UNDP Jobs - 34729- Consultant to Conduct Short Studies of 8 Export Se

Consultant to Conduct Short Studies of 8 Export Sectors (Chapter 7-14, Diagnostic Trade Integration Study Update 2013 including Tourism, Milled Rice, Fisheries, Cassava, Maize/Corn, Silk, Garment, Processed Food)”

Location :

Phnom Penh, CAMBODIA

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

21-Jan-2013

Application Deadline :

13-Jan-13 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

45 days over the period of 4 Months

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

20 working days for home based and 25 working days at the duty station

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

At the March 2012 meeting of the Sub-Steering Committee on Trade Development and Trade-Related Investment responsible for Cambodia’s Trade SWAp, the Senior Minister, Minister of Commerce announced that the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) plans to update its DTIS in the coming months. The original DTIS was launched in November 2001 and was first updated in 2007 (see Cambodia Trade Integration Strategy 2007 or CTIS 2007.) The goal of an updated DTIS is to develop up-to-date integration strategy that can be mainstreamed through the new NSDP and Vision 2030 that are being formulated by the Government at the moment and will serve as a basis for the design of the new Rectangular Strategy that will guide the work of the new Government following the upcoming general elections.

The DTIS Update 2013 will be guided by four principles:

Incorporate best practices learned from the 2007 study. To prepare the various chapters, MoC will seek cooperation from various line ministries and government bodies that have been associated with the implementation of CTIS 2007 under Trade SWAp as well as various Development Partners that have supported Trade SWAp through EIF, TDSP, or their own assistance. In this regard, the preparation of the various chapters will be more “balanced” and less “donor-driven” than was the case in 2006-2007. This will be helped by the fact that there are now a number of Cambodian counterparts that have been directly involved in the implementation of various technical assistance projects and are well informed about the objectives of Trade SWAp and its “road maps;”
Build on Trade SWAp and the three pillars’ road maps. Cambodia Trade SWAp has a well developed set of mechanisms put in place by RGC under MoC’s leadership to implement the Actions identified in CTIS 2007. The DTIS Actions have been further developed under its Three Pillar Road Maps, which identify clear priority areas, baselines and benchmarks/targets (KPIs.) The new DTIS will identify progress made against those baselines and benchmarks/targets and will help identify remaining and new challenges for possible future action. In that sense, the new DTIS could serve as one of the bases for updating the three pillars’ roadmaps;
Identify new challenges and incorporate new priorities of RGC for trade development. While the DTIS update will be guided by the priority areas identified in 2007 and reflected in the Three Pillars’ roadmaps, it will not be bound by those. Indeed, the DTIS update will also recognize that conditions may have changed and new priorities and needs may have emerged as a result. So the new DTIS will also ensure that key new priorities identified by the Government are reflected in the update;
Identify a few selected central themes to help focus the various chapters. To provide focus relevant to policy-makers, the DTIS update will pay particular attention consistently throughout each chapter to a couple of priorities central to current and future government actions.

The DTIS Update 2013 will have 18 Chapters:

Trade Expansion and Trade Diversification: the Importance of Deepening Trade Integration through Regional and “Emerging” Markets
Trade Facilitation
Transport Logistics
SPS and TBT for Trade Integration
Investment and the Investment Environment
IPRs (including Legal Reform, Implementation, and Enforcement)
Tourism
Milled Rice
Fisheries
Cassava
Maize/Corn
Silk
Garment
Processed Food
Manufacturing Assembly clusters
Closing the Skill Gap for Export Diversification and Regional Labor Market Integration
Trade Mainstreaming and the Management of AfT
Action Matrix and Medium Term AfT Program

Duties and Responsibilities

Chapters 7 through 15 of the DTIS Update 2013 are intended to present short, highly focused, detailed analysis of progress, opportunities, and constraints to the further development of exports and the diversification of target markets for the nine sectors identified for priority focus under DTIS Update 2013 and progress made since 2007. The nine sectors are Tourism, Milled Rice, Fisheries, Cassava, Maize/Corn, Silk, Garments, Processed Food, and Manufacturing Assembly clusters.

A consultant with expertise in the areas of export potential assessments will be recruited for chapters 7 through 14 covering Tourism, Milled Rice, Fisheries, Cassava, Maize/Corn, Silk, and Garment and Processed Food export sectors. Another consultant will be recruited for Chapter 15.

The consultant recruited under this ToR (chapters 7 through 14) is expected to develop profiles for Tourism, Milled Rice, Fisheries, Cassava, Maize/Corn, Silk, Garment, and Processed Food. The research work for chapters 7 through 14 will make maximum use of the findings and recommendations from the extensive body of studies available on those sectors as well as existing government policies. Chapter 11 (maize/corn) and Chapter 14 (processed food) will require some additional field work as they have been less studied thus far. The chapters dealing with Tourism, Fish, Cassava, Milled Rice and Silk will also call upon the five projects being set-up with EIF Tier 2 funding for additional information.

The consultant recruited under this ToR will also be expected to work with the consultant recruited for Chapter 15 to ensure consistency in presentation across all eight products and service chapters.

In order to have a coherent and consistent approach to the presentation and discussion of findings, the eight chapters will follow the same format as described below. Each of the following variables will be analyzed not simply in term of current condition, but changes in trend since 2007 and possible future dynamic of change:

Export Performance (Past and future changes)

Export Value (income and volume)
Type of products exported
Current export destinations
Potential new export products
Potential new export destinations
Export growth prospect

World Market Conditions (Past and future changes)

Market access conditions, including tariffs and NTMs. In view of the shrinking importance of tariff advantages, it will be important to identify NTMs for each product/service to key current and potential markets.
Major competitors'
World market prospect

Domestic Supply Conditions (Past and future changes)

Current producers and production capacity
Processing technology
Productivity
Quality of products and services (including ability to meet SPS and TBT requirement of importing markets)
Potential new products or services
Labor force availability, skills, and skill gaps
Production costs
Availability and conditions of support industries (including transport and energy)
Environmental risks and risk mitigation

Domestic Policy and Regulatory Environment (Past and future changes)

Sector-specific policy(ies) (Rice Policy, Industrial Policy, Tourism Strategic Development Plan, etc.)
Investment environment
SWOT Analysis
Recommendations and Possible Actions

Each chapter will also include three thematic text-boxes (maximum one page per box):

A Text Box summarizing some of the implications of regional integration through ASEAN
A Text Box summarizing some key aspects of skill needs and skill gaps
A Text Box taking stock of progress made against some of the 2007 baselines when the DTIS was last updated for the issues/sector analyzed in the chapter and KPIs identified in the Road Maps. While each chapter will conclude with a list of recommended Actions to be included in an Action Matrix, Actions, typically, are at the “output” level. This box will be an opportunity to further discuss, review, and summarize progress and possible future directions at the “Outcome” and “Impact” level which are to be achieved through the set of proposed Actions (e.g. emphasis on the objective of export diversification and moving up the value chain.)

The three text boxes can be used to some extent to summarize/highlight key points developed in more details in the chapter.

In order to produce the above mentioned deliverables, the selected consultants will be given a period of 45 working-days over the year of 2013.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

Extensive experience in the use of Trade Map, Comtrade, IMF BoP, and other trade-related data bases
Expertise in export potential assessments, analysis of market attractiveness, and the use of other measures of trade development and trade competitiveness
Experience in developing SWOT analyses
Knowledge of the eight sectors covered by this assignment preferable
Previous work experience in Cambodia preferable
Experience in contributing to DTIS studies in other Asian countries an advantage
Good writing and presentation skills are a requirement

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.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master Degree or equivalent in the field of international trade policy, economic, development economics, political science.

Experience:

Minimum 10 years of experience

Language Requirements:

Assignment is in English
Knowledge of French would be an asset.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

This post is open to both national and international consultant.

The application shall comprise the following documents:

Cover letter: Explaining why the candidate the most suitable for the work;
Completed and signed UNDP Personal History Form and Personal CV;

Please refer to INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANT (IC) PROCUREMENT NOTICE on UNDP Cambodia Procurement Page at http://www.un.org.kh/undp/procurement-notices/undpjobid34729 for detailed term of references, instructions to applicant, and documents to be included when submitting application.

If interested candidate requests additional information, may notify the Procurement Unit in writing to e-mail address: procurement.kh@undp.org. The Procurement Unit would endeavor to provide information expeditiously, but any delay in providing such information will not be considered a reason for extending the submission date of your application.