UNDP Jobs - 73874- International Consultant to develop trade facilita

International Consultant to develop trade facilitation indicators.

Location :

Home based

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

16-Aug-17 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

Up to 16 working days over a period of 2 months from contract signature date.

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

Up to 16 working days over a period of 2 months from contract signature date.

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

In partnership with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), the project of Trade and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aims to provide a contextualized understanding of the potential of contribution of trade to sustainable and inclusive growth in the Arab region. It aims to develop a conceptual and analytical framework, as well as a monitoring mechanism that includes pertinent indicators to measure the progress and identifies challenges.

The project has been designed based on the appreciation that trade is an effective instrument for promoting citizens’ well-being, while tightening economic linkages among economies for more businesses opportunities and employment. This calls for equality and sustainability of policies and operational measures in securing access to assets, capitals, and international trade to promote inclusive growth for all social groups.
Trade and regional economic integration, the promotion of regional economic linkages, and active engagement into global production and value chains, will be essential to achieve the SDGs. Within the project’s objectives, a Trade and SDGs Working Group will engage in a structured discussion to identify these linkages in mainstreaming trade for development while considering mandates by Arab Leaders at their 3rd and 4th Socioeconomic Summits in 2013 and 2015 respectively. Such informed discussion shall take into consideration continuous efforts and rising challenges of progressing economic cooperation in the region.

Despite many challenges, in 2015 and 2016, Arab countries made substantial progress in deepening regional economic integration, such as through the conclusion of the Beirut Round of negotiations in trade in services, adoption of several measures by ECOSOC in the design of Arab Customs Union as well as upgrading performance of the current PAFTA. These have been supported by works and contribution of the technical teams of UNDP and other international and regional stakeholders in factoring trade as an element of cooperation and policy coordination beyond the traditional understanding.

The project aims to achieve the following objectives:

Objective 1: Enhance analytical understanding and monitoring capacity on the linkages between trade and SDGs in the Arab region context.
Objective 2: Facilitate working-level exchange on trade and SDGs that would feed into an evidence-based policy dialogue and debate at the regional level.

It is also expected that the project helps to identify major baselines and potential indicators to support monitoring process of realization of SDGs in the region, with trade and trade-related measures as well as to understand impacts being generated by trade facilitation and integrated supply chains. The envisaged activities will consider how to mainstream trade for development and to adopt modalities of monitoring the progress of implementation of related measures at national and regional level. These will also serve to collect and guide strategic thoughts and suggestions from high-level policy makers, researchers, academicians, and practitioners on the next steps to deepen Arab economic integration. The work to be produced by the project are expected to help mainstreaming trade for Arab countries in the relevant efforts to monitor and implement the SDGs.

Duties and Responsibilities

In the process of preparations for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, important international literature was produced to consider the role of trade in the 17 SDGs, but the analysis that ensued is yet to be contextualized to the Arab region. For example, despite having a general understanding of positive effects brought about by trade, limited studies have examined how much trade contributes to Arab economies individually and collectively (at the regional level).

In effect, trade and regional economic integration, promotion of regional linkages, and active engagement into global production and value chains will be essential to achieve the SDGs. Many measures in the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) have a direct and/or indirect links with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in facilitation more access to markets and fair competition. Trade facilitation has also become a norm in various international standards and helps to strengthen linkages between countries under Preferential Trade Agreements (PTAs) and WTO agreements.

Trade facilitation contributes to advance development goals with higher regulatory transparency, strengthened governance and more equal footing for participation by small and medium enterprises. These reforms are yet to be contextualized in the Pan Arab Free Trade Area (PAFTA), and in trade-related commitments made by the Arab Leaders during the Third and Fourth Arab Summits for Economic and Social Development (January 2013 and 2015, respectively). Additionally, TFA articles notified by countries show a close correlation between their eventual implementation, trade indicators and trade efficiency. The TFA also sets out measures for effective cooperation between customs and other appropriate authorities on trade facilitation and customs compliance issues.
Throughout this assignment, and within the Trade and SDGs project in UNDP, the consultant is expected to design indicators to measure effects of trade facilitation within the contemporaneous framework of trade efficiency, including those to be used to measure the effects of improved operational procedures based on international standards and customized to Arab countries circumstances.

The objective of these indicators is to track impacts of TF measures to achievement of the SDGs in the Arab region while giving due consideration to programmes of regional economic and trade integration and the promotion of regional linkages. In designing these, the expert will identify targets of relevance toward SDGs considering the current universal set of SDGs indicators and relevant information. It is expected that quantitative measurement will assist policy makers in benchmarking the effectiveness or impacts of any policy in trade facilitation for integration into the supply/value chain.

In the discharge of her/his duties, the expert is required to prepare the following:

Review of concerned literature, thematic analysis of trade facilitation and regional linkages, current indicators of trade facilitation from international best practices and its contextualization to operational circumstances of the Arab region.
Development of a system of monitoring of the effects/impacts of trade facilitation (tracking tool) in mainstreaming trade for the SDGs with specific, quantitative and/or qualitative indicators, including those that result from introduction of modernized practices of management of cross border operations based on international standards.
Preparation of a technical document, or a guide related to the application of these indicators to measure the impacts of trade facilitation and integration of the international supply/value chains in the context of Arab economies.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

• Solid experience in facilitation high level meetings;
• Background knowledge about the SDGs, United Nations and UNDP;
• Demonstrates ability in conducting creative-thinking and innovation learning events;
• Good teamwork and interpersonal skills;
• Flexibility and ability to handle multiple tasks and work under pressure;
• Excellent computer skills especially Word, Excel and Power Point;

Leadership

• Demonstrated ability to think strategically and to provide credible leadership;
• Demonstrated intellectual leadership and ability to integrate knowledge with broader strategic overview and corporate vision;
• Demonstrated flexibility in leadership by performing and/or overseeing the analysis/resolution of complex issues;
• Strong managerial/leadership experience and decision-making skills with proven track record of mature judgments;
• Ability to conceptualize and convey strategic vision from the spectrum of development experience.

Managing Relationships

• Demonstrated well developed people management and organizational management skills;
• Strong ability to manage teams; creating an enabling environment, mentoring and developing staff;
• Excellent negotiating and networking skills with strong partnerships in academia, technical organi-zations and as a recognized expert in the practice area;
• Strong resource mobilization and partnering skills and ability to accept accountability for manage-ment of large volume of financial resources.

Managing Complexity

• Ability to address global development issues;
• Substantive knowledge and understanding of development cooperation with the ability to support the practice architecture of UNDP and inter-disciplinary issues;
• Demonstrated substantive leadership and ability to integrate knowledge with broader strategic, policy and operational objectives;
• A sound global network of institutional and individual contacts.

Knowledge Management and Learning

• Ability to strongly promote and build knowledge products;
• Promotes knowledge management in UNDP and a learning environment in the office through leadership and personal example;
• Seeks and applies knowledge, information and best practices from within and outside of UNDP;
• Provides constructive coaching and feedback;
• Demonstrates a strong capacity for innovation and creativity in providing strategic policy advice and direction.

Judgment/Decision-Making

• Mature judgment and initiative;
• Proven ability to provide strategic direction to the project implementation process;
• Independent judgment and discretion in advising on handling major policy issues and challenges, uses diplomacy and tact to achieve result.

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.

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

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualification:

Master’s Degree in Economics, Social Sciences, International Relations, Political Sciences, Devel-opment Studies or any other related field.

Years of Experience:

At least 5 years of professional experience working in in trade policy formulation, public-private dialogue, and mainstreaming trade for development;
Previous experience working for the UN is a plus.

Language Requirements:

Language proficiency in written and spoken English is required. Arabic is a strong asset.

How to Apply:

1. Read the additional information and annexes on teh UNDP lebanon website at http://www.lb.undp.org/content/lebanon/en/home/operations/procurement/

2. The consultancy is open for all international consultants who meet the selection criteria and propose a competitive fee. Interested consultants are requested to apply only through this UNDP jobs portal.

Submissions through any other media will not be considered.

The application must include the P11, technical proposal, Annex 3 (Offerors Letter) and the financial proposal in one single document and uploaded as word or PDF file to the UNDP job site.

Incomplete applications will not be considered.