Individual Specialist: Culture specialist -Built Heritage, World Heritage and Capacity Building

Background Information

The Culture Unit of the UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok and Office for UN Coordination for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCO Bangkok) aims to enhance UNESCO Member States' capacity to safeguard heritage and promote culture towards sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region. The Unit is responsible for a wide range of programme areas, namely (i) safeguarding World Heritage, intangible cultural heritage, underwater cultural heritage and other movable heritage,(ii) promoting creativity including the cultural and creative industries, (iii) mainstreaming culture and development, particularly towards the SDGs and in the context of cities.

Purpose of the Assignment

Within the diverse Culture programmatic areas, the Individual Specialist will mainly contribute to the programme areas related to built heritage, world heritage and capacity building, culture & emergency preparedness particularly in providing technical support and strengthening national and local capacity among Member States.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall authority of the Regional Director of UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok and Office for UN Coordination for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCO Bangkok) and the direct supervision of the Chief of Culture Unit (CLT), the Individual Specialist will assist the Culture Unit with programmes related to the conservation of immovable cultural heritage. Specifically, the Individual Specialist will undertake the planning, implementation and coordination of activities primarily related to CLT Output 4.2 (Capacities of Member States and communities strengthened to protect, safeguard, and promote natural and cultural heritage, including tangible, intangible, and underwater heritage) as follows

Terms and Reference

1. Provide technical advice and contribute to safeguarding World Heritage under the Regular Programme (RP) activities (raising capacity of States Parties for identifying, nominating, monitoring, managing World Heritage) and Voluntary Contribution (VC) projects related to heritage, including but not limited to, the "Cultural Heritage - A Driver of Climate Action for resilient World Heritage cities in Asia and the Pacific " under UNESCO/Japanese Funds-In-Trust projects, and the project “Post-earthquake recovery of cultural heritage in Myanmar” under the Netherlands Funds-in-Trust, as follows:
   
   • Provide coordination inputs for smooth collaboration with local counterparts and partners to ensure the programmes and projects are implemented in line with the approved budgets and workplans;
   • Provide technical inputs to counterparts to build capacity and implement enhanced monitoring and management measures as foreseen in World Heritage Committee decision and Reactive Monitoring Mission recommendations;
   • Provide technical inputs for undertaking management plans, publications, training manuals and training activities;
   • Facilitate knowledge sharing activities, to ensure field components and experiences are reflected in larger sub-regional / regional outputs and outcomes;
   • Prepare advocacy materials and regular news/media updates for programme and project activities;
   • Prepare project updates and substantive progress reports for programme and projects.
2. Provide technical advice and contribute to the programme activities of the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation as follows:
   
   • Provide inputs for the annual awards cycle (covering call for entries, judging, announcement), including preparing communications with entry submitters, jury members, Field Offices and network of heritage practitioners, professional associations, civil society organizations, culture agencies, local government and other related bodies;
   • Support programme advocacy through UNESCO Bangkok, Field Offices and regional partner channels to increase the diversity in terms of programme participation and impact;
   • Develop design direction for Awards materials and public platforms, and generate content for advocacy materials, print publications, other promotional media, exhibition materials and platforms;
   • In consultation with experts, develop outline for upcoming best practice publication under the Asia Conserved series and work with authors and illustrators to generate content;
   • Provide technical inputs in the development of a knowledge management platform to disseminate good practices and lessons from the Awards programme to a wider audience;
   • Organize technical seminars and capacity building activities to share best practices from the Awards winners with a view to raising awareness of good conservation practice;
   • Develop partnerships/sponsorships including identification of new funding opportunities; and
   • Develop and coordinate new activities related to the Awards programme, including engaging youth and emerging practitioners.
3. Provide technical advice and contribute to the organizational and technical capacity building programmes related to the "Competence Framework for Cultural Heritage Management" hereinafter called "the Framework"
   
   • In consultation with experts and specialized training institutes, provide inputs to the development of courses and oversee the generation of course content (curricula, teaching materials, exercises) to ensure conformity with international best standards and guidelines related to heritage management;
   • Organize courses including, but not limited to, Sustainable Heritage Management courses