INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION

ITU is the leading United Nations agency for information and communication technologies, with the mission to connect the world. To achieve this, ITU manages the radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbits at the international level, works to improve communication infrastructure in the developing world, and establishes global standards that foster seamless interconnection of a vast range of communication systems.

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Innovation Ecosystem Consultant

Vacancy notice no: 2324
Sector: BDT
Department: Regional Offices
Country of contract: Remote
Duty station: Home Based

Position number: [[positionNumber]]
Grade: [[PositionGrade]]
Type of contract: Consultant
Duration of contract: ASAP until 30 November 2026
Recruitment open to: External
Application deadline (Midnight Geneva Time): 2 June 2026

ORGANIZATIONAL UNIT

The Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) is responsible for the organization and coordination of the work of the Telecommunication Development Sector of the Union. BDT deals mainly with development policies, strategies, programming, projects, as well as technical cooperation activities to enable and foster universal access to affordable, high-quality and secure telecommunications/ICTs and Foster equitable and inclusive use of telecommunications/ICTs to empower people and societies for sustainable development. To effectively and efficiently serve the needs of Member States, BDT is organized into four functional areas:

• Operations Coordination Department (Office of the Deputy to the Director) (DDR)
• Projects, Partnerships & Digital Skills Department (PPS)
• Digital Networks & Environment Department (DNE)
• Digital Knowledge Society Department (DKS)

The regional offices provide assistance to the ITU Member States of the Region, ensuring a close relationship and collaboration. To implement the agreed programs and projects, in accordance with the ITU Strategy Plan and the BDT Action Plan, with the active support of all Departments, providing timely information about their development. To provide proper line management and support, the Regional Directors report to the Director of the BDT.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), through the ITU Telecommunication Development Sector (ITU-D) and the Regional Office for the Arab States, is supporting digital transformation and innovation ecosystem development across the Arab region. As part of this work, the ITU is implementing the Digital Innovation Profiles (DIP) initiative to assess national digital innovation ecosystems and identify opportunities to strengthen entrepreneurship, emerging technologies, and digital economy growth.
The purpose of this consultancy is to support the ITU Arab Regional Office in conducting research, stakeholder mapping, interviews, ecosystem analysis, and drafting activities related to the development of Digital Innovation Profiles in selected Arab countries. The consultant will provide technical expertise to support evidence-based assessments and stakeholder engagement processes across the innovation ecosystem.

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Under the direction of the Programme Coordinator in the ITU Arab Regional Office, the consultant will perform the following activities:

• Conduct comprehensive research to support the development of the Digital Innovation Profile of the chosen country.
• Identify key stakeholders active in the field of digital innovation in the country, across six groups: public sector, private sector, academia, finance, entrepreneurs, and entrepreneurial support network.
• Conduct interviews with key strategic stakeholders in the national ecosystem.
• Regularly update on project progress and forthcoming steps through virtual meetings, emails, and/or status reports.
• Maintain regular meetings with Country Focal Points, Digital Innovation Profile Coordinator, and the Arab Regional Office.
• Produce an initial draft of the innovation profile and then conduct a review, considering feedback received from the ITU and the Country Focal Points.

CONCRETE DELIVERABLES

• Conduct secondary research to draft the “Background and Context” and “Current Landscape” chapters and identify key stakeholders in the specified country.
• Conduct interviews across the six stakeholder groups.
• Produce a complete Digital Innovation Profile report for an Arab country, incorporating feedback from stakeholders and ITU.
• Present the draft to national stakeholders for their evaluation.
• Deliver a final draft of the innovation ecosystem profiles.

The ITU will retain the copyright over all the presentations and reports.

COMPETENCIES

• Excellent analysis, drafting and report presentation capacities.
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills.
• Ability to take initiative and work independently.
• Comprehensive background and understanding of the subjects related to a digital innovation ecosystem.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED

Education:

Advanced university degree in telecommunications, computer science, information technology, or engineering, OR education, from a reputed college of advanced education with a diploma of equivalent standard to that of an advanced university degree in one of the fields above.

Experience:

At least seven (7) years of progressive experience in fields relevant to the Special Service Agreement (SSA).
Proficiency in ITU”s ICT-centric innovation ecosystem methodology would be an advantage.

Languages:

Knowledge of English at advanced level. Knowledge of Arabic or French would be an advantage.

REMUNERATION INFORMATION

USD 310 per working day.

INFORMATION ON RECRUITMENT PROCESS

Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application and provide complete and accurate information. To apply, please visit the ITU career website. The evaluation of candidates is based on the criteria in the vacancy notice, and may include tests and/or assessments, as well as a competency-based interview. ITU uses communication technologies such as video or teleconference, e-mail correspondence, etc. for the assessment and evaluation of candidates. Please note that only selected candidates will be further contacted and candidates in the final selection step will be subject to reference checks based on the information provided. Messages originating from a non ITU e-mail account – @itu.int – should be disregarded. ITU does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.