Organization: UNDP Saudi Arabia, through Stars Orbit Consultants and Management Development (SOC).

VA No. VA24-87

Position Title: International Trade Statistics Expert
Consultancy Type: International Expert

Duty Station: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Duration: 3 months

Vacancy Date of Issue: 6 June 2024

Vacancy Closure Date: 12 June 2024

Expected Starting Date: As soon as possible

Office/Unit/Project Description

Saudi Arabia has realized and sustained, for the last four decades, remarkable progress along the socio- economic development path. As a result of this, the Kingdom has been able to move to a high-income country. The GDP, for instance, increased from SAR 156 billion in 1969 to SAR 4,160 billion in 2022, putting the economy among the top 20 global economies in terms of size. Based on the annual ranking of the Human Development Index (HDI) of the Human Development Report, Saudi Arabia has steadily moved from the medium human development category in the 1990s to the very high human development category in 2021 at 0.875 value of HDI. The Saudi Vision 2030 represents an ambitious resolve with long- term goals and expectations founded on the strengths and capabilities of the Kingdom. It covers the three themes of a vibrant society, a thriving economy and an ambitious nation. A thorough review of the three themes and their underlying issues of national concern would reveal a holistic approach to development that encompasses the three dimensions of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): the social, the economic and the environmental. Saudi Arabia recognizes that achieving the SDGs requires rigorous, real- time and continuous monitoring for which quality statistics is a must. The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) has gone through a major revision of its corporate strategy and vision in alignment with the Saudi Vision 2030 and the SDGs. The revised strategy revolves around five pillars:

• Usage of statistics and information
• Production of statistics and information
• Application of advanced technologies in collecting and analyzing datasets
• Communications and awareness towards statistical knowledge
• Governance of statistical sector

Under the framework of the Institutional Support to Statistics project, UNDP provides technical support to the GASTAT to strengthen the institutional and human capacities of the national statistical system (NSS) to support evidence-based development planning and policy-making , and to implement the National Strategy for Statistical Development (NSSD) successfully, and modernize the national statistical system.

Scope of Work

In order to support the General Authority of Statistics (GASTAT) and National statistical system (NSS) in monitoring and reporting the sustainable development goals (SDGs), producing official statistics and data with quality and in the context of the technical cooperation framework with the GASTAT -Institutional Support to Statistics Project – the UNDP is seeking a International trade Statistics Expert to provide technical support to the Business, investment , and international trade statistics Department. The international trade Statistics Expert will provide technical assistance related to international trade in goods statistics which include Import/Export (Volume / Price) Statistics, in terms of processing, calculating, and publishing statistics for certain products, including Import and Export index, Raw materials price index and Capital goods price index to support the establishment of robust economic statistics.

The responsibilities under this assignment include the following:

The business statistics expert will provide technical assistance on SBR and the Business demography statics methodology, and indicators. In addition to evaluating validating and analyzing the collected data.

The Expert will also implement capacity strengthening activities, including training and mentoring the staff. Specifically, the responsibilities under this assignment include the following:

Technical support:

1. To review the current methodology and calculate
2. To review the current classification used and the current mapping relation among the used classification.
3. To provide advice on the data collection from administrative source and propose tools and collaboration mechanism.
4. To determine the best base year used to calculate indices.
5. To determine represented items and assign the relative weight.
6. To design tables and prepare reports.
7. To provide recommendation by using international standards and best practice
8. To identify additional data sources
9. Undertake other relevant duties required to achieve the overall assignment’s objectives.

Capacity Development

• In addition to delivering the above-mentioned technical support, the Import/Export International trade Statistics Expert will advise the GASTAT employees and related stakeholders on principles and best practice in modernize the national statistical system.
• Document the processes and methods for computing the Statistics & indices, with providing the training for relevant GASTAT’s team in data processing, cleaning, and calculating of the targeted indicators.
• Providing coaching and on-the-job-training for the GASTAT team when needed

Institutional Arrangement

• The duty station of the International Trade Statistics & Import/Export (Volume / Price) Expert is GASTAT at Riyadh – Saudi Arabia
• The the International Trade Statistics & Import/Export (Volume / Price) Expert will work in close collaboration with the Chief Technical Advisor (CTA), other consultants and the relevant GASTAT technical staff.

Duration of the Work

• The expected duration of the assignment is expected to be up to 3 months with the possibility of extension.

Duty Station

• The assignment will be In Country Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He/ She will be embedded within the within the Survey Unit at GASTAT.
• If unforeseen travel outside the consultant’s home-based city is requested by UNDP and not required by the Terms of References (ToR), such travel shall be covered by UNDP in line with applicable rules and regulations and upon prior written agreement. In such cases, the consultant shall receive living allowances not exceeding the United Nations (UN) Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA) rate for such other location(s).
• Note: A written approval from UNDP and relevant authorities will be required to facilitate the consultant’s travel to any locations than stated on this TOR on official missions where necessary.

Working Arrangements:

• The duty station of the Agriculture Statistics Expert is GASTAT at Riyadh – Saudi Arabia
• The Agriculture Statistics Expert will work in close collaboration with the Chief Technical Advisor (CTA), other consultants and the relevant GASTAT technical staff.