedures and minimum content requirements). * Proposals preparation for institutional and legislative/normative embedding (e.g., municipal procedures, methodological guidance, amendments or new normative acts where relevant).FINAL DELIVERABLESDuring the assignment, the consultant will deliver the following documents:Work Packages/ DeliverablesProject Kick-Off Meeting / [D1.1] Inception Report | detailing methodologies, a detailed work plan for developing a mobility plan that is customised for local contextsWP1 / [D1] Mobility recommendations for GUP strategic/vision component. The report will document mobility recommendations for GUP strategic/vision component.WP2 / [D2] Conference presentation package (slides + speaking notes).WP3 / [D3] Geocoded SUMP measure inventory (database/table) and integration notes for GUP land regulation. It will outline geocoded mobility measure inventory + integration notes.WP4 / [D4.1]: Mobility impact assessment note on GUP spatial proposals, incl. recommended indicators and measurement approach. It shall cover mobility impact assessment (qualitative, and quantitative where possible) of GUP spatial proposals.WP4 / [D4.2]: Workshop Training Materials & Skills Transfer Report. This report shall discuss training session for Chisinau urban and mobility planners (list TBC) regarding the approaches to the measurement of territorial development impact on urban mobility. It will also include a non-technical presentation and workshop for stakeholders (administrative staff and local councilors) regarding the territorial development impact on urban mobility. The presentation shall focus on the territorial development impact on urban mobilityWP5 / Deliverable D5.1: Policy brief package (focus on institutional setting, GUP-SUMP interface, existing policy bottlenecks) with actionable recommendations. This shall entail support with proposals preparation on SUMP implementation institutional setting, GUP-SUMP interface, analysis of the legislative bottlenecks.WP5 / Deliverable D5.2: Workshop – discussion of the policy briefs results with relevant stakeholders (municipal and national, list TBC). This shall entail Comments and recommendations on presentation for the final workshop. The report for D5.2 shall be integrated into D4.2 above.PROGRESS CONTROLS AND PAYMENT INSTALLMENTSThe consultant will operate under the general guidance and direct supervision of the Programme Manager/Task Manager and DGAURF. Progress will be monitored based on the delivery of outputs as outlined in the Deliverables and Schedule section. Regular check-ins with the UN-Habitat and DGAURF teams and active reporting on activities conducted in the municipality will be required throughout the assignment.The fees will be paid in three instalments upon satisfactory completion and acceptance of the outputs as specified below, in line with the Final Deliverables. A timesheet must be submitted a…