Result of Service• Inception Report – Detailing methodology, timelines, and stakeholder engagement plan • Diagnostic and benchmarking Report – AI investment environment analysis, stakeholder mapping, and policy gap assessment, with international good practices tailored to Jordan. • Draft AI-Investment Framework – Structured policy document with actionable proposals. • Final Framework and Implementation Roadmap – Incorporating feedback and aligned with MoDEE’s strategic objectives. • Presentation to National Stakeholders – Validation workshop and technical briefing. • The final report prepared should be in Arabic and in electronic format. • The report should, where applicable, incorporate graphs, tables, and charts to enhance clarity and facilitate better understanding. • The report submitted should not be less than 30 pages. • A 2 to 4 pages executive summary of the report. The completed parts should be edited and saved in MS-Word (*.docx file) or an alternate compatible format. Note that PDF format will not be accepted. It should include a table of contents to be automatically updated followed by a list of all tables and figures. The various parts should be submitted in electronic form and sent to the email of the designated focal point. Attention is kindly drawn to the need to ensure that the final draft of the outputs be thoroughly reviewed prior to submission and to indicate the sources of tables and diagrams. References to reports and other substantive material should be clearly indicated within the text and noted at the end. It is also essential to send, with the completed output, photocopies or scans of at least the first page of books, reports and bulletins, used as reference material as well as copies of the pages quoted. The content of the generated document shall be the sole property of ESCWA. Their contents cannot and must not be presented, discussed or published without the express authorization of ESCWA. The consultant shall keep in mind that UN-ESCWA routinely checks all deliverables for plagiarism using readily available electronic tools. All previously published content, even if written by the selected consultant, must be clearly referenced where required within the text and end-noted at the end of the study. The report submitted by the consultant must not contain quoted, previously published text equalling more than 20 per cent of the total number of pages. The consultant shall not publish or announce or reveal the content of the report, partly or entirely, on social media or any other public channel, without ESCWA and MODEE permission. The content of the generated document shall be the sole property of ESCWA. Work LocationRemote Expected duration16 weeks Duties and ResponsibilitiesGENERAL SCOPE Artificial Intelligence (AI) is emerging as a powerful engine of economic transformation, with the potential to significantly enhance productivity, catalyze innovation, and create new avenues for value generation across industries. Its integration into economic systems is already reshaping how businesses operate, offering advanced capabilities in data analysis, automation, customer engagement, and decision-making. For startups in particular, AI serves as a critical enabler by lowering operational costs, accelerating product development cycles, and opening access to global markets. By leveraging AI tools, startups can scale rapidly, introduce innovative solutions, and compete alongside established firms, thereby contributing to a more dynamic and inclusive economic ecosystem. AI could also help public agencies to provide better services with reduced costs, in low- and middle-income countries , create new job opportunities in the labour market, and create an appropriate opportunity for innovation and entrepreneurship. By 2030, the expected impact of AI on the economy would range from 5.6% (low-income countries) to 26.1% (China) of GDP . To unlock AI’s full potential in the economy, it is crucial to develop and implement a well-balanced regulatory and policy environment. Such a framework should promote investment in AI research and development, ensure ethical and responsible deployment, and protect public interests through robust standards on data privacy, algorithmic transparency, and cybersecurity. Importantly, regulations must remain adaptive to the rapid pace of technological change, avoiding overly restrictive measures that may stifle innovation or deter international investors. Instead, the focus should be on creating clear, supportive pathways for AI development that encourage cross-sector collaboration and responsible entrepreneurship. The expected outcomes of a thoughtful regulatory approach are far-reaching. A conducive environment for AI can drive economic diversification, support the growth of knowledge-based industries, and enhance national competitiveness on the global stage. It also plays a critical role in advancing sustainable development goals, from improving education and healthcare delivery to optimizing energy use and enabling climate-smart infrastructure. By fostering an ecosystem where AI innovation flourishes in harmony with ethical standards and social values, governments and stakeholders can ensure that the economic benefits of AI contribute meaningfully to long-term, inclusive, and sustainable growth. The United Nations (UN) is involved in enhancing the use of emerging technologies for sustainable development. In September 2024 during the Summit of the Future, world leaders adopted the Pact for the Future and its annexes: the Global Digital Compact (GDC) and Declaration on Future Generations. Among its objectives , GDC aims to enhance the international governance of AI for the benefit of humanity. UN-ESCWA, through its technical cooperation program, is committed to provide technical assistance to its member states to boost national efforts towards the achievement of the 2030 Development Agenda. Recently, the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship (MoDEE) in Jordan requested UN-ESCWA’s assistance in preparing a framework to promote and encourage investment and entrepreneurship in the field of AI This project is part of the Jordan National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, contributing to the achievement of its Third Strategic Objective: Enhancing investment and the entrepreneurship environment in the field of artificial intelligence. It is crucial to create an enabling environment that attracts and supports companies working in the AI sector. To that end, this project aims to design and implement the necessary tax facilities and investment incentives that will encourage companies to establish and expand their AI-related operations in Jordan. This project should build upon the outcomes of the previous ESCWA mission, particularly the classification of AI entities in Jordan. It aims to further develop and operationalize these findings by implementing targeted initiatives that support the growth of Jordan’s AI ecosystem. The provision of this advisory service is the subject of these terms of reference. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES The consultant shall propose to the designated ESCWA focal point a detailed version of the analysis of regulatory environment in Jordan and the suggested changes. Phase 1: Inception and Scoping Objective: Establish a clear, shared understanding of goals, scope, methodology, and deliverables. Key Responsibilities: • Review national digital transformation, AI Strategy and economic modernization strategies. • Define and agree on the methodology, timeline, and stakeholder engagement plan. • Conduct initial consultations with MoDEE, ESCWA, and key counterparts. • Submit the Inception Report, including a detailed work plan and consultation roadmap. Phase 2: Diagnostic, International Benchmarking and Gap Assessment Objective: Assess Jordan’s current AI ecosystem, investment environment, and regulatory readiness by extracting applicable lessons and models from global best practices Key Responsibilities: • Review current laws, regulations and admin frameworks related to ICT in general and AI in particular in Jordan Review the AI code of Ethics in Jordan; • Review the ESCWA/MoDEE report on AI classification, which aims to classify entities operating in the field of AI; • Analyze the existing regulatory, policy, and institutional landscape relevant to AI. • Review international and regional best practices incentivizing AI investments (at least 2 selected regional and 2 international cases); • Identify main national stakeholders, and hold in coordination with MoDEE, interviews and meetings with the main national stakeholders, and with the related national committee, and summarizing for each meeting/interview the discussed points, their remarks, observations and proposals; • Contribute to sectoral workshops to discuss needs and priorities, if needed; • Deliver the Diagnostic and Benchmarking Report, covering gaps, barriers, and institutional needs. Phase 3: Framework Design and Policy Development Objective: Develop a practical, context-responsive AI investment framework. Key Responsibilities: • Draft a comprehensive AI-Investment Enabling Framework structured around: o Analysis of current legal and investment frameworks; o Suggested changes based on international and regional best practices, gap analysis and national needs; o Comprehensive framework to promote the investment in AI with recommendations for tax facilities (e.g., exemptions, reductions) and investment incentives; o Eligibility criteria for companies to benefit from these measures; • Implementation plan including institutional roles, processes, and monitoring mechanisms. • Contribute to national workshop (physically or remotely) and capture the main comments and discussions. • Update the draft proposal according to all received feedback and comments during the reviewing process by ESCWA and MoDEE teams. • Prepare the Draft Framework Report. Phase 4: Implementation Roadmap and Finalization Objective: Deliver a practical roadmap and finalized framework. Key Responsibilities: • Develop a phased Implementation Roadmap (short, medium, and long-term actions). • Revise and finalize documents based on stakeholder feedback. • Submit the Final Framework and Implementation Roadmap. ESCWA promotes gender equality and integration of youth through its publications and therefore the consultant should pay attention, with the help of ESCWA staff, to gender considerations and youth dimension throughout the research work to ensure that the report gives equal attention to the needs of both men and women, as well as girls and boys. Writing should use gender-sensitive language. Qualifications/special skillsA Masters degree in public policy; law, AI, ICT, or a related field is required. A Ph.D. degree is desirable. All candidates must submit a copy of the required educational degree. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. At least 10 years of experience in technology policy, or investment ecosystem development, including 5 years in the domain of investment environments or legal studies is required. Previous experience in digital and emerging technologies is required. Previous experience in public policies and strategies 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 is required and knowledge of English is desirable. 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. All candidates must submit a copy of the required educational degree. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. Additional InformationNot available. 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.