UNDP Jobs - 73703- Individual consultancy

Individual consultancy - Regional consultant

Location :

Beirut, LEBANON

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

09-Aug-17 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

10 days.

Languages Required :

Arabic English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

10 days.

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

In partnership with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), the project of Trade and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aims to provide a contextualized understanding of the potential of contribution of trade to sustainable and inclusive growth in the Arab region. It aims to develop a conceptual and analytical framework, as well as a monitoring mechanism that includes pertinent indicators to measure progress and identifies challenges.
The project has been designed based on the appreciation that trade is an effective instrument for promoting citizens’ well-being, while tightening economic linkages among economies for more businesses opportunities and employment. This calls for equality and sustainability of policies and operational measures in securing access to assets, capitals, and international trade to promote inclusive growth for all social groups.
Trade and regional economic integration, the promotion of regional economic linkages, and active engagement into global production and value chains, will be essential to achieve the SDGs. Within the project’s objectives, a Trade and SDGs Working Group will engage in a structured discussion to identify these linkages in mainstreaming trade for development while taking into account mandates by Arab Leaders at their 3rd and 4th Socioeconomic Summits in 2013 and 2015 respectively. Such informed discussion shall take into consideration continuous efforts and rising challenges of progressing economic cooperation in the region.
Despite many challenges, in 2015 and 2016, Arab countries made substantial progress in deepening regional economic integration, such as through the conclusion of the Beirut Round of negotiations in trade in services, adoption of several measures by ECOSOC in the design of Arab Customs Union as well as upgrading performance of the current PAFTA. These have been supported by works and contribution of the technical teams of UNDP and other international and regional stakeholders in factoring trade as an element of cooperation and policy coordination beyond the traditional understanding.
With this in mind, the project aims to achieve the following objectives:
1. Objective 1: Enhance analytical understanding and monitoring capacity on the linkages between trade and SDGs in the Arab region context.
2. Objective 2: Facilitate working-level exchange on trade and SDGs that would feed into an evidence-based policy dialogue and debate at the regional level.
It is also expected that the project helps to identify major baselines and potential indicators to support monitoring process of realization of SDGs in the region, with trade and trade-related measures. The envisaged activities will look into how to mainstream trade for development and to adopt modalities of monitoring the progress of implementation of related measures at national and regional level. These will also serve to collect and guide strategic thoughts and suggestions from high-level policy makers, researchers, academicians, and practitioners on the next steps to deepen Arab economic integration. The work to be produced by the project are expected to help mainstreaming trade for Arab countries in the relevant efforts to monitor and implement the SDGs.

Duties and Responsibilities

In the process of preparations for the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development, extensive international literature was produced to look into the role of trade to achieve the 17 SDGs. Some of these has yet to be contextualized for the Arab region; only few materials have analyzed development dimensions within the framework of modernization of trade and trade-related policies. Trade liberalization and facilitation continue to be the main focus of strengthening regional linkages – one of key targets of the new strategy of Sida in support the stability and regional collaboration. In effect, it is expected that trade in services, in particular, would have a larger impact on countries’ economic performance, their inclusion in global value
chains, and economic diversification. That may result from the recently concluded negotiations of the Arab Agreement of liberalization of trade in services. The activity being targeted of the assignment forms part of the adopted Work Plan of implementation of the project of Trade and SDGs in Arab countries with priority given to development of a framework of monitoring the effects/impacts of trade in relation to the SDGs. Essentially, it looks into design of quantitative and qualitative indicators that serve as benchmarks of assessment for the regional strategy by Sida.
The expert is expected to draft indicators, based on the previous analysis conducted by the UNDP in the identification of technical directions in the indicator design. This analysis provided provides a conceptual framework, which identifies the channels through which trade and trade policy affect the 17 SDGs, and inter-linkages between intra-Arab trade, the SIDA strategy in the context of PAFTA. This conceptual framework is complemented by a set of trade topics, designed to guide Arab policymakers in prioritizing competitiveness-enhancing policy change, and will be followed with the second paper that will be included a series of illustrative indicators, geared towards identifying the impact of trade and trade policy on the 17 SDGs within the PAFTA.
From various sources of information, including findings of the said analysis, these indicators, once designed could be used to assess the relevance and responsiveness of the application of Sida strategy during the period of 2016 to 2020, particularly in Arab cooperation programme in tightening economic linkages.
The expert is expected to develop specific indicators (quantitative and qualitative), guided by the identified SDGs targets that trade contributes in its achievement and improvement of linkages link between trade and SDGs in the Arab region. These must serve to highlight the relevance and responsiveness of key directions of the 2016-2020 Sida strategies in the light of the 2030 development agenda. These also serve to develop a monitoring system of the effects/impacts of trade in relation to SDGs at the Arab region. In this analysis, a focus should be on indicators of regional dimension as concerning trade liberalization and facilitation, and those for trade in services.
More specifically benchmarking and the development of indicators may follow the below methodology, among others:
Define the baselines for individual targets and values as guided by global indicators by SDGs, directly or indirectly related to trade (goods and services) toward a more meaningful contribution by trade and trade-related activities in achieving SDGs. Services trade should be defined as commitments made under the Agreement of Liberalization of trade in services and similar instruments within the WTO framework.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:
• Excellent writing, editing, and oral communication skills in English and Arabic;
Corporate
• Demonstrates integrity and fairness, by modeling the UN/UNDP’s values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission and strategic goals of UNDP;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.
Functional
• Background knowledge about the SDGs, United Nations and UNDP;
• Strong analytical and synthesis skills;
• Ability to work independently and achieve quality results with limited supervision and within tight schedules;
• Strong quantitative and qualitative research skills;
• Ability to write in a clear and concise manner;
• Good teamwork and interpersonal skills;
• Flexibility and ability to handle multiple tasks and work under pressure;
• Excellent computer skills especially Word, Excel and Power Point.
Leadership
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically and to provide credible leadership;
• Demonstrated intellectual leadership and ability to integrate knowledge with broader strategic overview and corporate vision;
• Demonstrated flexibility in leadership by performing and/or overseeing the analysis/resolution of complex issues;
• Ability to conceptualize and convey strategic vision from the spectrum of development experience.
Managing Relationships
• Demonstrated well developed people management and organizational management skills;
• Excellent negotiating and networking skills with strong partnerships in academia, technical organizations and as a recognized expert in the practice area.
Managing Complexity
• Ability to address global development issues;
• Demonstrated substantive leadership and ability to integrate knowledge with broader strategic, policy and operational objectives.
Knowledge Management and Learning
• Ability to strongly promote and build knowledge products;
• Promotes knowledge management in UNDP and a learning environment in the office through leadership and personal example;
• Seeks and applies knowledge, information and best practices from within and outside of UNDP;
• Provides constructive coaching and feedback;
• Demonstrates a strong capacity for innovation and creativity in providing strategic policy advice and direction.
Judgment/Decision-Making
• Mature judgment and initiative;
• Proven ability to provide strategic direction to the project implementation process;
• Independent judgment and discretion in advising on handling major policy issues and challenges, uses diplomacy and tact to achieve result.

Corporate Competencies:

Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
Treats all people fairly without favoritism;
Fulfills all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment.

Kindly refer to the Individual Consultant Procurement Notice and all related Annexes by visiting the below link:

http://www.lb.undp.org/content/lebanon/en/home/operations/procurement/

Please make sure to submit all the requested documents/information; otherwise, your application will be considered incomplete

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualifications:

Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent in Economics, Social Sciences, International Relations, Politi-cal Sciences, Development Studies or related field.

Years of experience:

5 years of relevant work experience.

Technical experience:

Years of Expertise and proven track record in trade policy formulation, public-private dia-logue, and mainstreaming trade for development;
Ability to meet deadlines and prioritize multiple tasks.

How to Apply:

1. Read the additional information and annexes on teh UNDP lebanon website at http://www.lb.undp.org/content/lebanon/en/home/operations/procurement/

2. The consultancy is open for all international consultants who meet the selection criteria and propose a competitive fee. Interested consultants are requested to apply only through this UNDP jobs portal.

Submissions through any other media will not be considered.

The application must include the P11, technical proposal, Annex 3 (Offerors Letter) and the financial proposal in one single document and uploaded as word or PDF file to the UNDP job site.

Incomplete applications will not be considered.