Prospect Expert Platform

This Project is now closed

Facility for the Deepening of the EPA negotiations between EU and ESA 5 countries: Provision of short term consultancy services for thematic areas

Country Belgium, Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Zimbabwe
Sectors Not specified
Language English, French
Status Framework
CV Deadline 2020-09-28 (Closed Project)
Background

Five countries in the Eastern and Southern African region, namely Comoros, Mauritius, Madagascar, Seychelles and Zimbabwe (hereinafter, the ESA 5) signed an Interim Economic Partnership Agreement (iEPA) with the European Union in 2009, which is being implemented since 2012. The ratification of the iEPA for Comoros occurred only in February 2019, and since then the Comoros formally joined the ESA 5 group.

In order to better adapt to the needs of a modern, complex and evolving global trading system, the ESA- 5 countries have decided to enhance their trade relationship with the EU and deepen the scope of the iEPA beyond trade in goods. The rationale behind proceeding to the deepening of the Agreement is that this would boost bilateral trade and investment flows and thereby contribute to the creation of jobs and further economic growth in the ESA partners while promoting their sustainable development.

The proposed new ESA 5 EPA Facility II will be complementary to the existing EPA Coordination Mechanism. Both projects will work in collaboration and in synergy in their respective activities, under the supervision of the European Union and the group of ESA 5 countries.

Objectives

The global objective of the current assignment is to enhance the technical knowledge and capacity of the ESA 5 countries for a successful deepening of the iEPA.

The specific objectives are as follows: (i) Build capacity of officials from the ESA 5 countries in technical areas that are relevant to the EPA negotiations; (ii) Provide short term expertise to the ESA 5 countries to develop their negotiating positions in highly technical areas on a demand driven basis.

Activities

Task 1: To provide demand-driven training and capacity building to officials from Comoros, Mauritius, Madagascar, Seychelles and Zimbabwe in specific areas in view of the technical negotiations in fisheries. This means:

  • Draw up the training content
  • Organise and deliver the training sessions, including through remote and virtual means when travel is not possible.
  • Identify and mobilise the most appropriate trainers when in house training cannot be done.
  • Cover the participation costs of officials from the ESA 5 countries (ticket and per diem).
  • Organise, pay and deliver the logistics for trainings to be carried out in country or at regional level (venue, food and beverage and training materials).
  • Conduct specific assessment of training areas where required for individual ESA 5 members. The participants to these trainings will be proposed by the respective countries, based on the relevance of their work in the area in which capacity building is being proposed. Trainings have to be conducted in French for francophone countries and in English for Anglophone countries. Countries can be grouped according to their language (two francophone countries - Comoros and Madagascar and three Anglophone countries - Mauritius, Seychelles and Zimbabwe). As far as possible, the training sessions will be held at least two weeks prior to the negotiation meetings, or back to back with the negotiation meetings, whenever feasible and possible.

Task 2: Contribute to the preparation of negotiating positions for the ESA 5 countries on thematic topics that are highly relevant to the deepening of the iEPA negotiations in relation to fisheries These negotiating positions should be discussed and agreed with the Chief negotiators of the 5 ESA countries with the coordination of the current Team Leader of the EPA coordination mechanism. These negotiating positions discussions should be complementary, and not duplicate, the services already being provided through the on-going EPA coordination mechanism. Selected short term experts will attend the EPA negotiations meetings in Brussels and in the region whenever necessary. The thematic experts will assist the ESA Chief negotiators in finalising negotiation positions in their respective thematic areas with the coordination of the current Team Leader of the EPA coordination mechanism. The thematic experts will also contribute to the discussions on the EPA Sustainability Impact Assessment reports with the ESA 5 countries, where and when required.

Task 3: Provide adequate visibility to the contribution of the European Union to all events organised within this contract. This includes the production of a database of pictures of training sessions, short video clips, testimonies of participants, and ad hoc contributions to the promotional material being produced by the EPA Coordination mechanism, as well as any other suitable promotion activities.

Project Position 1

Position Short Term Expert 14 on Fisheries
Qualification
  • At least a Master's Degree in either agriculture or trade related issues or a related acceptable field;
  • Experience in drafting technical documentation and reports;
  • Demonstrated ability to present technical findings in succinct reports;
  • Excellent communication and writing skills;
  • Language skills: Fluency, both written and spoken, in both English and French.
Required Experience

General professional experience:

  • At least 12 years of working experience in issues related to fisheries or any relevant related discipline.

Specific professional experience:

  • At least 8 years of working experience in issues related to fisheries and trade;
  • At least 5 years working experience in training and capacity building.
Estimated Manpower 40 working-days
Mission Begin 07/11/2020
Mission End 15/07/2023
Other

Normal place of posting of the specific assignment: Home-based

Mission(s) outside the normal place of posting and duration(s): Any of these countries: Belgium, Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Zimbabwe

Contact Pierre Van der Vaeren

Project Position 2

Position Short Term Expert 15 on Economic and Development Cooperation
Qualification
  • At least a Master's Degree in Economics or trade or development-related issues or a related acceptable field;
  • Experience in drafting technical documentation and reports;
  • Demonstrated ability to present technical findings in succinct reports;
  • Excellent communication and writing skills;
  • Language skills: Fluency, both written and spoken, in both English and French.
Required Experience

General professional experience:

  • At least 12 years of working experience in trade-related issues or any relevant related discipline.

Specific professional experience:

  • At least 8 years working experience on issues pertaining to trade and development cooperation;
  • At least 5 years working experience in training and capacity building.
Estimated Manpower 40 working-days
Mission Begin 07/11/2020
Mission End 15/07/2023
Other

Normal place of posting of the specific assignment: Home-based

Mission(s) outside the normal place of posting and duration(s): Any of these countries: Belgium, Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Zimbabwe

Contact Pierre Van der Vaeren

Project Position 3

Position Short Term Expert 10 on agriculture
Qualification
  • At least a Master's Degree in either agriculture, or trade or development-related issues or a related acceptable field;
  • Experience in drafting technical documentation and reports;
  • Demonstrated ability to present technical findings in succinct reports;
  • Excellent communication and writing skills;
  • Language skills: Fluency, both written and spoken, in both English and French.
Required Experience

General professional experience:

  • At least 12 years of working experience in trade-related issues or any relevant related discipline Preferred requirements.

Specific professional experience:

  • At least 8 years of working experience in trade-related issues in agriculture;
  • At least 5 years working experience in training and capacity building.
Estimated Manpower 20 working-days
Mission Begin 07/11/2020
Mission End 15/07/2023
Other

Normal place of posting of the specific assignment: Home-based

Mission(s) outside the normal place of posting and duration(s): Any of these countries: Belgium, Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Zimbabwe

Contact Pierre Van der Vaeren

Project Position 4

Position Short term Expert 2 on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Standards
Qualification
  • At least a Master's Degree in either agriculture or trade related issues or development-related field or a related acceptable field;
  • Experience in drafting technical documentation and reports;
  • Demonstrated ability to present technical findings in succinct reports;
  • Excellent communication and writing skills.
  • Language skills: Fluency, both written and spoken, in both English and French.
Required Experience

General professional experience:

  • At least 12 years of working experience in agriculture related issues or any relevant related discipline.

Specific professional experience:

  • At least 8 years of working experience in issues related to standards and norms, and/or sanitary and phytosanitary standards;
  • At least 5 years working experience training and capacity building.
Estimated Manpower 30 working-days
Mission Begin 07/11/2020
Mission End 15/07/2023
Other

Normal place of posting of the specific assignment: Home Based

Mission(s) outside the normal place of posting and duration(s): Any of these countries: Belgium, Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Zimbabwe

Contact Pierre Van der Vaeren