Result of ServiceThe consultant will lead the development of three application manuals covering Safe Road Design practices. Work LocationRemotely Expected duration5.5 months Duties and ResponsibilitiesScope and Objectives Road safety remains a critical issue in North and West Africa, with vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists, disproportionately affected. The United Nations Road Safety Fund (UNRSF)-funded project \"Safe and Inclusive Road Design in North and West Africa\" aims to address this challenge by fostering collaboration, updating road design standards, and promoting inclusivity in transport infrastructure planning across Mauritania, Morocco, and Senegal (the ‘focal countries’). Running from July 2024 to December 2026, this 30-month project will: Assess existing policies, standards, guidelines, and manuals for road design, construction, maintenance, and upgrades in the target countries and the region. Integrate provisions for pedestrians, cyclists, and other vulnerable users (e.g., elderly, disabled, women, children) into road design. Identify gaps between current practices and the UN Global Road Safety Performance Targets 3 & 4 and develop solutions to bridge these gaps. Define the expertise required for proper implementation of updated standards. The intended strategic outcomes of the project are enumerated as follows: Improved road design standards: Focus countries are aware of the road safety gaps in the current road design standards / manuals and have endorsed the recommendations for updates and improvements to reflect international best practices for all road users. Enhanced expertise: Enhanced awareness and skills for application of road safety engineering and audit techniques in line with Global Plan in the target countries Regional impact: Renewed attention in North and West Africa to safe road design and standards as a means to achieving Decade of Action targets. The objective of this assignment, as part of the activities planned for 2026, is to lead the development of three application manuals covering safe road design practices. Duties and Responsibilities The consultant shall support the design & delivery of three application manuals covering safe road design practices, with responsibility for the following tasks: 1. User identification and scoping: Identify and characterize the intended users of each manual (e.g. designers, reviewers, road authorities, contractors, auditors), clarify use cases across the project lifecycle, and define the functional scope and level of prescription of the manuals. 2. Assessment of current national practices: Review and document the current state of practice in each focal country, including applicable design standards, guidelines, procedures, and informal practices, identifying gaps, inconsistencies, and implementation challenges related to safe road design. 3. Review of regional and international best practices: Analyze relevant regional frameworks and international best practices in safe road design (including, where relevant, Safe System principles and vulnerable road user considerations) and assess their applicability to national contexts. 4. Conceptual design and structuring of the manuals: Propose the overall concept, structure, and editorial approach for each manual, including chapter outlines, design logic, use of diagrams and checklists, and links to existing national or regional standards, for validation by the lead agency and stakeholders. 5. Drafting of application manuals: Prepare draft versions of the three application manuals, translating best practices into clear, practical, and context-appropriate guidance, supported by examples, illustrations, and decision-support tools where appropriate. 6. Stakeholder consultation and review meetings: Prepare, support, and participate in structured review meetings or workshops with national and regional stakeholders to present draft manuals, collect technical and institutional feedback, and facilitate consensus-building. 7. Revision, validation, and approval support: Revise the manuals iteratively to reflect stakeholder feedback and comments from the lead agency, supporting the validation and formal approval process until final endorsement is obtained. 8. Finalization and handover: Deliver final, approved versions of the three application manuals in agreed formats, together with any supporting materials (e.g. summary notes, presentation decks, or implementation guidance) to facilitate uptake and use. Qualifications/special skillsMaster’s in Civil Engineering, Transport Engineering, Road Safety Engineering, or a closely related field with a strong focus on road design and applied road safety engineering is required. All candidates must submit a copy of the required educational degree. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. At least 10 years of demonstrated professional experience in road safety engineering and safe road design, including the development and implementation of road design standards, manuals, or operational guidelines, with proven focus on vulnerable road users is required. Proven experience in drafting comprehensive technical guidance or application manuals related to road design, road safety audits, or transport infrastructure, including translating international best practices (e.g. Safe System approach, UN Global Road Safety Performance Targets) into practical, context-appropriate tools for low- and middle-income country settings is required. Demonstrated experience working with governments and multi-stakeholder institutional processes, including acting as technical lead in consultations, workshops, and review processes with road authorities, ministries, consultants, and development partners is required. Experience in Africa and familiarity with regional or national approval and validation processes is required. LanguagesEnglish and French are the working languages of the United Nations secretariat and Arabic is a working language of ESCWA. For this position, Fluency in French is required .Knowledge of English and Arabic is desirable. Knowledge of English is desirable. Additional InformationNot available. No FeeTHE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.