Research Assistant to support an assessment of the Blue Economy in Tanzania at UNECA – United Nations Economic Commission for Africa: (Deadline 12 May 2022)

Research Assistant to support an assessment of the Blue Economy in Tanzania at UNECA – United Nations Economic Commission for Africa: (Deadline 12 May 2022)

Result of Service

An organized database of economic, social, and ecological statistics, relevant to the Blue Economy in Tanzania, for entry in a Blue Economy Valuation Toolkit and ultimately contributing to an assessment of the local Blue Economy and the development of a national Blue Economy Strategy for Tanzania.

Work Location

The project is primarily home-based. The consultant is expected to be present in Tanzania for one (1) week to participate in the in-person training and national consultation.

Expected duration

Selected Consultant will be recruited for a period of two (2) months from the date of Contract and will be paid as per the following deliverable payment trenches:
• 50% of total Consultancy Service Fees upon submission and approval of dataset of required indicators report
• 50% of total Consultancy Service Fees upon submission and approval of draft inputs to preliminary report and organisational support for training report

The project is primarily home-based. The consultant is expected to be present in Tanzania for one (1) week to participate in the in-person training and national consultation.

Duties and Responsibilities

Background and Justification

Aquatic and marine resources are central to the delivery of the global 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and regional goals of the African Union, including the 2050 Africa’s Integrated Maritime Strategy and Agenda 2063. A sustainable Blue Economy seeks to promote inclusive and equitable economic growth, responsible production and consumption, social inclusion, and the preservation and improvement of livelihoods and environmental sustainability of aquatic and marine ecosystems and associated resources. Since the Blue Economy represents a crucial and strategic entry point for economic diversification and post-Covid19 socio-economic recovery, member States need to elevate efforts in policy development and implementation. For informed decision-making, States need an accurate understanding of ecosystems and associated Blue resources as well as of the exact value of the Blue Economy sectors and socio-economic contributions. As a think tank pioneering work on the Blue Economy in Africa, UNECA has developed a Blue Economy Valuation Toolkit (BEVTK) tested in Djibouti and Seychelles and validated in 2020.

Ocean-based economies are not new to the mainland or islands of the United Republic of Tanzania (URT). Tourism, transport, and fisheries are critical marine, lake and coastal activities, contributing to income and food security. Unsurprisingly, the Blue Economy agenda has been prioritized by both the government and several development partners. For example, the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar has developed a Blue Economy Policy and is in the process of developing a Blue Economy Strategy for the archipelago. The Government of the United Republic of Tanzania is committed to ensuring that the Blue Economy reaches its full potential and has indicated a desire to use investments in the Blue Economy as a strategy to accelerate its post-COVID-19 recovery. These efforts would benefit directly from thorough socioeconomic assessments of their blue resources.

Objective of the Study

The primary objective of this assessment is to domesticate the BEVTK to develop an economic, social and ecological evaluation of the Blue Economy in Tanzania; and provide training to officials on the BEVTK. The assessment will be as comprehensive as the available data allows.

Duties and Responsibilities

In close consultation with and under the guidance of the lead consultant of the project and the project manager in the Sub-Regional Office for Eastern Africa (SRO-EA), the research assistant will support the research and development of an in-depth economic, social and ecological assessment of the Blue potential in Tanzania using UNECA BEVTK.

With the view to perform above duty, the research assistant will carry out the following tasks and activities:

1. Assists with desktop research, interviews, and liaising with local officials and development partners providing context and input for the Blue Economy assessment.
2. Compile information and economic, social and ecological data relevant on Tanzania, as requested by the lead consultant.
3. Sorts, consolidates, extracts and processes data to enter in the various modules of the BEVTK.
4. Assists with running the toolkit and assessing the output.
5. Support in drafting sections of the preliminary report, including preparing tables, charts and diagrams, and contributing to presentations.
6. Assists with organizing an in-person training in Tanzania, which may include preparatory work, identifying potential participants, taking notes, drafting meeting summaries, etc.
7. Performs other support work as requested by the lead consultant or project manager.

Qualifications/special skills

Academic Qualifications: A university degree (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent) in economics, sustainable development studies, social sciences, accounting, statistics or a related field (Masters preferred). A high school diploma in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the university degree.

Experience: At least two (2) years of experience in collecting and researching data across various areas of social, economic and sustainable development or related area is required.

Also, the research assistant should have:
– At least one year of experience in conducting statistical analysis on socio-economic issue is desirable.
– Experience researching development issues in Africa (Eastern Africa knowledge preferred).
– Familiarity with the concept of the Blue Economy.
– Experience working with the national institutions (statistics, economic development, environment, labour), would be an asset.
– Work experience in a multicultural environment or in an international organization is desirable.
– Demonstrated experience working under tight deadlines and delivering high-quality outputs.
– Strong oral and written communication skills.
– Ability to work independently, proactively and with little supervision.

Language: English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, fluency in English is required (oral and written) and working knowledge of Swahili is required.

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.

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