Request for Services – Project Idea Validation Consultant – Tanzania

Request for Services – Project Idea Validation Consultant – Tanzania

World Economic Forum / Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation

1. Background

The Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation (the Alliance) is a public-private partnership for trade led growth 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’s work is designed to help governments in developing and least developed countries implement the World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA). 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 is supported by the governments of the United States, Canada, and Germany, and works with private sector partners from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to the world’s largest multinationals.

The services required relate to the investigation of a Project Idea (“Mango Hub Project”) for the facilitated import of mango puree of East African Community (EAC) origin Tanzania into Uganda in compliance with the articles of the EAC Common Customs Union. Private sector partners have reported puree with a regional origin being subject to unanticipated duties, taxes and levies as well as suffering from border delays.

The selected consultant will provide the technical expertise and know-how required to evaluate the feasibility of and scope the proposed Project Idea.

2. The Services

2.1 Introduction

The objective of the services is to validate and add detail to the Project Idea.

The services will be delivered in 2 phases:

• Phase 1 – Preparation
• Phase 2 – Project Idea Validation

It is expected that total effort for this will not exceed 15 person days.

2.2 Phase 1 – Preparation

During Phase 1 the consultant will prepare and submit a Project Idea Validation Plan outlining the activities that will be carried out in Phase 2 for approval by the Alliance Project Manager.

2.3 Phase 2 – Project Idea Validation

During Phase 2 the Consultant will conduct activities in accordance with the approved Project Idea Validation Plan. These will consist primarily of conducting, documenting, and analysing in-country meetings with relevant government and private sector stakeholders. The expectation is to improve understanding of the:

1. Trade Facilitation Problems
   1. Investigate the challenges reported by private sector partners when conducting preferential trade in mango puree within the EAC.
   2. Clarify and elaborate on the challenges reported by private sector partners to create a more detailed Problem Statement
2. Potential Solutions
   1. Suggest ideas for solutions to address the Problem Statement.
3. Project Environment
   1. Provide insight into the project environment and assess both opportunities and risks associated with such a project.
   2. Verify the commitment of the public sector stakeholders.

Throughout Phase 1 and Phase 2 the consultant will liaise with the Alliance’s Project Manager to ensure that objectives are met.

2.3 Expected Outputs

Phase 1

• Project Idea Validation Plan

Phase 2

• Project Idea Validation Report – including
• Validated problem statement
• Stakeholder map
• Process diagram detailing all the interactions from export preparation to delivery at importers premises (including documentation requirements at each step)
• Analysis of how the Tanzanian authorities verify and certify regional preferential origin and product quality.

2.3 Timelines for Deliverables

The Consultant will provide the Alliance with the following deliverables (the “Deliverables”):

1. Within five working days of contract signature, the Project Idea Validation Plan
2. Within thirty days working of contract signature, the Project Idea Validation Report.

3. Requirements

The Consultant must:

• Have a minimum of 5 years of experience in customs modernization and trade facilitation reforms in Africa.
• Proven track record in implementing trade facilitation projects.
• Strong written communication and stakeholder engagement skills
• Be based in Tanzania
• Strong written and oral communication skills in English

4. Submission of Proposals

Interested consultants should submit a proposal in PDF format to: Christopher Holden (christopher.holden@iccwbo.org) with the subject line: “Project Idea Validation – Tanzania [YOURNAME]” by 11:59pm on 16-Feb-24. Please note that submission of a proposal in the manner described above will deem all terms and conditions of this Request for Services have been accepted by the Bidder and incorporated into its proposal unless specifically notified otherwise.