Pricing Agent

ICSC is seeking to hire a pricing agent to collect prices for a given list of commodities and services from the local market. A place-to-place survey entails price data collection by a pricing agent in retail outlets patronized by the UN staff members. It is carried out at least once every three to five years in all locations where staff of the UN system are stationed. The United Nations’ International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) has scheduled a place-to-place survey for Dushanbe, Tajikistan for 2025.

Duties and Responsibilities

On behalf of the ICSC and under the direct supervision of the Survey Coordinator, the pricing agent will be responsible for the following duties: 

• Before the beginning of the survey, review all the documents provided directly or via the survey support microsite https://surveys.unicsc.org/cold, especially the “Instructions for the Pricing Agent” and “Instructions for the Pricing Agent – Target Brands”
• Review the list of items to be priced as well as their specifications, to assess their availability in the local market; and document any variances and observations in the Pricing Forms 
• Develop a strategic plan for data collection, and collect prices from the list of stores/outlets (with complete addresses) provided by the Survey Coordinator
• Ensure that collected prices are from the approved list of outlets and conform with the item specifications
• Record in a legible and complete manner the price data in the Pricing Agent Pricing Book and Prescription Medication Pricing Form
• Complete the Pricing Agent Questionnaire on the general market conditions as well as the pricing activities
• Submit the Pricing documents, including the Pricing Book, and the completed questionnaire on local market conditions, to the Survey Coordinator by the end of the pricing activities
• Remain available to respond to queries and requests for clarifications from the ICSC or the Survey Coordinator regarding specific price quotations or generally about the price data collection exercise

Qualifications and Selection Criteria

The following are the qualifications of a Pricing Agent. He or she:

1. Is an independent person who is not an employee or consultant, or an immediate relative of a staff member, of any of the organizations of the United Nations Common System based at the duty station to be surveyed.
2. Has international shopping experience with knowledge of, and experience with, the local market.
3. Is preferably an expatriate who has lived at the duty station for at least one year.
4. Has the ability to get around the duty station to visit the outlets by either public or private transportation.
5. Is conversant with English to ensure proper interpretation of item specifications as provided on the pricing form. 
6. Is able to communicate effectively (preferably in Russian or Tajik languages) because the job requires interaction with outlet owners and workers. 
7. Possesses at least a High School Diploma or equivalent.
8. Having experience in the field of statistics, economics, project management, auditing, accounting and/or finance, sales/marketing, is an additional asset
9. Is available to complete the job within the specified time frame.