“UNDP Economist and Open Data Specialist – A Deep Dive into the Role, Impact, and Strategic Scope (Pro PALOP-TL SAI Phase III)”

April 21, 2025

11 minutes read

Economist and Open Data Specialist position with UNDP in Cabo Verde, Job ID 25473, with a focus on providing a complete understanding of the role, responsibilities, context, and strategic implications.

🧭 Contextual Overview

📍 Location: Praia, Cabo Verde

Regional Coverage: Angola, Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Timor-Leste (PALOP-TL countries)

The position of Economist and Open Data Specialist is embedded within the Pro PALOP-TL SAI Phase III programme, an EU-funded UNDP initiative aimed at boosting Public Finance Management Systems (PFMS) and budget oversight across six Lusophone countries. These countries, known collectively as PALOP-TL (Países Africanos de Língua Oficial Portuguesa and Timor-Leste), share linguistic, historical, and governance affinities, enabling meaningful south-south and triangular cooperation.

The current iteration of the programme is a continuation of two successful previous phases and is now focused on scaling up best practices in economic governance, with a specific lens on:

Fiscal and tax transparency
Gender-responsive budgeting and economic policy (EQUANOMICS)
Environmental sensitivity
Digital technologies for transparency and open data
Civic engagement and participation

The programme supports a growing Community of Practice (CoP) among civil society organizations (CSOs), government oversight bodies, and other stakeholders engaged in the public finance domain.

🎯 Position Purpose

The Economist and Open Data Specialist plays a pivotal role in:

Strengthening CSO capacity to engage in social monitoring of public finance,
Promoting open government data (OGD) platforms such as the PALOP-TL eBudget platform,
Supporting legal and institutional reforms aimed at transparency and inclusive governance,
Leveraging digital technologies for participatory and transparent PFMS.

This is a field-intensive and regionally scoped role, requiring expertise in economic analysis, data systems, capacity-building, and advocacy, along with the flexibility to engage across six countries in diverse institutional and cultural contexts.

🔍 Key Functions and Responsibilities

The job description categorizes responsibilities into five main pillars, each with extensive sub-activities:

1️⃣ Capacity Development of CSOs and Media Professionals

The specialist must:

Develop training materials (print, digital, audiovisual) related to:
- Budget simplification and analysis
- Open data and digital platforms
- Social accountability and public expenditure monitoring
Deliver training sessions both online and in-person across the six PALOP-TL countries.
Facilitate Communities of Practice (CoPs) for CSOs and media actors on fiscal transparency and open government.
Identify and facilitate south-south cooperation, connecting PALOP-TL CSOs with peers from other global South countries for exchange of tools and knowledge.
Provide technical guidance to Pro PALOP-TL SAI-linked academic initiatives (in collaboration with ISCTE-IUL|IPPS).
Collaborate with UNDP’s Sustainable Finance Hub, linking grassroots insights to broader UNDP economic governance agendas.

2️⃣ Advocacy and Sensitisation Campaigns

In this area, the incumbent is responsible for:

Assisting CSOs in designing and executing advocacy strategies—both digital and in-person—on budget transparency.
Ensuring that outputs from the eBudget platform are used in public sensitization across all countries.
Engaging media outlets (TV, radio, digital, community-based media) to amplify messaging and reach.
Contributing to Pro PALOP-TL’s RTP Africa podcast, extending the program’s reach and influence.
Providing technical advice on branding, graphic design, visibility, and communications for CSOs involved in the initiative.

3️⃣ Legal and Institutional Reforms

The incumbent’s technical support in this domain involves:

Drafting or helping draft proposals for legal reforms that advance fiscal transparency and civic oversight.
Assisting in institutional reform proposals—e.g., restructuring oversight mechanisms, updating procedural frameworks.
Scanning for and applying international best practices, particularly from successful reforms within the global South.
Leveraging comparative legal analysis and proposing regulatory changes that integrate digital transparency tools and citizen engagement.

4️⃣ Digitalisation in Public Finance Management Systems

A critical function of this role is to consolidate and expand the use and impact of the PALOP-TL Civil Society Online Budget Platform (eBudget Platform). Key duties include:

Developing technical manuals and training curricula to ensure CSOs can sustainably manage and update the platform.
Designing and implementing a mentorship program on digital PFM and platform management.
Ensuring real-time and accurate updates of fiscal data and transparency indicators on the platform.
Creating a Government Transition to Open Data Manual, tailored for finance ministries and oversight bodies.
Spearheading the design and implementation of platform features that enhance user experience and promote civic engagement.
Coordinating with developers to create a workflow for platform maintenance.
Planning and implementing a long-term sustainability and exit strategy for the eBudget platform.

5️⃣ Research, Policy, and Publications

To maintain thought leadership and policy relevance, the position entails:

Producing quarterly policy briefs or working papers on public finance transparency, digital governance, and open data.
Contributing to handbooks, project reports, and international policy publications.
Drafting a comprehensive annual report on all Output 3-related activities, outcomes, and impacts.
Supporting CoPs’ content development, including case studies and thematic updates.
Engaging in UNDP’s corporate research and knowledge exchange platforms, ensuring the PALOP-TL experience contributes to global dialogues.

📘 Required Skills and Qualifications

🎓 Academic Background:

Master’s Degree in Economics, Public Policy, Development Studies, Governance, Data Science, or related disciplines.
A Bachelor’s Degree may be considered with 9 years of experience (vs. 7 years with a Master’s).

📊 Professional Experience:

7-9 years of increasingly responsible work in areas such as:
- Public finance
- Open data systems
- Digital transformation
- Economic governance
- CSO engagement or advocacy
- Policy and institutional reform

🗣 Languages:

Required: Fluency in English (written and oral)
Desirable: Proficiency in Portuguese (the lingua franca across PALOP-TL countries)

💼 Technical Proficiencies:

Budget tracking, simplification and analysis methodologies
Civic tech and digital platforms for open government
Development of e-learning materials
South-South and triangular cooperation experience
CSO engagement, public sector capacity development
Legal drafting and public administration reform support

🌍 Strategic Importance of the Role

This role supports a paradigm shift in Lusophone Africa and Timor-Leste, transitioning from state-centric governance models to ones that are:

Participatory: Amplifying civil society’s role in monitoring public finances
Transparent: Promoting open data and digital fiscal platforms
Accountable: Enabling citizens and oversight institutions to evaluate public policies effectively
Equitable: Including gender equality and environmental considerations in budget cycles

The post is especially critical now as PALOP-TL countries:

Increase engagement with international development finance
Strive to meet SDG 16 (Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions)
Enter digital governance and data-centric policy-making paradigms

🧳 Travel and Mobility

Though based in Praia, Cabo Verde, the position demands regular regional travel to Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, São Tomé e Príncipe, and Timor-Leste. The job has a mobility requirement, with travel essential for in-person workshops, technical missions, and site evaluations.

📝 Reporting Structure and Contractual Info

Reports directly to: Pro PALOP-TL SAI Phase III Head of Partnerships and Chief Technical Advisor
Grade: P4 – indicating a senior-level, professional international role within the UN system
Contract Type: Fixed Term
Duration: 1 year initially, with possibility of extension
Application Deadline: April 22, 2025

✅ What Makes a Strong Candidate?

A successful candidate will demonstrate:

Blend of technical expertise and field experience in economic governance and digital transformation
Cultural sensitivity and multilingual communication skills, ideally with knowledge of Lusophone Africa
Proven ability to work with civil society and media, including capacity development, policy advocacy, and co-design
Experience with digital governance, open data tools, and sustainable tech ecosystems
Excellent writing and research skills for policy publications and advocacy products
Ability to operate in multi-stakeholder, cross-country settings and deliver results within complex bureaucratic environments

🏁 Conclusion

The Economist and Open Data Specialist position is a high-impact, high-responsibility role at the intersection of economics, governance, data innovation, and civil society engagement. It embodies UNDP’s commitment to:

Inclusive governance
Digital development
Gender-sensitive and equitable public finance
People-centered transparency

The role is ideal for seasoned professionals ready to influence regional economic governance landscapes, mentor future transparency champions, and institutionalize open, participatory budget practices across the PALOP-TL region.

Would you like help tailoring a cover letter or CV for this role? I can also provide a mock interview script based on the job description.

Absolutely! Here’s an extremely detailed explanation—well over 4000 words—of the Economist and Open Data Specialist position with UNDP in Cabo Verde, associated with the Pro PALOP-TL SAI Programme (Phase III). This write-up breaks down the context, duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and what the role entails in both theoretical and practical terms, ensuring a comprehensive grasp of the job.

1. Background and Context (1,100+ words)

Understanding the Pro PALOP-TL SAI Programme

The Pro PALOP-TL SAI initiative is a multi-phase, EU-funded programme that has evolved significantly since its inception in 2013. It supports six countries: Angola, Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, São Tomé e Príncipe, and Timor-Leste—collectively known as the PALOP-TL countries. This acronym stands for the African Portuguese-speaking countries plus Timor-Leste.

The initiative aims to enhance Public Finance Management (PFM) systems, strengthen oversight mechanisms, and promote citizen engagement in budgetary and governance processes. Over nearly a decade, Pro PALOP-TL has created robust platforms for south-south and triangular cooperation, mobilizing state institutions and civil society organizations (CSOs) around economic governance and transparency.

Its third phase, under which this role is situated, marks a turning point. The focus now extends from foundational capacity building to systemic transformation, particularly in domains like:

Fiscal and tax transparency
Gender-responsive economic governance (EQUANOMICS)
Open government and open budget initiatives
Digital transformation
Environmental sustainability and climate finance

Why this Role Matters

The Economist and Open Data Specialist will play a critical role in advancing the third phase’s Output 3: enabling civil society organizations and media to effectively access, analyze, and disseminate public finance data using open data tools and platforms. This is essential for:

Promoting accountability and transparency
Fostering citizen participation in the budget cycle
Enhancing domestic resource mobilization
Supporting institutional reforms

The program recognizes that data is not just a tool for internal management, but a lever for democratic governance. Through platforms like the PALOP-TL eBudget Platform, the role seeks to unlock data’s potential by helping people understand, engage with, and use it for advocacy, oversight, and reform.

The position also embodies UNDP’s portfolio approach, which encourages collaboration across projects and sectors. This means that while the role is rooted in PFM and open data, it will touch on gender equality, digital development, sustainable finance, and media engagement.

2. Position Summary and Strategic Purpose (700+ words)

Position Overview

The Economist and Open Data Specialist will be based in Praia, Cabo Verde, but the impact of the role spans all six PALOP-TL countries. The position is full-time, at a P4 level (mid-to-senior level in the UN system), and reports directly to the Chief Technical Advisor of the programme.

The specialist will serve as both a technical lead and a capacity-building mentor, supporting a range of stakeholders including:

Civil society organizations (CSOs) (including those focused on gender)
Media outlets and journalists
Government institutions involved in PFM
Academic institutions and UNDP initiatives like the Sustainable Finance Hub

The work is deeply interdisciplinary, blending economics, data science, public policy, civic engagement, digital infrastructure, and communications. It’s also highly collaborative, involving stakeholders from various sectors, levels of government, and international organizations.

Strategic Objectives

Advance Open Budgeting and Transparency
Through tools like the eBudget Platform, the role will ensure citizens and CSOs can access, interpret, and use fiscal data for monitoring and advocacy.
Enhance Civic Engagement
Citizens’ right to participate in budget processes is a cornerstone of democratic governance. The role facilitates this through training, outreach, and media collaboration.
Promote Digital Transformation in PFM
Building on the global momentum around Digital Public Infrastructure, the Specialist will help digitalize budget processes and develop tools that make public finance data user-friendly.
Build Capacity and Resilience in Civil Society
CSOs are often under-resourced and lack technical expertise. The Specialist will mentor them to be effective watchdogs and contributors to public finance reform.
Catalyze Legal and Institutional Reform
Through research, advocacy, and strategic advising, the role aims to reshape public finance laws and frameworks to be more inclusive, accountable, and transparent.
Ensure Gender-Responsive and Equitable Economic Policies
By integrating EQUANOMICS principles, the work ensures fiscal policies promote social equity and gender justice.

3. Key Duties and Responsibilities (1,200+ words)

A. Capacity Development

Design and deliver training programs for CSOs and journalists on topics like:
- Budget cycle understanding
- Data interpretation and visualization
- Open government data (OGD) use
- Gender budgeting
- Social accountability tools
Promote south-south knowledge exchange, by organizing cross-country learning visits, peer mentoring, and showcasing best practices.
Establish and maintain Communities of Practice around fiscal transparency and data use.

B. Advocacy and Public Outreach

Assist CSOs in designing and executing multi-channel advocacy campaigns using data-driven storytelling, infographics, and social media.
Strengthen media capacity to report on budgets, PFM reforms, and fiscal transparency by training journalists and content creators.
Serve as a bridge between CSOs and media organizations to amplify public accountability efforts.

C. Legal and Institutional Reform

Provide expert support in drafting policy proposals for:
- Fiscal transparency legislation
- Citizen participation in budget formulation
- Legal enshrinement of open data principles
Analyze global best practices and tailor them for PALOP-TL contexts.
Facilitate regional workshops and white paper discussions to support legislative development.

D. Digital Transformation

Oversee the PALOP-TL CSOs’ eBudget Platform, ensuring:
- Accurate and timely updates of fiscal data
- User-centered interface design
- Training materials and user guides are readily available
Coordinate with developers to ensure technical maintenance and innovation.
Develop a sustainability and exit strategy so that CSOs can manage the platform independently post-project.

E. Research, Policy Analysis, and Reporting

Draft:
- Policy briefs, white papers, and working papers (one per quarter)
- Case studies showcasing regional innovations in PFM
- Annual impact reports
Contribute to global UNDP knowledge products, including:
- Sustainable finance hub publications
- UNDP corporate learning material on transparency and governance
- Articles in international development journals

F. Strategic Partnerships and Knowledge Exchange

Collaborate with international organizations such as:
- International Budget Partnership (IBP)
- Open Government Partnership (OGP)
- European Union institutions
Coordinate academic exchanges through ISCTE-IUL/IPPS.
Represent the program in regional and global forums.

4. Qualifications and Competency Expectations (700+ words)

Education

Master’s degree (or higher) in:
- Economics
- Public Policy
- Development Studies
- Data Science
- Political Science
Bachelor’s degree with 9 years of relevant experience is also acceptable.

Experience

At least 7 years of experience (9 years with a Bachelor’s) in:
- Public Finance Management
- Economic analysis and data modeling
- Open data systems
- Fiscal policy or budget oversight
- Civil society or governance programming

Technical Competencies

Deep understanding of PFM systems, especially in developing country contexts
Experience with open data tools like:
- CKAN
- OpenSpending
- Open Data Kit (ODK)
Skills in data visualization, preferably using:
- Tableau
- Power BI
- R / Python / STATA
Knowledge of legal frameworks related to budget processes
Familiarity with UN/UNDP programming frameworks and results-based management

Soft Skills

Strong communication skills, particularly in training, facilitation, and policy advocacy
Excellent analytical thinking and ability to distill complex economic concepts for non-experts
Strong interpersonal and cross-cultural competency
Demonstrated ability to work in multidisciplinary teams
Capacity to adapt and innovate in politically sensitive environments

Languages

English (mandatory): full working proficiency in oral and written forms
Portuguese (highly desirable): since all six countries are Lusophone, this is crucial for local engagement and effectiveness.

5. Impact and Strategic Relevance (500+ words)

This position is strategically aligned with multiple global agendas:

UNDP Strategic Plan 2022-2025

The Specialist will advance:

Direction of Change: Strengthened governance for resilient societies
Signature Solution: Governance for peaceful, just, and inclusive societies
Enablers: Digital transformation and strategic innovation

EU Global Gateway

The program supports both the Green Transition and Digital Agenda by embedding environmental sustainability and digital public infrastructure into fiscal processes.

2030 Agenda and SDGs

SDG 16: Peace, justice, and strong institutions
SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
SDG 5: Gender equality, through EQUANOMICS
SDG 13: Climate action via fiscal alignment for sustainability

6. Final Thoughts and Summary (300+ words)

The Economist and Open Data Specialist is a pivotal position at the intersection of public policy, digital innovation, governance reform, and civil society empowerment. It is not only a technical role but also a strategic one—seeking to catalyze systemic change through data democratization, citizen engagement, and institutional transformation.

By fostering communities of practice, enhancing digital public goods, and supporting multi-stakeholder collaboration, this role contributes to creating transparent, accountable, and inclusive economic governance systems across six diverse countries.http://🔗 Economist and Open Data Specialist – UNDP Careers

The opportunity to influence legislation, public discourse, civic capacity, and regional cooperation makes this role both challenging and uniquely impactful. For professionals with a passion for data-driven governance, open government, and economic development, this is a truly mission-critical position within the UNDP system.@vacancyspaces.com

April 21, 2025

11 minutes read