PSDFD – Consultant-Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) to catalyse infrastructure development and innovative financing for industrialization in Africa

Result of Service The ultimate result of service

The objective of this assignment is to ensure efficient coordination of all inputs and outputs of this project. The consultant will ensure that all outputs are delivered on time as per the project schedule and are disseminated to all project stakeholders. At the same time, he/she will also ascertain that these stakeholders are sufficiently appraised on the project's progress.

Work Location Remotely

Expected duration 9 months

Duties and Responsibilities Background:

A novel pandemic, the COVID-19, has hit the world, and its effects are far-reaching and widespread, particularly on the economic wellbeing of almost every country. This project is guided by (i) the General Assembly's resolution on the Global solidarity to fight the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (A/RES/74/270) of 3 April 2020; (ii) the Secretary-General's report on the shared responsibility, global solidarity: Responding to the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19; and (iii) the UN framework for the immediate socio-economic response to COVID-19.

In terms of the post-pandemic recovery process, many African countries could be disadvantaged because of their limited financial resources. The African Development Bank's 2020 African Economic Outlook (AEO) had observed that Africa's economic growth had remained stable in 2019 at an average of 3.4 per cent and would have peaked at 3.9 per cent in 2020 and 4.1 per cent in 2021. However, owing mainly to COVID-19, estimates from ECA suggest that Africa's economic growth slowed down to 1.8 per cent on average in 2020. Again, these estimates could have been optimistic, as the full impact of the pandemic remains unclear. The various pandemic containment measures such as lockdowns and the attendant slowing down of economic activities have directly impacted African countries' GDP. The pandemic has directly affected the investments in major infrastructure projects planned by most African countries. Resources are redeployed to the health and welfare priority areas. However, in post-pandemic reconstruction, infrastructure would be among the primary sectors for building back better African countries' economies. However, the modalities of financing instruments for infrastructure would need to be broadened. Mobilisation of resources from within African countries should be complemented with crowding-in additional resources to support the continent’s continued investment in infrastructure development. In this regard, building back better within and post-COVID 19 environment calls for:

• Increased industrialisation and manufacturing for structural transformation of Africa;
• Focus on the higher-value chains in production, particularly in mineral resources and agriculture;
• Increased involvement of the private sector, including through a PPP approach, in investment and operations of critical enabling infrastructure assets; and
• better governance and business enabling regulations.

Africa must industrialise to end poverty and generate employment for more than 12 million young people who join its labour force each year. A handbrake to full-scale industrialisation in Africa is the insufficient stock of productive infrastructure in the power, water, and transport sectors that would allow firms to thrive in industries with substantial comparative advantages. The African Development Bank estimates that the continent's infrastructure needs amount to $130-170 billion a year, with a financing gap ranging from $68 to $108 billion a year. This infrastructure gap is critical: 319 million people currently do not have access to improved, safe and reliable drinking water sources; 695 million do not have access to basic sanitation, and over 500 million people do not have access to the stable supply of electricity, and only 34 per cent of Africa has accessible roads. These gaps result in Africa having limited cross-border flows of trade, capital, information, and people's mobility that affect the continent's growth, development and integration. It also means Africa's vulnerabilities are exacerbated when emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic, which require enhanced access to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), hit the continent.

Traditionally, African governments have been the most prominent investors in Africa's infrastructure development, followed by China, the Infrastructure Consortium for Africa (a combination of the G8 and other international development institutions, including institutions from Africa), and the growing number of Middle East investors. However, African governments are facing public finance constraints in funding infrastructure development purely from public resources.

PPPs have become a valuable means to finance infrastructure development. They could help leverage private investment through risk-sharing between the public and private sectors. They could help bring capital, technology and expertise to projects, resulting in more efficient service delivery and ultimately lower costs to the taxpayer. Thus, leveraging the public and private sectors' strengths is critical for utilising PPPs to finance infrastructure and development.

A total of 29 African countries have PPP units with wide variation in the placement of these units, and most are under the jurisdiction of the ministries responsible for finance. Other units are located under the country's heads of State and Government or line ministries. Today, some of the critical challenges in structuring and implementing PPPs include:

• capacity to structure, manage and evaluate PPPs.
• allocation of risks of PPPs.
• development of standards for PPPs; and
• capacity to develop PPP projects.

The objective of the assignment:

This project is central to ECA's objective of achieving sustained economic growth and transformation in Africa within the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Agenda 2063 by leveraging the private sector's role and resources. Many countries in Africa (including the targeted countries) may find challenges in financing infrastructure in the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic. Critically infrastructure development is a significant catalyst for any build back better (BBB) strategy. Most countries have identified PPPs as suitable avenues for financing economic development, particularly infrastructure. The project aims to increase the number of infrastructure projects financed through PPP arrangements by strengthening stakeholders' capacities to use PPPs as the means for innovative financing and infrastructure development to support industrialisation in the post-COVID-19 era. Therefore, this assignment has two critical outcomes. Firstly, the policymakers have adequate capacity to formulate the PPP framework in line with PPP laws following international best practice. Secondly, effective PPP units in all target countries can select PPP projects that are inclusive and empowering local populations, particularly addressing youth employment and gender equality. Applying the "People-first PPPs" principles, this project would focus on improving people's livelihoods by identifying PPPs that directly provide local and sustainable jobs, promote gender equality, access basic needs such as water, energy, transport, and education.

This consultant assignment is located in the Private Sector Development and Finance Division (PSDFD) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in Addis Ababa. Under the general guidance of the Director of PSDFD and the direct supervision of the Senior Economic Affairs Officer of the Energy, Infrastructure, and Services Section, the consultant is expected to perform the following duties and responsibilities:

1. Manage logistics of the project in relation to other consultants and ECA staff . 2. Receive and provide an initial assessment of consultants' inputs; 3. Maintain a database of all stakeholders participating in the project; 4. Attend the (online) country consultations on PPPs; 5. Keep track of various deliverables; and 6. Organize and participate in all the planned project meetings.

Qualifications/special skills Advanced university (Master’s degree) in economics, engineering, and policy Studies or related fields is required. A Bachelor's degree or equivalent in any of these disciplines is desirable. A first-level university degree in combination with additional two years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the master’s degree.

A minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience in research and development or project management is required. Prior work in project management, particularly project monitoring and database production and management is desired.

Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this position, fluency in English is required and knowledge of the other 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.