Arrondo
Maite
Validated Lead Expert
Generic Skills
B.1. Understanding of integrated and sustainable urban development:
I have worked as Project Assistant for a European Consultancy providing design, implementation and justification support in project management for Municipalities. Most of these projects were related with youth, gender, social exclusion, ethnic minorities and employment and presented to different EU calls. I have also worked as a civil servant for several years and this experience has provided me with a strong insight of the challenges and opportunities of local public bodies.
After specializing in housing, I have worked as Mentor in Project Management for Youth-led NGOs in developing countries for UN Habitat and collaborated in peer exchange projects with several international organizations like FEANTSA or World Habitat. I have also collaborated with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing in the elaboration “The Role of Local and Subnational Governments with respect to the Right to Adequate Housing” Report.
I am currently working for Barcelona Municipality as a Freelance. At this role, I support both; the participation of Barcelona Municipality in EU projects and promoting the participation in formal and informal Networks and forums related with housing policies and social rights. A key element of this work is working collaboratively inside and outside the organization with a wide range of stakeholders and partners while balancing contrastin
B.2. Understanding of exchange and learning processes at transnational level:
It was as a volunteer in Amnesty International where I first participated in international exchange and learning processes. While I was studying Political Science and Public Administration at University, I was elected Youth Delegate of the Spanish Section. In that position I participated in several International Meetings and Assemblies and collaborated in the drafting of the “International Youth Strategy” which was later on implemented in Spain very successfully under my mandate. This experience was an extraordinary experience of great value afterwards in my professional career.
As a European Project Consultant and Mentor at the “Urban Youth Fund” of UN Habitat I expanded my expertise in exchange and learning processes at transnational level with a broader range of stakeholders, mainly Local Administrations. Besides, I have also collaborated with several projects focused on social rights and international peer exchanges participating in Policy Conferences and Workshops of FEANTSA, with the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing or World Habitat.
I am a passionate about peer exchange and mutual learning.
B.3. Proficiency in English:
Full proficiency. I studied in English as an Erasmus Student in Aarhus Universiteit (Denmark) and afterwards at Maastricht University (The Netherlands) during my Master in Human Rights and Democratization. Furthermore, I wrote my Master Thesis in English on the implementation strategies of the right to adequate housing. Since then, I have lived in different foreign countries were English was my main language of communication and this language has become as well my main working language.
Expertise for the design and delivery of transnational exchange and learning activities:
Summary Expertise for the design and delivery of transnational exchange and learning activities:
Local level has often been described as the best Policy Lab where innovation can be tested and disruptive and participatory approaches can be applied. I have a true passion for this sort of transnational exchanges where the gap between policy design and implementation is much closer, participation is much easier and technician are usually more aware of their impact. I have contributed to the design and delivery of transnational exchange projects and learning activities in a wide array of projects, from EU projects and Networks such as Eurocities, FEANTSA or at UN Habitat. In these I have worked with all types of stakeholders, including public sector, governments, private organizations, SMEs, Universities and research organizations.
Thematic expertise:
Theme / Policy:
Local Governance
Theme / Policy:
Sustainable Housing
Summary Thematic expertise:
I have a strong educational background and professional expertise in this area. I studied two Masters, one in Political Science and Public Administration and another one on Human Rights and Democratization, writing my Master Thesis on the” Right to Adequate Housing: Between International, State and Sub- national Strategies” throughout a comparative analysis. I collaborated with the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing of the United Nations and with different Networks like the Housing Solutions Platform, the European Federation of Living, Housing Europe, FEANTSA or UN Habitat and also research Networks like the European Network of Housing Research. I have been working as a Consultant for the last few years for several municipalities supporting their participation on European Networks and projects on innovation in Housing Policies. Notably, for Barcelona Municipality.
Theme/Policy: Active Inclusion of Target Groups
Theme / Policy:
Active Inclusion of Target Groups
Summary Thematic expertise:
I have a strong educational background and professional expertise in this area. I studied two Masters, one in Political Science and Public Administration and another one on Human Rights and Democratization, writing my Master Thesis on the” Right to Adequate Housing: Between International, State and Sub- national Strategies” throughout a comparative analysis. I collaborated with the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing of the United Nations and with different Networks like the Housing Solutions Platform, the European Federation of Living, Housing Europe, FEANTSA or UN Habitat and also research Networks like the European Network of Housing Research. Housing has become a main driver of social exclusion and combined services like social services, employment or education with housing initiatives are essential. I have been working as a Consultant for the last few years for several municipalities supporting their participation on European Networks and projects on innovation in Housing Policies.
Expertise support to local authorities and other stakeholders in designing & delivering integrated and participatory policies
E.1. Knowledge on participatory methods and tools for co-production and implementation of local polices :
I have a solid knowledge of participatory methods and tools for co-production and implementation of local policies. I have a strong experience in designing and implement project related with innovation that connect areas at local levels which usually do not work together. Equallly to put to work together different stakeholders form civil servants, private sector or civil society organizations is always extraordinary and reinforces greatly the best development of the project. I have also experience in training to provide different stakeholders with basic knowledge and tools on gender in urban planning so that they would be able to consider how gender might be relevant into their activities, giving place to tangible results. Project like the “Janes Jacobs Walks” in Pamplona with Colectivo Urbanas that we are currently expanding to other cities, or the “Smart Food City” to elaborate a list of improvement and ideas for the food policies or the youth homelessness Strategy at local level are some examples of this.
E.2. Knowledge on integrated approach for the design, delivering, monitoring and evaluation of urban strategies/policies:
For example, at the Housing Working Group we celebrated Conference, site visit and follow up activities related with “Rent Stabilization measures” and equally on “Touristization and big operation: alternatives to address growing gentrification in big cities”. Both cases were particularly complex and we manage to first set a common ground or detailed picture of the situation each city was phasing, secondly to compare and find best practices going on in cities like London, Amsterdam, Barcelona or Paris” and secondly to follow up about this practices, learning what has been working well or not, why and try to design evidence based policies with accurate data. This work is still ongoing and started in 2017.
E.3. Awareness of the main policy and funding schemes for sustainable urban development at EU and national level:
I am familiar with many of funding schemes for sustainable urban development both at EU and national level. Especially in the field of innovation at local level. I keep updated of this trends through different sources and occasionally enrolling in e-courses like the current one I am about to finish titled “Make the most of EU resources for your region or city” organized by the Committee of the Regions, European Investment Bank, European Commission and Eurostat. Besides, I the other Networks I belong or participate in like Eurocities or European Network on Housing Research use to keep me updated in the field.
E.4. Ability to understand specific local situations and adapt tools and content to different local realities:
For most of my professional carer I have been working on EU project having Municipalities as main partners, this has provided me with a wide experience in their contexts, limitation, opportunities and challenges. Besides, having had experience as civil servant has also provided me with an insight about the constraints and dynamics of public administration. From a professional point of view, I have a great empathy at the tame of understanding the perspective of local technicians and civil servants.
Informations
Residence location:
Spain
Languages:
Spanish - Mother tongue
Foreign languages:
Email:
maitearrondoconsulting@gmail.com