Senior Digital Economy and Technology Law Consultant

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.

ITU applies a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of harassment. ITU is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. Achieving gender balance is a high priority for ITU.

Senior Digital Economy and Technology Law Consultant

Vacancy notice no: 2366
Sector: BDT
Department: Regional Offices
Country of contract: Barbados
Duty station: Bridgetown

Position number: [[positionNumber]]
Grade: [[PositionGrade]]
Type of contract: Consultant
Duration of contract: July - September 2026 [ Four (4) weeks (20 working days) over a two-month period, including a 5-day
Recruitment open to: External
Application deadline (Midnight Geneva Time): 2 July 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 As an active participant in the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME), Barbados operates within a regional context characterized by increasing cross-border data flows, digital services, and shared infrastructure. While national digital legislation remains sovereign, choices made at the domestic level increasingly shape the country’s ability to participate seamlessly in regional and international digital ecosystems.
Barbados has made meaningful progress in establishing legal frameworks for the digital economy, including legislation addressing electronic transactions, data protection, cybersecurity, and sector-specific areas such as virtual assets. However, these frameworks have largely evolved in a fragmented and sector-specific manner, resulting in multiple legal instruments developed at different times, under different mandates, and without an overarching legislative architecture. At present, there is no comprehensive omnibus digital legislation framework in Barbados or the wider Caribbean that integrates core elements such as digital identity, data governance, electronic transactions, and emerging digital services into a single, coherent legal structure. Barbados therefore intends to develop an Omnibus Digital Legislation Framework to consolidate and modernize digital-related laws. The objective of this consultancy is to constitute to Phase 0 of that process, designed to resolve key legal questions and establish a strategic basis prior to detailed legislative drafting.

TERMS OF REFERENCE

The Senior Consultant will be responsible for providing technical legal support to the beneficiary country, Barbados, to map out the substantive legal boundaries and priority pillars of the proposed framework. Working as part of a duo team the consultant will focus on substantive technology law analysis, legal gap identification, and cross-border interoperability design. The consultant will perform the following activities:

• Conduct a "High-Level Gap Analysis" (rather than an exhaustive clause-by-clause audit) of existing primary and secondary legislation relevant to the digital economy in Barbados.
• Identify gaps, overlaps, inconsistencies, and outdated provisions that directly impact the omnibus architecture.
• Identify primary legal barriers to cross-border digital activity, including data flows, electronic transactions, and digital services.
• Identify high-impact opportunities for interoperability, regulatory cooperation, and mutual recognition through legislative design choices.
• Highlight where legislative flexibility or enabling clauses could facilitate downstream regional integration without pre-empting policy decisions.
• Identify any critical legal dependencies, enabling provisions, or design considerations required to ensure that the proposed legislative framework can effectively support data governance, digital public infrastructure, and inter-agency interoperability over time.
• Identify critical legal dependencies, enabling provisions, and design considerations required to ensure that the proposed legislative framework can effectively support data governance, digital public infrastructure, inter-agency interoperability, and public sector innovation over time.

CONCRETE DELIVERABLES

Planned starting date is 15th July 2026.

• Submission of the Legal and Institutional Diagnostic Note (Barbados-specific): A technical, high-level gap analysis detailing critical legislative barriers, inconsistencies, and institutional overlaps and considerations affecting statutory consolidation under an omnibus Legal approach, within 10 working days.
• Delivery of a Regional and Cross-Border Digital Considerations Note (Design-Focused): A design-focused, non-binding technical brief identifying explicit opportunities for regional interoperability, cross-border data flows, and mutual legal recognition, within 15 working days.
• Submission of a Substantive Legal Dependencies Matrix: A definitive compendium mapping out critical legal dependencies, enabling clauses, and statutory provisions and design considerations for digital public infrastructure, data governance, and inter-agency interoperability required to support future digital public infrastructure and data sharing securely over time, within 20 working days.

The copyright for all documents produced under the project will be exclusively vested with ITU, the RC-Barbados and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and the Barbados Government.

COMPETENCIES

• Ability to support senior government decision-making through evidence-based analysis and strategic policy advise.
• Strong drafting, written documentation and reporting skills with the ability to prepare documents such as executive briefs.
• Extensive understanding of public administration dynamics.
• Outstanding analytical skills.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED

Education:

Advanced university degree in public policy, law, public administration, or a related field 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 ten (10) years of experience in institutional analysis, legislative strategy, public sector reform, or macro-level digital policy development is required.

Languages:

Knowledge of English at advanced level.

REMUNERATION INFORMATION

Between USD 410 to USD 890 per working day to be defined according to the work experience of the consultant.

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.