Result of Service
The consultant will contribute to the preparation of interior design plans for the homes built and distributed by the government to vulnerable families with a member who has a disability. The homes were constructed as part of the National Social Housing Program. The renovation work will focus on adapting these housing units to the specific type of disability. This will be done in consultation with UN-Habitat, the Tunisian Ministry of Equipment and Housing.
Duties and Responsibilities
Organizational Setting The mandate of the UN-Habitat Sub-Regional Office in Tunisia is to provide policy advice, technical cooperation and capacity building, especially to empower and support the most vulnerable populations. In line with the key impact area of UN-Habitat's Strategic Plan 2026 - 2029 by identifying SDG localization and participatory multilevel governance as one of its key means of implementation.
With a focus on delivering adequate housing, basic services and land for all, the Strategic Plan recognizes that accelerating the 2030 Agenda requires stronger multilevel governance collaboration, inclusive governance systems that engage communities, and the scaling up of local and regional solutions to drive systemic transformation. Tunisia is home to more than 500,000 Persons with different types of disabilities.
People with disabilities experience multiple and intersecting forms of social, economic, and political exclusion, which leads to deprivation in access to education, clean water and sanitation, shelter, and waste of human and productive potential. The strains of institutional (affordable housing, services, land rights), structural (gender, age, ethnicity), and spatial (regional imbalance, mobility, congestion, recreation) inequalities are pushing the vulnerable, marginalized, and impoverished into intergenerational cycles of exclusion.
People with disabilities are often not ‘planned for’ as the default intended users and inhabitants of cities and their public spaces, which is reflected in the planning, designing, and maintenance of urban spaces and facilities. This is exacerbated by the lack of participatory and people-centric planning processes, as well as the limitation of accurate disaggregated sex and disability data, especially concerning women and girls with disabilities.
There is a limited sensitization, awareness, and technical capacity in understanding the diverse requirements of Persons with disabilities, and how these requirements would be incorporated in the urban development agenda. This holds both in the public sector as well as among private sector players involved in ground-level housing implementation in the country.
The Specific Program for Social Housing led by the government of Tunisia aims to eradicate 10,000 rudimentary dwellings and replace them with decent housing, noting that 7,353 dwellings have so far been delivered to beneficiaries, in addition to the distribution of 13,400 social housing units and lots. This specific program does not accommodate the universal needs of the People with disabilities. For this reason, the project has identified two main pilot areas which require attention and intervention of the project.
Reporting Line The consultant will be working under the direct supervision of the Head of Tunisia office Duties and Responsibilities Under the overall supervision of the Head of UN-Habitat Tunisia office in close coordination with the project team and Ministry of Equipment and Housing team, the expert will prepare the interior design of housing, propose the improvement of the access to the house unit and the installation of external equipment. The consultant will undertake the following duties and responsibilities: 1. Housing Assessment and Accessible Interior Design Plan for the Beneficiary
Conduct an assessment of the beneficiary’s housing situation and how it meets the needs of the person with a disability
Develop an interior design plan for the house to make it suitable for the beneficiary's mobility and access. 2. Coordination and Oversight of Accessibility Modification Works and Implementation Activities Planning and Coordination of Accessibility Works
Liaise with contractors, suppliers, and relevant stakeholders.
Schedule and coordinate all approved housing modification activities. Monitoring and Quality Assurance of Implementation
Supervise the progress of works to ensure compliance with the approved design and accessibility requirements.
Conduct inspections and verify that completed modifications meet the beneficiary’s mobility and access needs. 3. Capacity Building on Inclusive Design Standards for Different Types of Disabilities Develop and Deliver Training on Disability-Specific Design Standards
Provide training on accessibility and universal design principles for different disability types (physical, visual, hearing, intellectual, and psychosocial disabilities).
Adapt training materials to the needs of beneficiaries and NGOs. Practical Guidance and Awareness Sessions
Conduct workshops and demonstrations on applying inclusive design standards in homes, community facilities, and service environments.
Strengthen the capacity of beneficiaries and NGOs to identify and advocate for accessible and disability-inclusive solutions.
Qualifications/special skills
An advanced university degree (master’s or equivalent) in Architecture, or a related field is required. A first-level university degree, combined with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience, may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree. At least 5 years of professional experience in Architecture is required. Experience working with governments and participatory planning processes is desirable. Experience in designing and piloting works for people with disabilities, is desirable.
Languages
Fluency in oral and written Arabic and French is required. Knowledge of English is an asset.