Result of Service
Under the direct supervision of the responsible senior project officer, the senior programme consultant will be expected to collaborate, communicate and travel as required to consult effectively with the relevant ministries, departments, authorities, national consultants, and other collaborating organizations in the target countries. Project 1) Finalize majority of deliverables in close collaboration with national focal points, so project can be closed by 31 December 2026. Project 2) Successfully conclude inception phase of the project, foreseen to be finished by 30 June 2026. Initiate discussions for follow-on project with donor and potentially deliver project proposal, subject to feedback from donor. Project 3) Provide all necessary support to UN-HABITAT team collection of transport demand data, delivery of national workshops and creation of sustainable mobility action plans. Project 4) Ramp-up project and ensure national focal points and national consultants are on board. Prepare establishment of technical advisory group and development of five mobility assessment reports. Budget Code: TBA (Section 23)
Duties and Responsibilities
ESCAP supports its member States to develop efficient, environmentally sustainable, safe, and inclusive transport networks and services, in line with the Regional Action Programme on Sustainable Transport Development in Asia and the Pacific (2022-2026). As part of this mandate, ESCAP delivers comprehensive capacity development and technical assistance programmes on sustainable and inclusive urban and peri-urban mobility and low carbon transport, among others. To this end, ESCAP is implementing a suite of projects, including but not limited to: 1) Accelerating the Transition to Electric Mobility for Public Transport in Asia and the Pacific (Phase II), over the period 2024-2026. 2) ASEAN Electric Vehicle (EV) Accelerator Programme, over the period 2025-2026. 3) Building back safe, sustainable and resilient transport and urban mobility systems in Western Balkan and Central Asian landlocked developing regions, over the period 2023-2026; and 4) Strengthening the capacity of transport policymakers to utilize digital technologies to develop resilient and inclusive mobility policies and plans to improve public transport infrastructure and services in peri-urban areas, over the period 2026-2029. The projects cover a range of technical assistance and capacity building activities in member States, including, for example, demonstrating the feasibility of various financing mechanisms for transitioning to electric buses, such as loans, grants, and green funds in three target countries (Lao PDR, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Tajikistan), but also the development and initial application of an EV Readiness Index (Cambodia, Indonesia, and Timor Leste), the development of inclusive and resilient urban mobility plans (Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan) and the capacity building for policy makers on digital applications for public transport in peri-urban areas (Kyrgyzstan, Lao PDR, Mongolia, Nepal, Tonga). ESCAP Transport Division seeks a senior programme consultant with relevant expertise to support the projects’ implementation. 1) Accelerating the Transition to Electric Mobility for Public Transport in Asia and the Pacific (Phase II) Building on the technical and infrastructure feasibility studies for the pilot projects in the target countries, the consultant will recommend suitable financing mechanisms that support the deployment of the electric buses and lead the development of comprehensive funding proposals, in close partnership with relevant authorities, to secure pilot project financing. The consultant will also lead the design and deployment of the pilot projects, ensuring alignment with donor requirements and providing practical project management support to local stakeholders in areas such as fleet planning, infrastructure procurement, and risk mitigation. Based on the findings from the project, the consultant will deliver presentation materials and other knowledge products to be shared with all members of the Asia Pacific Initiative on Electric Mobility (APIEM), ESCAP’s core platform for accelerating the electric mobility transition in the region. 2) ASEAN Electric Vehicle (EV) Accelerator Programme Based on the draft Electric Vehicle Readiness Index (EVRI), which is currently under development, the consultant will guide the final EVRI framework and oversee its pilot implementation in the target countries. This includes leading the required data collection, as well as testing the EVRI model and leading the discussion of results with national stakeholders. The consultant will also lead the national workshop in Timor Leste, and possibly, in Cambodia and Indonesia (to be aligned with the responsible senior project officer). Finally, the consultant will lead the development of a follow-up proposal (subject to satisfactory discussions with the donor) and identify additional countries in the ASEAN region for application of the EVRI. 3) Building back safe, sustainable and resilient transport and urban mobility systems in Western Balkan and Central Asian landlocked developing regions ESCAP is supporting this project as implementing partner under the leadership of UN-HABITAT, specifically covering the ESCAP member States Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. The consultant will guide and support the national consultants in the analysis of existing transport demand data and planning frameworks for Bishkek and Almaty. Moreover, the consultant will support the national consultants in planning and organizing the national workshops to facilitate the creation of sustainable mobility action plans, implementation roadmaps and corresponding city budget plans, as well as the creation of a regional sustainable urban mobility network for the Central Asia Region, in alignment with municipal and national focal points. The consultant will also potentially contribute urban mobility expertise to a regional workshop to be held alongside the 13th World Urban Forum in Baku (May 2026). 4) Strengthening the capacity of transport policymakers to utilize digital technologies to develop resilient and inclusive mobility policies and plans to improve public transport infrastructure and services in peri-urban areas The consultant will lead the inception of this new project, starting in April 2026. Initial tasks include identification of and liaising with national focal points in 5 target countries (Kyrgyzstan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mongolia, Nepal, Tonga), preparatory tasks for the establishment of a technical advisory group to ensure multistakeholder engagement to guide the target countries for the effective use of digital technologies and platforms to develop resilient and inclusive peri-urban mobility policies and plans that leaves no one behind. Moreover, the consultant will oversee the development of five mobility assessment reports with accessibility, social inclusion and resilience analysis, which will contain required data collection and an assessment of current local polices and plans analysis of current peri-urban mobility situations, especially related to the application of digital technology, resilience and social inclusiveness for vulnerable transport users and the use of digital technologies in the transport sector in five target cities/countries including the results derived from the Sustainable Urban Transport Index Plus (SUTI+) assessment tool. Finally, the consultant will also oversee, in collaboration with the national consultants, the planning and organization of five stakeholder consultation and capacity building workshops for national and local transport policymakers.
Qualifications/special skills
Master’s degree in economics, public policy, engineering, sustainable development, urban studies, or a related discipline. (i) At least 7 years of experience in sustainable transport, climate financing, low-carbon transport or sustainable urban transport. (ii) Demonstrated expertise in successfully delivering projects in a multilateral development context, with in-country delivery of outputs and capacity building, preferably in the Asia-Pacific region. (iii) Experience collaborating with government stakeholders, international organizations, and financial institutions. Desirable: (i) Experience working in the Asia-Pacific region, ideally in the UN system context. (ii) Experience or background in mobility innovation.
