Local Portfolio Development Consultant

Description of the Assignment:  

Cities in the Philippines face increasingly complex and interconnected challenges related to quality of life, social inclusion, climate and disaster resilience, environmental sustainability, resource efficiency, economic competitiveness, infrastructure and public services, governance, financing, and digital transformation. These challenges do not occur in isolation as they are shaped by interactions among urban systems, institutions, stakeholders, investments, and flows of people, materials, water, energy, food, finance, information, and ecosystem services.

Addressing these challenges therefore requires cities to move beyond fragmented, sector-based and project-by-project approaches toward integrated sustainable urban transformation. This entails understanding how urban systems interact; identifying synergies, trade-offs and leverage points; aligning policies, programmes and investments around shared outcomes; strengthening governance and institutional coordination; using data and digital tools to improve decision-making; and mobilizing sustainable finance for priority interventions.

A sustainable city is understood in this initiative as an inclusive, safe, resilient, productive, and environmentally responsible urban system that integrates social, economic, environmental, spatial, cultural, and institutional dimensions to improve quality of life for present and future generations. It aligns planning, governance, infrastructure, public services, resource use, investment, and stakeholder participation across interconnected urban systems.

The Green and Digital Cities initiative supports cities in adopting this integrated, systems-driven approach to sustainable urban transformation. It consolidates collaborations across the ecosystem to embed new economic models, digital innovation, and gender equality into sustainable urban transformation portfolios, moving cities beyond project-based engagement towards transformation at scale. It adopts an integrated sustainable cities approach enabled through systems thinking, portfolio management, data-driven decision-making, integrated governance, sustainable finance, stakeholder collaboration, and adaptive learning. The initiative seeks to connect and strengthen existing efforts across circular economy, climate action, biodiversity, resilience, economic development, tourism, governance, and digitalization to support more coherent and investment-ready urban transformation.

Through this approach, GDC seeks to help cities develop a shared understanding of interconnected urban challenges and opportunities; identify leverage points and areas for convergence; build portfolios of mutually reinforcing policies, programmes, investments and partnerships; strengthen the use of data and digital tools for decision-making; and identify pathways for financing, implementation, learning and scaling. Circular economy is applied as a cross-cutting principle that connects resource efficiency, local economic development, infrastructure, public services, procurement, tourism, and resilient urban value chains.

One of the cities in the Philippines pursuing a systems approach is Baguio City. Anchored on its city vision of Baguio 2043: A Livable, Inclusive, and Creative City, the city seeks to reverse the projected onset of irreversible urban decay of the city by 2043 while signifying their commitment in ensuring a high quality of life for their residents, equal access to opportunities and services, and preservation of its identity as a hub of artistic and cultural expression. To support this vision, the City Government has developed innovative planning tools, such as the Livability Index, which measures the livability of its 128 barangays across dimensions including healthy place, food sources, economic, crime safety, accessibility, mobility, essentials, risk management, civic spaces, and water access.

The city also leveraged digital innovation to improve governance and service delivery through platforms such as Baguio in My Pocket, Baguio VISITA, and the Smart City Command Center. The Digital Twin has further enabled the integration of the Livability Index into local planning processes, including the city’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan to strengthen their evidence-based and data-driven urban management.

With support from UNDP, Baguio City also completed its first Voluntary Local Review (VLR) focusing on nine priority SDGs and subsequently undertook an SDG financing diagnostics that used SDG budget tagging and outcome-based budgeting to strengthen alignment between public finance and sustainable development outcomes. UNDP also supported the city through initiatives such as the Low Carbon Urban Transport System Project and the EU-PH Green Economy Programme and Global Plastic Innovation Programme, which support the city’s transition to circularity through its culturally rooted Pansa-nopen Tayo Circular Economy Framework. The city is also part of the Green and Resilient Cities, which supports advancing integrated, low-carbon, climate-resilient and nature-positive urban development.

To support this work, UNDP seeks the services of a Local Portfolio Development Consultant, who will apply systems thinking, portfolio methodologies, stakeholder engagement, and strategic analysis to help build an integrated sustainable urban transformation portfolio for Baguio City.

Period of assignment/services: 50 person days from November 2026 to March 2027

Proposal should be submitted directly in the portal no later than indicated deadline.

Any request for clarification must be sent in writing via messaging functionality in the portal. UNDP will respond in writing including an explanation of the query without identifying the source of inquiry.

http://supplier.quantum.partneragencies.org  using the profile you may have in the portal. In case you have never registered before, you can register a profile using the registration link shared via the procurement notice and following the instructions in guides available in UNDP website: https://www.undp.org/procurement/business/resources-for-bidders.  Do not create a new profile if you already have one. Use the forgotten password feature in case you do not remember the password or the username from previous registration.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP:  we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. 

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Women, individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.