Mathematician/Statistician

Egypt’s Horizon Scanner

The UNDP Strategic Plan 2018-2021 embraces the complexity of development and commits the organization to helping countries find faster, more durable solutions to achieve Agenda 2030.  In line with this, the organization has begun incubating a number of strategic initiatives aimed at ensuring UNDP is ‘fit for purpose’ to deliver a new generation of solutions in line with the challenges the world faces.  

One such key strategic initiative is the Accelerator Lab Network.  The initiative is a recognition that increasingly interrelated development challenges require going beyond business as usual and single point, linear and silver bullet responses in development.  Instead, they call for interdisciplinary approaches and non-linear solutions that crowd in the collective efforts of a wide variety of partners and tap into local insights and contextual, sticky knowledge of citizens.   The initiative is also a recognition and an investment in the emerging momentum among a growing number of UNDP Country Offices for marrying disruptive, cutting edge methodologies with contextual, country-based insights and expertise to accelerate learning, progress and impact toward the SDGs. 

With this in mind, the UNDP intends to build the largest and fastest learning global network of Accelerator Labs (initially setting up 60 labs in 82 countries) embedded within UNDP’s global architecture and country platforms that embody the new organizational offering to transform the collective approach to development. 

The network will surface and reinforce locally sourced solutions at scale while mobilizing a wide and dynamic partnership of actors contributing knowledge, resources and experience.  The initiative is meant to transform our collective approach by introducing new protocols, backed by evidence and practice, which accelerate the testing and dissemination of solutions within and across countries. This will enable the global community to collectively learn from local knowledge and ingenuity at a speed and at a scale that our societies and planet require. This will be achieved by:  

•        Building on locally-sourced solutions, finding things that work and expanding on them; 

•        Rapid testing and iteration to implement what works and go beyond the obvious solutions; 

•        Combining the best understanding, ideas and expertise to generate collective knowledge; 

•        Accelerating progress by bringing expertise, creativity and collective intelligence to bear

UNDP Accelerator Lab is seeking the services of a mathematician with rigorous training in modeling and computer sciences to help the Head of Exploration in contextualizing and localizing Egypt Horizon Scanner. Hence, the scope of services is as follows:

a. Creating Egypt Horizon Scanner mathematical model and simulations. The mathematician will create the appropriate models and simulations in coordination with the Head of Exploration that will be used for emerging issues mapping and predictions for Egypt Horizon Scanner.

b. Support the Head of Exploration in localizing Egypt Horizon Scanner features.
In close collaboration with the of the Head of Exploration the mathematician will be responsible of developing algorithms of the on-demand features of Egypt Horizon Scanner.

• Any other related tasks as may be required or assigned by the supervisor.

• Furthermore, UN Community Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work.

• Accountability; • Adaptability and flexibility; • Creativity; • Judgement and decision-making; • Planning and organising; • Professionalism; • Self-management.

in mathematical modeling or computer sciences related fields. • Aexperience in working in social data and/or data for development related issues is an asset. • Previous experience in the UN system is considered an asset. - Ability to work in team; - Skills in community development; - Good communication skills.

Cairo, Egypt is a family duty station with a wide range of services (health, education and leisure) and good living conditions. It has long been a center of the region’s political and cultural life, with high levels of tourism. Like other similar cities, Cairo offers good quality of life in terms of access to shopping centers, banks, medical services, educational facilities, cultural events, etc. The Arab Republic of Egypt has a unique geographical position in Northeast Africa, at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, on the Mediterranean and Red Sea, and its connection to Sub Saharan Africa through the Nile Valley.

UN Community - Part time Volunteer gets the following package: • Volunteer Living Allowance (around EGP 4246.81/Month) • Entry Lump-Sum = USD 50 (one-time payment paid in EGP) • Exit Lump-Sum upon completion of contract. • Medical and life Insurance premium/Cigna (100%) policy. • Access to UNV E-Campus for training and learning including access to LinkedIn learning.
Further entitlements and information available at: https://www.unv.org/volunteer-your-country-conditions-service