Request for services – Trade facilitation consultant – Peru

Request for services – Trade facilitation consultant – Peru
Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation/ Trade Facilitation Office Canada

 

1. Background information

The Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation (the Alliance) is a public-private partnership for trade-led growth, supporting governments in developing and least-developed countries in implementing the World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement. Alliance projects cut through red tape and end costly delays at borders by bringing together governments and businesses of all sizes as equal partners to deliver targeted trade reforms.  

The Alliance is led by the Center for International Private Enterprise, the International Chamber of Commerce, and the World Economic Forum, in cooperation with Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). It is funded by the governments of the United States, Canada, Germany, Denmark, and Australia.

Trade Facilitation Office (TFO) Canada 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 consultants 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).

As an implementing partner of the Alliance, TFO Canada is ready to start the execution of the “Improvement of import/export pre-market authorizations issuing process by DIGESA” project in Peru (July 2021 – December 2022).

The objective of the project is to improve the issuing of pre-market authorizations for exports and imports of processed food of DIGESA by enhancing the agency´s transparency and predictability policies and practices. A Public-Private Dialogue (PPD) confirmed the need to improve DIGESA’s back-office processes, organize and make more transparent their trade related regulatory frameworks for all users, as well as to develop efficient information and communication mechanisms.

The key challenge of the project is the delay in issuing pre-market authorizations for exports and imports of processed food by DIGESA due to a lack of predictability and transparency. The affected sectors are mainly processed food manufacturers and thus, value added industries and entrepreneurs like SMEs and those women led/owned companies.

The project will focus in enhancing DIGESA’s transparency and predictability policies and practices through three (03) components:

Component I – improved procedures and processes: which is focused on decision-making processes inside the agency, and it is aimed at enhancing predictability of administrative rulings and inspections.
Component II – streamlined regulations: by integrating and organizing key processed food legal framework in a systematic manner, so that traders (including SMEs and women led/owned companies) will be able to identify, trace and understand requirements and procedures for import and export of processed food.
Component III – information and communication services: by developing a process to search market access requirements from importing countries, delivering didactic tools to boost knowledge of services delivered by DIGESA including a sustainable learning center of processed food regulations.

The following activities will be implemented under each individual component:

Component I: improved procedures and processes	Preparing administrative precedents inventory and organization, standardized criteria and design a tool for documentary evaluation and inspection. Development of trade related administrative precedents /rulings inventory. Elaboration of a guide of standardized criteria management for documentary evaluation and inspection Implementation of a guide of standardized criteria management for documentary evaluation and inspection Online training for DIGESA, Business Associations, Trade Support Institutions, SMEs and women-led companies. Performing a study of lead time and cost baseline Online presentation of the study’s results for DIGESA
Component II: streamlined regulations	Review /assessment of DIGESA’s regulatory framework related to imports and exports of processed foods. Design and development of trade regulatory framework of digital directory and user guide Implementation of digital directory Online training workshops for DIGESA, Business Association, Trade Support Institutions, SMEs and women led companies.
Component III: information and communication services:	Design and development of digital tools Implementation of digital tools Online training workshops for DIGESA, Business Associations, Trade Support Institutions, SMEs and women-led companies. Design and implement electronic documents and tools to educate and help SMEs and those led by women on trade facilitation related to DIGESA procedures. Implementations of SMEs tools Online training workshops for DIGESA, Business Association, Trade Support Institutions, SMEs and women led companies. Design and development of DIGESA communications mechanisms Implementation communication mechanisms

The main expected impacts for the private sector are:

• Time reduction: reduction of pre-market authorization issuing time frame for export/import of processed food in Peru, including those requested by SMEs and those led/owned by women
• Cost reduction: reduction of costs associated to unpredictable timeframe of issuing pre-market authorizations and clearance time.
• Efficiency: reduction on unsuccessful applications of pre-market authorizations for the export/import of processed food in Peru, including those requested by SMEs and those led/owned by women.

 

Assignment
Based on the above background, TFO Canada is looking for a Trade Facilitation Consultant based in Peru. 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,) and the team of consultants based in the region (Gender and Monitoring and Evaluation Consultants) the Trade Facilitation Consultant is responsible for providing advice on trade facilitation policies and measures of Government of Perú and guidance on engagement with stakeholders.

Specific responsibilities of the Trade Facilitation Consultant will include:

• Deliver advice on the trade facilitation policies and instruments led by Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur), such as Trade Facilitation Committee and Single Window.
• Deliver advice on the safety requirements and standards for food implemented by DIGESA in consistency with trade facilitation policies.
• Guidance on engagement with private companies, business associations (including global and local champions) and private stakeholders related to the DIGESA authority.
• Becoming a liaison with public agencies like Mincetur, SUNAT (Customs Authority), Ministry of Health and DIGESA to maintain agencies engagement.
• Strategic assistance on the project activities to perform in coordination with consultants, to secure the quality of outcomes.
• Provide input on the progresses and final reports

Submission instructions:
Applications should be in English and include the following elements:
1. A cover letter of the firm/individual/group of individuals making the proposal highlighting their qualifications (please see selection criteria), relevant experience and current activities which demonstrate their capacity to fulfill the responsibilities of this position. The presentation should include a current C.V. of the individual making the proposal; if the proposal is made by a firm or group of individuals, the CVs of the proposed consultant(s)/resource person(s) must be provided.
2. A brief description of three (03) recent projects (last 05 years) that the proponent has worked on that are similar in nature.

Applications should be made in writing by e-mail no later than June 22, 2021, to:
Program Director Latin America and the Caribbean
TFO Canada
130 Slater Street, Suite 400
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 6E2
hr@tfocanada.ca

Selection Criteria
In the assessment of submissions, consideration will be given to technical competence, qualifications and experience, including:

• Master’s degree in international Trade and/ or International Economic Law with specialization in International Trade
• More than five years of working experience in the area of Trade Facilitation in specific sectors in Peru such as: Trade Facilitation Policies, customs, regulatory improvement and administrative simplification and/or single window.
• More than five years of experience in capacity building for foreign trade and transparency in regulatory matters.
• Strong experience working with the public and private sectors in Peru in matters of single window, regulations, and trade facilitation.
• Experience working with international cooperation Organizations and managing development – trade facilitation projects that include SMEs.
• Fully bilingual: Spanish / English
• The publication of articles and / or studies on trade facilitation will be valued.