Result of ServiceThe consultant should provide the required research support in areas 1–6 to be delivered in a timely manner. The consultant 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 LocationESCWA Expected duration6 months Duties and ResponsibilitiesBackground Over the past three decades, the Arab region's development landscape has undergone significant transformation. Persistent challenges, such as inequality and governance, have either remained unresolved or intensified, while new ones, like sustainability and global pandemics, have emerged or re-emerged. The region has experienced escalating environmental risks, including frequent extreme weather events, prolonged droughts, wildfires, and flooding. The traditional social contract, built on subsidies and rents, has facilitated basic development gains but has fallen short in delivering high-quality education, healthcare, and effective governance. Additionally, escalating geopolitical tensions, prolonged conflicts, and emerging fragility present formidable threats to the region's development prospects, further complicating efforts to achieve sustainable and inclusive growth. Given this context, ESCWA aims to recruit a consultant to assist our Development Challenges Project with producing development indicators and indices and developing effective policy assessment and monitoring tools aimed at understanding and tackling the development challenges facing the Arab region today. Specifically, the consultant will assist with research and consultation work towards the drafting of the Arab Development Challenges Report which zooms in on the development challenges of the region using ESCWA’s Global Development Index and provides in-depth country level analyses and results. The report's key findings will serve as the foundation for a development policy narrative that aims to interpret the stylized facts and results of applying these innovative measurement frameworks. Duties and responsibilities: Reporting to the Development Challenges Project Coordinator, under the broad supervision of the Cluster Leader, the consultant will work closely with the Development Challenges Project team assisting in the following deliverables: 1- Support in drafting four chapters of the Arab Development Challenges Report (ADCR) related to the Global Development Index and its components. 2- Support in regional analysis and drafting policy briefs and blog posts related to the ADCR. 3- Collect, synthesize and analyze data on development, inequalities and economic resilience and support in updating the key messages portal. 4- Support in organizing a high level group meeting to discuss the findings of the Arab Development Challenges Report (ADCR). 5- Assist in preparing and delivering training material for regional seminar on Global Development Index tool use and methodology. 6- Assist in other related tasks as requested by the supervisor. Qualifications/special skillsA master’s degree in economics, statistics or related area is required. All candidates must submit a copy of the required educational degree. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. Five years of experience in conducting quantitative analysis of data using statistical software, economic data analysis, presentation, drafting and visualization is required. Three years of experience in human development and governance analysis is desirable. LanguagesEnglish and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat, and Arabic is a working language of ESCWA. For this position, fluency in Arabic and English 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 InformationRecruitment 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 FeeTHE 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.