Current interest in improving the sector performance and accountability has led to various efforts of building the institutional and functional capability of public and private sector agencies and institutions in cities. Instead of simply increasing the budget of external support on job and tasks, the sustained efforts focus on making changes within the agency coupled with an integrated capacity building program. This often means developing staff skills and knowledge in management and planning through sustained and integrated efforts and institutional arrangements for capacity building addressing not only the demand – supply-side but also supporting short and long term institutional environment to sustain the change.
The Urban Unit is an innovative institutional arrangement with focus on technical and professional capacities in the urban sector to support government, public/private sector institutions and government officials to develop their capacity and provide support in core urban functions of management, innovation, technological development and business and institutional solutions. These core areas of services include Urban Planning, Urban Transport, Solid Waste Management, Urban Water and Sanitation, GIS & Spatial Planning, Communications and Municipal Finance. The Unit also possesses a wide range of operational infrastructure including state-of-the-art offices, mobile and indoor GIS Labs, IT labs and surveying and research units equipped with a variety of high-tech equipment.
