Terms of Reference

A. ORGANIZATIONAL SETTING

UN-HABITAT

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN–Habitat, is
the United Nations agency for human settlements development. It is mandated by
the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable
communities, 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, Habitat Agenda, Istanbul Declaration on Human Settlements, the Declaration on Cities and Other Human Settlements in the New
Millennium, and the Resolution 56/206 and the New Urban Agenda
2016. It contributes to
the overall objective of the United Nations to reduce poverty and promote
sustainable development within the context and the challenges of a rapidly
urbanising world.

By working at all levels and with all relevant stakeholders and
partners, UN–Habitat contributes to linking policy development and capacity–building
activities with a view to promoting cohesive and mutually reinforcing social,
economic and environmental policies in national policies and programmes in
human settlements which conform with international practices and covenants.

UN–Habitat is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, 
with regional offices for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP) in Fukuoka, Japan, for Latin America and the Caribbean in Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil (ROLAC), and regional office for Africa and the
Arab States in Nairobi, Kenya (ROAAS). The regional office for Eastern Europe
and Transition Countries is also based in Nairobi, Kenya.

In the Philippines Country Office (CO), key
programs and projects include national urban policy support, capacity
development to manage urban development and settlements, climate change,
post-disaster shelter and livelihood recovery, urban planning, urban poverty
reduction and slum upgrading. Support to climate change programs and projects
started as early as early as 2008 under the MDGF Project of the UN. Since then,
the climate change program has evolved and grown into a strategic and regular
component of the Philippines Country Office programme.

B. PROJECT
BACKGROUND  

The Asia Pacific region is home
to more than half of the global population and since 2019, more than half of
the population in the region have been living in urban areas. Currently, 2.3
billion or 54% of the region’s total population live in cities and towns. This
is expected to increase to 2.8 billion by 2030, and 3.5 billion by 2050.
Notably, cities in Asia and the Pacific are now already generating 80 per cent
of gross domestic product in most countries.  

In the face of this urban growth
and development trends, cities in the region are faced with risks and
vulnerabilities due to climate change. As noted in the Future of Asian &
Pacific Cities Report (UN-Habitat, 2019), climate change impacts are projected
to significantly worsen in the region. “Heatwave frequency has increased and
will likely continue into the 21^st century. Sea level rise, chronic
droughts, and violent storm surges disproportionately have impacts on places
where the most vulnerable have settled, such as on riverside plains, hillsides
and suburban marshes.” Climate change is projected to “increase the frequency
and magnitude of regional hazards, including tropical cyclones, high-intensity
storms, droughts and floods, making Asian and Pacific cities, especially those
on coasts, highly exposed.” Within the urban context, the poor, elderly, women,
youth are particularly vulnerable to climate change. 

As countries and cities in the
region are increasingly investing in measures towards improving their
resilience, models to fully maximize the adaptation benefits of sustainable
urban plans and designs must be developed to ensure that the region remains competitive
and productive in a rapidly urbanizing world. Government institutions across
Asia and the Pacific require strengthened adaptive capacities, especially on
knowledge and policies, to aid in managing urban growth as pressures and
opportunities due to climate change are experienced across levels of
governance. These issues are reflected in the Philippines.

The Philippines has been
identified as one of the countries which is extremely vulnerable to climate
change and other types of disasters, thus making resilience  a serious development concern in the country.  According to the 2022 World Risk Index
Report, the Philippines ranked first
in risks among 193 countries and, with a population of over 110 million,
remains to be the most densely populated and urbanised of all global disaster
hotspots. An archipelagic country located in the Ring of Fire and typhoon belt,
the Philippines faces risks from multiple hazards – typhoons, floods,
landslides, tsunamis, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, as well as slow onset
hazards such as droughts. The country is also highly vulnerable to climate
risks, with climate change exacerbating the impacts of weather-related events
with associated severe wind, storm surge, coastal flooding, and sea level rise.
The 2021 German Climate Risk Index places the Philippines as the fourth most
affected by long-term climate risks. At least 60 per cent of the country’s
total land area is exposed to multiple hazards and about 75 per cent of the
population is vulnerable to their impacts. Eight of the top ten cities most at
risk from natural hazards are in the Philippines, including Metro Manila.

Strengthening Institutions and
Empowering Localities Against Disasters and Climate Change (SHIELD) is a six-year Australian Government funded program that
aims to support the government of the Philippines in building institutional and
community resilience to climate change and other types of hazards. The program
has a funding volume of 13,148,283 US dollars.

The goal of the SHIELD Program is to make all people in
target communities safer and more resilient to the impacts of natural hazard
events and climate change. This will be realized by achieving three inter­
dependent outcomes/components:

·               
Component 1:
Government, private sector, and civil society stakeholders in targeted local
government units (LGUs) are collaborating to unlock funding and implementing
informed and inclusive resilience actions

·               
Component 2:
Relevant national government agencies (NGAs) are prioritizing action on local
climate and disaster resilience

·               
Component 3:
Philippine scientific agencies are producing tailored and accessible
information for local resilience action

In partnership with the government of the Philippines,
the SHIELD program will be implemented through a consortium approach led by the
United Nations Development Program (UNDP). Other consortium members are the
UN-Habitat, National Resilience Council, Philippine Business for Social
Progress and the Consortium of Bangsamore Civil Society. Project Component 1,
where UN-Habitat leads some activities and outputs require expertise for copy
editing layout work In particular, this consulting work will support the development
of seven provincial climate risk reports derived from the conduct of Provincial
Climate Risk Diagnosis (PCRD).

C. PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND

The
purpose of this consultancy is to provide layout design services for the seven
(7) PCRD Reports under the SHIELD Project. The consultant will ensure that all
materials are professionally edited (layout), designed, and formatted for both
print and online publication.

E. SCOPE OF WORK & KEY
RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the overall supervision of
the SHIELD Program Coordinator and Project Coordinator, the Consultant will:

·               
Attend
coordination meetings and briefings with the UN-Habitat SHIELD team.

·               
Do layout
work for seven PCRD reports to ensure clarity, consistency, accuracy, and
compliance with UN-Habitat’s style guide and SHIELD branding. The PCRD reports
will cover seven provinces assisted by UN-Habitat namely Quezon, Albay,
Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Agusan del Sur, Agusan del Norte and Davao
Oriental.

·               
Propose
design layout options for the PCRD reports.

·               
Based on
approved design options, execute the layout of each report according to the
agreed timeline.

·               
Submit draft
versions of each report layout for review, including up to three rounds of
revisions.

·               
Prepare and
submit final, print-ready versions and web-optimized versions of the reports.

·               
Deliver
editable file packages including all design assets and source files.

·               
Ensure that
all designs and content comply with copyright laws and are attributable to
UN-Habitat and SHIELD Program.

F. EXPECTED OUTPUTS

The PCRD reports will cover the seven provinces of Quezon, Albay, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur and Davao Oriental. For each of the 7 Provincial Climate
Risk and Development (PCRD) Reports, the Consultant will provide:

1.                 
Design Proposal – At least two initial design/layout options for consideration and
approval.

2.                 Draft Layouts – Up to three versions per report for review and approval.

3.                 Final Print Version – High-resolution file suitable for professional printing.

4.                 
Final Web
Version – Optimized file for digital distribution and online access.

5.                 
Editable File
Package – Full package including Adobe InDesign/Illustrator files (or other
used software), fonts, images, and other assets.

G. DURATION OF ASSIGNMENT, DUTY STATION AND
TRAVEL

Contract duration is 90 work days, spread over January to March 2026.

The duty station is in Manila (hybrid), Philippines. Official travels outside of Manila
will be covered and arranged by UN-Habitat-Philippines.

H. REPORTING ARRANGEMENTS

The Layout Artist will report directly to the Project Coordinator for SHIELD, under the guidance
of the Country Programme Manager.

I. Remuneration:

The salary will be determined according to the qualifications, skills and relevant
experience of the selected candidate.

J. CORE VALUES AND COMPETENCIES

Core Values

·               
Integrity – Demonstrates the values of the United Nations in daily
activities and behaviours. Acts without consideration of personal gain. Resists
undue political pressure in decision making. Does not abuse power or authority.
Stands by decisions that are in the Organization’s interest, even if they are
unpopular. Takes prompt action in cases of unprofessional or unethical
behaviour.

·               
Professionalism – Shows
pride in work and in achievements. Demonstrates professional competence and
mastery of subject matter. Is conscientious and efficient in meeting
commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results. Is motivated by
professional rather than personal concerns. Shows persistence when faced with
difficult problems or challenges. Remains calm in stressful situations.

·               
Respect for Diversity – Works
effectively with people from all backgrounds. Treats all people with dignity
and respect. Treats men and women equally. Shows respect for and understanding
of diverse points of view and demonstrates this understanding in daily work and
decision-making. Examines own biases and behaviours to avoid stereotypical
responses. Does not discriminate against any individual or group.

Professional Competencies

·               
Professionalism: Ability to identify issues, analyze and participate in
the resolution of human settlement issues/problems. Ability to conduct data
collection using various methods. 
Ability to apply judgment in the context of assignments given, plan own
work and manage conflicting priorities. Shows persistence when faced with
difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes
responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation
of women and men in all areas of work. 

·               
Communication:  Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; exhibits
interest in having two-way communication; demonstrates openness in sharing
information and keeping people informed. 

·               
Teamwork:  Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve
organizational goals; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint
responsibility for team shortcomings.  

·               
Planning & Organizing:  Develops
clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority
activities and assignments; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources
for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning;
monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.  

·               
Accountability: Takes
ownership of all responsibilities and honors commitments; delivers outputs for
which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality
standards; operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules;
supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for
delegated assignments; takes personal responsibility for his/her own
shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable.  

·               
Technological
Awareness: Keeps abreast of available
technology; understands applicability and limitation of technology to the work
of the office; actively seeks to apply technology to appropriate tasks; shows a
willingness to learn new technology.

K.  QUALIFICATIONS

HOW TO APPLY

Submission
of Applications

The application should include:

1. Cover memo (maximum 1 page) including
expectations regarding remunerations;

2. A completed UN Personal History Form (P-11)
– Please download the form (MS-Word) from UN- Habitat ROAP web site: https://unhabitat.org.ph/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/UNHABITAT-Personal_History_P11-updated-20210716.doc

All applications should be addressed to and
sent electronically vie e- mail to UN-Habitat’s Country Programme Manager,
Christopher E. Rollo at cris.rollo@un.org copying the
Administrative and Finance Officer/HR, Hazel Acabado at hazel.acabado@un.org

Please indicate in your e-mail subject:  Layout Artist/Editor

The deadline for Applications is on 22 December 2025.

Please note
that applications received after the closing date stated above will not be
given consideration. Only short-listed candidates whose applications respond to
the above criteria will be contacted. The salary will be determined according
to the qualifications, skills and relevant experience of the selected
candidate. Details and conditions of the contract will be communicated at the
interview.

In line with
UN-Habitat policy on gender equity, applications from female candidates are
particularly encouraged.

Only
shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

By applying
to this post, you agree to UN-Habitat’s due diligence in securing highest
standards of efficiency, competency and integrity from all its staff members.
Candidates will not be considered for employment with United Nations if they
have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of
international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation or sexual abuse or if there
are reasonable grounds to believe that the candidates have been involved in the
commission of these acts.

UN-Habitat has a zero-tolerance policy on
conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United
Nations, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of
authority and discrimination. UN-Habitat also adheres to strict child
safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo
reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these
standards and principles.

UN-Habitat does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment
process.