Republic of Moldova

SCBM/ 3 National Consultants to conduct structural analysis of the export potential of the business community in the Transnistria region (3 positions)

Vacancy Number: Pr17/01566

Location:	Chisinau, Moldova
Application Deadline:	05 Jul 2017, 16:00 (GMT+2:00)
Type of Contract:	Individual Contract
Starting date:	14 Jul 2017
Reference to the project:	Support to Confidence Building Measures IV
Expected Duration of Assignment:	July – October 2017, estimated workload: 40 working days/per consultant
Submission Instructions: Proposals should be submitted online by pressing the "Apply Now" button no later than 05 July 2017. Requests for clarification only must be sent by standard electronic communication to the following e-mail: angela.frunze@undp.org. UNDP will respond by standard electronic mail and will send written copies of the response, including an explanation of the query without identifying the source of inquiry, to all applicants.
Supporting Documents: Terms of Reference Individual Consultant Procurement Notice Personal History Form (P11) UNDP General Conditions of Individual Contract

Contacts:

Ms. Angela Frunze.

angela.frunze@undp.org

Background

Since 2006, the Republic of Moldova has benefited from a preferential trade regime with the European Union, starting with the Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) and moving in 2008 towards the Autonomous Trade Preferences (ATP) scheme. In June 2013, Moldova and EU finalized the negotiations on a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), as part of the Association Agreement, which provisionally entered into force in September 2014 and was fully activated at the beginning of 2016.

Companies from the left bank of the Nistru have also benefitted from GSP+ and ATP arrangements, registering and obtaining export certificates in Chisinau, hence doubling the region’s exports to the EU. At the end of 2015, an agreement was reached on a set of trade facilitation measures that would enable companies from the left bank to benefit from DCFTA provisions.

A practical expansion of DCFTA/trade facilitation provisions on both banks of the Nistru requires solutions to a host of issues related to customs tariffs regime, companies’ compliance with standards and certification of quality of exported goods, as well as a subsequent elimination of all non-tariff barriers that could obstruct mutual access to markets.

To further facilitate the access of companies from the left bank to new trade opportunities, they have to be integrated in local, regional and global trade facilitation frameworks. This should facilitate cross-river cooperation and integration of exporters, expand access of left bank’s enterprises to export promotion mechanisms on the right banks, as well as provide tailored support, taking into account specific needs of current and future exporters from the region.

In order to assess the integration capacity of the market participants from the Transnistrian region, there is a need for a structural analysis identifying main industries with export potential in the Transnistrian region, as well as assessing management, capacity, compliance and regulatory bottlenecks among enterprises from the selected industries.  This analysis would propose practical solutions to be supported as part of a further technical assistance project. Therefore, based on this, UNDP will further design specific capacity building activities and will identify a number of project beneficiaries (SMEs), classifying the latter according to several criteria such as: industry, type of product, quality standards and export readiness.

Scope of work

UNDP seeks 3 Consultants (one leading Consultant in Economics, one Consultant in Export/Trade Facilitation and one Consultant in Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary (SPS) issues, hereinafter the Consultants) to conduct a structural analysis of the export potential of the business community in the Transnistria region, containing an identification of main industries with export potential, an assessment of management, capacity, compliance and regulatory bottlenecks among enterprises from the selected industries as well as practical solutions to overcome them.

The analysis should build upon international methodologies that prioritize sectors and markets for trade development activities based on detailed trade- and market access-data.  It should take into consideration the post-conflict setting on both banks of the Nistru River, should identify possibilities for cross-river cooperation, and allow sufficient attention to the needs of women, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups. 

The Consultants’ services will include, inter alia, a desk research, carrying out focus group meetings, interviews with companies from the left bank of the Nistru and the public presentation of the findings.

This is a part-time consultancy. The National Consultants will work under the direct supervision of and in cooperation with the UNDP Programme Manager and project staff. The consultants will work outside the project premises and will participate in all assignments related working meetings organised by the project.

For detailed information, please refer to Annex 1 – Terms of Reference.

Requirements for experience

Important Note: National Consultants shall clearly indicate the position/SECTOR AREA they are applying for.

 

For the Consultant in economics (with responsibilities of leading Consultant)

Education:

• Advanced University degree or Bachelor’s degree with 5 years of experience in Economy, Public Administration, Business Administration, Law, or other relevant fields;

Working experience:

• At least 8 years of relevant experience in the field of Economics, development of analytical reports in the socio-economic field, including programmes and projects;
• At least 3 years of experience in supervising/team leading similar projects;
• Proven familiarity with the Transnistrian region setting, knowledge and in-depth understanding of the working environment, its sensitivities, economic and political challenges, ability to build solid ground for joint work between the two sides are strongly desirable;
• Previous work for UNDP/ major multilateral/ or bilateral development support programmes will be an asset.

Competences and skills

• Strong communication and presentation skills, ability to facilitate discussions;
• Ability to analyze, plan, communicate effectively with stakeholders and present ideas clearly and effectively;
• Proven familiarity with the Transnistrian region setting, knowledge and in-depth understanding of the working environment, its sensitivities, economic and political challenges, ability to build solid ground for joint work between the two sides are strongly desirable;
• Ability to enter new environments, adapt quickly and produce immediate results;
• Fluency in Russian is compulsory. Knowledge of English is an asset;
• Computer literacy - competent user of Microsoft Office programs.

 

For the Consultant in export/trade promotion

Education:

• Advanced University degree or Bachelor’s degree with 5 years of experience in Economy, Public Administration, Business Administration, Law, or other relevant fields.

Working experience:

• At least 6 years of relevant experience in the field of export promotion, development of analytical reports in the socio-economic field, including programmes and projects;
• Proven familiarity with the Transnistrian region setting, knowledge and in-depth understanding of the working environment, its sensitivities, economic and political challenges, ability to build solid ground for joint work between the two sides are strongly desirable;
• Proven experience of developing studies/assessments related to international trade/DCFTA;
• Previous work for UNDP/ major multilateral/ or bilateral development support programmes will be an asset.

Competences and skills

• Strong communication and presentation skills, ability to facilitate discussions;
• Ability to analyze, plan, communicate effectively with stakeholders and present ideas clearly and effectively;
• Ability to enter new environments, adapt quickly and produce immediate results;
• Fluency in Russian is compulsory. Knowledge of English is an asset;
• Computer literacy - competent user of Microsoft Office programs.

 

For the Consultant in SPS (sanitary and phytosanitary measures)

Education:

• Advanced University degree or Bachelor’s degree with 5 years of experience in Economy, Business Administration, Law, or other relevant fields;

Working experience:

• At least 6 years of relevant experience in the field of SPS, development of analytical reports in the SPS field, including programmes and projects;
• Proven experience of working with and international agreements related to SPS measures;
• Previous work for UNDP/ major multilateral/ or bilateral development support programmes will be an asset.

Competences and skills

• Strong communication and presentation skills, ability to facilitate discussions;
• Ability to analyze, plan, communicate effectively with stakeholders and present ideas clearly and effectively;
• Ability to enter new environments, adapt quickly and produce immediate results.
• Fluency in Russian is compulsory. Knowledge of English is an asset;
• Computer literacy - competent user of Microsoft Office programs.

 

Personal qualities (for all candidates):

• Proven commitment to the core values of the United Nations; in particular, is respectful of differences of culture, gender, religion, ethnicity, nationality, language, age, HIV status, disability, and sexual orientation, or other status;
• Responsibility;
• Flexibility;
• Punctuality.

The United Nations Country Team in the Republic of Moldova is committed to workforce diversity. Women, persons with disabilities, Roma and other ethnic or religious minorities, persons living with HIV, as well as refugees and other non-citizens legally entitled to work in the Republic of Moldova, are particularly encouraged to apply.

Documents to be included

Interested team of individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:

1. Proposal: explaining why they are the most suitable for the work and providing a list of relevant publications and a brief methodology on how they will approach and conduct the work;
2. Financial proposal in lump sum, USD. For fair comparison of the proposals, the travel related costs are required to be included in the financial proposal of the Lead Consultant;
3. The duly filled Personal History Form (P11 – template attached to the announcement) including past experience in similar assignments and the contact details of at least 3 reference persons.

Financial proposal

The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount, and payment terms around specific and measurable (qualitative and quantitative) deliverables (i.e. whether payments fall in installments or upon completion of the entire contract). The payment for services provided by the Contractors under the SCBM Programme will be made post factum on a lump-sum deliverables basis, as per contract, after the work has been accepted by the SCBM Programme Manager. In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of offers, the financial proposals will include a breakdown of this lump sum amount (including fee per day, travel, per diem, mobile phone costs, number of anticipated working days, etc.).

Travel and other logistic arrangements

The Consultants are expected to carry out field research that involves extensive travel into the Transnistrian region, and should budget the travel accordingly. The estimated distance to be included in the financial offer should correlate with the activities included in the methodology (interviews, focus group meetings etc.).

Travel outside duty station (Chisinau), other administrative costs and logistical aspects (related to carrying out the field research, interviews, needed travel and organization of focus group meetings except the presentation event for the study) should be arranged and borne by the Consultants and budgeted accordingly in the financial offer of the Lead Consultant.

 

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