AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK CUSTOMS SPECIALIST
EQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
(CONSULTING SERVICES)
CUSTOMS SPECIALIST
Regional Integration is a core mandate of the Bank as reflected in its Medium Term Strategy and the Regional Integration Strategy (RIS). The Bank has since prepared the West African, Eastern Africa, Central Africa and Southern Africa Regional Integration Strategy Papers (RISPs) to give effect to the regional dimensions. The Northern Africa RISP is still under preparation. The RISPs further aim at providing an analytical framework for streamlining regional operations (ROs) in the Bank and identify the Regional Public Goods for which the Bank could potentially provide funding support.
The RISPs have identified trade facilitation as one of the main areas that needs strengthening in regional operations. Trade facilitation is now firmly recognized as a key driver for regional integration, with direct implications on costs, timeliness and efficiency in doing business. Trade facilitation is a key determinant for the competitiveness and productivity of African countries. In order to improve the indicators and overall efficiency of African businesses demand for assistance in the area of trade facilitation has sharply risen.
Since trade facilitation issues are interrelated with customs issues the Bank is building a partnership with the World Customs Organization (WCO) that will enable both organizations collaborate on customs reform, modernization and border management. To this effect a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two has been signed. The partnership includes collaboration in identifying, developing and implementing customs capacity building projects by observing internationally agreed best practices and supporting customs cooperation and regional integration in Africa. The MoU seeks to promote a knowledge based partnership. This would mean the undertaking of joint research and knowledge sharing in areas of common interest, as well as close institutional dialogue to ensure a coherent approach. Both institutions will identify comparative advantages as well as complementarities between them.
Within the Bank the NEPAD, Regional integration and Trade (ONRI) Department is responsible for providing support and implementation of the Bank’s strategy of mainstreaming trade and competitiveness into regional and country policies and ensuring that country and regional policies are more supportive of regional integration.
In consideration of the foregoing therefore the Bank (ONRI) now seeks expressions of interest from suitable and qualified individual consultants in the areas of customs and trade facilitation to support the work stream in these areas within the Bank. Broadly the tasks will include but not limited to supporting, developing and designing a World Customs Organization (WCO)/AfDB Customs Modernization Action Plan for Africa (CMAPA).
Much more specifically the scope of work for the successful consultant shall include but will not be limited to the following key activities:
a. Liaison with the WCO to prepare and present the Bank’s approach on Customs and Trade
Facilitation work. The approach will be presented in a Bank-wide Forum in which the WCO would also be in attendance and inform the Bank about its work.
b. Study the WCO plan for support to African countries customs administration and subsequently liaise with the WCO to design and develop a Customs Modernization Action Plan for African countries in the context of the RISPs.
c. Identify trade facilitation priorities under the various road and transport projects within the Bank and design and develop appropriate customs and trade facilitation interventions in liaison with the WCO.
d. Develop a programme for the Bank’s engagement, based on the Bank’s corporate interests of up to 3 years, that includes CMAPA with short term and medium term priority areas.
e. Develop a results monitoring framework of the CMAPA based on collected customs data.
f. Identify research topics in the areas of regional integration, coordinated border management, transit and other areas relevant for Africa.
The African Development Bank invites eligible individual consultants to indicate their interest in providing the services described above which shall be for duration of four (4) months from the start date which shall be not later than mid-October 2012. Interested consultants must provide information on their capacity and experience indicating that they are qualified to perform the services (description of similar assignments, experience in similar conditions etc.
Eligibility criteria, establishment of the short-list and the selection procedure shall be in accordance with the African Development Bank Group’s “Rules and Procedures for the use of Consultants”
(2008) which is available on the Bank’s website at http://www.afdb.org. The African Development Bank Group is under no obligation to shortlist any consultant who expresses interest.
Interested consultants may obtain further information at the address below during office hours. Expressions of interest must be delivered through email or to the address below in English or French by 15:00 hrs Local Tunis time on Thursday, 20th September 2012 under the heading
“CUSTOMS SPECIALIST”
Attn: Ms. Moono MUPOTOLA
Division Manager, The NEPAD, Regional Integration & Trade Department (ONRI.2) African Development Bank Group
15 Avenue du Ghana P.O. Box 323-1002 Tunis-Belvedère, Tunisia Fax : +216 7125 4295
Email: m.mupotola@afdb.org
(CONSULTING SERVICES)
CUSTOMS SPECIALIST
Regional Integration is a core mandate of the Bank as reflected in its Medium Term Strategy and the Regional Integration Strategy (RIS). The Bank has since prepared the West African, Eastern Africa, Central Africa and Southern Africa Regional Integration Strategy Papers (RISPs) to give effect to the regional dimensions. The Northern Africa RISP is still under preparation. The RISPs further aim at providing an analytical framework for streamlining regional operations (ROs) in the Bank and identify the Regional Public Goods for which the Bank could potentially provide funding support.
The RISPs have identified trade facilitation as one of the main areas that needs strengthening in regional operations. Trade facilitation is now firmly recognized as a key driver for regional integration, with direct implications on costs, timeliness and efficiency in doing business. Trade facilitation is a key determinant for the competitiveness and productivity of African countries. In order to improve the indicators and overall efficiency of African businesses demand for assistance in the area of trade facilitation has sharply risen.
Since trade facilitation issues are interrelated with customs issues the Bank is building a partnership with the World Customs Organization (WCO) that will enable both organizations collaborate on customs reform, modernization and border management. To this effect a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two has been signed. The partnership includes collaboration in identifying, developing and implementing customs capacity building projects by observing internationally agreed best practices and supporting customs cooperation and regional integration in Africa. The MoU seeks to promote a knowledge based partnership. This would mean the undertaking of joint research and knowledge sharing in areas of common interest, as well as close institutional dialogue to ensure a coherent approach. Both institutions will identify comparative advantages as well as complementarities between them.
Within the Bank the NEPAD, Regional integration and Trade (ONRI) Department is responsible for providing support and implementation of the Bank’s strategy of mainstreaming trade and competitiveness into regional and country policies and ensuring that country and regional policies are more supportive of regional integration.
In consideration of the foregoing therefore the Bank (ONRI) now seeks expressions of interest from suitable and qualified individual consultants in the areas of customs and trade facilitation to support the work stream in these areas within the Bank. Broadly the tasks will include but not limited to supporting, developing and designing a World Customs Organization (WCO)/AfDB Customs Modernization Action Plan for Africa (CMAPA).
Much more specifically the scope of work for the successful consultant shall include but will not be limited to the following key activities:
a. Liaison with the WCO to prepare and present the Bank’s approach on Customs and Trade
Facilitation work. The approach will be presented in a Bank-wide Forum in which the WCO would also be in attendance and inform the Bank about its work.
b. Study the WCO plan for support to African countries customs administration and subsequently liaise with the WCO to design and develop a Customs Modernization Action Plan for African countries in the context of the RISPs.
c. Identify trade facilitation priorities under the various road and transport projects within the Bank and design and develop appropriate customs and trade facilitation interventions in liaison with the WCO.
d. Develop a programme for the Bank’s engagement, based on the Bank’s corporate interests of up to 3 years, that includes CMAPA with short term and medium term priority areas.
e. Develop a results monitoring framework of the CMAPA based on collected customs data.
f. Identify research topics in the areas of regional integration, coordinated border management, transit and other areas relevant for Africa.
The African Development Bank invites eligible individual consultants to indicate their interest in providing the services described above which shall be for duration of four (4) months from the start date which shall be not later than mid-October 2012. Interested consultants must provide information on their capacity and experience indicating that they are qualified to perform the services (description of similar assignments, experience in similar conditions etc.
Eligibility criteria, establishment of the short-list and the selection procedure shall be in accordance with the African Development Bank Group’s “Rules and Procedures for the use of Consultants”
(2008) which is available on the Bank’s website at http://www.afdb.org. The African Development Bank Group is under no obligation to shortlist any consultant who expresses interest.
Interested consultants may obtain further information at the address below during office hours. Expressions of interest must be delivered through email or to the address below in English or French by 15:00 hrs Local Tunis time on Thursday, 20th September 2012 under the heading
“CUSTOMS SPECIALIST”
Attn: Ms. Moono MUPOTOLA
Division Manager, The NEPAD, Regional Integration & Trade Department (ONRI.2) African Development Bank Group
15 Avenue du Ghana P.O. Box 323-1002 Tunis-Belvedère, Tunisia Fax : +216 7125 4295
Email: m.mupotola@afdb.org
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