The Individual Contractor will deliver timely and high-quality statistical support to the prevention and governance program, contributing to the release of reports and technical outputs. Work must meet ESCWA standards in terms of accuracy, clarity, and relevance.

UN-House ESCWA

3 Months

1. Background In response to the increasing complexity and frequency of crises affecting the Arab region, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) is developing a comprehensive set of prevention and early warning tools. These instruments are designed to support development practitioners and policymakers by providing a nuanced understanding of past, current, and emerging risk drivers—whether economic, social, environmental, or political. A central component of this initiative involves the integration of early warning systems (EWS) that can detect and signal risks before they escalate into full-blown crises. These systems utilize predictive analytics, trend monitoring, and scenario modeling to provide timely alerts and foresight, allowing for proactive responses rather than reactive measures. When embedded within national development processes, EWS can assist national stakeholders take preventative actions that reduce vulnerabilities and strengthen resilience. Together, these tools aim to advance risk-informed policymaking across ESCWA Member States by embedding risk awareness and early response mechanisms into development strategies. This approach enables policy decisions that are not only more adaptive and inclusive but also better aligned with long-term sustainability and crisis prevention goals. Ultimately, by strengthening the institutional capacity to anticipate, assess, and respond to multidimensional risks, ESCWA’s prevention and early warning framework will contribute to more resilient, evidence-based, and forward-looking governance throughout the region products. 2. Duties and Responsibilities Under the direct supervision of the chief of section and the overall guidance of the Cluster Lead, the Individual Contractor will perform the following tasks: i. Data Processing and Indicator Management • Collect, clean, and process quantitative and qualitative data from multiple sources. • Support the maintenance and regular updating of multidimensional risk indicators and metadata. • Ensure accurate documentation and archiving of data sources, methodologies, and updates. ii. Research and Statistical Analysis • Conduct desk research, literature reviews, and synthesis of academic and policy materials. • Perform basic statistical analysis to support risk profiling and early warning assessments. • Assist in mapping and organizing data related to economic, social, governance, technological and environmental risks. • Apply advanced quantitative techniques, analyze large datasets, identify trends and correlations, and apply quantitative research methodologies (regression analysis, panel data analysis, predictive modeling) to issues related to development, climate change, conflict, technology and governance. • Contribute to the interpretation of statistical findings to inform policy recommendations. • Assist in visualizing data through graphs, charts, and dashboards. iii. Coordination and Support Coordinate with team members to ensure coherence and accuracy of the outputs. Perform any additional tasks related to the project as requested by the supervisor.

A first-level university degree in statistics, economics, public policy, business analytics, or a related field is required. All candidates must submit a copy of the required educational degree. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. A minimum of one 1 year of relevant experience in data analysis, statistics, or governance-related quantitative research is required. Experience with indices or governance monitoring tools is desirable. Familiarity with data visualization tools (e.g., Excel, Power BI, Tableau) and statistical packages (e.g., R, Stata, SPSS) is desirable.

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat; and Arabic is a working language of ESCWA. For this position, fluency in English and Arabic is required. 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.

Not available.

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.