UNDP Jobs - 48428- Provision of Individual Services of Single Window

Provision of Individual Services of Single Window Advisor

Location :

Cairo, EGYPT

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

08-Aug-14 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

12 months from contract signature

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

12 months from contract signature

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

The Aid for Trade initiative for the Arab States region aims to achieve inclusive economic growth with increased employment opportunities and greater competitiveness through trade policy reforms in Arab countries as an integral part of the regional trade and economic integration agenda. It provides a platform for targeted trade reforms, building upon UN agencies’ experience and ongoing technical assistance and capacity development interventions. UNDP is the implementing agency of this regional initiative, working closely with the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) as the chair of the project board (executive) and UN agencies from the CEB Trade and Productive Capacity Cluster (ILO, ITC, UNCTAD, UNDP, and UNIDO) responsible for leading work in specific result areas in coordination with partners in the region and beyond.

The project (AfTIAS) will focus on helping countries and the main sub-regional and regional integration entities to accelerate the pace of trade reforms and regional economic integration, to strengthen the employment effects of those reforms with particular focus on women and youth and to mobilize additional resources for this purpose.

Accordingly, the project will aim to:

· Review, assess, and where feasible, develop into actionable interventions for investment and resource mobilization the trade-related aspirations on energy, transport, communication and pipeline infrastructure, food security, water, SME financing and support, trade-facilitation and customs reform, expressed in the outcome documents of the January 2009, January 2011 and January 2013 Arab Economic and Social Summits held in Kuwait, Sharm-el-Sheikh and in Riyadh respectively.

Enhance the capacities of the League of Arab States (LAS), Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) to implement regional integration processes and the Pan- Arab Free Trade Area (PAFTA);
Provide a platform for trade reform including non-tariff measures, technical barriers to trade, and for enhancing the capacities of trade support institutions, to foster the regional trade integration programmes of the member countries of the League of Arab States;
Enhance the employment effects of trade and trade-related policies by ensuring the alignment of human resource related policies with policy changes in the area of trade;
Mobilize Aid for Trade (AfT) resources to finance and implement country, sub-regional and regional priorities that will contribute to broader trade development outcomes.

The main stakeholders at the national level are:

Government and governmental organizations

Line ministries: Ministry of Trade, Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Economy/Finance, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Gender Equality/Gender Affairs;
Specialized agencies: Customs Agency, Export Credit Agencies, Investment Promotion Agencies, National Statistical Office, National Standards Bodies, National Food Safety Authorities, Central Bank, National and Regional Development Banks and Authorities, Antitrust Authority, Technical Vocational Education and Training institutions, Higher Education Institutions;
Special committees: Trade Facilitation Committee, Aid for Trade Committee, Skills Committee etc.

Business and employer organizations and trade unions

Business and employers: national trade promotion organization, sectoral business associations, small and medium enterprises business associations, associations of artisans and traders, chambers of commerce, export associations, representatives of entrepreneurs, business women associations;
Trade unions: confederation of trade unions, main trade unions, women workers association, association/cooperatives of workers;

Civil society:

Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs), including environmental NGOs, associations of NGOs, women and sub-population groups’ associations, independent think-tanks, national and local media.

Duties and Responsibilities

It is well-known that guidelines and recommendations for the single window development exist; however, the challenge for policy makers and the private sector continues to be in the identification of realistic modalities of its establishment and mobilization of resources in function of needs, necessity and demands of a particular country. This is also true for Egypt where senior policy makers of the Government and particularly of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Ministry of Finance (Customs authorities), Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Agriculture, among others, acknowledge the necessity of putting into place platforms of electronic processing of regulatory and trade information in expediting release and clearance of shipments, means of transport, goods and commodities, without compromising regulatory control.

Egypt has started reinvigorating economic growth with more stability due to the successful presidential election in late May 2014. Several programs of improvement of infrastructure (roads, ports) are gaining momentum, and the authorities have clearly expressed their commitments to adoption of international standards and new procedures as the basis of modernized national regulations and formalities. Egypt is a Contracting Party to the Revised Kyoto Convention on simplification and harmonization since 2008 and actively participates to multiple international initiatives of trade, transport facilitation at national, sub-regional and regional level.

The AfTIAS Single Window Advisor under UNDP (SW Advisor) will be responsible to assist selected Arab States, among them in the first stage in 2014, Egypt, in the development and design of its National Single Window (NSW) through establishment of the work plan, or roadmap for Single Window, provision of technical advice, conduct of trainings to officials, review of existent applications of electronic processing of trade- and customs-related information, and participation to tasks of simplification and harmonization of procedures. She/he would be also required to develop projects and proposals to be financed by international financial institutions (IFIs) and donors.

As part of her/his tasks, it is required that the SW Advisor conducts consultations with relevant authorities of Egypt such as Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (General Administration of Management of Imports and Exports and the Trade Agreement Sector), Ministry of Finance, Customs Authority, Agriculture Quarantine Central Department, General Administration of Veterinary Services of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Control Department of Ministry of Health, Ministry of Transport (Land and Dry Port General Administration and others) to take stock of progress achieved in applying electronic processing towards a realistic roadmap of activation of the NSW in Egypt. Business process re-engineering and data harmonization could also form part of activities to be undertaken.

The scope of the assignment will include the following delivery of outputs:

Developed the Blueprint of National Single Window or similar document of Egypt to guide the SW implementation based on expressed needs and international standards;
Reviewed existing mechanisms and procedures related to clearance of shipments, means of transport toward more streamlined processing for specific recommendations of policy reform;
Designed the Action Plan for adoption of newly developed procedures into specific operations at points of entry and exit of Egypt (border posts, ports, airports, logistics centers as applicable).;
Designed the training programs for officials of the Government of Egypt and for representatives of the private sector (trainers) on technical specifications of the Single Window (i.e…, business process re-engineering, data harmonization, digitalization of formalities, documents) and its soft infrastructure (i.e…, modernization of the regulatory framework for operations of Single Window);
Provided assistance to the conduct of one pilot implementation at a particular customs office or border post as designated by the Government and on the basis of international standards and adopted recommendations.
Developed one bankable project on establishment of Egypt Single Window for its activation in the country in 2015.
Other related tasks.

For detailed information, please Refer to Annex I – Terms of Reference.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
Treats all people fairly without favoritism;
Fulfills all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment.

Functional Competencies:

Familiarity with international standards on development and activation of single window is required. Experiences in the activation of a single window in any of Arab States, either under specific programmes by a Government or by an international donor are an advantage.
Ability to meet deadlines and prioritize multiple tasks; and
Excellent writing, editing, and oral communication skills in English. Ability to communicate in Arabic is desirable but not compulsory.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Holding a Masters’ Degree or equivalent in Computer Sciences, Economics, Social Sciences, International Relations, Political Sciences, Development Studies or related fields;

Experience:

Having minimum 15 years of relevant experience in programme/project results based management at the national and international level;
Having participated to the design, establishment and implementation of the single window at the national level. Experiences in being engaged in the development and activation of any regional single window will be an advantage;
Substantial experience in technical works for the single window system such as simplification, harmonization of procedures, data harmonization, business re-engineering, among others;
Expertise and proven track record in human development, public-private partnership in the activation of single window, and gender mainstreaming in policy;

Languages:

Excellent writing, editing, and oral communication skills in English;
Ability to communicate in Arabic is desirable but not compulsory.

Application:

Kindly refer to the Individual Consultant Procurement Notice and all related Annexes by visiting the below link:

http://www.lb.undp.org/content/lebanon/en/home/operations/procurement/

Please make sure to submit all the requested documents/information; otherwise, your application will be considered incomplete.