Result of Service

The ultimate result will be a tested n approved socio-economic assessment of the Blue Potential in Seychelles, aimed to support informed decision-making and contribute to the implementation of Seychelles Blue Economy Action Plan.

Work Location- KIGALI

Expected duration

The assignment will have a duration of three months from 1st January to 31st March 2021.

Duties and Responsibilities

I. Background information

Aquatic and marine resources are central to the delivery of the Africa Union Agenda 2063 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 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. Globally, the ocean economy has an asset base of over USD 24 trillion and generates at least USD 2.5 trillion each year from the combination of fishing and aquaculture, shipping, tourism, and other marine based activities (WWF, 2015). However, these are mere estimations given that the full potential of aquatic and marine ecosystems and associated resources is still not well understood globally and on the African continent. The lack of knowledge of blue resources at stake is a major gap hindering policydevelopment and implementation on the Blue Economy towards its sustainable harnessing. As an example, more than 80 per cent of the oceans remains completely unmapped. When combined with an equally poor mapping of freshwater and groundwater resources on the continent, it renders any action on that front very complex.

However, the Blue Economy represents a crucial and strategic entry point for economic diversification and post-Covid19 socio-economic recovery, hence the need for member States to upper their game in policy development and implementation. To do so, and provide the right means and tools for informed decision-making, an accurate knowledge of ecosystems and associated resources in the Blue World as well as of the exact value of the Blue Economy sectors and socio-economic contributions is required. As a think tank pioneering work on the Blue Economy in Africa, ECA has developed a Blue Economy valuation toolkit tested in Seychelles, as one pilot country, and overall validated in 2020. This toolkit complementing the multisectoral approach and step-by-step methodology for policy development highlighted in the Blue Economy Policy Handbook for Africa (available at https://www.uneca.org/publications/africas-blue-economy-policy-handbook) aims to guide sub-regional and national in-depth socio-economic assessments that will support informed decision-making.

In Seychelles, the planned work at national level will be carried out in the context of the Blue Economy Seychelles Action Plan aimed to address key challenges hindering the implementation of the Blue Economy Strategic Framework and Roadmap (the Blue Economy Roadmap). The country has confirmed its wish to diversify the economy and focus on the Blue Economy to accelerate post-Covid19 recovery, hence the need for further targeted actions that would benefit directly from thorough socioeconomic assessments of their blue resources. It will also be linked to the work of the National Bureau of Statistics and other stakeholder institutions involved in national and natural capital accounting systems.

II. Description of duties, responsibilities and tasks

In close consultation with and under the guidance of the project manager in the Sub-Regional Office for Eastern Africa (SRO-EA), the selected consultant will have the main duty and responsibility to develop an in-depth socio-economic assessment of the Blue potential in Seychelles using ECA Blue Economy valuation toolkit.

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

a. Produce an inception report, two weeks after signature of the contract.
b. Liaise with national stakeholders, potentially interested UN Agencies and other relevant partners/institutions and undertake initial consultations.
c. Carry out data collection and review and produce an initial analytical assessment report as per guidelines provided by the valuation toolkit, one month and half after signature of the contract.
d. Facilitate a national webinar to present initial findings and the socio-economic assessment report for review and feedback purpose, two months after signature e of the contract
d. Submit a revised draft socio-economic assessment report based on the above webinar’s conclusions and contributions, for a latest round of comments, two months and half after signature of the contract.
e. Finalize the socio-economic assessment no later than three months after signature of the contract.

Qualifications/special skills

Academic Qualifications: Advanced University degree (Master’s degree or equivalent), in sustainable development studies relevant to Blue Economy related areas and/or economics, accounting, statistics. A first-level university degree in combination with additional two years of relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Experience: At least ten years of work experience on Blue Economy related sectors and/or policy development and/or economics, accounting and statistical systems.
Language: English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat.
Fluency in English in writing and speaking 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.