Result of Service

The consultant will deliver a report detailing the UNCTAD SDFA Framework Mark II.

Work Location

Home based

Expected duration

18.07.23 – 16.02.24

Duties and Responsibilities

The UNCTAD SDFA Framework Mark I was developed under the DA project 2023Z “Response and Recovery: Mobilising financial resources for development in the time of COVID-19”. This framework is a tool for developing countries’ policymakers to assess a country’s development finance needs to achieve structural transformation through the most significant SDGs while at the same time ensuring the sustainability of the external and public sector financial positions. The current version (Mark I) includes the first four SDGs (SDGs 1-4 – no poverty, no hunger, good access to health services and access to quality education), which are assumed in the model to be met through public sector investment given their high and long-term social returns.

Under the supervision of the Head of the Debt & Development Finance Branch, Division on Globalization and Development Strategies, the consultant will extend and enhance the UNCTAD SDFA Framework from Mark I to Mark II with the aim to estimate the impact on the beneficiary countries’ external financial sustainability of meeting the 2030 Agenda related to climate action (SDG 13 and climate aspects of other SDGs related to this action). The consultant will assume the following responsibilities:

• Preparation of an annotated outline with the method that will be used (i) to extend the UNCTAD SDFA Framework to the SDGs related to climate action, which will imply both public and private investment, and (i) to enhance this framework considering the recommendations of the UNCTAD SDFA framework Mark I Expert Panel and UNCTAD team. The outline should also detail the recommendations that will be implemented and, if it is the case, additional changes suggested by the Economic expert to develop UNCTAD SDFA framework Mark II. An imperative for this work is to improve robustness and appropriateness of the framework for developing countries, taking note of data constraints in the empirical application. In particular, the four beneficiary countries are SIDS and their specificities will have to be considered.

• Online meeting to discuss the annotated outline with UNCTAD team.
• Preparation of the first draft of the report

• Online meeting to discuss the first draft with UNCTAD team.
• Preparation of final version of the report

Qualifications/special skills

An advanced university degree, Master, in economics or related fields is required
At least 5 years of experience in economic analysis and research with expertise in macroeconomics, balance of payments and public finance is required
Experience in economic modelling and econometric models, with application to country-level data is desirable.

Languages

Fluency oral and written in English 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.