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Scope of Work

Industry/Academia Liaison

Short-Term Technical Assistant

Background

The Feed the Future Bangladesh Improving Trade and Business Enabling Environment Activity aims to improve economic growth in Bangladesh through the following objectives:

• Objective 1: Improving Trade Facilitation.
• Objective 2: Improving Business Enabling Environment; and
• Objective 3: Promoting Best Practices in Economic Growth Activities and Their Application.

This includes facilitating an improved policy environment to promote sustainable economic growth and prosperity, improved regional economic cooperation, sound management of institutions, and good governance while also expanding markets for U.S. goods and services in the Indo Pacific. This activity also addresses efficiency and transparency in the business enabling environment.

The Feed the Future Bangladesh Improving Trade and Business Enabling Environment Activity delivers technical assistance and capacity building to simplify trade and investment. The Activity works with key public agencies, private sector stakeholders, and civil society organizations to procedures for imports and exports. The project strengthens technical capacity and modernizes procedures through digitization and ICT.

The assistance is based on an inclusive approach that integrates gender and addresses vulnerable and marginalized populations. The Project’s activities seek to include and ensure representation of women and other marginalized groups in public-private dialogue and advocacy efforts.

Position Description and Rationale

The Trade Activity seeks to bring together the logistics sector firms with Bangladesh academia to modernize the curricula of the universities and training institutes and improve the flow of high-caliber, well-educated individuals in the supply chain management sector. This SOW is for a consultant to manage relationships in both industry and academia, coordinate activities and events meant to enhance those relationships and engage students and new employees to help them understand their career options in the field of logistics.

The Industry Academia Liaison will contribute to the Activity maintaining relationships with Bangladesh universities and training institutes, freight forwarders, inland container depots, clearing agents, and others in the logistics sectors, and students in universities interested in careers in Integrated Supply Chain Management (ISCM). Effective management of these relationships will result in:

• Effective collaborative events in which university lecturers and professors meet with professionals to discuss current and future curricula for both professionals and students
• Students with an interest in ISCM will have opportunities to explore their fields of interest, visit existing operations, have access to managed internships and apprenticeships, and prepare themselves for careers in the field of logistics
• Young women will be encouraged to explore the field of ISCM
• Implementation of training curricula provided by the Activity will be monitored and adjusted

The Industry-Academica Liaison will work with a range of experts and specialists to achieve the above outcomes. The Liaison will coordinate with gender specialists, curriculum designers, international ISCM specialists and others to achieve this SOW.

In addition, the Liaison will recommend other activities and tasks that will enhance the relationship between industry and academia, and/or will increase the opportunities for recent graduates, particularly women, to participate in the sector.

Specific Tasks

The key duties for the Industry Academia Liaison include:

• Identify, document, and meet all of Bangladesh’s universities, colleges, training institutes and others to understand who provides opportunities for students and professionals in the Logistics Sector.
• Support professionals hired by the Trade Activity that are assigned to building capacity within the logistics sector.
• Interact with BUILD and the working committee with the Prime Minister’s Office on improvements in the logistics sector.
• Encourage the formation of ISCM “clubs” within universities. Organize tours of ports and warehouse for students in the clubs to expose them to the logistics sector.
• Promote internships and apprenticeships at major logistics operators and recruit students for those programs.
• Understand the root causes for the low participation of women in the logistics sector and contribute to recommendations as to how to improve working conditions to make the field an appealing option.
• Work with logistics companies to pursue their current employees’ enrolment into the newly introduced diploma course.

Deliverables:

The Industry Academia Liaison shall be responsible for contributing to the following deliverables:

• Field trip reports following meetings.
• Brief progress report by fortnight reports and updates if and as requested.
• Contributions to weekly reports, quarterly reports and success stories
• Maintain a list of all the firms, organizations, and individuals contacted during this assignment, including their contact details.

Reporting Requirements:

• The Industry Academia Liaison will report to Objective 3 Team Lead.

Level of Effort and Period of Performance:

The level of effort shall be approximately 150 days, over the course of 12 months

Required Skills and Experience:

• Undergraduate degree in economics, trade, international development or international relations required. A Master’s degree in the same subjects is highly desired.
• 5+ years’ experience in the logistics sector in Bangladesh
• A demonstrated understanding of managing training activities
• Deep connections throughout the logistics sector.
• A working relationship with key logistics associations.
• Demonstrated ability and aptitude to work with stakeholders.
• Demonstrated creative problem-solving skills.
• Strong communication skills, client-orientated, ability to work in a team.
• Ability to use information and communication technology (ICT) as a tool and resource.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English