Individual Consultant (IC) to Develop Guidelines on Satellite Account (National Accounts) for Tourism in Africa

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

(CONSULTING SERVICES – INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANT)

Country: Eastern Africa Region

Name of Project: Eastern Africa Regional Statistics Program for Results

Grant No: P176371

Assignment Title: Consulting Service to Develop Guidelines on Satellite Account (National Accounts) for Tourism in Africa

Reference No. TN-STATAFRIC - AUC-386236-CS-INDV

The African Union Commission has received financing from the World Bank toward the cost of the Eastern Africa Regional Statistics Program for Results, and intends to apply part of the proceeds for consulting services.

The consulting services (“the Services”) include Consulting Service to Develop Guidelines on Satellite Account (National Accounts) for Tourism in Africa. This assignment will focus on developing a harmonized methodology for Tourism Statistics starting by an assessment of the status of the production of Tourism Statistics within AU Member States while taking into consideration key areas of interest before the development of the guidelines and tools, then followed by specific guidelines and listing of both international and continental best practices related to the production of Tourism Statistics.

Specific tasks include:

• Desk research assessment of the status of the production of Tourism Statistics within AU Member States;
• Development of harmonized methodology to facilitate the production of Tourism Statistics within the AU Member States;
• Listing of both international and continental best practices related to the production of Tourism statistics.
• Recommendation of tools to strengthen the coordination, collaboration, data sharing and communication of Tourism statistics at national, regional, continental and international levels;
• Drafting a suggested roadmap for the implementation of this methodology.

The detailed Terms of Reference (TORs) for the assignment are attached to this request for expressions of interest.

The African Union Commission now invites eligible individuals (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services. The shortlisting criteria are:

The consultant must have at least a master’s degree in statistics, economics, or a related field with at least 15 years of professional experience.

• Profound experience in economic statistics with a focus on Tourism Statistics preferred;
• Demonstrated effective, oral and written communication skills;
• Excellent Analytical and quantitative skills;
• Teamwork: the ability to work in a multicultural environment;
• Proper multitasking abilities and the ability to deliver in a timely manner;
• Excellent drafting ability, especially in the preparation of clear, concise and understandable reports for decision-makers;
• Ability to extract, interpret and analyze data format from a variety of sources;
• Language proficiency in at least one of the AU languages (Arabic, English, French or Portuguese).

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to Section III, paragraphs, 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the World Bank’s “Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers” July 2016, revised November 2020 (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest.

A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Individual Consultant selection method set out in the Procurement Regulations.

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours i.e. 0900 to 1700 hours.

Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below (in person, or by mail, or by e-mail) by 23 November 2023

African Union Commission,

Attn: Head of Supply Chain Management Division

Building C, 3rd Floor,

P.O Box 3243, Roosevelt Street

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Tel: +251 (0) 11 551 7700 – Ext 4305

Fax: +251 (0) 11 551 0442; +251 11-551-0430

E-mails: [email protected]

Terms of Reference

Consulting Service to Develop Guidelines on Satellite Account (National Accounts) for Tourism in Africa

Introduction

In January 2021, the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union adopted the Second Strategy for the Harmonization of Statistics in Africa (SHaSA II) as a continental strategy for the development of statistics in Africa for Next 10 years, and its action plan, financing plan and resource mobilization strategy. To implement this strategy, 18 Specialized Technical Groups (STGs) were set up. The objective of these specialized technical groups is to create a framework for discussions and exchange to accelerate the production and harmonization of statistics in Africa to support the planning, monitoring and evaluation of Agenda 2063 and Agenda 2030. These STGs discuss national practices, international standards, and methodological guides for statistical harmonization in respective fields in Africa.

One of the 18 specialized technical groups of SHaSA 2 is the Working Group on Specialized Technical Group – Infrastructure, Industry, & Tourism (STG–II &T). One of the objectives of the STG–II &T is to develop and/or adopt standard methodologies for Tourism Statistics in Africa. The statistical standards and methodologies adopted by the working group are key in supporting the African Union in planning, monitoring and evaluation of the flagship programs on tourism in Africa.

Within this perspective, the setting up of the Tourism Satellite Account consists in analysing in detail all the aspects of demand for goods and services which might be associated with tourism, in establishing the actual interface with the supply of such goods and services within or outside the economy of reference and in describing how this supply (from domestic or imported origin) interacts with other economic activities, using the supply and use tables as a reference. The first recommendation on the development of the Tourism Satellite Account conceptual framework was proposed in 2000 through the Tourism Satellite Account: Recommended Methodological Framework, a framework that, in the light of International Recommendations for Tourism Statistics 2008, needs to be updated.

In order to support African countries in strengthening their technical tools on tourism statistics, The Tourism Satellite Account: The International Recommendations for Tourism Statistics 2008 (IRTS 2008) should be considered from two different perspectives: As a statistical tool that complements those concepts, definitions, aggregates and classifications already presented in the International Recommendations for Tourism Statistics 2008 and articulates them into analytical tables which provide elements for comparing estimates between regions, countries or groups of countries. These elements are also comparable with other internationally recognized macroeconomic aggregates. Also, as the framework gives guidance for countries in the further development of their system of tourism statistics, the main objective being the completion of the Tourism Satellite Account, which could be viewed as a synthesis of such a system.

Hence, this framework will enable the African Union Commission to develop the following tools: A minimum list of tourism statistics and a harmonized questionnaire for tourism surveys. In addition, this framework provides guidance for Member States on how to strengthen or develop an integrated tourism statistics system for better management and policy development on the tourism market at the national level.

Over the last decade, African governments have made significant efforts to promote and advocate for tourism in the African countries. Despite this Reliable, accurate and comparable data are needed for the formulation, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and impact assessment of effective tourism policies and programmes. Thus, strengthening data availability is mandatory for monitoring progress under the topic of tourism. In addition, there is a necessity to progressively harmonize tourism data and develop common standards, principles and guidelines on tourism statistics and indicators.

According to SHaSA II, STGs must meet at least twice a year, and present a report with recommendations to the annual meeting of the Committee of Director Generals of National Statistical Institutes for analysis and adoption. Thus, to this end, the African Union Commission in collaboration with the World Trade Organization would like to organize the first meeting of the specialized technical group on the Satellite Account for Tourism Statistics of SHaSA II in 2024. The main items on the agenda of this STG–II &T meeting will focus on:

• Harmonized tourism data collection methodologies.
• Standardization of tourism indicators.
• Capacity building in tourism statistics.
• Roadmap for the implementation of harmonized tourism statistics. This assignment aims to develop a set of harmonized methodologies for tourism statistics, taking into consideration key areas of interest before the development of the methodologies and tools. It will also include specific guidelines and recommendations for strengthening coordination, collaboration, data sharing, and communication of tourism statistics at national, regional, continental, and international levels.

Objectives

The Specialized Technical Group (STG) has the overall objectives of discussing the updates on various technical instruments of the International Recommendations for Tourism Statistics 2008 (IRTS 2008). Discussing the Roadmap for the development of Guidelines on Tourism Statistics in Africa; Sharing the best practices and good experiences of AU Member States on Tourism Statistics; Discuss the challenges facing the feasibility and the application of the international guidelines in Africa and agree on the roadmap to assist countries in the implementation of the new drafted guidelines, once adopted. One of the first steps of the