OVERVIEW

Parent Sector : Field Office

Duty Station: Lao People's Democratic Republic (the)

Job Family: Social and Human Sciences

Type of contract : Non Staff

Duration of contract : From 1 to 6 months

Recruitment open to : External candidates

Application Deadline (Midnight Bangkok Time) : 14 OCT 2024

UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism

OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

The Lead Expert will deploy the UNESCO AI Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) in Lao PDR. This assignment involves providing expert advice on national AI strategies, analyzing technical, legal, and social issues, and offering practical solutions for AI governance. The expert will contribute to the adaptation of existing methodologies to meet the specific needs of Lao PDR and work closely with multidisciplinary national stakeholders to ensure the successful delivery of a policy-oriented country report based on evidence from the RAM. The role includes facilitating consultations, preparing diagnostic reports, and making recommendations for the ethical governance of AI, guided by UNESCO's Recommendation on the Ethics of AI.

This post is focused on ensuring the successful implementation of UNESCO’s AI RAM by contributing expertise, conducting analyses, and coordinating with national and international stakeholders to align AI governance with international standards and local needs.

1. BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:

In November 2021, 193 Member States of UNESCO adopted the Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence. This global standard aims to leverage the positive impact of AI while addressing its inherent risks. Countries around the world are now in the process of implementing the Recommendation, with UNESCO supporting them through various capacity-building efforts. UNESCO is partnering with McGovern Foundation with Innovative Tools initiative, to assist UNESCO’s Member States in implementing UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (UNESCO Recommendation) by deploying the Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM).

Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM)

A critical initial stage in the implementation of the Recommendation is the deployment of RAM, as mandated by the Recommendation, to assist Member States in identifying their status at specific moments of their readiness trajectory along a continuum of dimensions (legal/regulatory, social/cultural, technical/infrastructural, economic and scientific/educational).

The RAM is a macro level instrument that will help countries understand where they stand on the scale of preparedness to implement AI ethically and responsibly for all their citizens, highlighting what institutional and regulatory changes will be needed. Furthermore, the output of the RAM will also help UNESCO tailor the policy reform and institutional capacity building efforts to the needs of different countries. This will ensure that the country has in place human capacity, policies, and regulations to address the challenges brought by AI such as reinforcing traditional biases and ensure that people and their interest are always at the centre of AI development.
 

UNESCO is seeking qualified experts to manage the implementation of the activity in Lao PDR, including all research and analytical components, and to lead the preparation of a policy-oriented country report. This report will build on the results derived from UNESCO’s AI Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) and reflect the outcomes of the multi-stakeholder national consultations to be organized in the framework of this report. The aim of the report will be to inform the country’s comprehensive national AI strategy and to provide an evidence-based framework on the ethical governance of AI, with short-and long-term priorities identified, and using the Recommendation on the Ethics of AI as a blueprint.

The Lead Expert will work under the under the authority of the Regional Director of the UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok, and under the direct supervision of the Regional Advisor for Social and Human Sciences, and in coordination of the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence Unit within the Social and Human Sciences Sector.

Candidates may team up to submit their joint applications for this consultancy. UNESCO will contract one expert (the lead expert).
 

2. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

SCOPE OF WORK

The aim of this consultancy is to lead the development of research and analytical outputs towards the production of a policy-oriented country report. The Report will be based on the evidence gained through the deployment of UNESCO’s AI Readiness Assessment Methodology and the key outcomes of the broad national consultations. More specifically, the lead expert will be responsible for:

• Facilitating the work of a multidisciplinary national steering committee that will oversee the deployment of the RAM from the government’s side, notably from the Ministry of Communication and Technology.
• Conducting the RAM questionnaire, to gain in-depth understanding of the potential for AI development, the state of the art in the country in terms of institutional and regulatory readiness, as well as the regulatory and institutional gaps to be filled to transform the potential into action. This should include identification of the key stakeholders to be engaged for data collection purposes.
• Preparing diagnostic report based on the outcomes of the RAM exercise. To this end, lead in data collection, data curation and analysis, ensuring a high level of quality. Where relevant and necessary, articulate regional and/or comparative perspectives and analysis for the purposes of cross-learning and exchange of good practices.

Long Description

• Coordinating broad-based multistakeholder national consultations to present the results of the readiness assessment and to facilitate discussions leading to the identification of needs, concerns, and policy priorities for government, civil society, academia and the private sector.
• Drafting the final policy-oriented country report presenting the findings of the RAM questionnaire, to inform the national AI strategy. Depending on the country context, this report may be complementary to the existing national AI strategy or serve as the blueprint for establishing such a strategy/roadmap where one does not exist or updating it, and will feature recommendations concerning the regulatory and other policy reforms, institutional design, and capacity-building programmes needed for effective and responsible governance of AI in the country, based on the short- and long-term priorities identified, and using the Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence as an overall framework. The report should follow the format which will be provided by UNESCO, and should include qualitative and quantitative information, relevant data visualizations, examples of good practices, highlights, etc.
   

• Participating in the high-level National Forum on AI to showcase the outcome of the project, which will be organized by UNESCO.
• Ensuring overall coordination with the UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok, the national stakeholders, and other relevant stakeholders involved throughout the RAM processes, including ensuring alignment of project outcomes with broader national and international objectives on AI governance.

Location and Travel:

•    The lead expert is expected to be based in Lao PDR for the full engagement in the national processes.
•    The expert may be required to travel on mission directly related to projects and implementation during the assignment. The Specialist should travel economy class and received DSA at the standard rate (and which should be reduced, as necessary, when the number of days of DSA exceeds the limits stipulated in the table of rates published by ICSC). DSA is only payable to individuals carrying out assignments away from their usual place of residence or work. The Specialist is expected to make her/his own travel arrangements and should be provided with a lump sum to cover travel-related expenses in accordance with UNESCO rules and regulations.  Travel-related expenses (e.g. the cost of tickets, terminal fares and DSA) must be fixed and agreed between the parties.
 

3.TIMETABLE AND DELIVERABLES:

Deliverables
No.    Deliverable(s)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Timeline
1        Regulatory and policy mapping and landscape review, following UNESCO’s AI Readiness Assessment Methodology                                                                      By the end of 2nd Month:
2        Draft report on the key outputs from the multistakeholder national consultations.                                                                                                                                By the end of 4th Month:
3        Final Deliverable: Policy-oriented Country Report with key recommendations on policies/approaches needed in the country on the ethical governance of AI.        By the end of 6th Month:
Timeframe
From: 1 November 2024    To: 30 April 2025   

COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial)

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REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION

 •  Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in governance of artificial intelligence, ethical and social implications of artificial intelligence or digital technologies, law and technology, or other related fields.

WORK EXPERIENCE  

•  A minimum of seven years of professional experience on the ethical, legal, social and governance issues of artificial intelligence and/or related digital technologies, at national and/or international level. Experiences with the relevant government agency in Lao PDR is a plus.
•    Proven experience in conducting research and analysis and/or implementing programmes/projects on the ethical, legal, social and governance issues of artificial intelligence and related digital technologies, as well as standards related to these issues. 
•    Experiences in producing policy- oriented report or recommendations are strongly desirable.
 

SKILLS/COMPETENCIES

1.    Strong analytical skills with a very good understanding of the ethical, legal, social and governance issues of artificial intelligence and related digital technologies.
2.    Excellent knowledge about the dynamics of governance of AI in the implementing country, including policies, legislative and regulatory frameworks, institutional mechanisms, organizational structures
and processes, and initiatives by different stakeholders in this field.
3.    Experiences in undertaking policy review and assessments both qualitatively and quantitatively on topics related to governance of AI or related digital technologies.
4.    Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with proven ability to draft clearly and concisely and to produce high quality policy-oriented analysis and synthesis documents.

Languages
•    Fluency in English (both oral and written) is required.
 

APPLICATION PROCESS

APPLICATION PROCESS

Interested candidates should click on “Apply Now”, then download and complete the Employment History form (Word file). At the end of the Word file, refer the extra pages with the following required information, and send these attachments via e-mail: shs.bgk@unesco.org

I.    Technical Proposal consisting of:
•    An updated Curriculum Vitae (CV) and a cover letter indicating how your qualifications and experience make you suitable for the assignment. 
•    Approach and methodology for carrying out the assignment (maximum 1-2 pages, A4 pages)
•    A workplan with proposed timeframe to achieve the tasks
•    A list of associated experts (if applicable) who will contribute to specific aspects of the assignment, and comments on the Terms of Reference, if any (in brief), 
II.    Financial proposals:
•    The proposed daily or monthly rates or the amount/budget to be charged for the assignment, which should be quoted in US dollars only. Please show any travel costs separately. 
Your proposal and any supporting documents must be in English.
 

Assessment
•    Only applications providing the information requested in the application procedure will be considered.
•    Evaluation of qualified applicants may include an assessment exercise and a competency-based interview. Your proposal and any supporting documents must be in English.
Note:
•    Due to the large number of applications we receive, we are able to inform only the successful candidate(s) about the outcome or status of the selection process.
•    Please submit your application through SuccessFactors. Only if you are unable to attach requirements in system, please inform us at hr.bgk@unesco.org.
UNESCO places great emphasis on ensuring that the objectives of the work assignment, as described in the Terms of Reference, are met. Accordingly, in evaluating the proposals for the assignment, attention will focus first and foremost on the technical elements. From those proposals deemed suitable in terms of the criteria in the Terms of Reference, UNESCO shall select the proposal that offers the Organisation the best value for money.

SELECTION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS

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