Request for Expression of Interest [Firms]
“Development of a Framework for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Academy”
Title of the Assignment : Development of a Framework for the AfCFTA Academy
Description of the Assignment : Consultancy (firm) to support the development of a framework for an AfCFTA Academy. Funding for the assignment is provided by the African Development Bank (AfDB) through the Institutional Support Project for the African Union on Implementation of the AfCFTA
Place of Assignment : AfCFTA Secretariat, Accra, Ghana
Duration : Six (6) months
Deadline for Applications : 17:00 GMT on November 1, 2021
Applications / Enquiries to : The Project Coordinator
ISP for AfCFTA Implementation
AfCFTA Secretariat
Africa Trade House
Ambassadorial Enclave
Liberia Road, Accra
Ghana
Email : afdbisp@au-afcfta.org
- Introduction :
Reference is made to the General Procurement Notice (AfDB-P494928-02/20 of February 26, 2020) published by both the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) and the African Union (AU) regarding a Grant received by the African Union Commission (AUC) from the African Development Fund (ADF) to finance the Institutional Support Project for the African Union : African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Implementation.
The AfCFTA Secretariat, in collaboration with the AfDB, now invites interested Consultancy firms to express their interest in the following assignment – Consultancy Services for the “Development of a Framework for the AfCFTA Academy”.
- Background and Rationale :
The AfCFTA Secretariat is the AU organ that is legally established and mandated to handle the rules of trade between African countries in the context of the Agreement Establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area, which was signed at an Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of the AU in Kigali, Rwanda in March 2018. The overall objective of the AfCFTA is to create a single continental market for goods and services, with free movement of business persons and investments, paving the way for accelerating the establishment of the continent’s first ever customs union. With 55 countries, the AfCFTA will be the largest Free Trade Area (FTA) in the world in terms of membership, covering a market of 1.3 billion people with a combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of US$3.4 trillion (2020).
The AfCFTA Agreement is a framework agreement, with comprehensive coverage of Trade in Goods, Trade in Services, Investment, Competition Policy, Intellectual Property Rights, Women and Youth in Trade, and Digital Trade as well as Rules and Procedures for the Settlement of Disputes.
The AfCFTA Secretariat, established as a unique Pan-African institution, has operational autonomy within the AU System, and is the administrative organ that is coordinating implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement. At the core of the AfCFTA Secretariat’s mandate is implementation of the Agreement Establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area, negotiated, signed and ratified by the State Parties. The goal is to ensure that trade is conducted smoothly, predictably and as freely as possible across the continent. The AfCFTA Secretariat, which is headquartered in Accra, Ghana, at the Africa Trade House, was established in February 2020, following the election of its first Secretary-General. The Secretariat operates a continental system of trade rules, acts as a platform for negotiating trade protocols, facilitates the settlement of disputes between State Parties, and monitors implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement.
African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat.
Africa Trade House, Ambassadorial Enclave, Liberia Road, Ridge, Accra Ghana
Email : Secretary-General@au-afcfta.org | Telephone : + 233 302 986 252
The AfCFTA Secretariat is a new organ of the African Union, and efforts are underway to establish the Secretariat as a solid institution with the objective of ensuring full and comprehensive implementation of the Agreement by the stakeholders. The Secretariat is considering establishing an AfCFTA Academy as part of its strategy toward sustainable capacity building and institutional development agenda for the new AU organ itself (the Secretariat) as well as for State Parties of the AfCFTA. The envisaged AfCFTA Academy would coordinate the AfCFTA Secretariat’s training and capacity building, and technical cooperation programmes. The Academy could also help to build the systems underlying the operations of the AfCFTA Secretariat and national and regional AfCFTA coordination entities, and provide strategic directions for effective and efficient delivery on their mandates and unleashing the potentials heralded by this major continental initiative for Africa’s 1.3 billion people.
In view of the above, the AfCFTA Secretariat hereby requests the services of a reputable consulting firm to support the Development of a Framework for the AfCFTA Academy.
Funding for the assignment has been provided by the AfDB, through the Institutional Support Project (ISP) for the AU on AfCFTA Implementation. The ISP seeks to support establishment of the AfCFTA Secretariat as a solid entity, and rolling out related implementation programs to Member States of the AU.
- Scope of the Assignment :
The Consultant is expected to :
- Review the Agreement Establishing the AfCFTA and identify the capacity and institutional development needs of the AfCFTA Secretariat, State Parties, non-State Parties and Customs Unions as well as other critical stakeholders ;
- Review the frameworks of training and capacity building organs of inter-continental and global trade and development bodies, such as the WTO’s ITTC, UNCTAD, TRALAC, TRAPCA, ADI of AfDB, and WBI of the World Bank Group, and others, to get an insight on the organizational set-ups, operational mechanisms, tools and services and other arrangements employed to deliver training and capacity building ;
- Assess the training and capacity building programmes currently available and determine the potential niche areas of the AfCFTA Academy, the possible collaborators and partners, the scope and operational nature of the Academy (e.g., should it be a stand-alone entity or embedded in a number of existing, elite academic and professional institutions on the continent), and avenues for AfCFTA Secretariat to pursue in-house professional skills upgrade, etc.).
African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat
Africa Trade House, Ambassadorial Enclave, Liberia Road, Ridge, Accra Ghana
Email : Secretary-General@au-afcfta.org | Telephone: + 233 302 986 252
- Prepare a draft framework document of the Academy, laying out the form and shape of the envisaged Academy and charting a well-designed format, path, processes and technologies that the AfCFTA Secretariat can use in establishing a solid training and capacity building arm ;
- Examine possible funding options ;
- Recommend a framework for monitoring and periodic evaluation of the performance of the Academy in the delivery of its programmes against its mandate; and
- Organize a review meeting on the draft framework document for the Academy and finalize the report, among other tasks essential for the objective of the assignment.
- Application :
The AfCFTA Secretariat now invites eligible Consulting firms to indicate their interest in providing the services described in this request for expression of interest. Interested firms should provide information indicating that they are qualified to perform the services (brochures, description of similar assignments, experience in similar conditions, availability of appropriate skills among staff, etc.).
The eligibility criteria, establishment of a short list and the selection procedure shall be in conformity with the African Development Bank’s Procurement Policy Framework (October 2015) for implementation of the subject Project, which is available on the Bank Website (<http://www.afdb.org>).
Please note that the interest expressed by a firm does not imply an obligation on the part of the AfCFTA Secretariat to include it in the shortlist for further assessments. Note also that applicants are expected to have registered as Consultants of the AfDB in the “DACON Register”. The register can be accessed on the DACON window of the AfDB Website.
Interested Consulting firms should submit their expression of interest of not more than 20 pages in standard formatting (e.g., ‘Times New Roman’, a minimum of 12-point, and 1.15 to 1.5 line spacing) via electronic means (email only) by the due date, mentioning the title of the Consultancy, to :
The Project Coordinator
ISP for AfCFTA Implementation
AfCFTA Secretariat
Africa Trade House
Ambassadorial Enclave
Liberia Road, Accra
Ghana
Email : afdbisp@au-afcfta.org
African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat
Africa Trade House, Ambassadorial Enclave, Liberia Road, Ridge, Accra Ghana
Email : Secretary-General@au-afcfta.org | Telephone : + 233 302 986 252