Housing, Land and Property (HLP) Coordinator, Gaza

General

Description of assignment title: Housing, Land and Property (HLP) Coordinator

Assignment country: State of Palestine

Duty stations: Gaza

Work location: On UN premises

Expected start date: 11/23/2026

Duration: 6 months (with possibility of extension)

Sustainable Development Goal: 11. Sustainable cities and communities

Host entity: UNDP PAPP

Modality: Onsite

Type: National

Volunteer category: Specialist UCoS from Apr2026

Work schedule: Full-time

Number of Assignments: 1

Details

Mission and objectives

UNDP’s Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People (PAPP) derives its mandate from the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 33/147 of 20 December 1978. Called upon by United Nations Member States in that year, UNDP was requested “to improve the economic and social conditions of the Palestinian people by identifying their social and economic needs and by establishing concrete projects to that end”. UNDP/PAPP is a responsive development agency that works together with the Palestinian people to fulfil their aspiration for sustainable human development based on self-determination, equality and freedom.

Context

This United Nations Volunteers (UNV) assignment is embedded within UNDP’s Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People (UNDP/PAPP) Governance Programme and forms part of the Norway-UNDP Strategic Partnership "Triple R: Response – Recovery – Resilience, and Institution Building". Under its Governance Portfolio, UNDP/PAPP implements interventions to strengthen the rule of law, access to justice and institutional capacity in fragile and conflict-affected settings.

In Gaza, widespread destruction, displacement and complex land tenure arrangements have significantly increased Housing, Land and Property (HLP) challenges, leaving many HLP claims unresolved. Addressing HLP issues is critical for enabling safe return and reconstruction, preventing disputes and social tensions, and supporting stabilization and durable solutions. HLP coordination is a direct enabler of the stabilization mechanisms in Gaza: securing documentation, establishing alternative dispute resolution (ADR) pathways and strengthening the Land Authority are essential to create the conditions for stabilization. Sustaining this coordination function is therefore both a delivery necessity and a conflict-sensitivity measure.

The HLP Coordinator will contribute to strengthening governance and the rule of law by addressing HLP-related challenges that affect early recovery, stabilization and social cohesion. The HLP Coordinator will coordinate and develop the broader HLP programme framework with the stakeholders and parties delivering legal aid, ADR, support to courts and Social Tenure Domain Model (STDM) piloting, and will support the launch and delivery of the HLP interventions. Specifically, the role aims to integrate HLP considerations into governance and early recovery programming; enhance legal security of tenure and property rights for affected populations; prevent and mitigate HLP-related disputes; strengthen the capacity of the Land Authority and other relevant institutions in line with rule of law principles and international standards; support evidence-based decision-making; and promote coordination and policy coherence among government entities, UN agencies and civil society.

Under the supervision of the Chief Technical Specialist of Governance Portfolio and the project manager for governance, the HLP Coordinator will provide technical expertise on land tenure, property rights and dispute mitigation, and will coordinate with implementing partners, national and local authorities, UN agencies and community stakeholders to facilitate coherent and effective HLP responses that are inclusive, conflict-sensitive, legally sound and aligned with UNDP standards. Through evidence-based analysis, strategic coordination and operational support, the assignment will contribute to reducing HLP-related risks, enhancing security of tenure, advancing women’s HLP rights, and enabling safe return, reconstruction and sustainable recovery outcomes in Gaza.

Task description

• Coordinate and further develop the broader HLP programme framework with the stakeholders and parties delivering legal aid, alternative dispute resolution (ADR), support to courts and Social Tenure Domain Model (STDM) piloting.
• Coordinate the launch and delivery of the 2027 legal-aid, ADR and court-support interventions, ensuring uninterrupted coordination among implementing partners.
• Provide institutional development support to the Land Authority, strengthening its capacity to manage HLP issues in line with rule of law principles and international standards.
• Provide support on cross-cutting HLP issues, including policy development and research, advancing women’s HLP rights, business and human rights (BHR), and digitalization of HLP records and processes.
• Maintain HLP coordination with stabilization planning in Gaza, ensuring that documentation, ADR pathways and institutional support contribute to the conditions for stabilization and address unresolved HLP claims.
• Prepare an inception report with a detailed workplan, methodology and stakeholder mapping for HLP interventions within the first two weeks of the assignment.
• Conduct an HLP assessment analysing HLP challenges, risks, priority interventions and modalities of cooperation, including mapping of HLP risks, vulnerabilities and priorities to inform evidence-based decision-making.
• Develop an integrated HLP strategy and action plan aligned with the Governance Portfolio, as well as SOPs, technical tools and guidelines for HLP case management, dispute resolution and documentation.
• Provide technical guidance on land tenure, property rights and documentation support to enhance legal security of tenure for affected populations, promoting transparent, accountable, inclusive and conflict-sensitive processes.
• Strengthen the capacity of relevant authorities and partners on HLP issues by developing training materials and delivering capacity-building sessions.
• Contribute to project development, monitoring and reporting, including financial budget breakdowns, monthly progress reports and a final report summarizing achievements, challenges and recommendations.
• Perform any other duties as assigned by the Chief Technical Specialist in support of project objectives.

Eligibility criteria

Age: 18 - 80

Required experience: 3 years

Nationality: Candidate must be a national, legal resident or hold refugee status in the country of assignment.

Assignment requirements

Relevant experience: 4 years

Languages:

• Arabic, Level: Native language, Required
• English, Level: Fluent, Required

Required education level: Bachelor's degree in Law, Urban Planning, Land Administration, Governance, or related field.

Competencies and values:

• Accountability
• Adaptability and flexibility
• Creativity
• Judgement and decision-making
• Planning and organizing
• Professionalism
• Self-management

Skills and experience:

• Minimum 4 years of relevant experience in housing, land and property (HLP), rule of law or land governance;
• Experience in conflict or post-conflict settings, preferably in the State of Palestine (Gaza Strip);
• Proven experience in HLP assessments and programming, legal frameworks and dispute resolution (including legal aid and ADR), and coordination with UN agencies and NGOs;
• Familiarity with land administration institutions and tools (e.g. the Land Authority, STDM) and with women’s HLP rights is an asset;
• Strong coordination, organizational and reporting skills, with proactivity in planning and supporting governance-based projects/programmes;
• Excellent communication, analytical and drafting skills, including proven experience producing technical reports and information products;
• Excellent capability in financial analysis and preparing financial budget breakdowns;
• Excellent stakeholder engagement skills and the ability to work closely and collaboratively with colleagues across project teams;
• Ability to operate independently and communicate effectively remotely in resource-constrained environments, work under pressure and meet tight deadlines;
• Fluency in Arabic and English, both oral and written;
• Solid computer literacy, including proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Excel, Word);
• Have affinity with or interest in governance, volunteerism as a mechanism for durable development, and the UN system.

Area(s) of expertise: Community development, Emergency preparedness, crisis response

Driving license: -

Other information

Volunteerism is understood as a wide range of activities undertaken of free will, for the general public good, for which monetary reward is not the principal motivating factor.

Living conditions and remarks

As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials. A 6-month contract with subsequent contract extensions subject to availability of funding, operational necessity and satisfactory performance. A Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) of ILS 6,726 is provided monthly to cover housing, utilities and normal cost of living expenses. Life, health and permanent disability insurance are included (health insurance for up to 3 dependents), as well as Exit allowance for satisfactory service.

Inclusivity statement

United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme that welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, care protected characteristics. As part of their adherence to the values of UNV, all UN Volunteers commit themselves to combat any form of discrimination, and to promoting respect for human rights and individual dignity, without distinction of a person’s race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

Note on Covid-19 vaccination requirements

Selected candidates for certain occupational groups may be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) in line with the applicable host entity policy

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