1. The Alliance
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 contribute to nationally led efforts, in developing and least developed countries, to implement the World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA). It brings together public and private stakeholders as equal partners to identify trade facilitation issues and jointly design and deliver improvements that result in commercially quantifiable results.
The Alliance is supported by the governments of Canada, the European Union, Germany, and Sweden and works with private sector partners from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to the world’s largest multinationals.
2. Project Background
The Alliance is exploring opportunities to support trade facilitation in Vietnam arising from discussions with stakeholders. Concerns have been raised regarding the reliance on paper-based Certificates of Origin (COOs), limitations in the use of self-certification, and the associated administrative burden, cost, and delays.
Several preliminary areas for investigation have been identified, including assessment of:
- The current and potential future use of self-certification of origin by Vietnamese exporters.
- Whether existing Trusted Trader or comparable programmes could provide a relevant pathway for greater use of self-certification.
- The practical implications of using self-certification under multiple Free Trade Agreements, e.g. EVFTA, UKVFTA, CPTPP and RCEP.
- Current and planned digital approaches to Certificates of Origin and supporting documentation.
3. Objective of the Assignment
The objective of the assignment is to provide the Alliance with an independent, evidence-based assessment of origin certification and origin management, including:
- Whether the issues identified by stakeholders are material and widespread.
- The root causes of the current challenges.
- Existing and planned initiatives in this area.
- The level of support among public and private stakeholders.
- The most viable options for a possible future Alliance-supported project
- The evidence, conditions, risks and dependencies that the Alliance should consider in determining whether to proceed with further project development.
4. Scope of Work
Workstream 1: Desk Review
Review existing documentation relating to:
- Vietnam origin certification framework.
- FTA provisions relating to self-certification.
- Approved Exporter and Trusted Trader models in comparable countries.
- Existing digital COO initiatives.
- Relevant legal and regulatory instruments.
Assess:
- Current processes for issuance and verification of COOs.
- Roles and responsibilities of different stakeholders.
- The different FTAs and origin regimes.
- Existing digital systems supporting COO issuance and management.
Workstream 2: Stakeholder Mapping and Engagement
Identify and engage with:
- Public sector stakeholders
- Private sector stakeholders
- Other relevant organisations
The consultant shall document:
- Current practices.
- Key pain points.
- Reform priorities.
- Perceived implementation challenges.
Workstream 3: Diagnostic Assessment
Conduct a detailed analysis of:
A. Self-Certification of Origin
Assess:
- Current implementation status.
- Legal and procedural barriers.
- Institutional alignment.
- Compliance and control considerations.
- Expected benefits and risks.
B. Approved Exporter / Trusted Trader Approach
Assess:
- Existing trusted trader programmes in Vietnam.
- Potential use of authorised exporters as a pathway toward self-certification.
- Eligibility criteria and governance requirements.
- Feasibility of a pilot programme.
C. Multi-FTA Origin Management
Assess:
- Practical challenges faced by exporters operating under multiple FTAs.
- Opportunities for harmonisation.
- Potential for common procedures and guidance.
- Barriers created by differing origin requirements.
D. Digitalisation of COO Processes
Assess:
- Current digital capabilities.
- Existing systems and planned reforms.
- Opportunities for electronic origin documentation.
- Potential future integration with broader trade digitalisation initiatives.
Workstream 4: Cost-Benefit and Impact Assessment
Estimate:
- Administrative burden on exporters.
- Time and cost implications of current processes.
- Potential time and cost savings to all stakeholders.
- Trade competitiveness benefits.
- Implementation costs.
Where possible, collect baseline evidence from participating companies.
5. Methodology
The consultant is expected to make use of a standard Alliance validation approach including:
- Desk review.
- Stakeholder consultation.
- Field interviews and site visits.
- Process mapping.
- Regulatory analysis.
- Verification of private-sector evidence.
- Prioritisation and feasibility assessment.
- Development of implementation recommendations.
6. Deliverables
Deliverable 1: Validation Plan
- Methodology.
- Workplan.
- Stakeholder engagement plan.
- Interview guide.
Deliverable 2: Validation Report
- Stakeholder mapping.
- Process maps.
- Diagnostic assessment.
- Root-cause analysis.
- Opportunity assessment.
Deliverable 3: Future Options Paper
- Assessment of alternative options for further Alliance engagement.
- Indicative cost-benefit findings.
- Prioritisation.
- Recommended approach.
Deliverable 4: Alliance Validation Workshop
Presentation of findings to stakeholders and elicitation of feedback.
7. Required Qualifications and Experience
Education: Degree in a relevant field
Professional Experience: 5 years of relevant experience in trade facilitation
Technical Competencies
- Strong understanding of:
- Customs procedures and clearance processes
- Trade facilitation reforms
- Rules of origin
- Demonstrated ability to:
- Translate complex problems into clear diagnostic findings and preliminary project options.
- Design practical, implementable solutions
- Work across systems and stakeholders
Core Skills
- Strong analytical and structuring ability
- Excellent stakeholder management and facilitation skills
- Clear written communication style
8. Location and Duration
The consultant must be:
- Based in Vietnam
- Willing and able to travel to trade / commercial / logistics hubs within Vietnam as needed
It is expected that total effort for this assignment will not exceed 60 person days.
9. Reporting Line
The successful applicant will report to the Alliance Head of Portfolio and work closely with:
- Alliance Management, M&E / M&B and Communications teams
- Local stakeholders
- Relevant Alliance private-sector partners
10. Submission of Proposals
Interested consultants should submit a CV (curriculum vitae), Technical and Financial Proposal in PDF format to: Christopher Holden (christopher.holden@iccwbo.org) with the subject line: “Request for Consultancy Services: Vietnam Project Validation [YOURNAME]” by 11:59pm on 12-Oct-26.
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.
11. No Obligation to Award
The issuance of this Request for Services (RFS) does not constitute a commitment by the Alliance to award a contract to any respondent. The Alliance reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to reject any or all proposals, to cancel the RFS process at any time, and to take no action based on the proposals received.
