Consultant – Local associate – Peru

LOCAL ASSOCIATE – SCOPING MISSION IN PERU

Background and objective:

The Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation (the Alliance) is a public-private partnership for trade-led growth. It brings together governments and businesses as equal partners to identify trade facilitation issues such as customs delays and unnecessary red-tape at borders, and design and implement targeted reforms that deliver commercially quantifiable results.

The Alliance’s work is designed to help governments in developing and least developed countries implement the World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA).

The Alliance is led by the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), and the World Economic Forum (the Forum), in cooperation with Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). The Alliance is supported by the governments of the United States, Canada, Germany, Denmark, the United Kingdom and Australia, and works with private sector partners from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to the world’s largest multinationals such as DHL, FCA Group, Maersk, UPS and Walmart.

Trade Facilitation Office (TFO) Canada (www.tfocanada.ca) is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to improve lives through the creation of sustainable trade partnerships for exporters from developing countries with Canadian and foreign buyers. TFO Canada assists Small and Medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and Trade Support Institutions (TSIs)/Trade Promotion Organizations (TPOs)/Business Support Organizations (BSO-business associations, chambers of commerce, exporters associations etc.) from developing countries to access international markets through its information (general and sector specific), advice (including capacity building) and contact services (including trade missions and business to business matchmaking). Since 1980, TFO Canada, through its internationally experienced project management staff and roster of sectoral experts have been providing trade facilitation/promotion and capacity building services to tens of thousands of SMEs and hundreds of TSIs/TPOs/BSOs from all corners of the globe (Latin America, Africa, Middle East, Eastern Europe and Asia).

The Alliance has contracted TFO Canada as an implementing partner of the Alliance to identify and develop potential trade facilitation projects in Peru. Accordingly, TFO Canada has started a scoping activity (October 2020-March 2021) in Peru. Components of the scoping include the following 3 phases:

1) Country brief

2) Concept note

3) Proposal

TFO Canada has contracted a Local Coordinator based in Peru to manage the scoping activity in the country. Reporting to TFO Canada’s Program Director Latin America and the Caribbean and working with TFO Canada’s Ottawa based project management team (Project Manager-Latin America and the Caribbean, Project Support Manager), International and local associates (trade, gender, M&E, SME, IT, Good Governance, environmental sustainability, etc.) based in Peru, the Local Coordinator will ensure the delivery of a country brief, concept note and project proposal for Peru within the agreed scope, workplan/schedule and budget developed in accordance with the Alliance’s Operations Guidelines.

Based on the above, the objective of this assignment for a local Associate is to work with the Local Coordinator and manage the scoping activities in Peru. Reporting to the Local Coordinator and working with TFO Canada’s Ottawa based project management team, international and local associates based in Peru, the local Associate will ensure the delivery of the last two phases of the scoping mission: a concept note and a project proposal for Peru within the agreed scope, workplan/schedule and budget developed in accordance with the Alliance’s Operations Guidelines.

Activities

The Local Associate, along with the Local Coordinator, will be responsible for the design, day-to-day implementation and monitoring of the scoping activities in Peru. Following are the detailed description of the activities:

  1. Concept Note for Peru: With remote support of the TFO Canada project management team based in Ottawa, the Local Coordinator will support the development of scope, work plan/schedule and budget for the Concept Note activities for Peru in accordance with the Alliance’s Operations Guidelines. Based on the overview of trade facilitation challenges and potential solutions identified in the Peruvian country brief, the Local Associate and Local Coordinator will ensure the preparation and submission of a concept note (as per the Alliance format) for Peru based on detailed consultations with Peruvian public sector institutions and private sector stakeholders.  At this stage, the Local Associate and the Local Coordinator will be responsible for arranging virtual/face-to-face consultations with public sector and private sector stakeholders in Peru. The concept note will present up to 3 trade facilitation project ideas for Peru, rank them in terms of stakeholder priority of the highest priority trade facilitation project idea. Support letters of the key Peruvian public and private partners will need to be obtained and submitted as annexes to the concept note. The Local Associate and the Local Coordinator will ensure that international, Peruvian subject matter experts (trade, gender, M&E, SME, IT,  ) are consulted via skype/zoom/emails to support identification of project ideas, put forward at the consultation meetings, and also to evaluate the viability/feasibility of requests made by each stakeholder group for Peru.

Duration: 01 December 2020 -15 February 2021

Local Associate will be paid upon completion of the activity

  1. Project proposal for Peru: With remote support of the TFO Canada project management team based in Ottawa, the Local Coordinator, the Local Associate will support the development of scope, work plan/schedule and budget for the Project Proposal activities for Peru. The Local Associate and Local Coordinator will ensure the preparation of a Project Proposal for the highest priority project idea identified in the Concept Note for approval by the Alliance’s Steering Group. The Project Proposal for Peru (as per format provided by the Alliance) will describe the strategy, outcomes and impacts, sustainability of the proposed project. It will also describe the various project partners and the proposed partnership strategy and provide project plan (timeline, phases), structure (governance, project team, project steering committee), monitoring and evaluation plan and detailed budget. The Local Associate and the Local Coordinator will ensure that international and Peruvian subject matter experts (trade, gender, M&E, SME, IT, etc.) are consulted through skype/zoom/emails as required.  The Local Associate and the Local Coordinator will also ensure key public and private sector stakeholders “own” the project proposals for Peru through their contribution in reviewing and commenting/agreeing to it before submission to the Alliance Steering Group for approval. At this stage, the Local Associate and the Local Coordinator will be responsible for arranging 1 public-private dialogue in Peru.

Duration: 16 February 2021 – 31 March 2021

Local Associate will be paid upon completion of the activity

Methodology: As mentioned above, the TFO Canada project management team based in Ottawa will support the Local Associate and the Local Coordinator in all the above activities. They will also monitor/follow-up with the Local Associate and Local Coordinator to ensure that activities are taking place according to agreed scope, work plan/schedule and budget. The Local Associate and the Local Coordinator will support the TFO Canada team in the preparation of project activity and outcome reports, as per reporting format of the Alliance and timeline and provide necessary support the Program Director- Latin America and the Caribbean in monthly review discussions with the Alliance. They will monitor activity budgets and disbursements to associates/vendors/consultants and oversee related project administration in collaboration with TFO Canada’s support staff. The Local Associate and the Local Coordinator will also identify suitable local and international consultants, contribute to the recruitment of (interviewing, reference checking etc.) associates/consultants and vendors as per TFO Canada/ Alliance procurement/contracting guidelines and manage and evaluate the performance of associates/consultants. With remote support from TFO Canada’s project management team, the Local Associate and Local Coordinator will manage activities of project associates/consultants, partners and suppliers to ensure the successful implementation of scoping activities in Peru. Finally, the Local Associate and the Local Coordinator will represent TFO Canada at Alliance /WEF/ICC/CIPE/other meetings (as appropriate) related to the scoping activities.

Deliverables and deadlines

Deliverable 1: Scope, schedule/workplan & budget for Concept Note: 11 December 2020

Deliverable 2: Concept note (draft): 04 February 2021

Deliverable 3: Concept note (final): 09 February 2021

Deliverable 4: Scope, schedule/workplan & budget for Proposal: 19 February 2021

Deliverable 5: Proposal (draft): 15 March 2021

Deliverable 6: Proposal (final): 19 March 2021

Knowledge / Experience:

At least 5 years of experience in international trade

At least 5 years demonstrated experience in donor-funded project implementation and coordination

Knowledge and experience of project management

Experience working independently, team oriented

Strong written and oral communication skills in English and Spanish

Application

To apply for this opportunity, please send your resume, a cover letter to Marysabel Gonzalez, Program Director Latin America and the Caribbean: marysabel.gonzalez@tfocanada.ca by 6:00 pm Eastern Standard Time, 1 December 2020.