International Consultant for the Domestication of the UNECA Blue Economy Valuation Toolkit in four African countries

Consultant Finance & Economy

Overview

Lead the deployment of the Blue Economy Valuation Toolkit in four African countries.

You have:

• An advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in economics, sustainable development studies, accounting, statistics, or a related field (PhD preferred).
• A minimum of 5 years of work experience on Blue Economy related sectors and/or policy development and/or economics, accounting, and statistical systems.
• Familiarity with the UNECA Blue Economy Valuation Toolkit is mandatory.
• Good understanding of the Blue Economy landscape in Africa (Eastern Africa knowledge preferred).
• Record of publications and research on sustainable development or related areas.
• Demonstrated experience working under tight deadlines and delivering high-quality outputs is required.
• Strong oral and written communication skills are essential.
• Ability to work independently, proactively and with little supervision is required.
• Fluency in English and French is required (oral and written).

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

Result of Service

4. RESULTS OF SERVICE 1. Four reviewed and validated economic, social, and ecological assessment of the Blue Economy reports, aimed to support informed Blue Economy policy making in the designated countries

Work Location

Home Based

Expected duration

16 months

Duties and Responsibilities

1. BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC 1994) which aims at combatting human interactions of destructive nature with the climate system specifically included the protection of oceanic ecosystems only in 2015 at COP21. Since, the protection and sustainable management of oceans has become an integral part of climate change discourse. However, while the ecological perspective treats each type of water body differently (by dint of their different compositions, structures and therefore in the way that they are affected by human interaction), a developmental perspective treats water bodies under a singular umbrella as it aims mainly at identifying the value that these water bodies can generate for humans. This resulted in expanding our understanding of the concept to constructive harnessing of the potential of vast water resources for ecological, economic as well as social gains therefore adopting the encompassing terminology of “Blue Economy”. Blue economy addresses seas, rivers, lakes, wetlands, and any other water bodies. The blue economy seeks to mitigate and eventually eliminate the environmental risks and degradation that can be generated by water-based economic and social activities. In 2015, African Union (AU) launched the Africa Integrated Maritime Strategy (AIMS) which focused on the potential of wealth creation and enhanced security of lives and of economies in the African Maritime Domain. Under this strategy, AU identifies several key areas of intervention, all of which require extensive public, private and civil collaboration—be it in cash or in kind. In 2019, it formulated the Africa Blue Economy Strategy which dedicated special attention to addressing the challenge of a lack of blue governance instruments on the continent which undermined a blue economy policymaking which is harmonized with growth, development and environmental sustainability. However, in order to garner a sustained collaboration of all stakeholders, and in order to enable adequate blue economy policymaking, it is essential to for the Blue Economy initiatives to be backed by reliable, valid and quantitative data which will allow all parties involved to track the value and results of their investments. To this end, in 2020, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) developed the Blue Economy Valuation Toolkit (BEVTK). The toolkit allows countries or regions to measure the economic, ecological, and social contribution that blue economy resources generate for them in relation to key indicators such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Gross National Income (GNI), and employment data. Since, the toolkit has been applied to Djibouti, Seychelles, Tanzania (with a separate exercise for Zanzibar), Ethiopia and Rwanda. The deployment of the toolkit to conduct a baseline assessment of the contribution of blue economy to these countries is accompanied by training on how to use the toolkit which is dispensed to a selected number of officers. These officers thereafter assume the role of the custodians of the toolkit and can conduct independent assessments. The toolkit usually uses national accounts data, and government or academic research conducted on the ecosystem functional groups in the country. In 2025, UNECA received an official request from the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), to support their Member States with an application of the BEVTK and related capacity building. This is in line with their respective commitments under their regional blue economy strategies. Given the uneven development of the national blue economy agenda across their Member States, it has been agreed that assistance will be provided in a phased manner, starting with countries which have more readiness in terms of the blue economy governance structure, as well as availability of data. UNECA will deploy the toolkit in four countries at first. This set of BEVTK deployment is supported by dedicated funds from the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA). An International Consultant will be recruited to lead the deployment of the BEVTK in four African countries. He/ She will be supported by national consultants in each of the countries. 2. OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE OF CONSULTANCY The objectives of this assignment are as follows: • Develop capacity of four African countries to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the contribution of Blue Economy to their economic, social, and ecological fabric, • Domestication of the UNECA BEVTK to assist in Blue Economy policy making, and • Build capacity of officials to conduct their blue economy contribution’s assessment independently The four countries will be confirmed at a later stage.

Qualifications/special skills

Academic qualifications: An advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in economics, sustainable development studies, accounting, statistics, or a related field (PhD preferred). Experience: A minimum of 5 years of work experience on Blue Economy related sectors and/or policy development and/or economics, accounting, and statistical systems. This should include macroeconomic and social analyses and/or policy development. It is mandatory for the consultant to have: ─ Familiarity with the UNECA Blue Economy Valuation Toolkit ─ Good understanding of the Blue Economy landscape in Africa (Eastern Africa knowledge preferred). ─ Record of publications and research on sustainable development, 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 and French are required (oral and written).

Additional Information

Not available.

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.

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Potential interview questions

Added 11 months ago - Updated 10 months ago - Source: careers.un.org