Research Assistant - Financing for Development

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

Result of Service

The incumbent will be responsible for:

• Substantive contribution to the dynamic integrated development toolkit for financing for development for Oman. • Results of the econometric analysis for incorporation in related outputs of the project (e.g. technical paper/policy brief). • The IC is responsible for maintaining the files and data used in an electronic format.

Work Location

UN-House ESCWA

Expected duration

2 Months

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Background

The Sultanate of Oman has pursued ambitious economic and developmental strategies since the mid-1970s to enhance the quality of life for its citizens. These strategies, embodied in five-year development plans -that underscore the country’s commitment to sustainable economic and social development- aim to balance economic growth with environmental sustainability. Economic diversification is a key goal, reducing reliance on oil revenues by developing sectors such as manufacturing, fisheries, agriculture, mining, and services. The country prioritizes infrastructure development, including roads, ports, and airports, fostering economic growth, facilitating transportation and trade, and attracting foreign investments.

The tenth five-year plan (2021-2025), part of the "Oman 2040" vision, emphasizes achieving financial balance, reducing budget deficits, and enhancing economic integration with neighboring countries. The plan focuses on key economic sectors and international competitiveness.

The plan focuses on policies and program choices to tackle development challenges. Oman places significant importance on financial transparency, technological development, and preparing for the fourth industrial revolution. Efforts include creating a comprehensive statistical information system and conducting censuses and surveys to provide necessary indicators until 2030.

In 2021, Oman outperformed the Arab world's average on development challenges but aligned with the global average. Despite challenges, the country demonstrated improvements in addressing inequality and governance, emphasizing the importance of inclusive development.

2. Objective

The objective of the project is to conduct a comprehensive evaluation and review of Oman's tenth five-year development plan, aligning with the mandate outlined in Article 8 of Royal Decree No. 1/2021. This evaluation aims to assess the plan's performance over the past years, identify necessary adjustments for the remaining period, and estimate financial gaps to ensure successful implementation.

The project further seeks to support Oman's commitment to active strategic planning by launching initiatives that align with global standards. This includes evaluating and documenting the outcomes of the tenth plan, analyzing the efficiency and effectiveness of strategic programs, and determining the future direction for the remaining period. The overarching goal is to provide a guiding framework for the formulation of the eleventh five-year plan (2026-2030) and contribute to Oman's 2040 vision.

The project also plays an integral role in evaluating the financial, fiscal, and financing aspects associated with achieving the indicators, objectives, and national goals of the 10th NDP and Vision 2040 in Oman. It focuses on monitoring and tracking available financing sources, including public, private, local, international, and innovative options. The project seeks to simulate various funding paths, calculate savings from financing decisions, and enhance the developmental impact of the government budget. This comprehensive assessment considers the connectivity of financing sources, both local and international, and evaluates their impact on the plan's objectives and the overarching vision for Oman's development.

In the context of the Financing for Development profile, ESCWA is initiating a series of activities that underscores ESCWA's commitment to enhancing financial frameworks and bolstering sustainable development efforts in the region. ESCWA strives to support policymakers and national stakeholders by offering a range of dynamic and interactive tools to assist in the design of integrated financing strategies, support the transition to SDG-centric financing, and advance the implementation of national sustainable development strategies, plans and macroeconomic frameworks. As part of this initiative, ESCWA intends to assign an individual contractor to assist in developing a dynamic integrated development toolkit tailored for financing development.

3. Tasks

The Individual Contractor (IC) is tasked with providing support related to Financing for Development. The IC's specific responsibilities include:

• Gather, compile and update information and technical data across all the SDGs and economic indicators, which pertain to the SDG costing and financing in Oman. • Extract, retrieve, compile and analyze technical data and relevant material from national sources, databases, libraries and various statistical calculations and compilations. • Analyze and scrutinize the financing flows outlined in the strategy based on the Dynamic National Financing Simulator for Oman. • Provide econometric assistance to examine the factors influencing investment opportunities and potentials in the Omani economy, including workstreams on quantitative economic modelling and causal inference for policy recommendations. • Assemble original statistical material, adjust reported data from different sources, and load data into a computerized database system. • Assess and examine data sets for accuracy, clarity, and validity and interpret results. • Assist in the maintenance of relevant computerized databases, ensuring data integrity and accessibility. • Prepare a variety of reports, presentations, tables, lists, graphs, charts, and/or diagrams based on the analyzed data for information and review by senior officers. • Collaborate and coordinate closely with different team members in Financing for Development.

Qualifications/special skills

A Bachelor's degree in Business, Economics, Finance or related area is required. An advanced university degree in the above fields is desirable.

All candidates must submit a copy of the required educational degree. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed For this post, no previous work experience is required. Knowledge of econometrics is required. Proficiency in statistical software is required. Knowledge of time series models such as Vector Autoregressive Models (VARs) or Structural VAR is desirable. Knowledge in panel data models like the Fixed Effects model, the Dynamic Panel Threshold Model, or the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat; and Arabic is a working language of ESCWA.

For this position, fluency in English and Arabic is required.

Note: “Fluency” equals a rating of ‘fluent’ in all four areas (speak, read, write, and understand) and “Knowledge of” equals a rating of ‘confident’ in two of the four areas.

Additional Information

Recruitment for this position is on a local basis. The incumbent is required to have the legal right to live and work in the specified working location.

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.