National Consultant–AfCFTA Step by Step Guide for Zambia

Result of Service1. Enhanced access to trade information for Zambian businesses, particularly SMEs, women and youth traders, through a practical Step-by-Step Guide, enabling effective participation in trade under the AfCFTA; and 2. Strengthened national implementation of the AfCFTA by supporting Zambia’s efforts to operationalize the Agreement through private sector engagement and improved regulatory transparency. Work LocationHybrid Expected duration6 Months Duties and ResponsibilitiesECA, through its Regional Integration and Trade Division (RITD) and Sub-regional Offices (SROs), has been supporting African countries throughout the process of negotiating for and implementing the Agreement Establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). It is currently executing projects that focus on supporting the implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement to boost-intra-African trade. The AfCFTA Agreement was signed in March 2018, entered into force in May 2019 and the official start of trading under the Agreement took place on 1 January 2021. The AfCFTA is seen as a key milestone in Africa's integration Agenda. It is also expected to be a key engine of economic growth, industrialization and sustainable development in Africa in line with the 2030 Agenda adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, and the African Union (AU) Agenda 2063 for \"The Africa We Want\". For the AfCFTA to deliver the expected outcomes, several actions need to be undertaken in the short to medium term. Firstly, the ratification of the AfCFTA Agreement by all AU Member States is critical. Secondly, there is a need to build on the political momentum behind the AfCFTA to support policy reforms that are aimed at implementing the Agreement. In this regard, it is critical for State Parties to undertake deliberate actions and deploy necessary efforts through effective and integrated national AfCFTA implementation strategies with a view to maximize the benefits of the Agreement while minimizing potential adverse effects. ECA has been playing a key role in support of the AU, its institutions and Member States to successfully conclude negotiations on outstanding issues from Phase I (on trade in goods and trade in services) and Phase II (on investment, intellectual property rights, competition policy, digital trade/e-commerce and women and youth in trade) and subsequent implementation. The private sector has a critical role to play for State Parties to realize the benefits of the AfCFTA. Collaboration between government and the private sector, including small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs), is essential for effective implementation of the Agreement. Yet, the private sector’s engagement in the AfCFTA is insufficient so far due to different reasons. One of the serious challenges that businesses (particularly SMEs and women and youth traders) are facing in Africa, which limits their trade within the continent (including the AfCFTA), is insufficient trade information, such as regulatory requirements and procedures they must comply with. This is highly relevant to the AfCFTA, since it is a recently established trading arrangement. As such, as part of support to private sector engagement for successful AfCFTA implementation, it is essential to provide the private sector with trade information necessary to trade under the AfCFTA. To support the private sector engagement in the AfCFTA, ECA, through its African Trade Policy Center (ATPC) within RITD, has developed a methodology to produce country-specific “Step-by-Step Guides for Trading Goods under the AfCFTA”. These guides serve as practical tools that clearly outline the regulatory and procedural requirements for exporting and importing goods under AfCFTA rules. The consultancy will focus on developing the Step-by-Step Guide for Zambia, in response to an official request from the Government of the Republic of Zambia. This consultancy is funded by the Foreign Affairs Ministry of the Kingdom of Denmark, through DANIDA’s support to ECA under the project titled “Support to the Implementation of the AfCFTA”,. The project seeks to enhance the capacity of AU member states, RECs and the private sector to inclusively domesticate and operationalize the AfCFTA with clear blue and green ambitions. Within this project, UNECA is also assisting member states in developing national AfCFTA implementation strategies and support interaction between member states and the AfCFTA Secretariat in Accra, Ghana. Objectives The overarching objective of this assignment is to develop a Step-by-Step Guide for Trading in Goods for the Zambian private sector. The Guide will serve as a practical tool to enable businesses based in Zambia to effectively navigate the requirements and procedures for engaging in trade in goods under the AfCFTA. This will contribute to the broader goal of supporting the effective and inclusive implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement at the national level. Methodology The development of the Guide will rely on a triangulated methodology, combining desk research, primary data collection, and illustrative case studies to ensure both accuracy and usability: i. Desk Research: Desk research focusing on the AfCFTA Agreement and relevant national frameworks will be conducted. This includes examining Zambia’s trade related legislation, customs regulations, institutional roles, and the country’s National AfCFTA Implementation Strategy. ii. Primary Data Collection: Information will be gathered from key government trade and trade-related Ministries and agencies and selected businesses representing different sectors in the State Party through structured questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with key stakeholders. The objective is to capture the actual processes and requirements involved in exporting and importing goods under AfCFTA provisions. iii. Case Studies (Optional): Subject to resource availability, case studies documenting the real-life experiences of individual businesses in 1-2 priority product sectors of Zambia, and involved in actual import and export transactions under the AfCFTA, will also be included in the Guide. These cases will help illustrate practical challenges and opportunities, making the Guide more relatable and impactful for prospective users. Proposed structure of the Guide: The structure will be based on the latest version of ECA’s methodology. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: The Consultant will work under the direct supervision of the Economic Affairs officer, Sub-regional Initiatives Section (SRIS), ECA SRO-SA, in collaboration with a designated trade expert from ECA ATPC, and under the overall guidance of the Chief, Sub-regional Initiatives Section (SRIS) of ECA SRO-SA. He/she will also work in close consultation with an official designated for this purpose by the Zambian Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry (MCTI) and the Chief Executive Officer (or his designate ) of the Zambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ZACCI). The tasks to be performed by the Consultant include: 1. Engage with the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry, ZACCI and other stakeholders to assess the current state of Zambia’s trade policy, level of engagement in the AfCFTA and its business environment; 2. Conduct research, guided by the methodology with the support of the MCTI and ZACCI; 3. Analyze Zambia’s national trade policy, including the National AfCFTA Implementation Strategy. as well as legal and institutional frameworks and the AfCFTA Agreement (including its Protocols) for preparing the Guide; 4. Collect and incorporate information from selected Zambian businesses representing priority sectors on their experience in exporting or importing goods. These inputs will be anonymized and integrated as illustrative case studies; 5. Develop a comprehensive Step-by-Step Guide, following the proposed structure and incorporating relevant national and AfCFTA-specific procedures; present the draft Guide at a stakeholder validation workshop organized in collaboration with MCTI and ZACCI; 6. Incorporate comments and suggestions from ECA, MCTI, ZACCI, and validation workshop participants to revise the Guide; 7. Submit the final approved version of the Guide to ECA, MCTI and ZACCI. Where necessary, review and support translation into other official languages to ensure accuracy and consistency; 8. Assist with other tasks directly related to the above as may be assigned by ECA, MCTI and/or ZACCI. Qualifications/special skillsAdvanced university degree (Master’s degree or above) in economics, international trade law, political economy or related fields is required. A Ph.D is an advantage. A minimum of seven years of experience in trade-related research and/or analysis Expert knowledge of the AfCFTA, Zambia’s trade, economic policies, strategies, and priorities as well as demonstrated experience working in Zambia and familiarity with its institutional context are required. Experience in conducting and publishing interdisciplinary research in policy, economics and/or legal aspects of trade-led integration in Africa is highly desirable. LanguagesEnglish and French are the working languages of the United Nations ,for this assignment ,fluency in English is required. Additional InformationNot available. No FeeTHE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.