the Development of Guidebook on Personal Data Protection Law (Jordan

Result of Service

• The report prepared should be in Arabic and in electronic format. • The report submitted should not be less than 30 pages. • Attached should be a 2 - 4 page executive summary of the report’s findings. The completed parts should be edited and saved in MS-Word (*.docx file) or an alternate compatible format. Note that PDF format will not be accepted. It should include a table of contents to be automatically updated followed by a list of all tables and figures. The various parts should be submitted in electronic form and sent to the email of the designated focal point. Attention is kindly drawn to the need to ensure that the final draft of the outputs be thoroughly reviewed prior to submission and to indicate the sources of tables and diagrams. References to reports and other substantive material should be clearly indicated within the text and noted at the end. It is also essential to send, with the completed output, photocopies or scans of at least the first page of books, reports and bulletins, used as reference material as well as copies of the pages quoted. The content of the generated document shall be the sole property of ESCWA. Their contents cannot and must not be presented, discussed or published without the express authorization of ESCWA. The consultant shall keep in mind that UN-ESCWA routinely checks all deliverables for plagiarism using readily available electronic tools. All previously published content, even if written by the selected consultant, must be clearly referenced where required within the text and end-noted at the end of the study. The report submitted by the consultant must not contain quoted, previously published text equalling more than 20 per cent of the total number of pages. The consultant shall not publish or announce or reveal the content of the report, partly or entirely, on social media or any other public channel, without ESCWA and MoDEE permission. The content of the generated document shall be the sole property of ESCWA.

Work Location

Remote

Expected duration

16 weeks

Duties and Responsibilities

I. GENERAL SCOPE Personal data protection is a foundational requirement for trustworthy digital transformation and for the responsible deployment of emerging technologies such as AI, cloud computing, digital platforms, and data-driven public services. As economic and social activities increasingly expand, privacy and data protection have become critical to fostering trust, securing online environments and supporting the sustainable growth of the digital economy. Privacy is a fundamental value and a key condition for trust, sharing and use of data. This is especially relevant in the Arab region, where digital adoption is advancing but unevenly, this disparity underscores the need to ensure that digital expansion is accompanied by strong legal safeguards that protect citizens and reinforce confidence in digital services. In Jordan, the importance of the Personal Data Protection Law No. 24 of 2023 lies not only in the existence of the law itself, but in its effective application, institutional commitment and ongoing monitoring. The law recognizes that every natural person has the rights to protect their personal data (Art. 4). The law urges entities to request the prior consent of these natural persons where it should be explicit, documented, specific, and presented in clear, simple, and accessible language (Art. 5). To ensure implementation, the law establishes a Personal Data Protection Council with powers to approve policies, standards, and to monitor implementation (Arts.16–17), as well as a specialized Unit within the Ministry to receive complaints, investigate violations, monitor compliance and maintain registries (Art. 18). The law further provides mandatory breach notification and imposes penalties for violations (Art. 20, 21, 22). For that reason, applying and monitoring the law is essential to translate legal text into real accountability, reduce institutional and reputational risk, protect individuals’ rights, and strengthen trust in Jordan’s digital economy and public administration. Developing clear, practical and guidebooks is essential for the successful implementation of the Jordanian Personal Data Protection Law. While the law provides the legal framework, employees in public and private sectors, and all citizens, need simple operational guidance tailored to their daily life. This would play a critical role in translating the law into actionable procedures, reducing inconsistent interpretation, building institutional capacity, and helping employees comply with the law in a consistent, confident and citizen-centred manner. Countries of the Arab region continue to express interest in receiving UN-ESCWA’s advisory services on cyber legislation related topics. Most recently, the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship (MoDEE) in Jordan requested UN-ESCWA’s assistance in developing a guidebook to implement the personal data protection law (PDPL) in Jordan The provision of this advisory service is the subject of these terms of reference. III. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES The consultant shall propose to the designated ESCWA focal point a detailed version of the guidebook. To produce the draft doc, the consultant is requested to conduct, among others, the main following tasks: 1. Review national documents, including legislation, existing policies, and other relevant national references in Jordan related to digital transformation, personal data protection, and related material. 2. Review best regional and international best practices related to PDP implementation guidebooks (at least three regional cases and three international cases); 3. Identify key national stakeholders and, in coordination with the MoDEE team, conduct interviews and meetings with representative of public and private sectors. 4. Contribute to sectoral workshops to discuss needs and priorities, if needed; 5. Draft a suggested guidebook in a clear and straightforward style, based on the needs, the gap analysis, international and regional best practices, and the SWOT analysis. The guidebook’s content will be based on the basic personal data protection principles and will ensure that these concepts are understood at national level. 6. Ensure that the guidebook gives clear examples for each concept are mentioned to improve understanding and practical application. In addition, the consultant would also ensure the following activities: (1) Contribute to national workshop (physically) and capture the main comments of the discussions. (2) Update the draft proposal according to all received feedback and comments during the reviewing process by ESCWA and MoDEE teams, and by stakeholders during the consultation process. ESCWA promotes gender equality and integration of youth through its publications and therefore the consultant should pay attention, with the help of ESCWA staff, to gender considerations and youth dimension throughout the research work to ensure that the report gives equal attention to the needs of both men and women, as well as girls and boys. Writing should use gender-sensitive language.

Qualifications/special skills

An advanced university degree in in law (specializing in IT, Privacy, or Digital Law) or a related field is required. A Ph.D. degree is desirable. Certificates in Information Privacy such as CIPP, CIPM, CIPT are desirable. All candidates must submit a copy of the required educational degree. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. At least 5 years of experience in data privacy is required.

Languages

Language English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat; and Arabic is a working language of ESCWA. For this position, Fluency in written and spoken English and Arabic is required. Note: “Fluency” equals a rating of ‘fluent’ in all four areas (speak, read, write, and understand) and “Knowledge of” equals a rating of ‘confident’ in two of the four areas.

Additional Information

Not available.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.