Team Leader - South Sudan Diagnostic Trade Integration Study (DTIS)

Background

The then Government of South Sudan started work on trade mainstreaming during the Interim Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) period [1]. The Government issued “Trade Policy Guidelines” in 2009 which stated the importance of establishing necessary institutions to mainstream trade into the development priorities, policies and plans and acknowledged capacity constraints for trade policy formulation and implementation. The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment (MCII) of the Republic of South Sudan (RSS) has been mandated to achieve these objectives in coordination with line ministries, the private sector and the donor community. Following independence, the Ministry has committed itself to undertake a full range of activities to prepare for and fully operationalise this mandate, including policy, legal frameworks and institutions, as well as signing of regional and international trade protocols.   In order to respond to the significant capacity constraints facing the RSS’ integration in the world economy, the Government requested participation in the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF). The EIF is a partnership involving Least Developed Countries (LDCs), donors and international organizations with the following key objectives: (i) to assist LDCs in mainstreaming trade into their national development plans and poverty reduction strategies; and (ii) to assist in the coordinated delivery of trade-related technical assistance to meet the trade capacity gaps identified by LDCs. For more information on the IF please see: www.integratedframework.org.   The first stage of the EIF process is the preparation of a Diagnostic Trade Integration Study (DTIS) to provide the analytical basis for setting priorities. The purpose of the DTIS is to identify key constraints to the country’s integration into the multilateral trading system and the global economy. The interim EIF Board has adopted a template to guide the preparation of DTISs.   It is recognized however, that the DTIS is country-specific. The guidelines cover a broad range of topics reflecting the multi-faceted nature of trade issues. These topics include: macroeconomic environment; trade policy and institutions; trade agreements and market access; trade poverty reduction and sustainable development; business environment and institutional framework for trade and investment; trade facilitation; standards and quality infrastructure; sectoral issues and implementation arrangements. A set of policy recommendations and priority technical assistance needs are summarized in an Action Matrix which together with the DTIS is assessed and validated by stakeholders in a National Validation Workshop. An executive summary will highlight the key messages and findings of the DTIS.   An EIF familiarization workshop, with the participation of the IF Executive Secretariat and various UN agencies, was held on 13-14 November 2012 as a first step to sensitize partners about the objectives of the programme and its procedures and promote the active involvement of national stakeholders in the DTIS process.   UNDP has been requested to support the RSS in conducting the DTIS, in coordination with the EIF agencies and interested donors. Funding is provided by the EIF Trust Fund managed by UNOPS on behalf of contributing donors. The study will be prepared by a team of national and international experts working under the direction of a Team Leader. [1] South Sudan DTIS was prepared during the CPA period under the one country two system modality. This resulted in the preparation of a tier I proposal that was under consideration for funding at the time of Independence.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Team Leader will be responsible for managing and coordinating all stages of the DTIS process; ensuring its overall quality and coherence; and alignment with established DTIS guidelines adopted by the EIF Board. The Team Leader will supervise and coordinate inputs from DTIS consultants, and work in close cooperation with the RSS EIF Focal Point for the organization of consultations with a broad range of stakeholders whose inputs will inform the preparations of the study. The Team Leader will be in regular contact with UNDP South Sudan and UNDP Geneva Trade and Human Development Unit (GTHDU) for sharing drafts and ensuring that the process is on track. The Team Leader will be responsible for the completion of the following activities or key deliverables:   Preliminary DTIS mission The purpose of this mission is to lay the ground work for the main mission. This will involve providing the Team Leader with access to national stakeholders, including the EIF Focal Point. The preliminary mission will be scheduled well in advance to allow adequate notification to the EIF Executive Secretariat and the EIF Board (at least 10 working days).  The preliminary mission will: Discuss the scope and content of the proposed study with the government authorities, agencies, donors, private sector and civil society. Establish a clear work plan to include timing of main mission, national workshop and the domestic review process, and timing/objectives with respect to existing poverty reduction strategic documents or reports and Consultative Group/Roundtable meetings. Establish close contact with the EIF Focal Point. Ensure that key ministries such as Finance and Economic Planning and Ministry Commerce, Industry and Investment, as well as other relevant ministries, internalize and own the country EIF process and objectives, including the purpose and importance of the DTIS. Discussions on the DTIS can be guided by the DTIS template. Initiate relationships with the private sector, research partners and other stakeholders and create mechanisms for keeping partners in the field informed. Engage key research institutions and Think tanks to explore possibilities for collaboration during the EIF exercise. Engage with the IMF and World Bank and any other EIF core agency representatives that have operations in South Sudan (ITC, UNCTAD, WTO and AfDB) and other interested donors. Arrange a briefing to the local UN Heads of Agencies during the preliminary and main missions. While there may not be representatives from ITC, UNCTAD or WTO on the ground, any project managers of on-going projects being implemented by these agencies as well as FAO and UNIDO should be visited. Assistance for coordination of agencies’ inputs will be facilitated by the CEB Inter-agency cluster on Trade and Productive Capacity. In consultation with the government, explore interest among development partners present in the country to play the role of Donor Facilitator, if such decision has not yet been made. The Donor Facilitator will work closely with government and UNDP in DTIS preparation and follow-up. Assess existing work on trade and TRTA in the country and gather trade-related research and related materials on technical assistance. Ensure that previous work is not duplicated. An inventory of studies and key policy documents will be provided by the EIF Focal point, and the report should build as much as possible on existing work. Initiate the process of identification of appropriate national and international consultants for the DTIS study as appropriate according to UNDP rules and regulations. Concept note The Team Leader will draft a concept note immediately following the preliminary DTIS mission with the inputs drawn from discussions during the mission. The concept note will be discussed and agreed to with the Government and UNDP for inputs and clearance. The document will be shared with the EIF Board which may provide comments (at least 10 working days for comments should be allowed). The Concept note should specify the following: The issues to be discussed in the DTIS and their rationale, including a tentative outline of the report. Working arrangements agreed with the Government of the RSS EIF Focal Point, as well as EIF Focal Point in the UNDP office, and EIF Donor facilitator. Working arrangements with government, private sector and possible civil society stakeholders (National Steering Committee, main mission counterparts for each area to be covered by the DTIS, consultative processes, etc.). Proposed timing of main mission and detailed schedule of other EIF related activities, including the national validation workshop. Agreed objectives for the EIF process, including where possible general benchmarks to monitor progress. Reference to the national implementation arrangements in place, if any and/or preliminary indication about the establishment of national implementation structures or their improvement. EIF Donor facilitator, if already identified. Detailed budget for the study. The Team leader in coordination with UNDP and the RSS will also identify in the course of the pre-DTIS mission: Any immediate assistance required to help authorities engage in the DTIS and DTIS follow-up process. National consultants /local counterparts (research institutions and Think tanks) who could participate in the work. Government counterparts should be identified for all sectors/themes of the DTIS. Draft TORs for national and international consultants to participate in the DTIS preparation.   Main mission A mission comprising the Team Leader and the experts/consultants involved in the DTIS will be organized by the Team Leader. Two general meetings with all stakeholders will be organized at the beginning and at the end of the mission with a view to: i) inform stakeholders of planned activities and seek collaboration; and ii) convey preliminary findings and conclusions of the mission and seek feedback. These sessions will be additional to the specific meetings that the DTIS team will hold with relevant stakeholders to gather necessary information to draft the report and address more in depth particular topics. The Team Leader will work closely with the RSS EIF Focal Point to schedule meetings and facilitate access to existing analytical work, data, etc. At the end of the main mission, a note summarizing discussions held with the government and stakeholders and sketching out the DTIS report outline will be shared with the RSS and UNDP. Drafting of the DTIS The Team Leader will coordinate the production of the DTIS chapters by all team members in line with the DTIS report outline. The Team Leader may also assume responsibility for drafting specific chapters as necessary, the Executive Summary and Action Matrix. Validation process The Team Leader will ensure that regular consultations with stakeholders are held to seek feedback and validation of the various chapters of the report. Specific meetings, videoconferencing, etc. can be used to ensure regular and consistent participation of stakeholders. In addition, a national workshop involving key stakeholders will be organized to validate the report and in particular, the Action Matrix. Careful preparation will be necessary to allow a focused discussion during the workshop, on the prioritization of actions reflected in the Action Matrix. The Team Leader will revise the study based on inputs received during the national workshop and submit a final DTIS to the RSS and UNDP. Travel The Team leader is expected to travel to South Sudan at least three times during course of the assignment: in the context of the pre-DTIS and main missions, and to facilitate the validation workshop. Implementation and monitoring arrangement UNDP South Sudan through its office in Juba will be responsible for supervising, facilitating and monitoring the work of the Team Leader. UNDP South Sudan and M Commerce, Industry and Investment MoCII will also review the draft reports, provide comments, and prepare the Consultative and Validation Workshop in Juba, South Sudan.

Competencies

Functional Competencies: Effective communication skills and proven leadership capacity; Ability to work in multi-cultural, post-conflict and multi-disciplinary environments; Demonstrated project management skills and ability to coordinate and manage cooperative research undertakings; Strong analytical skills; Ability to work under tight deadlines; Sound negotiation and representational skills.  Corporate competencies Integrity and adherence to UN values Promote the vision, mission and strategic objectives of UNDP.

Required Skills and Experience

Education Appropriate post-graduate qualifications in any of the following areas: economics, business management, international economics, development, or other relevant field. Experience At least 10 years of relevant working experience; Research experience and publication record of high professional standards in the fields of trade and development; Good understanding of WTO disciplines and processes; Ability to interpret results and make recommendations; Strong understanding of the trade-related development challenges and relevant sectoral issues, especially in the context of LDCs; Ample experience on trade and development issues in Sub-Sahara Africa; Experience on trade-related international cooperation, including the EIF is an asset. Post-conflict experience will be added advantage Language Requirements: Excellent written and oral competency in English. FC: 30000.

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.

http://jobs.undp.org/cj_view_job.cfm?cur_job_id=35753