Consultancy on the use of technology to strengthen Arab public institutions

Result of Service The below documents will result from this consultancy:

- A first draft of a report on "Policies and best practices for leveraging the use of technology and innovation in the development of stronger Arab public institutions", that cover the points 1 to 5 described in Duties and Responsibilities. The draft should be around 70 pages in English. - The second and final draft of the report that covers points 1 to 7 described in Duties and Responsibilities. The report should be between 80 and 100 pages. - An executive summary of 2-3 pages - A detailed PowerPoint presentation with the report as basis, focus on the results of the study, the outcomes, and recommendations.

Work Location Remotely

Expected duration 6 months

Duties and Responsibilities To streamline government processes and to offer services digitally, Arab countries, like other countries, have been implementing digital government programmes, with varying levels of success. The COVID-19 pandemic along with the continuous expansion of emerging technologies have pushed many countries to accelerate their digital transformation agendas to respond to citizen needs and guarantee the continuity of service delivery. In fact, the pandemic clearly showed the essential role of government and technology during crises. With the multiple crises that humanity is witnessing today, there is an urgency to strengthen and empower the public sector to better serve its citizens.

ESCWA recently launched a project on expediting the use of technology and innovation for enhanced operations in Arab public institutions (ENACT). The project focuses on the strategic and innovative use and deployment of emerging technologies to accelerate the implementation of adopted strategies or plans in the public sector, and to facilitate the use of emerging technologies and innovation for the advancement of public services and back-office operations. ENACT looks beyond the deployment of emerging technologies, towards enhancing responsiveness, inclusiveness, trustworthiness, and effectiveness (RITE) of governments and their services, in support of the 2030 Development Agenda, in particularly SDG 16 on peace, justice and strong institutions.

Under the general supervision of the Chief of Innovation section (focal point), the consultant will collaborate with ESCWA’s team to prepare the report “Policies and best practices for leveraging the use of technology and innovation in the development of stronger Arab public institutions”. The objective of this report is to support Arab decision-makers in the implementation of digital government strategies and plans by providing best practices and practical recommendations focused on the deployment and use of emerging technologies (including geospatial technology) and innovation that could improve internal processes and the delivery of enhanced digital services.

The consultant will specifically carry out the following duties: (1) Explain the importance of developing and enhancing the operations and services of Arab public institutions for sustainable development. (2) Research and development of a part on the concepts of responsiveness, inclusiveness, trust and effectiveness and the challenges that Arab public institutions face to achieve these principles. (3) Collaborate with ESCWA for enhancing a part related to the status of the Arab region in the use of techology and innovation in Arab public institutions. (4) Undertake research and prepare a detailed part on emerging technologies (AI, big data, Immersive technologies, blockchain, Geospatial and others) and the benefits and roles they play can play in strengthening public institutions (5) Summarize best practices collected by ESCWA from Arab countries and from developed countries on the use of emerging technologies for enhancing public sector in the Arab region. (6) Develop policies and recommendations, based on the analysis of research and case studies, that guide Arab public institutions in the deployment and use of emerging technologies to strengthen responsiveness, inclusiveness, trust, and effectiveness. (7) Update the draft report according to ESCWA's feedback and received comments during the ESCWA’s meeting. (8) Prepare and deliver one or two presentations during an ESCWA meeting about the above-mentioned items.

Qualifications/special skills A master’s degree in digital government, public policies, information and communication technologies, public administration, governance, public policies or equivalent field is required. A Ph.D is desirable.

All candidates must submit a copy of the required educational degree. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. A minimum of ten years of professional experience in research in the domain of digital government, technology and innovation, governance or public administration is required. Knowledge of emerging technologies and their deployment in public sector, government or institutions is required. Knowledge of emerging technologies and their deployment in public sector is desirable. Previous experience in working with international organizations is desirable. Experience in sustainable development is desirable.

Languages Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat; and Arabic is a working language of ESCWA.

For this position, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of Arabic is desirable.

Note: “Fluency” equals a rating of ‘fluent’ in all four areas (speak, read, write, and understand) and “Knowledge of” equals a rating of ‘confident’ in two of the four areas.

No Fee 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.