Invitation to Bid
Reference No: 83367547
The African Union (AU), established as a unique Pan African continental body, is charged with spearheading Africa’s rapid integration and sustainable development by promoting unity, solidarity, cohesion and cooperation among the peoples of Africa and African States as well as developing a new partnership worldwide. Its Headquarters is located in Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia.
In line with the Boosting Intra-Africa Trade / Continental Free Trade Area (BIAT / CFTA) Decision of 2012, which was re-echoed by the 9th CAMOT in December 2014, the African Union Commission (AUC) was charged with the responsibility to coordinate and provide overall guidance for the CFTA negotiations, as well as serve as the secretariat for the implementation process and for the High-Level African Trade Committee (HATC).
With this responsibility the Department of Trade and Industry was directed to strengthen its capacity in order to deliver on its mandate. In this regard, a AfCFTA Support Unit was incorporated within the Department’s organogram to facilitate the CFTA negotiations. The current AfCFTA Support Unit has provided the critical support to the AfCFTA Technical Working Groups (TWGs) as well the Negotiating Institutions in the negotiations. This led to the signing of the Agreement Establishing the AfCFTA and its three Protocols in March 2018, during the 10th AU Extraordinary Summit held in Kigali, Rwanda. An Annex on the AfCFTA Rules of Origin was among the nine Annexes to the Annexes to the Protocol on Trade in Goods that was adopted during the 31st Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly held in Nouakchott, Mauritania, in July 2018. Further an Appendix to this Annex detailing the hybrid Rules of Origin was adopted at the 12th Extraordinary Session of the AU Assembly in Niamey, Niger, in July 2019. The AfCFTA Support Unit currently serves as the Interim AfCFTA Secretariat pending the establishment of the fully functioning permanent AfCFTA Secretariat based in Accra, Ghana.
There is however outstanding work on the AfCFTA Rules of Origin. The AUC is therefore seeking to recruiting a short-term Expert on Rules of Origin for the AfCFTA Support Unit and (Interim) AfCFTA Secretariat.
The principal objective of this consultancy is to facilitate and provide technical and secretarial support to the appropriate levels of the Member State-driven AfCFTA negotiations. That is the TWG on Rules of Origin and the hierarchy of the AfCFTA Negotiating Institutions.
The overall objectives of the consultancy can be summarized as follows:
Ø provide appropriate technical advice to the TWG Experts involved in the technical rules of origin negotiations;
Ø manage short-term rules of origin-related studies and the presentation of their results;
Ø provide appropriate AfCFTA rules of origin-related advice to the Chief Technical Advisor AfCFTA Support Unit and (Interim) AfCFTA Secretariat;
Ø ensure the provision of supporting documentation for the meetings of these technical levels of the negotiations structure;
Ø facilitate capacity building programs for Member States experts and other stakeholders; and
Ø assist State Parties in the implementation of the AfCFTA Rules of Origin.
Overall, the expert will be responsible for providing input to the Chief Technical Advisor AfCFTA Support Unit and (Interim) AfCFTA Secretariat on issues relating to the rules of origin negotiations component(s) of the unit’s periodic reporting requirements.
Tasks to be performed by the contractor
The scope of work for the consultancy shall cover all activities necessary to accomplish the stated objectives of the project, whether or not a specific activity is cited in these terms of reference. During the first week of the assignment there will be an inception meeting between all parties (the consultant, the AUC (AfCFTA Unit) and GIZ) to introduce the assignment, clarify any open questions and to further determine the scope of work and the way forward (activities).
The contractor is responsible for providing the following services:
· Provide appropriate technical and other AfCFTA-related advice (written and / or verbal) to the Chairperson of the TWG on Rules of Origin and Member State representatives participating in technical meetings on rules of origin. This advice will relate to both rules of origin-related policy implications (such as the economic or social impact of the selected rules) and to implementation issues;
· Manage short-term experts to undertake subject-specific research into areas of concern to Member State representatives participating in technical meetings on rules of origin. These studies will mainly relate to the policy implications of chosen rules of origin for particular sectors or countries. The incumbent will ensure the appropriate and timely dissemination of the results and recommendations of this research to the Member State representatives. Where appropriate this duty may be delegated to the short-term expert(s) commissioned to undertake this specialist research;
· Provide appropriate rules of origin-related advice to the Chief Technical Advisor AfCFTA Support Unit and Interim AfCFTA Secretariat and the Director of Trade and Industry;
· Maintain and disseminate an up-to-date schedule of all current and future AfCFTA technical meetings on rules of origin;
· Provide relevant and required documentation for Member State representatives participating in technical meetings on rules origin;
· Ensure the timely production and dissemination of minutes of technical meetings on rules of origin;
· Ensure that appropriate venues, public address and other conference facilities, translation and interpretation services, and secretarial support are provided for all AfCFTA technical rules of origin-related meetings. This responsibility will be carried out in consultation with the Chief Technical Advisor and the relevant AfCFTA Support Unit and Interim AfCFTA Secretariat staff;
· Develop and maintain the current and correct information on the rules of origin negotiations in the AfCFTA component of the AUC’s website in collaboration with the Chief Technical Advisor AfCFTA Support Unit and Interim AfCFTA Secretariat and the Commission’s IT Department;
· Produce the required inputs on issues relating to the rules of origin negotiations to the Chief Technical Advisor for the periodic reports of the activities of the AfCFTA Support Unit and Interim AfCFTA Secretariat, ensuring that agreed deadlines for these inputs are strictly adhered to;
· facilitate capacity building programs for Member States experts and other stakeholders;
· assist State Parties in the implementation of the AfCFTA Rules of Origin; and
· Perform any other related duties as may be assigned by the Chief Technical Advisor AfCFTA Support Unit and Interim AfCFTA Secretariat or the Director of Industry and Trade.
· The expert will be responsible for ensuring that information on the rules of origin negotiations in the AfCFTA component of the AUC’s website remains current.
The deliverables for the consultancy might be adjusted on a continuous basis aligned with the scope of work of the assignment (all parties need to be informed about this). The Consultant will report to the Head and Chief Technical Advisor of the AfCFTA Unit (or assigned staff of the AfCFTA Unit) for the everyday work.
The delivery of the objectives and provided services of the assignment need to be reported in the form of progress updates on a regular basis as requested by the Head and Chief Technical Advisor of the AfCFTA Unit (or assigned staff of the AfCFTA Unit) and GIZ AfCFTA project staff. The consultant will also provide monthly reports of the work that has been done (including a timesheet) to the GIZ AfCFTA project staff for accounting and payment purposes. During the last week of the contract a final assessment interview with the GIZ AfCFTA project staff is needed to complete the assignment.
Qualification
Soft skills of the consultant
In addition to their specialist qualifications, the following qualifications are required:
Team skills and initiative
Excellent communication and writing skills
Sociocultural competence
Efficient, partner- and client-focused working methods
Interdisciplinary thinking
Number of work days: 100 days
Period of assignment: From 09.12.2020 until 30.07.2021.
· Before submitting any bid, interested bidders should collect further bidding documents listed down by contacting the e-mail address: pcc@giz.de
• Terms of reference
• Technical evaluation criteria’s
• Bid sheet
•GIZ General terms and conditions local/international
This vacancy is archived.