UNDP Jobs - 74011- Regional expert for the Background Note on Private

Regional expert for the Background Note on Private Sector E-commerce, Digital Trade Innovations and FinTech for greater Internationalization of SMEs.

Location :

Home based

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

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

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

10 days from contract signature date.

Languages Required :

Arabic English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

10 days from contract signature date.

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 achieved progress and identifies challenges.
The project has been designed based on the appreciation that trade is an effective instrument for promoting citizens’ well-being and 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 works 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

This background note is intended to determine how new models of trade finance can contribute to closing trade finance gaps that small and medium sized (SMEs) frequently face, which hinders particularly new opportunities through e-commerce. SMEs have great potential of internationalization to the realization of targets by the SDGs. In this brief analysis, the focus will be on the acquisition of updates and new practices by innovative start-ups and the private sector in making financial resources available to fund new projects. It may also highlight the requirements of any public policy either at the national, regional and international level, in the promotion of the digitalization of financing transactions complementing the conventional practices and standards in the banking sector.
Furthermore, the digital economy provides great opportunities for international trade through trade creation, greater efficiency, and improved market access. As discussed in the first meeting of the Working Group on Trade and SDGs, e-commerce and digital economy has high potential of creating jobs and opportunities, including self-employment for Arab people and millions of young and qualified workers. In particular, that may enable women to take more active engagement in support to their families and contributing value added to the society.
While acknowledging the importance and opportunities of inclusive and sustained growth of digital trade in the Arab region, the technological shift, and digital services flow, precise implications on economic structure, benefits and policy requirements need to be determined for the best involvement of the private sector – in line with inclusiveness and sustainability agenda with active contribution of economic actors. Changes and opportunities from the digital economic structure may be researched in the light of practical applications by businesses and industries. Since green value chains and trade in agriculture have been considered in the discussions, practical initiatives can be considered to connect digital start-ups with farmers for greater integration in value chains. Research should be done on how to benefit from digital platforms in the agricultural market, especially transparency and access of information, prices and data when it comes to regional agricultural value chains.
At the same time, from empirical experiences by entrepreneurs in the region, the background note should provide detailed understanding of challenges start-ups encounter and current market conditions for FinTech solutions to secure access to finance. Technological transformations enable existing online platforms to participate more equally in financing economic activities. Specifically, technological change demands more updates to current practices in the banking sector and it is not always the case. The emerging FinTech industry creates new products that are make financing more accessible to SMEs through adoption of new products, such as peer-to-peer lending, crowd-funding platforms for greater financing options.
Changes and opportunities from the digital economic structure may also be researched with a view to understand how it forms part of new business dynamics, particularly in leveraging on the value of timely information as related to market information. Furthermore, research should be done on how local communities and private sector to benefit from these digital platform in trade of agricultural products and from streamlining the flows of goods so these can reach the market in timely manner.
It is strongly believed that digital economy and specific applications, like FinTech, create more value added and generate new business opportunities. Dynamics of startups could be promoted with more available tools and support, particularly provision of financial resources to deal with any gap in the financing scheme.
Certainly, FinTech brings about new opportunities for international trade through securing access to financial resources and that addresses one of major concerns of the business community in coming up with new investment and works in new value-added. Since FinTech will be of significant help to start-ups, it could play a more active role in promoting engagement of women into the labor market while giving adequate attention to their families and contributing to the growth of local economy. Such potential
should be further explored, and expectedly, it might give a clear notion of precise implications on economic structure, benefits and policy requirements from the best involvement of the private sector.
After presenting a detailed outline that describes the proposed approach, the trade expert is expected to submit a 20-page draft paper (maximum) with reference to pertinent available statistics of recent years, and ways towards the SDGs framework in the matter. Subsequently, the expert is responsible of producing a final version of the paper by incorporating feedback received by the Working Group and UNDP.
The paper should be properly referenced using the Harvard system or other academic conventions and the expert is expected to respond to comments of peer reviews and collaborate with the web editor.
For additional information, please refer to ANNEX I – Terms of Reference

Competencies

Functional Competencies:
Language proficiency in both written and oral English and Arabic is required;
o 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.
o 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.
o 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.
o 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.
o Managing Complexity
• Ability to address global development issues;
• Demonstrated substantive leadership and ability to integrate knowledge with broader strategic, policy and operational objectives.
o 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.
o 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.

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualifications:

Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent in Economics, Social Sciences, International Relations, Political Sciences, Development Studies or related field;

Years of experience:

5 years of relevant work expertise

Technical experience:

Proven track record in applications of e-Commerce and FinTech, public-private dialogue, and mainstreaming trade for development;
Understanding of Sustainable Development Goals is desirable;
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, in one single document and uploaded as word or PDF file to the UNDP job site.