Consultant, Evidence-Based Policy Briefs for the Arab Region

About the role

The Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) Decision-Support and Data Science Division seeks consultants to research and write a series of evidence-based policy briefs for policymakers in the Arab region. Each brief explains a policy challenge, synthesizes evidence and expert perspectives and offers practical recommendations. The consultant produces three to four briefs over a three-month engagement, with about one brief delivered every three weeks, under the guidance of a substantive supervisor. The work is remote.

Key responsibilities

• Agree on the policy question, audience, scope, structure and contribution of each brief, prepare an outline and set intermediate deadlines.
• Gather evidence from publications, policy documents and datasets, using ESCWA's internal AI-enabled research tools, and coordinate with colleagues and external specialists.
• Draft a complete brief that explains the problem, synthesizes evidence, assesses policy options and formulates recommendations suited to the regional or country context.
• Check facts, references and consistency, revise according to feedback and submit the final brief in an editable format with references and supporting material.

Required profile

• Advanced university degree in public policy, economics, journalism, communications, international relations or a related field.
• At least five years of professional experience in policy research, analytical writing, journalism, editorial work or knowledge-product development.
• Experience independently developing evidence-based policy or analytical publications from research through final draft.
• Fluency in English; knowledge of Arabic and French is desirable.

Required skills

• Ability to translate complex material into clear, accurate and accessible writing.
• Strong research, source-verification and substantive editing skills.
• Ability to gather and synthesize inputs from specialists or stakeholders and to manage deadlines and feedback.