Regional AfCFTA Analyst

Contract

This is a IPSA-8 contract. This kind of contract is known as International Personnel Services Agreement. It is normally internationally recruited only. It usually requires 1 years of experience, depending on education. More about IPSA-8 contracts.

Background

The UNDP Renewed Strategic Offer in Africa identifies structural economic transformation as one of the key pillars for accelerated and inclusive growth, with regional integration as a key enabler. As acknowledged in SDG 17, trade is a means of implementation for sustainable development. Boosting production and intra-African trade are intrinsically linked to the success of UNDP’s renewed strategic offer in Africa. UNDP’s Africa Regional Programme (2022 - 2025) provides dedicated support to the African Union member States and regional institutions to ensure, inter alia, that regional growth and structural transformation are inclusive, transformational, and sustainable with reduced economic inequalities. The program is anchored using a ‘regional lens’ that promotes a coordinated approach and coherence between regional and national level interventions that align with regional frameworks and policies across Africa.

Trading under the preferential terms of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has commenced. Through the progressive elimination of tariffs and removal of non-tariff barriers, the single African market will unleash opportunities for economic empowerment and catalyze the attainment of the aspirations of all the other impact areas such as natural resource governance, youth and women employment, and empowerment, sustainable energy, climate change, peace, and security.

As AfCFTA State Parties start trading under the AfCFTA, UNDP continues to provide support to national and regional institutions through its AfCFTA Regional Project 2022- 2025. Dedicated actions are deployed to support, at national, regional, and continental levels, strengthening the capacities of women and youth-owned micro, small and medium sized enterprises (MSMEs) to maximise opportunities arising from the free trade area.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Analyst will contribute to the preparation of knowledge products, MSME Trade Facilitation Programmes, and support project management. Specific tasks will include, but are not limited to the following:

1) Support implementation of youth-led interventions under the UNDP AfCFTA regional project.

• Review progress in project implementation
• Organize and lead sessions on Capacity building for youth-led MSMEs on AfCFTA rules and market opportunities

2) Support the preparation of a Proposal for the AfCFTA Country Challenge.

• Support the team drafting the conceptual phase of the Challenge
• Provide support to the coordination of the challenge

3) Draft of Preparatory Pack for UNDP-supported MSMEs Participating in the Intra–Africa Trade Fair 2023.

• Participate in identifying and selecting the MSMEs
• Provide technical guidance to the MSMEs before, during, and after the trade fair

4) Provide technical support to research materials and opinion pieces on regional integration in Africa.

• Contribute to ongoing research outputs of the AfCFTA regional team/ IGT
• Identify sources of data and draft short notes of trends in intra-African trade

5) Respond to Ad hoc requests in the areas of Economic and trade integration.

Competencies

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work.
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking.
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning.
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process.
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously.
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bringpeople together, build/maintain coalitions/partnerships.
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making.

Technical and cross-functional competencies.

• Digital & Innovation; Data analysis- Ability to extract, analyze, and visualize data (including Real-time Data) to form meaningful insights and aid effective decision-making.
• General (across the functions); Event planning and execution- Ability to plan, manage, and execute public and private events to ensure that they support and amplify individual communications and advocacy initiatives, as well as UNDP's overall brand and mandate.
• Business Management; Project Management- Ability to plan, organize, prioritize, and control resources, procedures, and protocols to achieve specific goals.
• Business Management; Digital Awareness and Literacy- Ability and inclination to rapidly adopt new technologies, either through skillful grasping of their usage or through understanding their impact and empowering others to use them as needed.
• Business Management; Risk Management- Ability to identify and organize action around mitigating and proactively managing risks.

Required Skills and Experience

Education;

• Bachelor's degree in International Relations, International Trade/Finance, or related fields.
• Experience with developing or managing youth-focused interventions related to trade.
• Experience supporting trading MSMEs nationally and regionally.
• Previous experience with the United Nations is desirable

Years of Relevant Work experience;

• 2 years of relevant work experience with a bachelor's in International Relations, International Trade/Finance, or related fields.

Language;

• Fluent in English and with a good working knowledge of French