The timing and duration of the process to start and prepare a UPAT workshop varies between eight to twelve weeks between the first contact and the start of the UPAT workshop on location anywhere in the world. When ISOCARP and the inviting parties agree on the scope of work, planning, the budget and when a contract has been signed, a Call for Candidates will go out to all members of ISOCARP. Members have three to four weeks to send in their applications and their CVs.
Out of average 30-40 applicants, the Vice President UPATs of ISOCARP and the locale coordinator select the Team Leader, the UPAT Rapporteur who is in charge of the presentation and the report, and two to six senior and young planning professionals. In order to select a strong and balanced international team, the team selection is made on basis of origin, experience, age, gender, capacity and talent of the applicants.
It is important to note that each UPAT is specific, and that adjustments can be made possible in order to achieve the desired tasks and results. With some extra efforts, an Urban Planning Advisory Team can be rapidly activated as a fast response team, as ISOCARP has done for the City of Cancun within weeks after Hurricane Wilma struck the Yucatan Peninsula in 2005. In 2013 an Urban Planning Advisory Team with seven ISOCARP members from Asia, Europe, USA and Australia formed a jury for the international urban design competition for the Shantou New East Coastal Area in southeast China.
If you are interested in the UPAT programme you can contact ISOCARP President Martin Dubbeling at dubbeling@isocarp.org.
ALL ABOUT UPATs – Presentation by Martin Dubbeling