INTERNATIONAL CONSULTANT TO UNDERTAKE A TECHNOLOGY NEEDS ASSESSMENT (TNA) IN BURKINA FASO

Result of Service

1. Stakeholders onboarding process and TNA kick-off – 1 day Tasks: 1.1. Participate in the kick-off meeting 1.2. Inception Report with proposed approach and work plan Deliverables: Inception report 2. Analysis of the STI environment and National System of Innovation – 10 days Tasks: 2.1. Coordinate analysis of relevant data and information sources, including national development plans and strategies, policy documents, information on STI governance structures and arrangements, information on investment in science and technology, key STI indicators and trends, etc. 2.2 Liaise with the national consultant to define a consultation strategy and participate in consultations with the technical working group and selected STI experts in the country, including interviews and focus group meetings. 2.3 Work with the national consultant to prepare the chapters presenting an overview of the country’s contextual background and national system of innovation in Burkina Faso, including a critical analysis of existing strengths and weaknesses. Deliverables: TNA report introduction and chapters on i) the contextual background; and ii) STI environment 3. Identification of key development goals and challenges and selection of TNA focus sector(s) – 14 days Tasks: 3.1. Conduct continued desk review, focused specifically on examining development goals and priority needs that can be addressed through technologies. 3.2 Participate in focus group meetings with the technical working group convened by the national consultant to discuss the development challenges, identify priority development ambitions that can be more effectively addressed through technology and agree on 2-3 TNA focus sector(s) and related sub-sectors. Deliverables: Meeting minutes Tasks: 3.3 Conduct an in-depth analysis of the selected 2-3 sector and respective sub-sectors to understand the state of development, key gaps and challenges, areas of expertise at the country level, technology adoption and investment levels, and existing gaps. Review the investment environment, highlight barriers and opportunities for investment to drive technology transfer in the identified sectors. 3.4 Revise analysis of findings and coordinating the preparation of the chapter on the priority development goals and challenges and the focal sectors of the TNA. Deliverables: Drafted chapters on the priority development challenges and the focal sectors of the TNA. 4. Technology Analysis – 16 days Tasks: 4.1 Oversee, in close consultation with the national Consultant, the design and submission of a survey/interview questionnaire to identify relevant technologies in the selected sub-sectors which can effectively contribute to priority development goals; identify those technologies already available/in use in the country and those suitable for transfer. Coordinate the engagement with national and international investment agencies, regional development banks, and private sector investors to identify concrete opportunities for investment in technology adoption in the priority sectors. 4.2 Coordinate survey data analysis, drafting of the relevant technologies long list and preparation of technology factsheet for each technology. Deliverables: Technology factsheets (including characteristics, potential of applications, cost, maturity, economic benefits and social benefits) Tasks: 4.3 Participate in focus group meetings convened by the national consultant to identify criteria and weights to prioritize technologies and discuss scoring for each technology. 4.4 Finalize ranking of priority technologies per each sub-sector and prepare chapter on technology analysis. Deliverables: Drafted chapter on technology analysis 5. TNA Report – 10 days Tasks: 5.1 Prepare the first draft for review by the UN Technology Bank and the national focal point. The report should include a section recommending areas and opportunities to attract investment in STI. Deliverables: First draft of the TNA Report, including executive summary, introduction, conclusion, recommendations, and annexes 6. Report finalization Tasks: 6.1 Revise the report based on comments from the UN Technology Bank and national stakeholders ahead of validation – 3 days Deliverables: Final draft TNA report submitted Tasks: 6.2 Prepare 2-page TNA report summary – 2 days Deliverables: Summary produced

Work Location

Remote/Home-based

Expected duration

9 months

Duties and Responsibilities

Science, technology, and innovation are key instruments for the socio-economic transformation of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and their sustainable development. For the purposes of this study, technology refers to hardware, technical know-how, technical skills, and software applied to solve development-related challenges. LDCs suffer from deficits in their Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) capacities, absorptive as well as adaptive capacities, and lag substantially behind both emerging and advanced economies. The Doha Programme of Action for the LDCs for the Decade 2022-2031 identifies ‘Leveraging the power of science, technology, and innovation to fight against multidimensional vulnerabilities and to achieve the SDGs’ as a key focus area towards sustainable and irreversible graduation and calls for a new generation of renewed and strengthened commitments between the LDCs and their development partners, including the private sector, civil society, and governments at all levels. The objective of this TOR is to develop the conceptual framework and manage the substantive work for the preparation of the Technology Needs Assessment for Burkina Faso, to coordinate the research process involving a national consultant, and to develop the TNA report. From the Technology Bank’s perspective, the TNAs are policy tools designed to serve the following purposes: 1. Identify the specific sectors or economic activities in LDCs that require technological input solutions and investment, and which is the level of technological development in each of them. 2. Ensure that the technological solutions identified are appropriate and compatible with LDCs’ level of development and are aligned with their national development strategies. 3. Appraise the absorptive capacities of LDCs by reviewing the STI ecosystem in the LDCs, particularly the skills-base, technology policy, and the institutional and regulatory environment governing the national innovation system (NIS). The rationale for appraising the local absorptive capacities is to gauge the ability of the country to utilize and learn from transferred technologies and absorb and assimilate the technology locally through adaptation and upgrading. 4. Consult with key national stakeholders, particularly the private sector and the umbrella bodies of professional organizations (agricultural, livestock and others), to determine the technological needs of LDCs from a wider and well-informed perspective. 5. Recommend technological solutions and the specific sectors and sub-sectors where private and public investment and STI-related capacity building is needed and could enable LDCs to address immediate development challenges and narrow the technological gap with more developed economies. The TNA for Burkina Faso will contribute significantly to policy and strategy development, supporting Burkina Faso’s national development agenda, in line with the country’s 2nd National Economic and Social Development Plan 2021-2025 for accelerating the achievement of the SDGs through science, technology, and innovation. To support this effort, this development plan sets itself the overall objective of restoring security and peace, strengthening resilience of the nation and structurally transform the national economy, for strong, sustainable and inclusive growth. This plan has identified four key sectors—Agriculture and Livestock, Construction and Public Works, Trade and Transport, and Telecommunications—and associated technologies, which will serve as a foundation for the TNA preparation. This process will also identify key STI capacity-building priorities, offering strategic guidance to bilateral donors, multilateral and regional development banks, foundations, NGOs, and private sector partners (e.g. Chambers of Commerce and Industry, accelerators, incubators) in their STI-related initiatives within Burkina Faso. Purpose and Scope of Assignment In general, the challenges facing the LDCs are numerous, and they cut across sectors and income levels. Thus, in principle, LDCs need all sorts of technologies (both hard and soft) to tackle immediate challenges and accelerate the development process. However, access to the diverse range of technologies they need is neither easy not feasible – partly because of the high cost acquiring technologies and partly because LDCs have low-level of absorptive capacities, which limit their ability to absorb, learn, assimilate, and upgrade the acquired technologies. This makes the TNA a useful tool for pinpointing specific areas where appropriate and relevant technological solutions can be used to help LDCs overcome some of the obstacles to development. The assessment intends to provide critical insights about the functioning of the national innovation system, present an overview of the existing gaps and challenges in accessing, utilizing and developing technologies, and understand how the national policy framework in the areas of STI impacts national sustainable development. The TNA will rely on a wide conceptualization of technology and look at technology as the systematic knowledge and skills used in the process of production or service delivery. This knowledge can be embodied in products or processes. The overarching goal of the consultancy is to review the key development challenges facing Burkina Faso and identify technologies that could provide sustainable solutions in socio-economic sectors by conducting stakeholder consultations and country-level and regional analysis of findings. In conducting the assessment, the consultant is expected to: (a) examine the national development strategy and the main drivers of growth, industrial development and structural transformation; (b) identify the specific areas (i.e, sectors, economic activities, social concerns, environment-related challenges) where technological solutions could help in addressing the identified challenges; and (c) determine the technologies and/or technical know-how that the country needs to solve some of its problems. This process will be informed by and carried out in close coordination with the national consultant, who will lead consultations with national stakeholders. Additionally, the consultant will identify opportunities to leverage public and private investment to support Burkina Faso’s development through technology. This will include reviewing existing investment flows, potential private sector engagement, and public-private partnerships that could catalyze technology adoption and innovation. The main objectives of the assignment are: 1. To identify development challenges in the country that can be addressed using technologies, highlighting the role each can play in supporting the country in meeting its development goals and priorities. 2. To oversee the engagement of a wide range of experts and stakeholders, especially from government, the private sector, and research centers, to identify the sub-sectors and economic activities with higher transformation potential and to succinctly analyze their trends and development, highlighting the role each can play in supporting the country in meeting its development goals and priorities. When identifying the sub-sectors, ensure a comprehensive analysis is conducted to determine the implications for foreign direct investment activity in each specific sub-sector, research investment drivers and assess their potential as sources of foreign direct investment. 3. To identify and build consensus on appropriate technologies that can adequately and effectively address the country’s development challenges and drive structural transformation and sustainable development, while acknowledging existing STI initiatives in the country and the role of indigenous technologies. 4. To identify barriers and challenges hindering the acquisition, deployment, and diffusion of prioritized technologies as well as the scale up of existing technologies in the country, including indigenous ones. 5. To evaluate the enabling environment and readiness (policies, financing, capacity etc.) for the utilization and application of the prioritized technologies and evaluate their suitability and attractiveness for different types of investment. 6. To present recommendations to strengthen technological development in the country, specifying activities and enabling frameworks to overcome the barriers and facilitate private and public investment for the sustainable transfer, adoption, and diffusion of selected technologies in the country. Under the supervision of the UN Technology Bank for LDCs, the international consultant will work closely with a national consultant to undertake the following tasks: a. Analyze the national context and science, technology and innovation environment. The review will provide critical insights on the functioning of the National Innovation System (NIS) and its latest development trends, by looking at the main STI actors, policy framework, the country’s current capacity in terms of innovation capabilities, research and development (R&D), technology scouting, IP systems, engineering, technical and vocational skills, etc. The primary objective for assessing the country’s NIS is to understand the level of technological development of the country, assess ongoing STI initiatives and appraise the country’s capacity to utilize and absorb prioritized and transferred technologies. b. Identify Burkina Faso’s overarching development ambitions and goals that can be effectively addressed through application of technology and innovation. The core areas of focus for the TNA will be selected with the aim to maximize the impact of technology as an instrument to foster structural transformation, reduce poverty, increase social and economic growth and promote inclusive sustainable development. c. Identify and prioritize technologies for the relevant sectors by liaising with stakeholders and experts to analyze how the prioritized technologies can be implemented in the country and how implementation circumstances could be improved by addressing related barriers. The review will include an analysis of: i) technologies and capacities that are required to achieve specific SDGs, structural transformation, including progressing towards sustainable graduation from LDC category; ii) policies and programs that are needed to build the required local capacity and support technology transfer and deployment; and iii) best practices that are particularly suitable for replication in Burkina Faso in helping to achieve specific SDGs and development priorities including effective and sustainable graduation from the LDC category. The process should involve a broad range of relevant industry and technology experts and stakeholders, including the private sector, aiming to analyze how the prioritized technologies can be implemented in the country and how to address related barriers. d. Ensure that the TNA analysis and recommendations have a lens that focuses on the role of STI in trade, especially towards reducing import reliance and increasing export diversification. Ensure that the TNA incorporates diverse and balanced perspectives including gender and inclusion perspectives and considers sustainability and environmental factors in all aspects of the analysis. e. Identify and recommend opportunities to strengthen STI capabilities, technical capacities, and develop relevant skills, as well as opportunities to improve the utilization of existing capacity-development programmes. f. Liaise with the UN Technology Bank and with the national consultant to coordinate the approach and methodology, analyze and discuss findings, draft and revise chapters and prepare the draft and final TNA report. g. Revise the TNA draft submitted, ensuring that the comments and requests for additional information received are incorporated appropriately and that the revision is conducted in close consultation with the Technology Bank for LDCs. The consultancy will also include the following activities: ● Organizational audit or institutional and capacity assessments in what relates to Science, Technology, and Innovation in identified sectors and related resource sectors within the country. ● Participate in stakeholder engagements/workshops facilitated by the national consultant. ● Oversee, in close consultation with the national consultant, participatory assessment processes to collect qualitative and quantitative data, including surveys, focus group meetings and interviews with a wide representation of women. ● Parsing and synthesizing large amounts of information into analytical insights. ● Carrying out high quality research and producing knowledge products. ● Developing policy and action-oriented recommendations in science, technology and innovation within identified sectors. ● Project planning and reporting arrangements, including working in professional teams.

Qualifications/special skills

• An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Economics, International Development and Trade, or related areas. A first-level university degree in similar fields in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. – At least ten (10) years of working experience in research, international development, trade, science, technology and innovation, or related area is required. – Extensive knowledge of the innovation systems, technological learning and absorption processes and the policy and regulatory environment required for capacity building in STI is required. – Experience in qualitative and quantitative research methods, data collection, and data analysis, including gender disaggregated data analysis, techniques is required. – Strong analytical writing and communication skills are required. – Research and publications on international development related matters are required. – Good understanding of the development challenges facing developing countries; especially the Least Development Countries (LDCs) is desirable. – Practical experience of foreign direct investment gained through working with an investment promotion agency, industrial park, special economic zone or similar organization or experience working on foreign investment projects is desirable.

Languages

Fluency in oral and written French and English is required.

Additional Information

• Le consultant international rendra compte directement à la Banque de technologie des Nations unies, mais travaillera en étroite collaboration avec le consultant national. – Le consultant sera engagé pour une durée maximale de 56 jours ouvrables et restera disponible pour achever les prestations dans les délais convenus. – Le montant forfaitaire des honoraires de la consultance sera tout compris. – Tous les rapports doivent être soumis à la Banque de technologie des Nations unies sous forme de copies électroniques en français.

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.

Read Full Description