Short-Term Expert (STE) Pool for Trade Advisory in the ECOWAS Region

The contract concerns the provision and management of a pool of short-term experts (STE) to support the achievement of the project"s objectives related to the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in the ECOWAS region, with a particular focus on Trade in Services (TiS) and Trade Facilitation (TF). The experts will provide technical, strategic, and operational advisory services to the ECOWAS Commission and national institutions such as trade ministries, customs authorities, and AfCFTA committees, as well as private-sector stakeholders. The contractor will be responsible for establishing, coordinating, and managing the STE pool, including expert selection, deployment, briefing, and quality assurance. A dedicated STE Pool Coordinator will serve as the main contact point for GIZ and ensure close coordination with the project team. The services cover human capacity development, organisational development, and policy and strategy advisory in the following thematic areas: - Barriers to TiS - AfCFTA negotiations and implementation, with a focus on TiS - National and regional implementation of AfCFTA regulations - Trade facilitation and customs procedures, including transit-related instruments (e.g. SIGMAT, guarantee mechanisms, e-certificates of origin, AEO programmes) - Sustainable and green trade, including climate- and socially responsible service exports - SME export development and competitiveness - Access to trade-related information Key activities include the designing and delivering training modules, workshops, coaching, and on-the-job support; strengthening negotiation skills of AfCFTA negotiators and private-sector representatives; supporting the development of export strategies for SMEs; facilitating public-private dialogues; and supporting the development of regional and bilateral regulatory frameworks, policies and roadmaps, including mutual recognition agreements (MRAs). The scope of services is structured around the following work