Trade Policy Expert

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

Result of Service

Complementing the preliminary mapping and assessment prepared by ITC Activity 1: Conducting further research on the overarching regional policy framework on Agri-food trade in ECOWAS Output 1: Research is undertaken and compiled into a report that is submitted to ITC Timeline: July/August 2024 Activity 2: Undertaking consultations and targeted interviews with relevant public and private sector stakeholders Output 2: Stakeholder meetings and interviews are undertaken; a comprehensive report of the consultations is submitted to ITC Timeline: August 2024 Activity 3: Preparing a first draft report highlighting the main policy gaps and key areas for reform; submitting the final report after reviewing received feedback Output 3: A first draft report on policy gaps and areas for reform as well as its final reviewed version are prepared and submitted to ITC Timeline: August 2024 Developing a policy paper on participation of women in agri-food trade in West Africa Activity 4: Carrying out research, through desk review, on the regulatory and institutional frameworks in ECOWAS affecting agri-food trade and the participation of women in the sector Output 4: A research work on ECOWAS agri-food trade regulatory and institutional frameworks as well as on women in the sector is undertaken and compiled into a report to be submitted to ITC Timeline: July/August 2024 Activity 5: Engaging consultations and targeted interviews with relevant public and private sector stakeholders at both regional and national levels Output 5: Stakeholder meetings and interviews are undertaken; a comprehensive report of the consultations is submitted to ITC Timeline: August 2024 Activity 6: Based on activities 1 and 2, drafting a report highlighting SWOT analysis of regulatory framework and recommendations for policy reforms Output 6: A draft report featuring a comprehensive SWOT analysis of regulatory frameworks and recommendations for policy reforms is prepared and submitted to ITC Timeline: September 2024 Activity 7: Presenting recommendations for policy reforms at a policy dialogue workshop Output 7: Presentation materials are prepared and submitted to ITC prior to the event, and the presentation is delivered during a workshop Timeline: September 2024 Activity 8: Developing a draft policy note on reform recommendations and finalizing it after receipt of feedback Output 8: A draft policy note is prepared and submitted to ITC for feedback; a final policy note is submitted after review of feedback Timeline: September – October 2024

Work Location

Home-based - International Consultant

Expected duration

22.07.24 - 30.10.24

Duties and Responsibilities

BACKGROUND: The International Trade Centre (ITC), a joint agency of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the United Nations (UN), is the only multilateral agency fully dedicated to supporting internationalisation of SMEs. ITC’s mission is to foster inclusive and sustainable growth and development through trade and international business development. ITC’s projects and programmes contribute to the global efforts to achieve UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development and Aid for Trade Agenda. ITC is one of the implementing agencies of the ECOWAS Agricultural Trade programme, alongside GIZ and OECD SWAC, which is financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The overall objective of the project is to create a more conducive policy, regulatory and business environment for MSMEs in the agri-food trade sector in West Africa, ensuring that institutional and technical prerequisites for intra-regional agricultural trade are improved in selected countries of the ECOWAS region. This will be achieved through technical assistance designed to support the ECOWAS Commission coordination process at the regional level and dedicated interventions at the border and country level to ensure that best practices are applied to reinforce agri-trade. The project will also seek to provide information on regional trade on agri-food in order to inform policy dialogue and reform design. In this view, the project is structured around three key outputs: Output 1: The internal coordination between ECOWAS Commission technical directorates (agriculture, trade, customs) on sustainable, agricultural trade and gender sensitive policies is strengthened. Output 2: Sustainable, gender-sensitive agricultural trade facilitation measures are tested and available to the ECOWAS Commission for regional implementation. Output 3: Improved agri-food trade related services and related business models are available for formal and informal entrepreneurs and traders of selected countries. ITC’s Trade Facilitation and Policy for Business section (TFPB) is, jointly with the other complementing agencies, responsible for achieving the aforementioned outputs 1 and 2. To this end, a number of activities have been planned under each output, with the aim of facilitating the creation of a conducive policy and regulatory environment to support agri-trade. With respect to output 1, strengthening coordination within the ECOWAS commission on the topics of trade and agriculture, the first step required the preparation of a mapping and preliminary assessment study on the regional policy frameworks on agriculture and trade in West Africa, in relation to specific policy topics already identified by GIZ in consultation with key stakeholders, and namely: ▪ Women in agri-food trade (to be developed by ITC) ▪ food loss at border for perishable products and live animals with impact on nutrition and food security is available (to be developed by ITC) ▪ harmonization and implementation of ECOWAS and MS agri-food trade policies is available (to be developed by ITC) ▪ Member States mechanism for grouped fertilizer and seed trade in the ECOWAS region (to be developed by GIZ) ▪ Private sector’s perception of constraints and opportunities to food trade in the region (to be developed by OECD-SWAC) The objective of this study was to identify the most relevant regulatory and policy instruments governing or affecting agricultural trade in West Africa and conduct an initial assessment of their impact and effectiveness to support and promote regional agri-trade with a view to facilitating the formulation of reform proposals. The mapping and preliminary assessment study has already been undertaken by ITC. The next steps will consist of further refining the recommendations elaborated through the mapping exercise and to formulate specific policy reform proposals in the form of thematic policy papers on one of the pre-identified policy topics mentioned above, namely: the participation of women in agri-food trade,. To this effect, ITC is looking for an international consultant (IC) to undertake research on the agri-trade policy framework in ECOWAS and develop one thematic policy paper in accordance with the present terms of reference (ToRs). DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES: The IC, working under the direct guidance of the Associate Programme Adviser DMD/TFPB and under the overall supervision of the Programme Officer, Trade Policy and Investment Facilitation Unit, will undertake and be responsible for the tasks outlined below: Undertaking work to complement the preliminary mapping and assessment prepared by ITC 1. On the basis of the preliminary mapping and assessment, the IC will conduct further desktop research and literature review on the overarching regional policy framework on Agri-food trade in ECOWAS, aiming to identify main policy gaps and key areas for reforms. The research will consist in a thorough desk review to identify and gather all relevant documents and materials, including those related to gender and sustainability. The IC will also consult with other implementing partners. 2. The IC will undertake consultations and targeted interviews with relevant public and private sectors to complement and validate the results of the desk research on the main policy gaps and key areas for reforms conducted under the task 1. Relevant stakeholders to be consulted shall include ECOWAS Commission directorates (Trade; Customs Union and Taxation; Agriculture and Rural Development; Private sector and industry players; Research and Statistics; Environment), Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food, as well as business and women’s business associations in agri-trade. 3. On the basis of tasks 1 and 2, the IC will prepare a draft report highlighting the main findings and recommendations. The draft report will be submitted to ITC and other stakeholders for feedback and observations. Developing a policy paper on women in agri-food trade in West Africa 4. The IC will conduct a research on the regulatory and institutional frameworks in ECOWAS on agri-food trade, with a specific focus on instruments related to the participation of women in the agri-food trade sector. To this end, the IC will use as a starting point the mapping and assessment study and will undertake additional sector-specific research. The IC will also liaise closely with other implementing partners and ITC sections, such as the SheTrades Initiative and Trade Facilitation teams). 5. The IC will engage in consultations and targeted interviews with relevant public and private sector stakeholders at regional and national levels to assess the effectiveness of the regulatory and institutional instruments governing agri-food trade and the participation of women. These consultations will help narrow down and pinpoint specific issues or trade barriers to be addressed within the broader theme of women’s participation in agri-food trade. This task will necessitate identifying the key stakeholders (e.g., policymakers, industry experts, academics, and representatives from relevant organizations) and preparing a set of structured questions for the interviews. Relevant stakeholders to consult shall include the following: ECOWAS Commission directorates (Trade; Agriculture and Rural Development; Gender; Private sector and industry; Research and Statistics; Environment); Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food, and women’s business associations. 6. Based on work undertaken under tasks 4 and 5, the IC will conduct a SWOT analysis, with a focus on gaps or shortcomings in the regulatory and institutional frameworks. The Consultant will also develop policy reform proposals (at policymaker, institutional, and enterprise levels), including specific recommendations for gender mainstreaming, to enhance the competitiveness and participation of women in agri-food trade in West Africa. These proposals may include updating existing instruments (policies, laws, regulations, etc.) with improved gender provisions, adding gender provisions to instruments where lacking, or recommending new instruments. The SWOT analysis and policy reform recommendations shall be consolidated in a brief report. 7. The IC will present the policy reforms at a validation workshop with actors from both the public and private sectors, including women’s business associations in agro-trade. The workshop will also provide an opportunity to obtain additional feedback from stakeholders. 8. Based on the above tasks, the IC will develop a draft policy paper on the proposed reforms, with for enhancing women participation and competitiveness in agri-food trade. The draft policy paper shall be concise and straightforward, clearly describe the specific issues and challenges faced by women in agri-food trade. It should also present the methodology, explain the policy reform proposals, and outline potential targeted interventions for women in agri-food trade, including their rationales and strategies for effective implementation. The draft will be submitted to ITC and ECOWAS for feedback. The IC is obliged to provide full access to ITC’s external and internal auditors to documents and information. In addition, the Consultant shall comply with any audit undertaken in line with the financial regulations and rules of the United Nations. The Consultant is responsible for all submitted documents and must ensure they are not plagiarized. Any instance of plagiarism, copying, or closely reproducing another’s work without crediting the legitimate author in the documents submitted will result in rejection of the document.

Qualifications/special skills

Master’s Degree or higher in development studies, law, international business, international trade, economics, international trade law or related fields. Extensive relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of the university degree. Minimum 8 years work experience in the fields of International trade and Agricultural trade Previous experience in trade-related projects in West Africa/ECOWAS region with a focus ongender related issues will be considered a strong asset; Excellent knowledge and understanding of regional and international trade and gender issues,as demonstrated by insight into ECOWAS regional trade; Previous experience with trade-related assignments involving engagements with private andpublic sector stakeholders within the ECOWAS region would be an added advantage; Good communication and presentation skills, at ease with high-level representatives of bothpublic and private sectors; Proven ability to work independently with minimal supervision and effectively within a team. Copyright Clause: The Consultant has to ensure that s/he has obtained the necessary permissions with regard to intellectual property rights required to perform his/her services under this consultancy contract and for the subsequent dissemination by ITC in any form. Documentary proof is to be submitted to ITC. Should any license fee be due for the use of copyrighted materials of third parties, the Consultant shall request prior written permission from ITC. S/he has further to ensure to obtain accreditation to event(s), if required. ITC champions workforce diversity, inclusion, gender equality and gender parity and considers all qualified persons - of all genders - equally, including those with disabilities, without discrimination or prejudice of any kind.

Languages

Excellent proficiency in English and French; Knowledge of Portuguese and/or Spanish is an advantage.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.