Consultant(e) international(e) – Facilitation des échanges inclusifs et commerce transfrontalier à petite échelle

The International Trade Centre (ITC) seeks an international consultant to provide technical support for the design, implementation, and operationalization of Simplified Trade Regimes and broader initiatives to enhance inclusive economic participation, formalization, and facilitation of small-scale cross-border trade. The consultant will support regional economic communities and national administrations to improve trade facilitation and inclusive trade mechanisms.

Responsibilities

• Provide analytical support and technical advice on small-scale cross-border trade facilitation, inclusive trade mechanisms, and Simplified Trade Regimes (RECOS).
• Review legal, regulatory, institutional, and operational frameworks applicable to small-scale cross-border trade.
• Identify main obstacles faced by small cross-border traders including regulatory, procedural, informational, economic, and gender-related constraints.
• Provide technical advice and strategic recommendations to national and regional partners.
• Contribute to identifying and adapting international best practices to regional and national contexts.
• Support the design, revision, or strengthening of mechanisms to facilitate and formalize small-scale cross-border trade, including Simplified Trade Regimes.
• Contribute to developing operational frameworks, procedures, tools, guidelines, and institutional mechanisms for more inclusive trade.
• Provide technical guidance on governance, inter-institutional coordination, and monitoring mechanisms.
• Integrate gender, economic inclusion, and protection considerations for vulnerable traders in proposed mechanisms.
• Support partners in implementing developed mechanisms and initiatives.
• Design and facilitate workshops, training, consultations, and awareness activities for public administrations, regional organizations, traders' associations, and other stakeholders.
• Develop training materials, guides, communication tools, and educational resources tailored to target audiences.
• Support initiatives to improve access to trade information, business support services, financial inclusion, and other mechanisms promoting formalization.
• Contribute to organizing and facilitating political dialogue, multi-stakeholder consultations, and regional or national coordination mechanisms.
• Prepare technical notes, working documents, reports, presentations, and other knowledge products.
• Contribute to capturing experiences, lessons learned, and disseminating best practices.
• Coordinate regularly with ITC teams, implementation partners, regional organizations, and other technical consultants involved in related activities.
• Perform other technical tasks related to inclusive trade facilitation, small-scale cross-border trade, or Simplified Trade Regimes as needed.
• Ensure consistent application of gender-sensitive and inclusive approaches throughout design and implementation of RECOS-related activities.
• Contribute to progress reports and final mission capitalization notes.

Requirements

• Master's degree or equivalent in international trade, law, economics, public policy, development or related fields. A relevant combination of significant professional experience and academic training may be accepted as a substitute.
• Minimum of 7 years of professional experience in trade facilitation, small-scale cross-border trade, and/or trade formalization.
• Proven experience in the design or operationalization of Simplified Trade Regimes or comparable preferential arrangements for small traders.
• Experience producing operational roadmaps, policy instruments, or regulatory frameworks related to trade.
• Desirable experience includes managing multi-stakeholder projects within African regional economic communities.
• Experience working with regional organizations, international institutions, or multilateral donors (EU, UN, World Bank, etc.).
• Established network with customs administrations, trade ministries, and/or private sector associations in intervention regions.
• Excellent knowledge of small-scale cross-border trade, its challenges, and issues faced by small cross-border traders.
• Confirmed experience in designing, implementing, or supporting inclusive trade facilitation mechanisms, including Simplified Trade Regimes (RECOS).
• Good understanding of informality factors and demonstrated experience in formalization initiatives for cross-border trade, including capacity building for traders and border administrations.
• Proven experience in training, institutional support, and facilitating stakeholder dialogue.
• Good knowledge of international trade facilitation frameworks and regional integration processes, including the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement.
• Excellent writing skills and ability to produce high-quality analyses, recommendations, and operational documents.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with public institutions, regional organizations, private sector, and development partners in multicultural and complex environments.
• Knowledge of relevant regional economic communities frameworks (e.g., ECOWAS, COMESA, SADC, ECCAS) is desirable.
• Familiarity with gender and development considerations in informal cross-border trade contexts is desirable.
• Attention to detail, autonomy, and ability to manage multiple tasks under tight deadlines.
• Flexibility and ability to work under pressure in multicultural environments.

Skills

• Trade Facilitation
• Small-scale Cross-border Trade
• Trade Formalization
• Simplified Trade Regimes
• Policy Instrument Development
• Regulatory Framework Design
• Multi-stakeholder Project Planning
• Regional Economic Communities Knowledge
• International Trade Frameworks
• WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement
• Capacity Building
• Stakeholder Consultation Facilitation
• Operational Roadmap Development
• Institutional Support
• Cross-border Trade Analysis
• Inclusive Trade Mechanisms
• Public Institution Collaboration
• Private Sector Engagement
• Development Partner Coordination
• Technical Report Preparation

Languages

French, English, Portuguese, Spanish