Consultant, Cabo Verde - Preparation of the Country Diagnostic Note - ECCE (EOI) at the African Development Bank Group (AfDB)

African Development Bank Group (AfDB) - Established in 1964, the African Development Bank is the premier pan-African development institution, promoting economic growth and social progress across the continent. There are 80 member states, including 54 in Africa (Regional Member Countries). The Bank’s development agenda is delivering the financial and technical support for transformative projects that will significantly reduce poverty through inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Expression of Interest for Cabo Verde - Preparation of the Country Diagnostic Note - ECCE

Location: Home based
Consultant type: Individual Consultant
Department issuing the request: Country Economics Department (ECCE)
Nature of assignment: International Individual Consultant (Cabo Verde)
Duration of the assignment: Four (04) months
Job family: Other

Brief Description of the Assignment

• The purpose of the assignment is to prepare a comprehensive Country Diagnostic Note (CDN) for Cabo Verde to identify the binding constraints to inclusive growth and sustainable development.
• The CDN will serve as a guide for the Bank’s engagement with the Government of Cabo Verde over the medium-term.
• It will provide an analysis of Cabo Verde’s socio-economic situation and prospects and discuss the policies that need to be implemented to accelerate inclusive growth and achieve the Bank’s High5s.
• The CDN will inform the strategic choices for the next Bank’s Country Strategy Paper 2025-2029 for Cabo Verde and selection of the areas of intervention.

Introduction / Background

• Cabo Verde achieved a low-middle income country (MIC) status in 2007, but the economy remains vulnerable to exogenous shocks, in part, due to high dependence on tourism services and slow economic diversification.
• The economy grew by 5%, on average, between 2017 and 2019, and underpinned by an efficiency-driven development model sustained on public investment in infrastructure, foreign direct investment (FDI) in tourism, and remittances. GDP per capita increased from USD 3,132.6 in 2017 to USD 3,434.6 in 2019, with poverty falling from 35.2% in 2015 to 26% in 2019. While the services sectors, notably tourism and industry have been the main drivers of growth, agriculture which accounts for 11% of total employment underperformed its potential and challenged by climate change, low productivity, weak technological innovation, and limited processing capacity for value chains.
• The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic halted economic progress. GDP growth contracted by 14.8% in 2020, the largest recession on record since independence in 1975. Per capita income also shrunk to USD 2,924.1 in 2020, poverty increased to 31.6%, while the expansionist fiscal and monetary policies adopted to mitigate the pandemic widened the fiscal deficit and raised debt vulnerabilities. Economic growth has since rebounded by 7% in 2021 and 10.5% in 2022, driven by fasterthan-expected recovery in the tourism sector. However, the repercussions of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have exerted upward pressure on the cost of food and fuel, created new financing requirements, and further constrained government’s capacity to address development challenges.
• The African Development Bank (the Bank) together with other development partners have been supporting Cabo Verde’s development priorities underscored in its development frameworks including the Cabo Verde’s Ambition 2030, the Strategic Plan for Sustainable Development (PEDS, II 2022-2026) and its operational priorities.
• The Bank’s Country Strategy Paper (CSP) 2019-2024) for Cabo Verde was approved in December 2019. It is articulated around one Priority Area of support to economic diversification through enhanced agriculture value chains. The CSP 2019-2024 is aligned with Cabo Verde’s Ambition 2030, the PEDS 2017-2021, the Bank’s Ten-Year Strategy (TYS) 2013-2022 and its High-5s operational priorities.

Objectives of the Assignment

• The objective of the assignment is to prepare a comprehensive Country Diagnostic Note (CDN) for Cabo Verde to identify the binding constraints to inclusive growth and sustainable development.
• The CDN will serve as the guide for the Bank’s engagement with the Government of Cabo Verde over the medium-term. It will provide an analysis of Cabo Verde’s socio-economic situation and prospects and discuss the policies that need to be implemented to accelerate inclusive growth and achieve the Bank’s High-5s.
• The CDN will inform the strategic choices for the next Bank’s Country Strategy Paper for Cabo Verde and selection of the areas of intervention.
• The proposed work will use existing national and sectoral reports as well as international data to generate a succinct story of Cabo Verde’s growth and sectoral performance and identify emerging issues going forward.
• The CDN will underscore the enablers and binding constraints to inclusive growth and social transformation as well as the areas on which the Bank should focus its interventions over the medium-term.

Main Activities and Deliverables

• Prepare as well as collate macroeconomic and sector inputs and the draft
• CDN for Cabo Verde. The consultant will ensure that the CDN guideline is followed and that all required inputs are included and updated.
• Review existing national planning documents, knowledge products produced by the Bank, development partners and other sources to develop a strong context for the CDN and use the same to prepare the CDN.
• Review and finalize draft sector/thematic notes prepared by the Bank’s sector departments.
• Apply comments from the Bank team to revise and update the entire report to ensure coherence of the storyline, interlinkages, and data consistency within and across the different chapters and sections. Revise and update the draft CDN following any additional team comments.

Reporting requirements:

• The successful consultant will work under the overall guidance of the Director of the Country Economics Department (ECCE) and Division Manager, ECCE1.
• The Consultant will be supported by the Country Economist under the overall technical supervision of the Lead Economist.

Eligibility

• The eligibility criteria, the establishment of a shortlist and the selection procedure will comply with the Bank's rules and procedures for the recruitment of consultants under its corporate regulations.
• Please note that the interest expressed by a consultant does not imply any obligation on the part of the Bank to include the consultant in the shortlist.

Duration of the assignment:

• The service, under this assignment is expected to be completed within a period of four (04) months from June 2023 to October 2023.
• The consultant will need to commit effort equivalent to three (03) person months for this assignment.

Duty Station

• The consultant may work from home or any other location. No mission is envisaged in carrying out the activities under this assignment.

Qualifications and Experience required
Education:

• At least a Master’s Degree or its University equivalent from a recognized institution in Economics, Development Studies, or a related field. A PhD is an added advantage.

Work Experience:

• At least 10 years of relevant professional and practical experience in drafting country diagnostics, technical and analytical reports;
• At least 5 years of experience working for an international organization;
• Experience in working with senior government officials, donor representatives and civil society on policy and strategic issues;
• Demonstrable understanding of the socio-economic landscape and current policy dynamics in Small Island Developing States, and Cabo Verde, in particular is desirable.

Languages:

• The working languages of the AfDB are French and English. For this task, fluency in English with good verbal and written skills is required; knowledge of the other is desirable;

Other Skills:

• Capacity to deliver output in a timely manner and ability to use relevant computer packages  (especially proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Econometric modelling packages –e.g., EViews, STATA, GAMS, etc).

Application Closing Date
2nd May, 2023 at 17:00 (GMT).