Germany - Foreign aid - Short-Term Expert (STE) Pool for Trade Advisory in the ECOWAS Region

GIZ has been commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) to support the ECOWAS Commission in the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The main objective of the project is to strengthen the regional and national frameworks for the implementation of the AfCFTA. The project aims to achieve five major results, namely 1) The contribution of the ECOWAS Commission to the coordination of positions of its member countries in the further negotiations of the agreement on AfCFTA is strengthened. 2) The coordination among ECOWAS MS to design the technical framework for AfCFTA implementation has been strengthened. 3) The competencies of competent line ministries and the private sector in ECOWAS member countries to shape the implementation of AfCFTA provisions are strengthened. 4) Information access for member countries, private sector, and civil society on ACFTA implementation and export opportunities is improved in the ECOWAS region. 5) ECOWAS member states have expanded agreements on regional and continental climate-friendly trade in services. The contract concerns the provision and management of a pool of short-term experts (STE) to support the achievement of the project"s objectives related to the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in the ECOWAS region, with a particular focus on Trade in Services (TiS) and Trade Facilitation (TF). The experts will provide technical, strategic, and operational advisory services to the ECOWAS Commission and national institutions such as trade ministries, customs authorities, and AfCFTA committees, as well as private-sector stakeholders. The contractor will be responsible for establishing, coordinating, and managing the STE pool, including expert selection, deployment, briefing, and quality assurance. A dedicated STE Pool Coordinator will serve as the main contact point for GIZ and ensure close coordination with the project team. The services cover human capacity development, organisational development, and policy and strategy advisory in the following thematic areas: - Barriers to TiS - AfCFTA negotiations and implementation, with a focus on TiS - National and regional implementation of AfCFTA regulations - Trade facilitation and customs procedures, including transit-related instruments (e.g. SIGMAT, guarantee mechanisms, e-certificates of origin, AEO programmes) - Sustainable and green trade, including climate- and socially responsible service exports - SME export development and competitiveness - Access to trade-related information Key activities include the designing and delivering training modules, workshops, coaching, and on-the-job support; strengthening negotiation skills of AfCFTA negotiators and private-sector representatives; supporting the development of export strategies for SMEs; facilitating public-private dialogues; and supporting the development of regional and bilateral regulatory frameworks, policies and roadmaps, including mutual recognition agreements (MRAs). The scope of services is structured around the following work packages: Work Package 1 - Policy, Regulatory and Strategic Advisory: Support to public and private sector stakeholders through analyses, studies, drafting and review of regulations, guidelines, strategies, action plans and position papers related to TiS, trade facilitation, AfCFTA implementation, green trade and private-sector development. This also includes support for the development and implementation of AfCFTA communication strategies, the organisation of regional conferences, and the updating and improvement of trade information platforms to ensure wider access to reliable trade-related information. Work Package 2 - Capacity Development and Organisational Advisory: Design and delivery of trainings, workshops, study tours, coaching and knowledge-transfer measures for regional and national authorities and private-sector actors to strengthen institutional capacities and sustainable trade in the ECOWAS region. This includes targeted capacity-building on Trade in Services (TiS), AfCFTA negotiations and implementation, as well as tailored support for women- and youth-led SMEs to enhance their effective participation in AfCFTA-related processes and markets. Work Package 3 - Strategic Planning and Capacity WORKS Support: Support to the Programme"s strategic planning processes, including the review and facilitation of Capacity WORKS tools, organisational and steering structures, and the preparation and facilitation of internal and partner workshops (e.g. annual planning, technical and steering committee meetings). Deliverables will be provided in English, French, or Portuguese, depending on the concerned ECOWAS Member State. All key outputs, including training materials and methodological tools, will be made available to the ECOWAS Commission and relevant national stakeholders to support sustainable knowledge transfer and future capacity-building activities.