Expression of Interest (EoI)
Consultancy to prepare a study and position paper on Women & Youth in Trade
Introduction
The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is a federally owned international cooperation enterprise for sustainable development with worldwide operations. GIZ has worked in Rwanda for over 30 years. The primary objectives between the Government of Rwanda and the Federal Republic of Germany are poverty reduction and promotion of sustainable development. To achieve these objectives, GIZ Rwanda is active in the sectors of Decentralization and Good Governance, Economic Development and Employment Promotion, Energy, and ICT (Information and Communications Technology).

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Background of the assignment
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is one of the flagship projects of the African Union Agenda 2063 and is expected to be a key driver for Africa to realize continental structural transformation and industrialization, as envisaged in the AU Agenda 2063’s shared roadmap for inclusive and sustainable growth for Africa.
The Agreement establishing the AfCFTA was signed by forty-four (44) African countries on 21 March 2018 in Kigali, Rwanda. The Agreement entered into force on 30 May 2019, following the necessary number of 22 ratifications. On 1 January 2021, trading started officially under the AfCFTA. As of April 2022, the Agreement establishing the AfCFTA has been signed by 54 African countries and ratified by 43 countries.

GIZ, on behalf of the German government, supports the AfCFTA through the GIZ Support Project to the AfCFTA (GIZ AfCFTA). GIZ AfCFTA supports both the negotiations and implementation of the AfCFTA. Activities of the programme are closely coordinated across the continental (AU Commission Department of Economic Development, Tourism, Trade, Industry and Mining (ETTIM); AfCFTA Secretariat), regional (East African Community, EAC among others), and national levels (Rwanda among others) to ensure that all levels are appropriately linked.

About GIZ AfCFTA Rwanda component
The Republic of Rwanda, like many African member states, has only limited capacity and resources to successfully realize the AfCFTA. Therefore, the specific roles to be played by government, private sector, and civil society are often not adequately supported with resources to negotiate and implement the commitments under the AfCFTA. Although responsibilities have been defined in the AfCFTA framework, the specific working methods still need to be established in Rwanda through the National Strategy for Implementation of the AfCFTA. This requires building the capacity of all key stakeholders in specific matters of trade in goods, trade in services, issues like investment, competition policy, Intellectual Property rights (IPR), digital trade, women & youth in trade, as well as raising awareness and strengthening the necessary institutional and legal frameworks for realizing the AfCFTA at national level. At policy level, the regulatory and institutional frameworks for realizing the African Continental Free Trade Area are to be strengthened.

The GIZ AfCFTA actively supports capacity building and institutional strengthening in both the public and private sector. It is against this background that it supports the Ministry of Trade and Industry - the lead institution in the phase II and III negotiation process of AfCFTA (incl. investment, competition policy, IPR, digital trade, Women & Youth in Trade) - to prepare studies requested with these terms, which will include the preparation of position papers to inform negotiators.

The negotiations to adopt the Women & Youth Protocol under AfCFTA Phase II&III
The Women & Youth Protocol is one of the new Protocols under the Phase II&III of the AfCFTA (in addition to investment, intellectual property rights, competition policy and digital trade) introduced to be added to the AfCFTA scheme and to be synchronized with the other Protocols of Phase I and II. Phase I protocols (Trade in Goods & Trade in Services) recognize the importance of building capacity of Women and Youth in order to trade better. Africa has made remarkable progress in implementing global and regional gender equality and women’s empowerment commitments.

Nonetheless, Women & Youth informal cross border traders still suffer from invisibility, stigmatization, violence, harassment, poor working conditions, and lack of recognition of their economic contribution. By ignoring Women’s & Youth’s informal trading activities, African countries are neglecting a considerable proportion of their trade. There is need to address the issue of informal trading in mainstream trade policy making and to strengthen the notion that women informal traders are also an important client of ministries of Trade and regional economic communities.
Phase II&III of the AfCFTA provides an opportunity to deal with such significant matters of the African integration agenda. The State Parties can now put in place new structures and adopt suitable governance principles to meet the challenges of tomorrow.

Objectives and scope of the assignment
1. The objective of this consultancy is to prepare a study and a position paper on Women & Youth in Trade.
The purpose of the consultancy is to prepare a paper that will help to come up with policy positions for Rwanda’s negotiators that will inform and guide the negotiation team on the topic of Women & Youth in Trade during the negotiations of the African Continental Free Trade Area. Conclusions shall be drawn on what will support Rwanda to achieve the desired outcomes. The consultancy shall render the following outputs in two stages:
• Stage I: One comprehensive study on Women & Youth in Trade in Rwanda
• Stage II: A position paper that informs policy making organs in detail about 3-4 areas and options for negotiating the Women & Youth in Trade protocol.
We are looking for an expert or an expert team that is well equipped to cover the specific area with extensive expertise on the topic itself, the AfCFTA and the perspective of Rwanda.
A statement of availability of proposed individual experts must be attached to the tender as Annex.

Overview of the expected comprehensive study on Women and Youth in Trade in Rwanda
The study on Women & Youth in Trade in Rwanda shall analyse the current legal, regulatory and actual situation for women and youth traders and identify potential strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities (SWOT). The study shall focus on cross-border trade and explore current and potential best practices regarding access and effective participation of women and youth in national, regional and international markets. Specific topics for analysis should include but not be limited to: current status of women and youth trade in Rwanda, highlights of Rwanda women and youth trade in the region, status of Rwanda women and youth trade in Africa market , special trading regimes for women and youth, and trade obstacles such as access to finance, access to information and market opportunities, skills and innovation, management and leadership, regulatory framework and so on).

Through assessing and building on similar agreements within free trade areas/ treaties, the study shall distill best practices as well as identify and scrutinize different national & regional strategies for women & youth economic empowerment as potential objectives for Rwanda
As part of the study key experts in the areas of women and youth cross border trade in Rwanda should be consulted, some example would be the PSF women Chamber, Cross Border Trade Associations, COMFWEB, AWEP and ITC SheTrades Chapter in Rwanda.
Finally, the study shall make recommendations, on how Rwanda can best position itself to take advantage of the protocol and how to advance its specific interests and positions within negotiations to meet its interests and objectives. This will be done by providing pros and cons of specific options/ positions. The study report shall remain within 30 to 40 pages.

Overview of the expected position paper
Building on the comprehensive study, the consultant/ consultancy shall discuss recommendations and propose 3-4 priority areas of interest for discussion with MINICOM and other stakeholders. For these priorities the consultant shall prepare a thorough, deeper going analysis of negotiation options and derive recommended position for the Rwandan government and its negotiators regarding the protocol on Women and Youth.

Tasks of the experts/contractor
The expert or the expert team will have the following key tasks regarding the requested study:
1. Conducting a desk top research and needs assessment, interviews with government officials (MIGEPROF, MINICOM, MINIYOUTH and others), the private sector and key experts (e.g. SheTrades and others) to inform the requested study.
2. Preparation and submission of the draft study for review and comments
3. Preparation and submission of final draft study and presentation to key stakeholders (validation)
4. Possible preparation and facilitation of a validation workshop with representatives from MINICOM and other relevant national stakeholders, if requested
5. Preparation and submission of final study
6. Preparation and submission of the draft position paper on 3-4 topics agreed with MINICOM
7. Preparation and submission of final draft position paper and presentation to key stakeholders (validation)
8. Preparation and submission of the final position paper.

Qualifications and experience of expert(s)/contractor
• Education/training: Bachelors’ degree level of Education and Master’s degree (or comparable) in International Trade, Economics,
• General professional experience required: 5 years of professional experience in international trade, regional integration, trade policy.
• Specific professional experience required: Proof of experience in the area of Women’s & Youth’s participation in cross-border trade or mainstream gender in cross-border trade, 3 years of experience in preparation of studies/ position papers in Women & Youth in Trade regimes or closely related fields.
• Must have involved drafting of policies, law, studies or position papers on the topic pertaining to AfCFTA or EAC.
• Having a good understanding of AfCFTA matters
• Language skills: Fluent in English language.

Deliverables
All reports should be submitted in English to the GIZ and MINICOM.
The following key reports and presentations will be delivered to GIZ and MINICOM:
1. Inception report including the methodology to be used as well as the work plan;
2. One comprehensive study on Women & Youth in Trade that informs policy making organs broadly about negotiation areas and options of the Women & Youth in Trade protocol;
3. Position paper that informs policy making organs in detail about 3-4 negotiation options for the Women & Youth in Trade protocol negotiations.
The contractor will make a presentation of the inception report and an either virtual or physical presentation of the (draft) final report to the client for validation. When necessary the client may request the consultancy firm to make a presentation on the progress of the assignment. The consultancy firm will be required to address comments throughout the approval process, at each stage of approval or validation.

The following tentative milestones are foreseen for the delivery of the services:
Milestones Deadline
Start of contract 1st July 2022
Kick off meeting with MINICOM and GIZ, presenting approach and process (including final inception report after kick off meeting) 1st week of contract
Conduct a needs assessment, incl. interviews with government officials and private sector 10th July 2022
Submission of first draft study to MINICOM & all relevant stakeholders. 10th August 2022
Presentation of the draft study to MINICOM & all relevant stakeholders (validation, discussion of priority areas) 22nd August 2022
Submission of the final study 31st August 2022
Submission, presentation of the draft position paper 15th September 2022
Validation of the draft of position paper 25th September 2022
Submission of the final position paper 1st October 2022

Period of assignment
The consultancy contract is planned for up to 35 working expert days
Period of assignment: from 1st July 2022 to 1st October 2022
Contract may run for 3 more months than the above intended deadlines in the milestones, due to possible delays in the AfCFTA negotiation progress on the specific protocol that could affect this consultancy.
Place of assignment: Kigali, Rwanda

Costing requirements
This consultancy will be costed on expert days worked on this assignment.
The contractor will facilitate the organization of the different activities related (e.g., validation workshop) but the expenditures related to those activities will be fully covered by GIZ/AfCFTA Country component.
The contractor is required to calculate the travel based on the plan to deliver this assignment physically in Kigali and list the expenses separately by daily allowance, accommodation expenses, communication, flight costs, and other travel expenses.

Inputs of GIZ
GIZ AfCFTA Rwanda Country component is expected to make the following available:
Provision of venue and logistics (possible stakeholder-validation workshop).
Introduction to the local authority if needed.

Submission and Evaluation of EoI:
EoI will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
• Company profile,
• Relevant experience,
• Provided CVs
• Company strategies to assure agility, flexibility, and responsiveness,
• Financial offer.
The EoI should contain the following:

For Technical Proposal:
A Cover letter expressing interest in this assignment.
Technical Proposal with a brief description of suitability for the assignment, relevant expertise, and a detailed clear methodology, on the approach to complete the assignment. It should be formatted, font type ARIAL, font size 11, and should be clearly formulated. The offer should be drawn up in English language.
The CVs shall not exceed 4 pages.
References and recommendations of similar works executed by the company in Rwanda or elsewhere outside of Rwanda.
Company registration certificate
VAT registration certificate if available
Latest tax clearance certificate

For the Financial Proposal:
The Financial Proposal indicates the all-inclusive total contract price, supported by a breakdown of all costs. The cost must be in Rwf and VAT excluded.
Please submit electronically your EoI (technical & Financial offer) in 2 separated emails and should be in PDF files to this email: RW_Quotation@giz.de until latest 8th June 2022.
Please you must write in your email subject this sentence:
EOI number: 83410194- submission of technical/financial offer, without this sentence, your offer may not be considered
Hard copies are not allowed this time
GIZ reserves all right