Sustainable Development Monitoring Assistant

Details

Mission and objectives

The ESCAP Subregional Office for the Pacific - formerly known as ESCAP Pacific Operations Centre (EPOC) - was established in 1984 in Port Vila by combining the Pacific Liaison Office's operations based in Nauru and the United Nations Development Advisory Team based in Fiji. The office was relocated to Suva in 2005 to enable more effective collaboration with regional partners. The Office’s guiding mission is to support Pacific island developing countries in their efforts to attain the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and implement the Small Island Developing States Accelerated Modalities of Action (S.A.M.O.A. Pathway). The ESCAP Subregional Office for the Pacific covers Australia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Nauru, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu, as well as American Samoa, the Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Guam, New Caledonia, Niue and the Northern Mariana Islands as associate members. Priority concerns of Pacific countries are brought to the Commission's attention through The Special Body on Least Developed, Landlocked Developing and Pacific Island Developing Countries. Issues considered at recent Special Body sessions include employment, sustainable development, urban management and tourism. It focuses on the following priority areas, as mandated by the ESCAP Commission: National Planning and Policy Coherence 2030 Agenda and SAMOA Pathway Social Inclusion and Equality Climate Action and Resources Management Data and Statistics

Context

Countries throughout the Pacific are required to monitor and report progress against a series of global and regional initiatives, whilst ensuring focus remains on their own national priorities with respect to sustainable development. As such, the role of National Statistical Systems (NSS) in identifying the most appropriate approach to prioritizing reporting needs (and thus data) is a complex and challenging one. Understanding the data landscape within their own countries, and reviewing the way business is done to identify and produce priority information is crucial to maximise the limited resources (staffing and financial) within the NSS. The project the UN Volunteer will support will be assisting countries enhance and better understand reporting requirements both globally, regionally and nationally, simplifying the manner in which information is prioritized and thus collected. Work will cover both countries from Micronesia (focus) but also the rest of the Pacific. Priority will be given to supporting Pacific countries that wish to adopt the ESCAP National SDG Tracker tool, a tool designed to support countries report progress against the SDGs, with a strong National focus.

Task description

Under the direct supervision of Mr Chris Ryan, ESCAP Pacific Office (EPO) Statistician, the UN Volunteer will be required to undertake the following tasks: • Support countries to review their data demands, including identifying all global, regional and national indicator frameworks of relevance to their reporting requirements. • Assist member States to develop National Sustainable Development Indicator Sets which address national priorities and incorporate relevant indicators from global and regional frameworks; • Support the design and implementation of statistical capacity development initiatives in the Pacific sub-region, especially with respect to developing National Sustainable Development Indicator Sets; • Under the guidance of the Head of Office and Deputy Head & Senior Economic Affairs Officer, support other areas of work pertaining to the interest of the successful candidate. Also includes support to the organization of and prepare technical documents for international, intergovernmental, expert group meetings, working groups, seminars and workshops and assist in drafting relevant reports.