Consultant, Project "Towards Greater Efficiency in Customs Clearance through Enhanced Time Release Study Practices"

About RT4D

The Regional Trade for Development (RT4D) initiative is funded by both the Governments of Australia and New Zealand. It assists ASEAN Member States (AMS) in meeting their commitments and realising the advantages offered by the Agreement establishing the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area, or AANZFTA, and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP.

Through the AANZFTA Implementation Support Program (AISP) and the RCEP Implementation Support Program (RISP), RT4D provides tailored support to enhance the capabilities of ASEAN Member States by strengthening skills, building networks, facilitating policy options and ensuring that trade benefits everyone, including Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), women and people with disabilities.

The Governments of Australia and New Zealand have committed up to AUD 48.7 million to fund RT4D from 2020-21 to 2027-28.

Project Summary

The RCEP Implementation Support Program (RISP), implemented RT4D Facility, aims to support AMS to realise the full benefits of RCEP through the provision of capacity-building support and access to technical expertise.

The following project is approved under RISP.

• Project Name: Towards Greater Efficiency in Customs Clearance through Enhanced Time Release Study Practices
• Project Objective: This project will support ASEAN Member States (AMS) to understand the current challenges with conducting a TRS as well as best practice approaches that can be used to increase efficiency throughout the trade clearance process. The objectives of this project are to:

o Enhance the capability and capacity of DGCE Indonesia to address pressure points in the trade clearance process by examining the experiences of other agencies as well as private sector actors.

o Share practices, experiences and lessons learnt with other AMS officials who have responsibility for trade clearance processes and TRS activities.

o Support beneficiaries to achieve RCEP objectives, and in particular Articles 4.17 and 4.19.

The Opportunity

RT4D is seeking a consulting firm/consortium (hereinafter referred to as “the Consultant”) to manage and deliver the abovementioned project, in close collaboration with the RT4D Facility and the Project Proponent. The final Project outputs will be subject to comments, amendments, and approval from the RT4D Facility Team, the Project Proponent and Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

The general competencies and qualifications that the Consultant should demonstrate include (but are not limited to):

• Skilled and experienced team of Experts with the technical, stakeholder management, workshop facilitation and private sector engagement and support expertise, bandwidth, and capabilities to support the RT4D Facility to deliver all outputs in alignment with the remit and timelines set within the ToR.

• Demonstrable technical expertise and experience conducting applied research, providing policy and technical support and/or managing the implementation of Time Release Study (TRS) and Collaborative Border Management projects. Previous experience in those areas within Indonesia and/or the South-East Asia context is a distinct advantage.

• Demonstrable experience developing implementation guidelines and/or policy handbooks for government stakeholders through consensus-based approaches that consider and incorporate the needs, priorities and concerns of diverse government stakeholders (i.e. stakeholders representing countries with different priorities and capacity constraints and agencies with different mandates and priorities). Experience developing these types of materials for customs authorities and officials is a distinct advantage.

• Demonstratable ability to provide project coordination and management support in Indonesia. Such support should ensure that the Project Proponent and other relevant Indonesia public and private sector stakeholders are adequately engaged and consulted throughout project implementation. Previous project experience working with or supporting Directorate General of Customs and Excise of Indonesia is a distinct advantage.

• Demonstrable experience designing, facilitating and delivering online and on-site consultations and workshops that effectively engage diverse stakeholder groups. Experience managing consultations in line with GEDSI principles and requirements is a distinct advantage.

• Demonstrable experience designing and developing research and policy documents for a government audience that follow a robust methodology, embed multi-stakeholder and inputs and provide evidence-based recommendations.

• Experience working and engaging with multiple ASEAN governments (including Indonesia) is a distinct advantage. The organisation must be comfortable with engaging with the AEAN Secretariat and ASEAN stakeholders and following ways of working (or comparable governance arrangements).

• Proven excellent report drafting experience, with ability to incorporate comprehensive feedback at multiple stages in a timely manner.

• Experience and demonstrable capacity and resources to design and deliver projects in line with robust Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E), Gender Equality Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) & Communications and Business Engagement requirements outlined in the above sections of the ToR.

For a complete Terms of Reference, please visit Welcome to Regional Trade for Development | Regional Trade for Development

How to Apply

Interested candidates may apply for more than one consultancy position. Please visit Welcome to Regional Trade for Development | Regional Trade for Development for more information on how to apply.

Closing Date for Queries: 19/01/2025

Closing Date for Proposals: 02/02/2025

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Why Tetra Tech International Development?

As a leading development consulting firm, Tetra Tech International Development works with people and communities to solve some of the worlds most complex challenges to achieve a positive impact.

Working at Tetra Tech International Development means working within a values-led organisation that invests in flexible work environments built on trust, safety and well-being. Through unified systems, flexible and supportive workplaces, we provide the foundations required for our team to enjoy the work they do and deliver value every day. Read more about our culture, purpose and values here.

Tetra Tech International Development is an equal-opportunity employer and has a genuine commitment to diversity and inclusion. We encourage people with disability; First Nations Peoples; and people of all cultures, genders, abilities and experiences to apply.

Should you require additional support with your application, please email IDEV.HRServices@tetratech.com or phone (08) 8375 4400.

Position Type

Project opportunity

Proposal and tender opportunity

Region

Southeast Asia

Sector

Democracy, Rights, and Governance (International Development)

Economic Growth (International Development)

Education (International Development)

Energy (International Development)

Environment and Natural Resources (International Development)

Gender Equity, Disability, and Social Inclusion (International Development)

Health (International Development)

Infrastructure (International Development)

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (International Development)

Stabilization (International Development)

Water Security and Sanitation (International Development)