Project Name: RCA 2.0
Project Description:
About the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA)
Established in 1976, NIUA, is a premier Institute of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India for research and capacity building for urban sector in India. NIUA’s broad objective is to bridge the gap between research and practice on issues related to urbanization. For more than 40 years now, NIUA has been the vanguard for contributing to and building the urban narrative for a fast-evolving Urban India. The Institution has been actively working on bringing forth key areas of concern for urban India in order to build the urban discourse at various urban scales. It has utilized its competencies in research, knowledge management, policy advocacy and capacity building to address urban challenges and continuously striving to develop sustainable, inclusive, and productive urban ecosystems in the country. It has emerged as a thought leader and knowledge hub for urban development in India and is sought out by both Indian and International organizations for collaborations and partnerships in India’s urban transforming journey. NIUA is committed towards aligning its efforts towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through all its initiatives and programs.
About NIUA’s Water and Environment Vertical
The Water and Environment vertical at NIUA focuses on creating frameworks, mechanisms, and pathways that enable Indian cities to manage their water and environmental sectors sustainably. Aligned with India’s Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, our efforts are geared towards driving tangible, on-ground change. We collaborate with the Ministry to implement various national Urban Missions and initiatives that impact urban water and environmental management. Additionally, we partner with a wide array of national and international resource organizations with similar goals and mandates.
Our work in urban water and environmental management typically includes:
• Developing national-level strategic frameworks, guidance documents, and advisories to facilitate actionable outcomes across all cities.
• Creating digital tools and instruments to help cities advance their capabilities.
• Conducting action-oriented research on emerging, underexplored topics.
• Supporting the piloting of innovative concepts and technologies through demonstration projects.
• Designing specialized capacity-building modules and certification programs.
Strengthening the River Cities Alliance (Code: RCA 2.0): The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and NIUA established the River Cities Alliance (RCA) with a vision to promote long-term conservation and rejuvenation of urban rivers. RCA provides a platform for river cities in India to gain, share, and exchange knowledge on implementing different aspects of managing urban rivers. It was launched on 25 November 2021 by the Hon’ble Minister for Jal Shakti. In addition to a serving as a knowledge exchange platform, RCA also provides NMCG and NIUA a unique cohort of cities to mentor and handhold so that they can serve as model cities for urban river management. NIUA serves as the Secretariat for RCA and organises five categories of activities for the RCA members—Capacity building of member cities; Networking events for exchange of knowledge among member cities; Demand-driven technical support for member cities; Expanding the knowledge base on different aspects of urban river management; and documenting and disseminating good practices of member cities within the network and beyond.
Job Description:
Core Responsibilities:
- Conduct regular training needs assessments for RCA member cities to identify capacity needs within.
- Devise and support implementation of an annual capacity development plan for RCA member cities.
- To support the mapping and prioritising of services for cities to ensure equitable and efficient expansion of capacity.
- To support the preparation and delivery of process mapping training modules.
- Lead the implementation of the capacity building plan.
- Assist in the development of knowledge products and advisories related to different aspects urban river management.
- Foster a collaborative learning environment by organizing forums, peer exchanges, and partnerships between cities, enabling the sharing of best practices, successful river management strategies, and innovative solutions.
- Serve as focal point in coordinating with RCA member city officials and other stakeholders for strengthening the river-related mechanisms in the cities.
- Support the development of policies and frameworks that institutionalize sustainable urban river management practices, advocating for adequate resources and institutional structures that support the long-term sustainability of capacity-building efforts.
- Lead the creation of a database of relevant knowledge and information of RCA member cities.
- Curate, moderate, and lead individual sessions of key events (e.g. workshops, conferences, review meetings etc.) with RCA member cities as well as other stakeholders.
- Travel to the project cities for on-ground monitoring, reporting, and assistance.
- Carry out any other additional tasks assigned by the Track Lead.
Education Qualifications & Experience
- Masters in Environmental Planning/Management, Environmental Engineering, Water Resources Management, Urban Planning/Management, or related disciplines from a reputed university/institute.
- 8-12 years of relevant professional experience in urban master planning/environmental planning/environmental engineering/infrastructure planning/bio-diversity and ecology conservation etc.
- Demonstrable knowledge about urban water and environment management.
- Experience working with community organizations and other urban stakeholders.
- Experience working with State/City government organizations is highly desirable.
- Experience in coordinating projects and initiatives.
- Excellent writing and communication skills in English. Preference will be given to candidates with oral and written communication skills in Hindi and other regional languages as well.
- Strong inter personnel and co-ordination skills, working independently, and flexibly.
- Willingness to travel to the project locations across India as required.
Nature of employment and duration – This position is offered on a contractual basis, with an initial duration of one year. The contract may be renewed based on the candidate’s performance.
No of Positions: 1
End Date: 19th Mar 2025
Job Description pdf: Capacity Building Lead_RCA2.0.pdf
