UCLG ASPAC Local Government Liaison Junior Officer

As a cooperative and collaborative platform for cities and local governments in the region to come together and affect change, UCLG ASPAC is committed to its vision – building the united voice and advocate of democratic local self-government, which promotes cooperation between governments and within the wider international communities in the Asia-Pacific Region. It also provides continuous self-improvement to ensure accountable, capacitated, efficient and effective organisation towards sustainable local development.

The Kuala Lumpur City Hall has been an active member of IULA ASPAC since 1994, and a member of UCLG ASPAC/Metropolis since 2004. In 2019, a Letter of Intent was signed between UCLG ASPAC and Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to build capacity in key urban development issues in Kuala Lumpur specifically, and Malaysia as a whole.  This include enhancing the function of Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s training institute as the training hub for city leaders and officials, as well as cities’ strategic partners in the field of sustainable urban development in Asia Pacific and beyond. Towards this end and to strengthen teamwork, DBKL is currently hosting a remote office for UCLG ASPAC in Kuala Lumpur.

1. Programme Summary

Since the signing of the Letter of Intent, under the UCLG ASPAC-DBKL collaboration, the UCLG ASPAC office in DBKL has supported DBKL in internalising and building awareness on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the New Urban Agenda, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, resulting in awareness and perception survey and capacity building activities. The collaboration has also resulted in a number of representations of DBKL leadership and experience at the regional level.

The UCLG ASPAC office in DBKL is also leading UCLG ASPAC’s intervention under the Penang Platform for Sustainable Development (PPSU) and the capacity development activities on Gender Mainstreaming with local, regional and national governments under the MOU between UCLG ASPAC-UN Habitat and Penang Women’s Development Corporation (PWDC).

The UCLG ASPAC-DBKL collaboration, as well as UCLG ASPAC’s presence in Malaysia, target increased activities under a capacity development programmes that are varied and tailored to the demands of cities and local governments, in the future. These include, but not limited to, the following: Gender participatory planning and budgeting, climate change and its leadership, plastic waste and marine debris, disaster risk management, urban regeneration and public spaces and design, urban prosperity and planning, and enabling environment governance system. The capacity development is not only in the form of in-door training, but also technical and managerial exchange programmes, advocacy and representation, and decentralized co-operation that will be subsequently linked to concrete implementation actions, such as projects at the ground and policy transformation.

Towards this end, UCLG ASPAC is creating a new position, the Local Government Liaison Junior Officer, to be based at the DBKL Institute. The position will be jointly managed by UCLG ASPAC and DBKL.

2. Objectives

The objective of this newly established post is to support the UCLG ASPAC Strategic and Capacity Development Manager in developing and undertaking strategic plans and activities under DBKL, as well as establishing new and maintain existing partnership with other local governments and local government associations in Malaysia and the region. The position will also support work on increasing UCLG ASPAC’s presence in Malaysia specifically, and the region as a whole.

Scope of Works/Keys of Duties

Under the joint supervision of UCLG ASPAC Strategic and Capacity Development Manager and the Head of DBKL Institute, the Local Government Liaison Junior Officer will undertake the following tasks:

• Lead the exploration and facilitation of potential bilateral/multilateral partnerships between key stakeholders in Malaysia.
• Establish and maintain a database of key contacts and partners in Malaysia.
• Identify and explore potential funding and collaboration activities with local governments and national agencies, as well as international agencies, in Malaysia.
• Support the development of the strategic plans and actions on capacity development for cities and local governments in Malaysia.
• Support activities between UCLG ASPAC and Local Governments in Malaysia, including in areas contributing to body of knowledge, projects and conversation surrounding Voluntary National Review (VNR), Voluntary Local Review (VLR) and Voluntary Sub-National Review (VSR) of the SDGs in the country.
• Help raise the visibility of Kuala Lumpur as the training hub for city leaders and officials, as well as cities’ strategic partners in the field of sustainable urban development in Asia Pacific and beyond.
• Support the visible and active engagement of cities and local governments in local, national and regional level urban forums in Malaysia and the region.
• Support linkages with research institutions, think tank, or relevant agencies in Malaysia and those in the Asia Pacific region to explore and develop applicable research that correlate to actions and policy formulation by cities and local governments.
• Undertake local and international travel to represent UCLG ASPAC, when needed.

Specific requirements:

• University degree in related fields.
• Passion, commitment and dedication to Urban issues and other Sustainable Development issues.
• Preferably, 1-3 year working experience on urban issues, or with local or national governments, or on institutional capacity development. We welcome applications from highly dynamic and enthusiastic new graduates with previous academic or extra-curricular experience in sustainable urban and international development programs.
• Experience in developing and maintaining networks and/or cooperation with key strategic partners.
• Fluency in written and spoken English and Bahasa Malaysia. Ability to speak other languages is an advantage.
• Ability and interest in connecting with people from different nationalities and cultures.
• Ability and/or interest in programme facilitation and management.
• Malaysian citizen or persons with existing right to work in Malaysia.

General requirements

• Proficiency in MS Office
• Creative problem solving
• Ability to work under tight and multiple deadlines
• Strong analytical, communication, interpersonal and social skills
• Detail-oriented
• Ability to take action proactively

Other Details

• Supervision: The post will be supervised by the UCLG ASPAC Strategic and Capacity Development Manager based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and the Head of DBKL Institute.
• Job Type: Full-time (Fixed Term Contract)
• Submission: Please submit your applications no later than the 16^th November 2020, to e-mail address: recruitment@uclg-aspac.org
• Fill the email “Subject” Column of the email in the format: <position applied> – <your name>