International Consultant for formulating the Action Plan of the National Blue Economy Strategy of Ethiopia

Result of Service 4. RESULTS OF SERVICE 1. A reviewed and validated Action Plan for the implementation of the Ethiopia National Blue Economy Strategy

Work Location Home based with travel

Expected duration 3 months

Duties and Responsibilities 1. BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION

The Sub-Regional Office of Eastern Africa of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (SRO-EA) serves 14 Eastern African countries, namely: Burundi, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda, and two Regional Economic Communities (RECs): East African Community (EAC) and Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). One of the thematic areas of specialization of the agency is blue economy.

In 2016, UNECA defined the Africa’s Blue Economy: A Policy Handbook which provides a “step-by-step guide on how to mainstream the Blue Economy into continental, subregional, and national policies, plans, laws, regulations, and practices for the development of African sustainable Blue Economy strategies. Following which, it developed the UNECA Blue Economy Valuation Toolkit (BEVTK) which can be used for socio-economic and ecological assessments aimed to provide an accurate snapshot of the potential of the Blue Economy.

Since, UNECA SRO-EA has assisted Djibouti, Seychelles, and Tanzania in strengthening their respective national blue economy capacities, and has also supported the Indian Ocean Commission, and the Regional Coordination Operations Center in working towards an improved regional maritime security architecture in the Western Indian Ocean. It furthermore collaborated with IGAD following the launch of the IGAD Regional Blue Economy Strategy, to disseminate knowledge about the potential of the UNECA BEVTK to facilitate planning and budgeting for blue economy resource activation.

In 2022, Ethiopia benefited from the support of IGAD towards the formulation of a National Blue Economy Strategy. Following this, the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia has requested SROEA for support in defining an Action Plan for the implementation of its recent National Blue Economy Strategy, and an application of the UNECA BEVTK to assess the social, economic, and ecological contribution of blue economy to Ethiopia

2. OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE OF CONSULTANCY The objectives of this assignment are as follows: - Define the Action Plan for the implementation of the Ethiopia National Blue Economy Strategy

The scope of the consultancy is specific to Ethiopia.

3. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES In close consultation with and under the guidance of the project manager at the Sub-Regional Office for Eastern Africa (SRO-EA), the selected consultant will have the main duty and responsibility to design an Action Plan for the implementation of the Ethiopia National Blue Economy Strategy.

With the view to perform above duty, the consultant will carry out the following tasks and activities:

i. Design an Action Plan for the implementation of the Ethiopia National Blue Economy Strategy. - Produce an inception report, defining the methodology - Liaise with national stakeholders and development partners to undertake initial consultations - Surpervise the work of the national consultant in data collection - Complete data collection, review, and produce a draft report - Peer Review of findings with UNECA and Ethiopian national focal point - Facilitate a validation workshop wherein the consultant should present draft Action Plan for review and feedback purpose - Submit a revised Action Plan based on the above workshop’s conclusions and contributions, for a last round of comments - Finalize the Action Plan for the implementation of the Ethiopia National Blue Economy Strategy.

Qualifications/special skills Academic qualifications: An advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in marine studies, sustainable development, policy studies, or a related field (PhD preferred). Experience: A minimum of 10 years of work experience in policy development and strategic planning for the Blue Economy or related sectors.

It is mandatory for the consultant to have: - Good understanding of the Blue Economy landscape in Africa (Eastern Africa knowledge preferred). - Record of publications and research on Blue Economy related policies and strategies, or related areas. - Demonstrated experience working under tight deadlines and delivering high-quality outputs. - Strong oral and written communication skills. - Ability to work independently, proactively and with little supervision

Languages Language: English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, fluency in English is required (oral and written). Knowledge of French is an advantage.

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.