Result of Service

The individual contractor should provide the required research support to be delivered in a timely manner. The individual contractor should also help in finalizing all comments provided and should provide all statistical-software codes and data sets and programs related to the projects by the end of the contract in an organized manner.

Work Location

UN-House ESCWA

Expected duration

4 Months

Duties and Responsibilities

Background: The Sultanate of Oman has pursued ambitious economic and developmental strategies since the mid-1970s to achieve sustainable economic growth and enhance the quality of life for its citizens. These strategies, embodied in five-year development plans, 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 aims for sustainable economic growth, focusing on key economic sectors and international competitiveness. Despite challenges, Oman has successfully formulated ambitious national goals, addressing economic and social development within an integrated time frame and organizational structure. The plan focuses on policies and program choices to tackle development challenges, reflecting a commitment to balanced economic and social development. 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. Oman’s five-year plans underscore its commitment to sustainable development, improving citizens’ quality of life, and positioning the country for future prosperity. The project’s objective is to conduct a comprehensive evaluation and review of Oman’s 10th five-year National Development Plan, in line with the guidelines set forth in Article 8 of Royal Decree No. 1/2021. This entails a detailed mid-term review of the plan’s four strategic key themes and a critical assessment of the associated Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The consultancy’s role is pivotal to supporting the project coordinator in evaluating the effectiveness of the strategic programs and understanding the coordination and cooperation mechanisms within each theme. Duties and responsibilities: Reporting to the Project Manager and Economic Affairs Officer, the individual contractor will work closely with the team working on the Oman project in the following areas: • Conduct in-depth legal research and analysis to support the planned XB projects, including the assessment of Oman’s Competitiveness Index. • Analyze sector-specific regulations and legal frameworks within Oman’s market to provide targeted legal insights for the XB projects, with a particular focus on the market studies of the building sector and the e-commerce sector. • Participate in meetings, share updates, and integrate feedback to ensure cohesive project execution related to the Assessment of Oman’s 10th National Development Plan • Develop and build legal indicators for a new ABLF chapter after identifying a suitable topic, ensuring alignment with the overall framework, and then collaborating with stakeholders for verification to reach a comprehensive and accurate content integration. • Ensures effective communication and collaboration with various ESCWA departments, particularly CSS, to ensure alignment of legal perspectives and outputs produced, particularly in relation to the three chapters of the ABLF currently under editing for upcoming publication. • Support the preparation of a variety of technical papers, infographics, and presentations related to business legislation for the 2nd Consumer Protection Forum and the 6th Competition Forum. • Assist in the evaluation and examination of data sets and information for accuracy, clarity and validity. • Assist in the maintenance and update of a body of legal electronic reference files to ensure rapid retrieval of critical information. • Undertake related tasks on ad hoc assignments as requested by supervisor. The IC should support the delivery of the below outputs: • Finalizing the 10th National Development Plan Assessment: Assisting in the thorough completion of the assessment for the 10th National Development Plan. • Supporting the Upcoming XB Project with Oman: Contributing legal expertise to assess Oman’s Competitiveness Index and conducting sector-specific market studies, including analyzing the legal dimensions within those sectors. • Coordinating with CSS for ABLF Publication: Finalizing the editing process and addressing legislative-related comments to ensure the timely publication of the last three chapters of the Arab Business Legislative Framework (ABLF). • Exploring a New Domain in the Arab Business Legislative Framework: Leading a regional assessment and developing a separate country profile for each of the 22 Arab countries, focusing on a newly identified field within Arab legislation. • Developing Technical Papers for Annual Forums: Preparing technical/background material with a focus on legal expertise for presentation at the annual Arab Competition and Consumer Protection Forums.

Qualifications/special skills

A Bachelor’s degree in law, economic, statistics, business, sustainability 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. A minimum of 2 years of professional experience in legal analysis and research is required.

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.