Consultancy for a study On the impact of digital technologies in economic development in Algeria

Result of ServiceULTIMATE RESULT OF SERVICE • The report prepared should be in Arabic in electronic format. • Minimum report submitted should not be less than 30 pages minimum. • The report must be supported by reliable figures and numbers. • A 2 to 4 pages executive summary of the report. • A recommendation section. The completed parts should be edited and saved in MS-Word (*.docx file) or an alternate compatible format. 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 address 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. The content cannot and must not be presented, discussed or published by the consultant without the express authorization of ESCWA and CNESE. 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 and/or 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 CNESE permission. Work LocationRemote Expected duration16 weeks Duties and ResponsibilitiesGENERAL SCOPE Digital technologies have the potential to significantly boost economic development by enhancing productivity, fostering innovation, and creating new job opportunities. According to the World Bank, Algeria's GDP growth rate was 4.1% in 2023 . By leveraging digital platforms, businesses can streamline operations, reduce costs, and access global markets more efficiently. This transformation can lead to increased economic growth and job creation, as seen in other developing countries. Moreover, international indicators provide valuable insights into the impact of digital technologies on economic development. For instance, the SDG 9 indicator shows that the percentage of the population using the internet in Algeria was 71% in 2022 . By investing in digital infrastructure and promoting digital literacy, Algeria can bridge the digital divide and ensure that its population benefits from the opportunities offered by the digital economy. In addition, the National Statistical Office (NSO) of Algeria reports that the unemployment rate was 11.7% in 2023 . By adopting smart policies and fostering a supportive environment for digital entrepreneurship, Algeria can attract investments and stimulate the growth of its digital sector. This, in turn, can lead to the creation of high-quality jobs and the development of new industries, further contributing to the country's economic development. In this context, the International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC) Revision 5 provides a structured way to categorize economic activities, which can be leveraged to enhance the impact of digital technologies on the economy in several ways: 1. Data-driven decision making: ISIC v5 classifies industries in detail, allowing governments and businesses to design digital transformation strategies tailored to each sector. By using ISIC codes, businesses can track digital adoption trends within their industry and compare performance across sectors. 2. Targeted policy and investment: Governments can use ISIC-based classification to offer tax benefits, grants, or subsidies for digital transformation in specific industries. 3. Enhancing digital transformation across industries: ISIC v5 allows tech companies to develop sector-specific AI models, automation tools, and IoT solutions. 4. Improving trade services: ISIC-based classifications can help standardize digital trade policies, ensuring smoother cross-border digital commerce. 5. Measuring and enhancing digital economy impact: ISIC v5 provides a framework to measure the impact of digital transformation in various sectors (e.g., digital jobs created, productivity improvements). The UN is involved in enhancing the use of emerging technologies for sustainable development. In September 2024 during the Summit of the Future (SoF), world leaders adopted the Pact for the Future and its annexes: the Global Digital Compact (GDC) and Declaration on Future Generations. The GDC mandates UN Regional Commissions to provide support to Member States to advance digital transformation. To fully benefit from the vast opportunities made available by this technology, Arab countries need to develop their national policies to meet the requirements that were brought forth by the digital age. Most recently, the National Council of Economic, Social and Environmental affairs (CNESE) in Algeria requested UN-ESCWA’s assistance to develop a study on the economic impact of digital technologies in Algeria. 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 report outline. The proposed report should include the following sections: (1) Review best regional and international practices on the performance of Algeria in selected international and regional indicators. An analysis of selected activities based on ISIC v5 would be required; (2) Analyse the different existing reports related to Algeria’s economic performance in technology related activities; (3) Conduct interviews with the selected stakeholders (public & private sectors), and listening to their remarks and observations on the subject; (4) Draft a report highlighting current national economic performance, and potential activities and sectors that could leverage digital technologies to improve economic impact and suggest a list of actionable recommendations to better harness digital technologies and benefit from its developmental impact. (5) Provide a matrix of estimates for three different scenarios (conservative, moderate, Optimistic), estimating the expected growth impact of technology in boosting economic production in Algeria by kind of economic activity, covering private and public production. Elaboration on the key assumptions and characteristics of each scenario would be necessary. (6) Present the draft report finding in a national meeting and collect feedback; (7) Update the report based on provided comments from CNESE, ESCWA or diverse meetings. 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 and thereby ensure that the narrative language should be gender sensitive. Qualifications/special skillsA Master's degree in economy or a related field is required; a Ph.D. is desirable. All candidates must submit a copy of the required educational degree. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. At least 5 years of experience and research in economy is required. A concrete knowledge in the domain of digital technologies is required. 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. Fluency in French or 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. 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.