Defining the Concept of Emergence for East African Countries

This project shall have 4 main deliverables:
1. Inception report, defining the methodology for this assignment
2. Research Paper on the concept of emergence and the proposed indicators for measuring emergence,
3. Four reports on each of the four East African countries which include the state of play in terms of emergence in each of the countries, the strengths and weaknesses, prospect of emergence, and recommendations
4. Comparative report of East Africa’s performance in terms of emergence

Home based with Travels

3 months

PROJECT BACKGROUND:

For more than a decade, several African countries have set themselves the goal of becoming emerging economies in the near future. Yet, the concept of “emergence” is rarely defined in policy documents, making it difficult to monitor and evaluate the achievement of this goal.

In economic literature, emerging countries are defined as the most dynamic developing countries which are integrated in the world economy. In this perspective, therefore, “emergence” as a goal, is relevant to any country wishing to accelerate its progress towards comprehensive development.

Nevertheless, it is important to define “emergence” properly in order to enable public authorities to optimize on their strategy for a structural transformation of their economies. Precise indicators need to be developed to measure progress, as well as to identify the challenges hindering the countries from achieving the desired goal. In East Africa, the notion of emergence is relevant in view of the ambitious development programmes being implemented in the various countries of the region.

The main objective of this technical assistance is to clearly define the concept of “emergence”, to propose indicators for monitoring it, and to assess the performance of some East African countries in the area of emergence. For this purpose, the following countries will be studied: Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya.


DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The tasks will be carried out under the supervision of the Director of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa’s Sub-Regional Office for East Africa (UNECA SRO-EA).

In order to achieve the overall objective, the work of the consultant will consist of the following:

a. Submit an inception report setting out the approach to be adopted and the timetable for carrying out the study.
b. Write a 10-pages research paper on the concept of emergence and its measurement.
c. Produce a 15-20 pages assessment report on each of the four countries selected, indicating the performance achieved, challenges, the prospects for emergence, and recommendations for each country.
d. Write a 3-5 pages note on the situation of the East African region in terms of emergence, compare it to other African regions, and draw lessons.
e. Make presentations of the papers produced, and participate in panels, webinars, and conferences, organised by UNECA, as required.

Advanced university degree (Master level or minimum five years of higher education) in economics, or other equivalent disciplines.
- 20 years of professional experience, including international experience covering several African countries.
- Proven expertise on issues related to the emergence of nations, with a proven track record of producing articles and reports on the issue of emergence
- Proven expertise in the formulation of structural transformation strategies, economic diversification, export promotion strategies; and value chain development.
- Proven expertise in the formulation and implementation of development strategies and plans.

Language:
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this position, fluency in both spoken and written English and French is required.

Competence:
- Professionalism: Good knowledge of issues related to the design of development plans and strategies; strong analytical and policy-making skills; ability to guide the production of reports and papers on key economic issues at the national level; ability to design appropriate frameworks, instruments, and tools and to advise different stakeholders on their implementation and use.

- Planning and organising: Proven ability to plan and organise work, coordinate inputs from a wide variety of sources and synthesize them into well-articulated outputs; identify priority activities and plan accordingly; monitor and adjust plans as necessary.

- Communication: Strong communication skills, both oral and written; speaks and writes clearly and effectively; shows interest in a two-way communication system; adapts language, tone, style, and format to the intended audience; demonstrates openness to sharing information and keeping people informed.

- Teamwork: Excellent interpersonal skills; demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with other colleagues to achieve common goals; demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with people in a multicultural and multi-ethnic environment, with sensitivity and respect for diversity.

- Customer focus: Demonstrated ability to understand the needs of customers and to articulate appropriate and innovative responses to their needs. Ability to anticipate and propose relevant responses to challenges.

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.