Regional Project Manager - WCO - EAC Customs Modernization Project 2014 – 2018

East African Community

The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation comprised of the Republic

of Kenya, Republic of Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Republic of Rwanda and Republic of

Burundi with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania. The EAC integration agenda encompasses economic,

social and political pillars. The Protocol on the Establishment of the East African Community Customs

Union was concluded in March 2004 and the EAC Customs Union commenced operations in January

2005. The attainment of the East African Community (EAC) Customs Union with a functional Single Customs

Territory where goods will be assessed and cleared at the first point of entry requires the cooperation,

collaboration and participation of the private sector. The Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) programme is critical to creating the necessary culture and operational procedures that not only facili-tates trade but functions as one of the pillars of the Single Customs Territory.

Project Overview

Sweden and the WCO have collaborated in a Customs development project in the East African Commu-nity (EAC) since 2008 and significant progress has been achieved with the mutual recognition of Author-ized Economic Operator (AEO) programs in the region. The project between Sweden and WCO was re-cently renewed.

The overall objective of the project is as follows:

·  Customs administrations in the EAC-region are better prepared to contribute to enhanced regional integration, trade facilitation, performance and improved market access

The outputs of the project are:

·  Customs procedures and practices streamlined through establishment of a regional Customs environment;

·  Customs to business relationships improved through the establishment of a sound trade partnership dialogue; and

·  Customs to other Cross Border Regulatory Agencies (CBRA’s) relationships improved through the establishment of a sound partnership dialogue.

The objective and outputs above have been translated into 4 key areas:

·  Regional AEO-scheme

·  Information and communication technology

·  Risk Management and Enforcement

·  Mutual Recognition.

For the project a Logical framework and an action plan for Year 1 have already been developed and approved by the donor, Sweden.

Responsibilities

Working with the Directorate of Customs in the East African Community (Specifically the Director of Customs) and reporting to the WCO Headquarters (primarily to the WCO EAC Project Director, the WCO-Sweden Programme Director and the Director Capacity Building) in Brussels, the Regional Project Man-ager will have oversight responsibility to plan, direct and monitor the project from inception to phase out. The project will further be guided by a Steering Committee consisting of the Heads of Customs, the WCO, the EAC-Secretariat and other relevant stakeholders. He / She will be accountable for expected project results and will perform the usual project management duties, including:

·  Provide leadership and management of the project from beginning to end;

·  Oversee the delivery of all project activities;

·  Engage all project stakeholders to ensure continued support for implementation;

·  Identify and engage project experts and staff;

·  Communicate with involved experts, National Project Managers, Project Steering Committee and other relevant parties, for instance other donors;

·  Develop annual action plans with strong relation to the Logical framework and Results Based Management (RBM) principles;

·  Develop a project communication strategy and ensure effective project visibility;

·  Forecast and monitor project expenditures and develop financial reports;

·  Monitor project risks and develop mitigation strategies;

·  Monitor and evaluate project progress and prepare progress reports accordingly;

·  Provide the Steering Committee, the WCO and Director of Customs EAC with necessary information and reports in a timely manner with high quality;

·  Be accountable for project progress and project expenditures;

·  Establish efficient project implementation through close collaboration with the National Project Managers;

·  Link the project and liaise the with other ongoing initiatives on the implementation of the Single Customs Territory;

·  Strengthen the regional Project Management capacities; and

·  Other project related duties.

All project related documentation must be approved either by the WCO Secretariat jointly with the EAC Directorate of Customs and/or the Steering Committee.

Essential qualifications

Education

·  University degree in a relevant field of study or an equivalent combination of education, skills and experience;

·  A Masters degree in Economics, Business management, Trade, law, statistics, IT or a related field will be an added advantage

Experience

·  Vast experience in project management in the context of capacity building and international de-velopment. Preference may be given to candidates with such experience in the field of institu-tional reform, Customs reform, technical assistance related to international trade or change management;

·  Experience in managing financial and human resources;

·  Experience in managing strategic relationships and engaging various stakeholders from private and public sectors, preferably in the international development context;

·  Be familiar with the EAC-region, its functions and policies; 

·  Preference may be given to candidates with relevant experience from a Customs administration.

It will be an advantage if the candidate has experience in collaborating with the EAC Secretariat.

Skills

·  Ability to communicate in English;

·  Strong written and oral communication skills;

·  Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work in a team;

·  Ability to work in an international environment;

·  Ability to manage multiple activities and priorities simultaneously; and

·  Ability to use common administrative software (MS Office, internet etc).

Conditions

·  Two (2) years contract with possibility of renewal up to a maximum total duration of five (5) years based on performance and available funding;

·  Probationary period: 3 months

·  Reports directly to the WCO EAC Project Director, the WCO-Sweden Programme Director and the WCO Director Capacity Building;

·  Be located in the EAC Secretariat in Arusha, Tanzania

·  Have the status as a WCO Technical Attaché;

·  Receive administrative and accounting support from the EAC Secretariat;

·  Follow the rules for procurement as set out in the contract between Sweden and the WCO; and

·  Follow rules, guidance and recommendations provided by the WCO.

Other information

·  The project is scheduled to run until December 2018.

·  If the Project Manager is not at the time of recruitment living in Tanzania, he or she is entitled to a relocation fee that will be equal to one month salary;

·  The Project Manager will be subject to semi-annual evaluations undertaken by the WCO Secre-tariat in conjunction with the EAC Secretariat; and

Duty Location

EAC Secretariat in Arusha, Tanzania, with frequent visits to other states in the EAC-region but also out-side the region.

Performing of duties

The RPM shall be directed and supervised in her/his work by the WCO. He/She will also work in close cooperation with the Director of Customs at EAC. He/she shall not seek or accept any instructions in connection with the exercise of his/her functions from any government or any authority other than the WCO or the Director of Customs at EAC. Further details are outlined in the Terms of Reference (ToR) and can be provided upon request.

Remuneration

Remuneration will be determined depending on the relevant experience of the applicant and be consid-ered as a full compensation including costs to be incurred by the RPM him/herself for his/her health insurance and pension arrangement.

Pursuant to the Convention establishing a Custom Co-operation Council (CCC), the remuneration will be exempt from the income tax. The RPM remains solely responsible for any process entered into with any competent tax authorities to gain recognition for this exemption.

Application

The onus is on the applicant to demonstrate how he/she meets each of the education and experience requirements.

Interested candidates should submit their application for review no later than 04 July 2014, 17:00 PM CET, including a cover letter (1 page max) and a curriculum vitae (5 pages max) in English to:

World Customs Organization

Administration and Personnel Section

Rue du Marché, 30

B-1210 Brussels, Belgium

By email to: wco.sidaprogramme@wcoomd.org

The subject of the candidate’s application message must read as follows:

WCO – EAC Project – Regional Project Manager – Application – LAST NAME / FIRST NAME of Candidate

The WCO thanks all interested applicants, however only those short-listed for an interview will be con-tacted.

To Apply
Applications and updated CV should be submitted to wco.sidaprogramme@wcoomd.org