【驻华招聘】联合国开发计划署（中国-北京）2017年11月招聘启事

驻华招聘

联合国开发计划署（中国-北京）2017年11月招聘启事

Catalysing action on SDGs by creating Sustainable Special Economic Zone through South-South cooperation (SSC)

Location :	Beijing, CHINA
Application Deadline :	17-Nov-17 (Midnight New York, USA)
Time left :	4d 23h 25m
Type of Contract :	Individual Contract
Post Level :	International Consultant
Languages Required :	English   Chinese

Background

In 2015, UNDP China and the International Poverty Reduction Center in China (IPRCC) conducted a comparative study on Special Economic Zones (SEZs)[1] in Africa and China. The study found that SEZs had limited success in Africa since their introduction in the 1970s, but are currently experiencing a promising comeback, with many African countries including SEZs as a key element of their industrialization strategies. Besides Africa, SEZs have also been speedily developed in Asia for decades, which has achieved fruitful results today.

As SEZs are set to play a major role in Africa and Asia’s industrialization it is important and timely to ensure that existing and new SEZs contribute to their countries’ commitment to the SDGs. Given that SEZs are geographically demarcated areas within a country, which function with different administrative, regulatory and fiscal regimes to the rest of the country, they provide an ideal testing ground for showcasing an industrialization model that supports the achievement of the SDGs. For example, besides their contribution to gradual economic reform, according to experiences in China, the SEZs also played an important role in reducing poverty by creating jobs. According to the characteristics of the populations in poverty, the most significant factor in poverty reduction is employment of the labour force. Employment can enrich their work experience, improve their competence and eventually lift them out of poverty.

The SDGs fully reflect the three inclusive dimensions of sustainability: economic, social and environmental. Existing research and guidelines on SEZs and sustainability focus on economic and environmental dimensions, but seldom review its impact on the social dimensions and instruments that played important role to ensure the success of the zones, such as national regulation for SEZs, financiers’ requirements, policy, practical operation, communication, community engagement, etc. This project aims to address this shortcoming by providing detailed suggestions on how SEZs can also encompass the social dimension of sustainable development. By combining existing work on the economic and environmental dimensions with new aspects on the social dimension, this project produces a first comprehensive blue print for a Sustainable SEZ.

Objective

The report will seek to provide practical guidance on the development and implementation of Sustainable SEZ, building on the experiences from Asian and African countries. These guidelines will try to cover the full planning process of the establishment of the SEZs, from the strategic plan, to the implementation and managing of the zones. The guidelines will also provide support to the policy makers to ensure that social sustainability can be enhanced, for example, from the perspectives of policy, regulations, financing restrictions, licensing, market demand (for fair trade products, standards for green, community conscious production methods, etc.).

In addition, the project will also establish a platform for learning and connecting country interests and investor interests, initially through a dialogue event.

The ultimate goal of the project is to support the achievement of SDGs through South-South cooperation between Asian and African countries on SEZs.

Looking forward, once the guidelines are available, it will facilitate the implementation of the guidelines in the pilot zones in African countries and seek the space for policy innovation in SEZs.

Methodology                                                                                                1)Desk research for developing the outline of the guideline

Conduct desk research on existing literature on social aspects of SEZs and on how existing SEZs and regulations in Asian and African countries, such as Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Thailand, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Rwanda, and South Africa address social aspects in line with SDG 4 (technical and vocational skills for employment), SDG 5 (gender equality), SDG 8 (youth employment, labor rights, save and secure working environments, decent work), SDG 10 (reducing inequalities), SDG 11 (air quality).

Conduct desk research on existing guidelines on economic and environmental aspects of sustainable SEZ and summarize existing materials with a view to showcasing how SDG 9 (sustainable industrialization), SDG 12 (sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources, waste management), SDG 15 (conservation of ecosystems) are addressed through the implementation of these guidelines.

2)Conduct interview and field visits to SEZs in Africa and Asia and draft guidelines

Conduct initial interviews with SEZs’ authorities, managers, companies, workers, Technical, Vocational, Education and Training (TVET) institutions and students on regulations, motivations, economic aspects and needs regarding social aspects of SEZs in Asian and African countries.

Conduct field visits to SEZs in China, other Asian countries and African countries that can showcase successful approaches towards making SEZs more sustainable.

3)Dialogue on Sustainable SEZ experience sharing and discussion

Organize a dialogue on SEZs’ experience sharing between China, other Asian and invited African countries in China. The dialogue will provide an opportunity to discuss the draft Sustainable SEZ Guidelines and receive inputs from related stakeholders about the key elements for establishing Sustainable SEZ and best practices and lessons learnt in this area.

The dialogue will also initial the discussion on the establishment of a network/advisory group for Sustainable SEZ development among Asian and African countries for knowledge, best practices and experience sharing. Meanwhile to facilitate the match making and continued exchange mechanism among the countries.

There may have two layers of the discussions one at the government to government exchange and the other among SEZs operation teams and investment promotion agencies.

4)Finalization of the Sustainable SEZ Guidelines

Organize further consultations on the draft guidelines with stakeholders of the Sustainable SEZ and finalize and publish the Guidelines. Provide suggestion on the implementation of the guidelines in the pilot zones as an annex to the Guidelines. Prepare a recommendation paper for the implementation of Sustainable SEZ Guidelines with suggested potential pilot zones.

Information collected for this research will be based on empirical desk research, including selected in-depth case studies from China and selected Asian and African countries and interviews conducted.

[1] Broadly ‘special economic zone’ (SEZ) can be grouped into the following three main categories: Free Trade Zones (FTZ); Export Processing Zones (EPZ): in some countries industrial zones or parks are in this category; and Multi-purpose Zones (MPZ).

Duties and Responsibilities

Prepare an inception report outlining the background, goals, methodology and expected results of the research, based on the initial methodology above and further inputs by UNDP China. (2 days);

Undertake desk review and collect background information, such as existing approaches and guidelines on sustainable SEZs in China, other Asian countries and other related materials for research (10 days);

Conduct field visit in Asian and African countries to interview relevant country officials, SEZs managers, companies and employees to identify good practices for sustainable SEZs (in connection with the dialogue for SEZs development or other existing meeting arrangements: consultant will help to prepare conference paper including a draft report, agenda and suggest speakers, etc.) (12 days);

Write guideline for the Sustainable SEZ and summarize the Asian and African experiences and make recommendations as an annex to the key report for reference to African countries in consultation with other stakeholders and UNDP China (15 days);

Consult with UNDP China and revise the report and participate in final consultation and discussion. Prepare recommendations on the forward-looking implementation for the pilot of Sustainable SEZ and a visually engaging presentation on the report findings and the way forward (3 days);

Participate in the Sustainable SEZ Guidelines launching event. (2 days).

Competencies

Expected Outputs:

By the end of the contract, the following outputs are expected:

Inception report;

Sustainable SEZ Guidelines;

Annex to the Guidelines summarizing good practices from China, other Asian countries and African countries on making SEZs more sustainable and the suggestions on way-forward for implementing the Sustainable 

SEZ Guidelines with the list of potential zones in Africa; and

Visually engaging presentation and active participation in the debriefing meeting with UNDP China and relevant stakeholders.

Required Skills and Experience 

Duration

The consultant(s) is expected to start work in November 2017, submit the first draft of the Sustainable SEZ Guidelines by the end of January 2018, and submit the final report by the end of February 2018.

Timeline 

Proposed timeline will be:

27 November                       

Consultation of research framework,

30 November                       

Research framework confirmed with inception report and drafting starts

22 December                       

Completion of the desk review

2-16 Jan                                

Field visit in Asian and African countries for interviews

31 January                            

First draft Sustainable SEZ Guidelines completed and Asia-Africa experience summary on sustainable SEZ ready for discussion

February                                

Guidelines peer review (UNDP RBA, RHB & COs)

8-9 March                              

Consultation with UNDP and related stakeholders

16 March                               

Second edition of the Guidelines with the inputs from the key stakeholders

19-23 March                         

UNDP and key stakeholders review

26-30 March                         

Edited final version ready in formatted layout

April                                       

Launch of final Guidelines and establishment of the platform/advisory group for Sustainable SEZ to connect the Asian and African countries’ interests and investors’ interests.

Offeror’s Letter and proposal Download Link: 

https://pan.baidu.com/s/1b9sC7G

Selection criteria:

Technical evaluation - 70%; Financial Evaluation - 30%; The final offer goes to the highest combined score winner.

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

Apply：https://jobs.undp.org/cj_view_job.cfm?cur_job_id=75709

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