Conservation Architect Consultant

OVERVIEW

Parent Sector : Culture Sector (CLT)

Duty Station: Erbil

Job Family: Culture

Type of contract : Non Staff

Duration of contract : From 1 to 6 months

Recruitment open to : External candidates

Application Deadline (Midnight Paris Time) : 31/03/2022

UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism

A. Background:

In February 2019, UNESCO and the European Union signed the project “Reviving Mosul and Basra Old Cities”. Recognizing the power of culture as a driver of social and economic development, this project aims to support urban recovery and reconstruction through a participatory approach to skills development and job creation to foster social cohesion and community reconciliation through the restoration and critical reconstruction of Mosul’s historic urban landscape and urban conservation interventions in Basra.

In line with the UNESCO Culture Sector’s Main Lines of Action, UNESCO is seeking a Conservation Architect to draft guidelines for interventions on the historical architecture of the Old City of Mosul. In particular, the Conservation Architect shall undertake the duties and responsibilities detailed below.

B. Assignment:

Under the overall authority of the Director of the UNESCO Office in Iraq and of the Chief of the Culture Program, and under the direct supervision of the Senior Architecture Advisor, the Conservation Architect shall:

1.    Prepare guidelines for architectural interventions on historic and heritage houses in the Old City of Mosul. These guidelines will constitute a complement the general guidelines being drafted by UN Habitat for the Old City under this same project and will focus on the typologies, the constructive techniques, and the characteristic elements of traditional Moslawi architecture. The Consultant will liaise closely with UN Habitat to ensure the complementarity of the guidelines being drafted by each organization, and to make use of the data that UN Habitat has already collected. 

The guidelines, which will be published, will be aimed to serve both regulators -- the Municipality and the State Board of Antiquities -- and the public, as well as the agencies involved or interested in the reconstruction of Mosul. 

2.    Collaborate with UN Habitat in setting up an exhibition that will disseminate the contents of the guidelines among the public and participate in the preparation of the exhibition’s thematic panels and of the accompanying didactic material.

Coordination and cooperation with the UNESCO and UN Habitat staff will be paramount for the success of the assignment.

C. Deliverables:

1.    Inception Report on the Guidelines for architectural interventions on historical houses in the Old City of Mosul.
2.    Table of contents and detailed outline of the Guidelines.
3.    Completed Guidelines for architectural interventions on heritage and historical houses in the Old City of Mosul.
4.    Exhibition panels presenting a graphic summary of the Guidelines (12 thematic panels).
 

D. Required Qualifications:

The incumbent shall have the following minimum qualifications to be considered for this consultancy:

1. Professional experience:

• Professional background in architecture or conservation architecture with 8 or more years of experience in heritage or historical architecture.
• Master’s degree or equivalent in architecture or conservation architecture.

2. Education:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in architecture or conservation architecture, or closely related field.

3. Competencies:

• Demonstrated competence in all aspects of documentation and architectural research.
• Positive attitude and strong analytical, interpersonal and communication skills.
• Excellent ability to exercise initiative and resourcefulness necessary for prioritizing multiple components and phases of work. 
• Strong writing skills in English. 
• Demonstrated aptitude for teamwork. 
• Demonstrated ability to work in a multicultural environment and establish harmonious and effective working relationships (both within and outside the Organization). 
• Good knowledge of standard office software (word processing, spreadsheets, etc.) and of graphic software used in architecture and desktop publishing (such as: AutoCAD, Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Quarkxpress, CorelDraw, etc.). 

4. Languages: 

• Excellent knowledge (written and oral) of English is a must.
• Knowledge (written and oral) of Arabic is an asset.

E. Desired Qualifications:

• Demonstrable experience of similar assignments, preferably in the MENA region.
• Previous direct experience in conservation/restoration/rehabilitation of historical heritage, preferably in Iraq or in the MENA region.
• Relevant professional experience at the international level.

F. Supervisory arrangements

The UNESCO Office in Iraq will:

•  Supervise the overall process and all the activities carried out within the framework of this Contract.
• Regularly monitor the effective and timely progress of the activities of the Contract. 
• Review and accept adaptations or changes if required to carry out better or more effectively the assignment.
• Review the deliverables submitted by the Consultant and suggest or request revisions where necessary.
   

G. Payment Schedule:

Payments will be made following the receipt of the deliverables specified above according to the following schedule: 

D1-Inception report, with the latest date for submission of 1 month after signature of the contract.

D2-Table of content and detailed outline of the Guidelines, with the latest date for submission of 2 months after signature of the contract.

D3-Guidelines, with the latest date for submission of 4 months after signature of the contract.

D4-Contents of the exhibition panels, with the latest date for submission of 6 months after signature of the contract.

H. Travel Budgetary:

Payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon between UNESCO and the Individual Consultant prior to travel and will be covered and paid for by UNESCO. The fare will always be “most direct, most economical” and any difference in price with the preferred route will be paid for by the consultant. The consultant should include in their financial proposal the actual cost of the IC’s travel to arrive at the designated Duty Station and the cost breakdown should be specified in the Financial Proposal.

I. Financial Proposal

Please note that the financial proposal is all-inclusive and shall take into account various expenses incurred by the consultant during the contract period (e.g. Living Allowance, Professional Fees, Health Insurance, Vaccination, COVID test, visa costs and any other relevant expenses related to the performance of services...). All envisaged costs except travel costs for missions must be included in the financial proposal. Travel costs for missions outside the duty station will be paid separately according to UNESCO rules and regulations.
Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please make sure you have provided all requested materials.
 

COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial)

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APPLICATION PROCESS

Interested candidates should click on “Apply Now”, then download and complete the Employment History form (Word file). At the end of the Word file, insert extra pages with the following required information in English:
* Upon completing the Word file with all the requested information above, upload the file at the “My Employment History Form / My Documents” section of the online application form. Only applications with the below requested information will be considered.

1- A Technical Written proposal (2-3 Pages Maximum) consisting of:
•    Comments on the Terms of Reference, if any (in brief);
•    An up-to-date curriculum vitae (CV), and a statement indicating how your qualifications and experience make you suitable for the assignment.
•    A description of your proposed approach and methodology for undertaking the assignment.
•    A work plan with detailed milestones and key deliverables/activities as per the terms of reference.
•    List of work assignments and/or THREE (03) contacts as references – to be filled and returned to UNESCO as part of the submission.

2-A Financial proposal in US dollars form filled attached. Any travel and subsistence requirements should be indicated separately. Please design the payment scheme against a clear and specific set of deliverables and milestones as reflected in the work plan.
 

SELECTION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS

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