Result of Service

Coordinate the development and implementation of a capacity development programme for participating National Statistical Offices to utilise web scraping for CPI production. Specifically, the incumbent will: • Lead the development and implementation of a capacity development programme on web scraping for CPI, incorporating remote and in-person learning and mentoring, with input from the web scraping capacity building coordinator and other project team members. • Work with the coordinator to identify potential training resource persons/mentors from various NSOs, particularly from NSOs in the Asia-Pacific region to contribute to the delivery of the programme. • As part of this programme, lead the development of and act as lead facilitator for one or more in-person training workshop that builds on the remote sessions with a particular focus on the practicalities of integrating web scraped data into consumer price statistics. • Provide remote mentorship to a sub-set of countries on web scraping tools and techniques relating to consumer price indices and provide support to other mentors as necessary. • With input from the web scraping capacity building coordinator, draft a report on the activities, outcomes and lessons from the capacity development activities. • Lead the drafting of a knowledge product for publication, focusing on best practices on web scraping and consumer price indices and their application in Asia and the Pacific.

Work Location

Home-based with travel to Bangkok

Expected duration

9 months

Duties and Responsibilities

ESCAP works to improve the quality of official statistics and the use of data for decision-making in Asia and the Pacific. Relevant, timely and accurate statistics are key to providing policy decision-makers with the evidence they need to make informed decisions. Quality statistics provide decision makers with evidence, inform individuals of their rights and responsibilities, and give local communities a voice to influence policy and communicate policy impacts. Through the improved use of data and statistics, ESCAP enables stakeholders to build inclusive, sustainable and resilient societies. ESCAP supports national statistical systems with economic, environment and social statistics and accounting following the vision and priority areas set out by Governments in the region. Further, ESCAP continues to cater to the evolving needs of the statistical community and has placed emphasis on featuring big data for official statistics in its work. The ESCAP Committee on Statistics decided at its 7th Session to “feature big data for official statistics in its future work, with an emphasis on sharing country research, experiences and good practices and facilitating capacity development”. Following this decision, ESCAP launched the project “The 2030 Data Decade – Strengthening the institutional capacity of national statistical offices in Asia and the Pacific to use innovative, new and big data sources for official statistics in support of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, funded by the by the UN Peace and Development Trust Fund. The project is being implemented by the Statistics Division of ESCAP between April 2023 – December 2024. The project features a range of activities to help build the institutional capacity of national statistical offices of countries in the Asia-Pacific region in the use of innovative, new and big data sources for official statistics. The project is using a partnership-based approach to delivery, enlisting global, regional, and national partners to ensure successful implementation and sustainability. The work includes in-depth in-country support for four target countries, the development of knowledge products, and capacity-building activities for a broader group of twenty beneficiary countries on priority applications of big data. ESCAP Statistics Division seeks the services of consultant to act as a web scraping specialist. The consultant will be a member of the project implementation team, with responsibility for developing and implementing capacity-development activities for beneficiary countries in the field of web scraping for CPI statistics. More specifically, the consultant will work with the web scraping capacity building coordinator to design and implement a programme of support for members of the 20 beneficiary countries who have identified this as a priority area, in collaboration with the broader project team within ESCAP Statistics Division. Core activities of the assignment will involve developing and running remote online training sessions, mentoring, and facilitating an in-person training workshop on the topic.

Qualifications/special skills

Degree in statistics, mathematics, economics, or in a related field is required. • A minimum of seven (7) years of experience in the collection, compilation, analysis and dissemination of official statistical data, with a particular focus on price statistics is required. • Knowledge and experience of applying methods, applications and programs for using alternative data sources for price statistics is required. • Experience with statistical programming, in languages such as Python, SQL, Visual Basic and R is required. • Experience working with one or more National Statistical Systems within the ESCAP region or international/subregional organisations on statistical work within Asia-Pacific would be an asset.

Languages

For this position, fluency in English including excellent drafting skills is required.

Additional Information

Not available.

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.