Individual Contractor for Final Assessment of the 10th Five-Year Development Plan

Job Posting Organization:
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) is a regional arm of the United Nations that supports member States in their efforts to achieve sustainable development through evidence-based economic analysis. Established to promote economic and social development in the region, ESCWA works with various stakeholders to design, implement, and evaluate development strategies. The organization focuses on fostering sustainable growth, economic diversification, fiscal resilience, productivity, employment, and social development across its member states. ESCWA operates in multiple countries within the Western Asia region, providing a platform for collaboration and knowledge sharing among its member states.

Job Overview:
The primary objective of this position is to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of a national development plan. This involves the collection and analysis of macroeconomic, sectoral, and socioeconomic data, as well as the application of econometric and statistical techniques to develop plausible counterfactual scenarios. The contractor will assess progress toward development objectives, ensuring that the evaluation is rigorous and accounts for external shocks, structural factors, and changing economic conditions. The role requires a strong analytical background and the ability to synthesize complex data into actionable insights that can inform policy recommendations.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Individual Contractor (IC) will undertake a variety of tasks, including: reviewing plan documents and related policy materials; identifying relevant indicators, targets, and evaluation questions; collecting, compiling, cleaning, and harmonizing macroeconomic, sectoral, and socioeconomic datasets from national and international sources; developing databases and documentation suitable for quantitative analysis; contributing to the design of an evaluation framework and analytical methodology; applying econometric techniques, including time series and panel data analysis; supporting ESCWA’s broader analytical work and outputs as needed; assessing performance across key macroeconomic and sectoral indicators; conducting robustness checks and sensitivity analysis; and preparing reports, technical notes, presentations, and policy recommendations based on the findings of the evaluation.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a Master's degree in Economics, Econometrics, Statistics, Development Economics, Data Science, or a related field. Additionally, a minimum of 1 year of professional work experience in macroeconomic analysis, applied economics, econometrics, development planning, economic modeling, or policy evaluation is required. Candidates should demonstrate experience working with macroeconomic and socioeconomic data, and a strong knowledge of econometric methods, including time-series and panel-data analysis, is desirable. Proficiency in analytical software such as Stata, R, Python, or EViews is required, along with experience in preparing analytical reports for governments, international organizations, or research institutions. Experience in the Arab region is also considered desirable.

Educational Background:
A Master's degree in a relevant field such as Economics, Econometrics, Statistics, Development Economics, or Data Science is required for this position. Candidates must submit a copy of their educational degree as part of the application process, and incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

Experience:
The position requires at least 1 year of professional work experience in areas such as macroeconomic analysis, applied economics, econometrics, development planning, economic modeling, or policy evaluation. Candidates should have demonstrated experience working with macroeconomic and socioeconomic data, which is crucial for the successful execution of the evaluation tasks outlined in the job description.

Languages:
Fluency in both Arabic and English is required for this position, as these are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat and ESCWA. Fluency is defined as a rating of 'fluent' in all four areas: speaking, reading, writing, and understanding. Knowledge of French is also beneficial, as it is one of the working languages of the United Nations.

Additional Notes:
The position is expected to last for a duration of 4 months. It is important to note that the United Nations does not charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment process, including application, interview meetings, processing, or training. Furthermore, the organization does not concern itself with information regarding applicants' bank accounts.