National Consultant Economic and Sustainable Development Researcher

Result of Service The CCA target length is 36 pages (although it often exceeds that), out which 30 pages are for substantive analysis, with the following break down as per DCO guidance (text in CAPS is whether we have that already in the existing CCA, with noting that all parts need updates and length check, approximate length in the brackets): 1. Executive summary (1 page) YES 2. Introduction (1 page) NO 3. Progress towards 2030 Agenda and SDGs in the Country (30 pages) 3.0 Setting the stage: SDGs assessment, forecasts and interlinkages (5-10 pages) PARTLY 3.1. National Vision vis-à-vis the 2030 Agenda with links to regional and global frameworks/goals (1 -2 pages) PARTLY 3.2. Political and institutional analysis (around 3 pages) YES 3.3. Economic transformation analysis (around 3 pages) YES 3.4. Environment and climate change analysis (around 3 pages) YES 3.5. Social exclusion analysis (around 3 pages) YES 3.6. Analysis of compliance with international human rights, norms and standards (around 3 pages) YES 3.7. Development- humanitarian – peace linkage analysis (around 3 pages) PARTLY 3.8. Financial landscape analysis (around 3 pages) YES 3.9. Multidimensional SDG Risk Analysis (around 3 pages) YES 4. Conclusions (inter alia, the main developmental challenges and opportunities identified in the CCA listed under the Priority Areas of Albania’s Cooperation Framework) - (4 pages max) NO

Under the direct supervision of the Economist of RCO, with overall guidance from the UN Resident Coordinator and the Head of RCO, the Consultant will provide support for the CCA update, including supplementing sections that are missing or need to be strengthened, updating all available data, suggesting and implementing additional analysis as needed, and providing a national picture in terms of aggregates, and as much as possible, a disaggregated assessment and analysis of vulnerable/marginalized groups (women, youth, elderly, persons with disability, minorities, migrants and refugees, LGBTQI persons, others) and subnational assessment and analysis. In addition, the effect of the Ukrainian war on Albania will be explicitly recognized (and an FAO paper on this topic will be provided). The reformatted CCA in line with the structure above with additional analysis already included will be provided by the Economist of RCO as a starting point for the development of the document further.

In particular, the consultant will update and include the newest data available (currently newest data is from 2021 but overall, 2020 or older, so a good data update is necessary), more diligently, carefully and consistently reference all data and evidence in footnotes or endnotes, make sure that sections that could be analytically beefed up are and that each section has an analytical paragraph at the end and that where possible, sections include more graphical representation of data, reducing and making the UN activities less salient in the analysis (and rather concentrating on developmental challenges and opportunities), providing a good overview of developmental challenges and opportunities of Albania (which should be structured within the CF Priority Areas in the conclusion and executive summary).

Work Location Albania

Expected duration 26 September – 31 December (20 working days)

Duties and Responsibilities Background: The UN Secretary-General's bold new global reform agenda launched on 1 January 2019, in response to General Assembly resolution 71/243, repositions the UN Development System to deliver on the 2030 Agenda for dignity, prosperity and peace on a healthy planet. Central to this process, and as further mandated by General Assembly resolution 72/279, a new generation of UN Resident Coordinator Offices across the world are being strengthened under the leadership of an empowered UN Resident Coordinator, the highest-ranking representative of the UN Development System at country level.

The Resident Coordinator (RC) system encompasses all organizations of the UN system dealing with operational activities for development, regardless of their formal presence in the country. UNCT and the Government of Albania are in the first year of implementation of the new 5-year Albania-UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (2022-2026).

One of the key roles of the RCO is preparation and yearly updates of the new United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework and the CCA. One of the key steps in this process is the preparation and update of a Common Country Analysis. The CCA is the UN system’s independent, impartial and collective assessment (description of a country situation) and analysis (description of causes and their implications) of a country situation. It examines progress, gaps, opportunities and bottlenecks vis-à-vis a country’s commitments to achieving the 2030 Agenda, UN norms and standards, and the principles of the UN Charter.

The new generation of the CCA responds to the urgency of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by delivering integrated, forward-looking and evidence-based joint analysis of the context for sustainable development in a country. The new CCA is integrated. It connects analysis of issues for the achievement of each SDG, and across SDGs, in line with the overall commitment to leave no one behind, UN Charter values, and international norms and standards. It reflects systems thinking, an approach that captures the interlinked relationships, resources, information, institutions and capacities necessary to identify and address pathways to achieve the 2030 Agenda. The CCA needs to go beyond past or “snapshot” analysis to be forward-looking and anticipatory, estimating, modelling and projecting to 2030 and beyond.

Under the direct supervision of the Economist of RCO, with overall guidance from the UN Resident Coordinator and the Head of RCO, the Consultant will provide support for the CCA update, including supplementing sections that are missing or need to be strengthened, updating all available data, suggesting and implementing additional analysis as needed, and providing a national picture in terms of aggregates, and as much as possible, a disaggregated assessment and analysis of vulnerable/marginalized groups (women, youth, elderly, persons with disability, minorities, migrants and refugees, LGBTQI persons, others) and subnational assessment and analysis.

One of the key roles of the RCO is preparation and yearly updates of the new United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework and the CCA. One of the key steps in this process is the preparation and update of a Common Country Analysis. The CCA is the UN system’s independent, impartial and collective assessment (description of a country situation) and analysis (description of causes and their implications) of a country situation. It examines progress, gaps, opportunities and bottlenecks vis-à-vis a country’s commitments to achieving the 2030 Agenda, UN norms and standards, and the principles of the UN Charter.

The UN in Albania finalized a high quality and in depth CCA in November 2020 composed out of 113 pages (https://albania.un.org/en/111493-albania-common-country-analysis-2020). The CCA original document prepared in-house was shortened by more than half (40 pages) in 2020 and updated in March 2021 with 2021 data and reflection of COVID19 situation (https://albania.un.org/en/132530-summary-albanias-common-country-analysis-2020, word document to be provided to the consultant). This new concise document is used for annual updates as agreed with Development Cooperation Office (DCO), with the planned update in Q4 of every year.

Qualifications/special skills Academic Qualifications : At minimum a Master's degree or equivalent in relevant areas of studies such as economics, international development, statistics, or similar areas is required.

Experience : At least 2 years of relevant professional or academic (during PhD studies for instance) experience in carrying out social, economic and environmental research, policy and analytical work, and other research relevant to the SDGs is required.

Experience with writing up of reports and research papers in social science or statistics and knowledge of the UN Sustainable Development Goals is desirable.

Understanding of Albania's developmental challenges, policy priorities and national plans is required.

Language : English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in oral and written Albanian and English is require

Additional Information The RCO will provide the consultant the following documents to be used as the starting point for the update (non exhaustive list):

Documents: - Working Update Document based on the restructured and analytically enhanced shorter version of Albania’s CCA from 2021 (link to be provided) with specific comments to be addressed (internal version not to be shared) - Albania’s Cooperation Framework https://albania.un.org/en/153115-government-albania-united-nations-sustainable-development-cooperation-framework-2022-2026 - Albania’s CCA from 2020 https://albania.un.org/en/111493-albania-common-country-analysis-2020 - Albania’s shorter version of the CCA from 2021 https://albania.un.org/en/132530-summary-albanias-common-country-analysis-2020 - MAPS document for Albania https://albania.un.org/en/46590-mainstreaming-acceleration-and-policy-support-achieving-sustainable-development-goals-albania - FAO paper Ukraine crisis impact monitoring on Albanian food and agricultural sector (internal version not to be shared) - KSA’s CCA (internal version not to be shared)

Additional Non-exhaustive Sources: - INSTAT http://www.instat.gov.al/ - Population Dynamics Country Profile https://population.un.org/wup/Country-Profiles/ - UNFPA https://www.unfpa.org/data/demographic-dividend/AL - UNICEF https://data.unicef.org/country/alb/ - UN Women – Gender Brief 2020 https://www2.unwomen.org/-/media/field%20office%20albania/attachments/publications/2020/12/cgeb%20albania_report_1.pdf?la=en&vs=4248 - UNODC https://dataunodc.un.org/content/Country-profile?country=Albania - Water https://sdg6data.org/country-or-area/Albania - WIPO Intellectual Property https://www.wipo.int/ipstats/en/statistics/country_profile/profile.jsp?code=AL - UNDRR Disaster Risk Reduction - Desinventar: www.desinventar.net

Implementation Arrangements: The Consultants will work remote re for the full assignment. Regular cooperation and communication will be kept with the RCO.

Time duration: The assignment is for 20 consultancy-days, starting no later than 1 October 2022, and ending not later than 31 December 2022.

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.