Scope of Work
Improving Trade Facilitation –Customs Specialist(02 positions)

Background

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

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 Trade Activity delivers technical assistance and capacity building to support implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement and improve the Business Enabling Environment. The project works with key public agencies, private sector stakeholders, and civil society organizations. Work activities draw on best practices and regional experiences to build support for initiatives aimed at simplifying documentary requirements for imports and exports. The project supports strengthening technical capacity across border agencies and modernizing procedures through digitization and ICT.

The technical assistance and capacity building activities supported by Feed the Future Bangladesh Trade Activity are based on an inclusive approach that integrates the gender dimension and addresses vulnerable and marginalized populations. Ensuring inclusivity is central to realizing USAID goals and objectives for the Feed the Future Bangladesh Trade Activity. Activities seek to include and ensure representation of women, youth and other marginalized groups in public-private dialogue and advocacy efforts.

Position Description and Rationale

Considering the recent passage of the Customs Act, the Trade Activity requires a Customs Specialist to provide support to NBR in developing and implementing activities including Customs rules, authorized economic operator expansion, post clearance audit implementation, business process review, digitization of processes, and training. The Specialist will diagnose the practical gaps in regulatory orders, and subsequently develop the legal framework through drafting statutory regulatory orders, standing orders, standard operating procedures, guidelines. The Specialist will propose solutions that comply with the WTO TFA guidelines. WCO guidelines, and best practices. Through detailed consultation with NBR, other government organizations, and the private sector the Specialist will structure policy suggestions.

The Specialist must liaise with NBR in implementing digital applications that are being developed by the project. Considering the priority and request of NBR, the Specialist will deliver technical assistance and capacity building programs to support implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement to reach the simplification of the import-export process.

The Specialist will also train customs officials, as well as the private sector in the areas of WTO TFA topics, and customs related matters including import-export processes, AEO PCA, enforcement areas, integrity etc. The objective of the training is to develop the capacity of customs’ officials in various areas of customs operations so that they can provide high-quality services to traders, which will promote trade facilitation and improve efficiency.

Specific Tasks The Customs Specialist will be responsible for the following tasks:

  1. Work on activities under Objective 1 including the Implementation of WTOs Trade Facilitation Agreement, and Development of Training of Trainers (ToTs) program to improve capacity of government officials.
  2. Draft regulations, statutory regulatory orders (SRO), rules, guidelines, etc. for the newly enacted Customs act.
  3. Provide technical support to the work activities under Objective 1.
  4. Manage and mentor other LTTAs and STTAs on activities under Objective 1.
  5. Collaborate with the Component 1 Team Leader to identify short-term technical assistance needs, draft scopes of work (SOW) for short-term consultants, negotiate SOW with consultants, manage onboarding of consultants to the project, and ensure consultants are performing according to their SOWs.
  6. Review reports prepared under Objective 1 to ensure compliance with USAID rules and regulations, and IDG policies and procedures.
  7. Collaborate with the Component 1 Team Leader and other team members to prepare annual work plans, quarterly reports, annual reports, and ad hoc reports.
  8. Support the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Specialist in developing and implementing the M&E plan and the Activity M&E system related to Objective 1.
  9. Train customs officials, as well as members of the private sector in the areas of WTO TFA topics, and customs related matters such as import-export processes, AEO PCA, enforcement, integrity, etc.
  10. Other duties as requested.

Deliverables

The Customs Specialist shall be responsible for working with the IT Specialist, the project Customs Specialists, the M&E Specialist, and the Gender Specialist, in support of activities contributing to Objective 1 for the following deliverables:

Reporting Requirements

Period of Performance

Required Skills and Experience

Instruction to Apply

Interested candidates meeting the above requirements should apply with CV and Cover Letter on or before 12 December 2023 at bdinfo@internationaldevelopmentgroup.com. Candidates are encouraged to apply early as the selection process will be ongoing until a suitable candidate is identified. Only short-listed candidate will be communicated for interview. Any form of persuasion in the selection process will automatically disqualify the candidacy.