Project Background

The Poverty Alleviation and Inclusive Development across Rural Sindh (PAIDAR) project, funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by UNIDO. The project aims to support the Government of Sindh (GoS) in implementing its Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS). One of the focused areas of PAIDAR is infrastructure improvements in five districts: Sujawal, Thatta, Badin, Tharparkar and Larkana.

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is a United States-based international humanitarian agency working in over 100 countries. CRS’ mission includes saving, protecting, and transforming lives through relief and development efforts across sectors such as emergency response, health, agriculture, education, and more. In Pakistan, CRS has been operational since 1954, with projects focusing on emergency response, food security, education, and disaster risk reduction.

Sindh Peoples Housing for Flood Affectees (SPHF), the government entity established to reconstruct the 2.1 million houses in Sindh, has collaborated with the PAIDAR programme to support the targeted improvements of basic infrastructure in pre-identified villages within selected districts of Sindh province, for four districts Sujawal, Thatta, Badin, and Tharparkar.  SPHF (with technical assistance of CRS) is developing Climate Resilient Settlement Development Plan (CRSDP) for PAIDAR programme in four districts, providing technical assistance for data collection, assessment, and analysis. CRS will engage and hire the required human resources, arrange the administrations, logistics and consultancy services and conduct orientations and trainings for accurate data collection, assessment, and analysis.

Objective and Responsibilities

The primary objective of this consultancy is to provide expert economic analysis and policy recommendations to support Climate Resilient Settlement Development Plan (CRSDP) in 04 districts (Thatta, Sujwal, Badin and Tharparkar) in Sindh province with a specific focus on local business trends and future economic opportunities in the context of sustainable development, disaster recovery, climate resilience.

• Conduct comprehensive analyses of local business trends, including industry performance, market dynamics, and consumer behavior.
• Assess the economic impacts of existing policies and frameworks in relation to local businesses and the project goals.
• Collect and analyze relevant data from various sources, including market reports, government publications, and surveys targeting local businesses.
• Engage with local entrepreneurs and business associations to gather insights on challenges and opportunities.
• Develop evidence-based policy recommendations that support local businesses and promote economic resilience and sustainability.
• Prepare policy briefs and reports summarizing findings and recommendations for stakeholders, emphasizing future economic opportunities.
• Facilitate workshops and meetings with key stakeholders, including local businesses, government agencies, NGOs, and community leaders, to discuss findings and gather input.
• Present economic analyses and recommendations in accessible formats for diverse audiences.
• Provide training and guidance to local authorities and project staff on economic analysis methods, focusing on leveraging local business trends.
• Assist in developing monitoring and evaluation frameworks to assess the impact of policies on local businesses.

Deliverables

1. A detailed report outlining the proposed methodology, timeline, and initial findings, including preliminary observations on local business trends.
2. A comprehensive report analyzing economic trends, local business performance, and policy impacts, along with future opportunities.
3. A series of concise policy briefs summarizing key findings and actionable recommendations related to local business support.
4. Summaries of stakeholder engagement sessions, including participant feedback, insights on local business challenges, and opportunities identified.
5. A final report consolidating all findings, recommendations, and methodologies used throughout the consultancy, with a focus on future opportunities for local businesses.
6. Development of training materials and documentation for capacity-building sessions tailored to local business contexts.

Reporting relationships

The Economist will report and work closely with the Program Manager who will lead and supervise the project. They will also have working relationships with the National Coordinator, Technical Advisor or any other responsible project staff. During the assignment, organization will provide transport to/from field.

Duration of contract

Contract duration for the assignment will be approximately 03 months and duration may increase or decrease depending upon the completion of task.

Required Competencies, Experience and Qualification

Personal Qualities

• Must be reliable and committed to fulfilling assignments with high level of professionalism.
• Must be able to work independently as well as within a team environment.
• Ability and willingness to work long hours and sometimes in adverse field conditions.
• Must be proactive and able to “think on your feet”.
• Highly punctual, organized, and flexible.
• Able to follow guidance provided by supervisors/managers.
• Must be conversant with basic social research ethics and be able to apply them in the field
• Must show respect and non-judgmental attitude towards respondents’ ideas, cultural values, and traditions.
• Must always show sober behavior they are required to perform duties.
• Must be able to assure confidentiality of respondents’ personal information.
• Able to build rapport with respondents to ensure that they remain motivated and interested in answering questions truthfully.
• Understandable knowledge of English

Education

• University level masters in Economic or relevant field from any recognized University with 3-4 years of experience.
• Strong analytical skills and proficiency in statistical software.

Experience and Qualifications requirements:

• 3-4 years previous work experience on same assignment.
• Have working knowledge advance technologies.
• Must have in-depth questioning, active listening and reporting skills.
• Must have delivered similar projects before and Submit proof of completion
• Attachments of similar reports.