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Consultant(s) – Madagascar – Project Scoping

Consulting services for scoping in Madagascar

World Economic Forum/Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation

1) Background
The Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation (the “Alliance”) is an initiative jointly hosted by the World Economic Forum, the International Chamber of Commerce and the Center for International Private Enterprise in cooperation with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

The Alliance brings together governments and businesses as equal partners to identify trade facilitation issues such as 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. The Alliance is currently implementing projects in Brazil, Colombia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Morocco, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Senegal, Vietnam, Zambia, and a regional project in Latin America and the Caribbean. It is developing further projects in Ecuador, India, Senegal, and Tunisia among others.

The Alliance is supported by the governments of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany and Denmark, and works with private sector partners from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to the world’s largest multinationals such as ArdoVLM, BASF, DHL, FCA Group, Maersk, UPS and Walmart.

2) Assignment background and overview
The Alliance is starting scoping in Madagascar to support the design and development of a trade facilitation project. To this end the Alliance is constituting its project scoping team and is looking for a project lead, a technical systems advisor, a senior customs advisor and a project coordinator based in Madagascar. Under the leadership of the project lead, the team will collaborate towards delivery of a scoping report and a concept note.

Scoping will initially focus on advance rulings and the potential for an authorized economic operator program, which have been identified as a priority by Madagascar’s National Trade Facilitation Committee. The scoping team will also assess the potential to introduce the use of the e-phyto certificate in Madagascar. Finally, the scoping team will be expected to be attentive to any requests for any Covid-19 technical trade facilitation assistance that may be required.

It is anticipated that project design and development will take 3 months.

3) Duties, deliverables and required profiles
The specific duties, deliverables and required profiles are set out below in Annex A (Project Lead), Annex B (Technical Systems Advisor), Annex C (Senior Customs Advisor) and Annex D (Project Coordinator)

There are two key deliverables for this assignment. The first will be the initial Scoping Report, which will set out the problem statement(s), the identified solution(s), and the initial feasibility statement(s) and risk analysis. The second deliverable will be the more detailed Concept Note which elaborates the identified concept for the trade facilitation project and its operationalization. The template for the Concept Note will be provided by the Alliance. The Concept Note phase will be contingent on the approval of the Scoping Report by the Alliance.

4) Contract and selection process
Direct contract by World Economic Forum. Candidates may apply individually for a specific role or jointly for two or more roles.

Please submit your CV(s) and daily consulting rate in PDF format to Sandra Wydler (Sandra.WydlerNietlispach@weforum.org)  by 15 July 2020. Include in the subject line: “Consultant – Madagascar.”

Please submit any questions in relation to this RFP by email to Sandra Wydler (Sandra.WydlerNietlispach@weforum.org) and include in the subject line “Consultant – Madagascar RFP Questions”.

 

ANNEX A: PROJECT LEAD 

Duties

  • Provide technical and managerial leadership
  • Create the scoping agenda and arrange the setting up and confirmation of meetings where necessary
  • Establish a stakeholder map
  • Engage internal and external stakeholders to develop a trade facilitation project in support of Madagascar’s implementation of the TFA
  • Track project development and report on progress through creation of reports, regular meetings and conversations with stakeholders
  • Track private sector in-kind contributions
  • Represent the Alliance in project meetings
  • Identify risks and report them appropriately
  • Draft and submit for approval the scoping report and the concept note
  • Respond to report comments from the Alliance team and key stakeholders
  • Lead the preparation and facilitation of a public- private workshop with the objective to co-develop and agree on the project approach and plan
  • Consult with the Alliance Secretariat on metrics & evaluation and private sector engagement
  • Record and report lessons learned

Qualifications

The Project Lead will have:

  • Minimum of 10 years of high-level experience in managing projects related to customs modernization and trade facilitation in developing and least developed countries
  • Advanced degree in business, finance, economics, international trade or related field
  • Proven track record in scoping trade facilitation technical assistance programs
  • Prior experience working on donor programs (e.g. USAID, DFID, GIZ) and public-private partnerships
  • Significant experience in francophone sub-Saharan Africa
  • Proven respect of deadlines and time management
  • Experience with high-level contacts and strategic communications
  • Strong written communication and stakeholder engagement skills
  • Fluent written and spoken French and English
  • Ability to travel to Madagascar as needed (when borders reopen and it is safe to travel).

Deliverables

In accordance with the scoping timeline to be agreed with the Alliance, the Project Lead will ensure the timely submission of:

  • the Stakeholder Map
  • the Scoping Report
  • the Concept Note

ANNEX B: TECHNICAL SYSTEMS ADVISOR 

Duties

  • Support the project lead in the design and development of a trade facilitation project in Madagascar by attending meetings, providing technical analysis and inputs into all reports and documents, including the Stakeholder Map, the Scoping Report and the Concept Note
  • Take active part in scoping missions (whether virtual or in-person)
  • Identify technical systems risks and report them appropriately to the Project Lead
  • Take active part in scoping missions (whether virtual or in-person)
  • Develop the interaction map of the Madagascar trade related IT systems (Single Window, Customs management system, Port Community System, etc.)
  • Identify in detail the IT situation with regards to Phytosanitary certificates (in relation to e-Phyto)
  • Identify how an authorized economic operator status could be included in the different risk management systems
  • Identify opportunities for rapid deployments of digitisation projects

Qualifications

The Technical Systems Advisor will have:

  • Minimum of 10 years of high-level experience in modernization and trade projects in developing and least developed countries
  • Advanced degree in business, finance, economics, IT or related field
  • Strong quantitative and analytical skills
  • Significant experience in francophone sub-Saharan Africa and understanding of the environment
  • Ability to analyze and provide advice on complex problems
  • Strong written communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
  • Fluent written and spoken French and English
  • Ability to travel to Madagascar as needed (when borders reopen and it is safe to travel).

Deliverables

  • Interaction map of the Madagascar trade related IT systems (Single Window, Customs management system, Port Community System, etc.)
  • Detailed report on the IT situation for phytosanitary certificates (in relation to e-Phyto)
  • Report setting how authorized economic operator status could be included in the different risk management systems

ANNEX C: SENIOR CUSTOMS ADVISOR

Duties

  • Support the project lead in the design and development of a trade facilitation project in Madagascar by attending meetings, providing technical analysis and inputs into all reports and documents, including the Stakeholder Map, the Scoping Report and the Concept Note
  • Take active part in scoping missions (whether virtual or in-person)
  • Identify technical risks and report them appropriately to the Project Lead
  • Collect and analyse data collected and draw conclusions and recommendations
  • Establish productive relationships with senior government officials, relevant border agencies and the business community
  • Contribute to strategy and communication plan
  • Conduct assessments, data collection, analysis and synthesis

Qualifications

  • Minimum of 10 years of high-level experience in modernization and trade projects in developing and least developed countries as a Customs and trade facilitation expert
  • Strong understanding of the WTO TFA and other applicable international instruments (e.g. WCO Revised Kyoto Convention).
  • Ability to analyze and provide advice on complex problems
  • Advanced degree in business, finance, economics or related field
  • Significant experience in francophone sub-Saharan Africa
  • Strong written communication and stakeholder engagement skills
  • Fluent written and spoken French and English
  • Ability to travel to Madagascar as needed (when borders reopen and it is safe to travel)

Deliverables

  • Assessment of Madagascar’s Customs processes in line with the TFA and the WCO RKC
  • Assessment of the legal and regulatory framework for advance rulings and authorized economic operator programs and the potential for digitisation of trade related processes

ANNEX D: IN-COUNTRY PROJECT COORDINATOR

Duties

  • Support the project lead with on the ground stakeholder engagement
  • Serve as quick and responsive contact point with in-country stakeholders, handling tasks as appropriate or passing inquiries along to relevant team members
  • Assist with the preparation of reports and deliverables
  • Organise and facilitate events, activities and meeting logistics (whether virtual or in-person)
  • Support mission planning and participate in meetings and scoping activities

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent required. Candidates with degrees related to international trade, especially connected to logistics or development will be closely considered.
  • At least ten years of experience supporting international programs, public-private partnerships or equivalent
  • Strong organizational, interpersonal and communication skills; team orientation.
  • Excellent written and verbal French and good level of English