Digital Trade and E-Commerce Technical Advisor at DAI Kenya - Development Alternatives, Inc.

Scope Of Work

Technical Leadership (30%):

• Provide high quality technical advice and leadership, including to African Regional Economic Communities (RECs), AU Member States, and other stakeholders (e.g., MSMEs, regional business councils, women, youth, MSMEs, CSOs) on digital trade policy and e-commerce frameworks across Africa including through undertaking applied policy analysis; developing policies, strategies, and tools; and sharing and exchanging policy advice on a full spectrum of digital trade policy issues;
• Prepare and produce documents, briefs, reports, and publications that are responsive to AU Member States’ policy concerns and challenges, and devise mechanisms to encourage the adoption of policy recommendations;
• Work closely with TMEA digital teams to design and develop digital frameworks and projects to identify and address challenges around cross border data flows and connectivity for trade facilitation;
• Provide technical advisory support to USAID-funded and TMEA-led digital projects of cross border and Africa-wide digital projects, including projects related to digital governance, including data privacy, and processing and transfer requirements, and digital connectivity;
• Work in collaboration with TMEA digital teams to design and roll out digital development principles and projects customized to support digital inclusion in trade and sustainability, relevant to the AfCFTA;
• Formulate possible policy models and policy options for consideration for digital trade at the Continental level, building on the experience of other regions such as ASEAN and MERCOSUR, among others, and provide any other necessary support;
• Work with a wide range of stakeholders to support their participation in the digital trade negotiations at the AfCFTA;
• Coordinate and engage with experts, including from other multilateral organizations, involved in significant digital trade policy activities in Africa, including programs and projects that are funded and/or managed by TMEA and USAID; and
• Support any other relevant tasks that can help to promote the capacity and abilities of stakeholders across Africa to contribute to the digital trade negotiations and implementation of digital solutions for trade facilitation in the AfCFTA.

Capacity Building (30%):

• Support trade capacity building efforts of U.S. Government-funded and other TMEA programing to promote African digital trade policy and digital trade systems and processes development, in consultation with USAID along with DOS, USTDA, USTR, and other U.S. Government agencies, as relevant.
• Deliver technical assistance to AU member state policy makers, negotiators, staff of the regional economic communities (RECs), and other stakeholders (including SMEs, others private sector representatives, civil society organizations); and
• Deliver technical assistance to the AfCFTA Secretariat, RECs, Members States, private sector and civil society stakeholders through TradeMark East Africa (TMEA), focused on a range of areas enabling e-commerce and digital trade including, but not limited to: data privacy, trade systems and processes, development and implementation of e-commerce policies and procedures, and development of e-commerce logistics solutions; with special focus on postal services among other logistics actors in the e-commerce ecosystem within Africa.

Communications & Knowledge Management (20%):

• Develop toolkits, manuals, guidelines and/or other policy tools in collaboration with policy makers and stakeholders at AU Member States and RECs;
• Develop digital and data-based platforms and other trade facilitation toolkits and models in collaboration with government trade agency experts at RECs and AU Member State levels; and
• Support robust, inclusive stakeholder engagement activities on digital trade policy to promote participation by civil society, SMEs, under-served groups, and others in the digital trade negotiations and implementation phase of the AfCFTA.

Advocacy (10%):

• Provide a supportive platform for stakeholders to exchange ideas and learn about global best practices with respect to digital trade policies that can benefit AU Member States in their AfCFTA negotiations on digital trade, particularly small and vulnerable, and least developed members; and
• Support sensitization and outreach initiatives on digital trade policy in Africa.

Reporting (5%):

• Develop brief monthly work-plans to share with DAI and stakeholders, DOS, USAID, USTR, TMEA and others on upcoming objectives and activities and provide updates on ongoing and completed work in each of the major categories identified in the SOW (technical leadership, capacity building, communications and knowledge management, advocacy, and partnerships);

Partnerships (5%):

• Establish and strengthen strategic partnerships with international and regional organizations working on digital trade for the benefit of African Union Member States

The Position Requires

Requirements/Qualifications:

• A minimum of ten (10) years of expert work at the international level in digital trade policy, consisting of:
  • extensive experience (10 years) working on policy formation in digital trade policy with either international or African Governmental institutions at the national, regional, or Continental level; trade associations, civil society organizations; think tanks; academic institutions; or companies,
  • extensive experience working and interacting at an operational level with traders, other private sectors actors (e.g. logistics and transport service providers) and/or government trade agencies in Africa.
  • extensive experience drafting and/or implementing policies related to the digital economy (e.g., privacy policies, cybersecurity frameworks, data protection, taxation, and general Information Communications and Technology policies).
• Significant experience of working with multi-cultural and African teams and navigating political economy issues on the Continent.
• Experience in developing and implementing trade policies, especially in digital trade and free trade agreements.
• Familiarity with ongoing global debates on these issues in international fora, including the WTO, OECD, G20, APEC, Regional Economic Communities, etc. is strongly desired. Experience working with the African private sector and other African digital trade stakeholders is strongly desired.
• Experience working on trade and trade related programs with the support of international cooperation in Africa is strongly desired.
• Complete fluency in English required but fluency in both English and French is an advantage.
• Knowledge of other African Union working languages is a plus.