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Travel and Events Coordinator

The USAID West Africa Trade Hub project, implemented by CARANA Corporation, is supporting the growth of private sector trade and investment in the region. The goal of the Trade Hub’s work is to create jobs and a stable foundation for long-term economic growth. The Trade Hub’s beneficiaries include regional inter-governmental organizations, national trade ministries, export and investment promotion councils, industry associations and individual enterprises involved in international trade. The Trade Hub is in immediate need of a Travel and Events Coordinator, who is well-versed in results-based communication and project management experience.

Background:

The West Africa Trade Hub employs a value chain approach to stimulating export-led economic growth, job creation, and poverty reduction in the region. The Trade improves the competitiveness of export-oriented value chains in global markets to stimulate broader growth of West African economies and reduces barriers to value chain competitiveness resulting from costly services in telecommunications, finance and transport and a cumbersome business environment.
The anchor of the Trade Hub’s approach is its enterprise development component, which directly supports individual firms and clusters in key export-oriented value chains to improve their competitiveness in global markets. The Trade Hub’s approach to crosscutting components - business environment, financial services, transportation infrastructure and telecommunications infrastructure - address inefficiencies and constraints that are generally beyond the exporter’s control.

The Trade Hub’s Operations Team takes a customer-service approach to the Trade Hub’s technical work in order to facilitate the Trade Hub’s success.  Employing USAID’s rules and regulations, the Operations Team ensures honest and efficient financial and administrative services and management. As the Trade Hub is a regional project, travel and event organization in the region are critical administrative tasks.

Duties

The Travel and Events Coordinator will work closely with the Operations Manager, operations team, and technical staff – as well as local service providers – to ensure that door-to-door travel and regional events run smoothly.

Activities

•    Coordinate with technical staff and consultants to effectively plan travel, including: country clearance from USAID, flights, road transportation, hotels, and rental cars.
•    Ensure that required paperwork for travel and events is properly completed, approved, and submitted early or on time, including local purchase orders, flight reservations, drivers, scheduling.
•    Coordinate with the financial team to ensure proper planning and availability of funds for travel and events.
•    Manage drivers’ schedules.
•    Work with the team to monitor Trade Hub expenditures on flights, vehicle usage, and travel, including cost changes and reimbursements.
•    Coordinate the logistic organization of events, including local, national, and West Africa conferences, trainings, etc.
•    Work closely with the office assistant and technical teams to acquire necessary visas and residency permits for approved staff, consultants, and stakeholders.
•    Work closely with other members of the operations, technical and communications teams to achieve goals, including undertaking many other financial and administrative tasks that contribute to meeting Trade Hub goals, as needed.
•    Regularly and rapidly communicate by email and phone all travel plans, changes, barriers and means to all stakeholders and users as they evolve.

Deliverables

The Travel and Events Coordinator is responsible for a number of financial tracking and administrative documents, including local purchase orders, country clearance request forms, event schedules, etc.

Reporting

The Travel and Events Coordinator reports directly to the Operations Manager
Skills and Experience:
•    University degree with at least 3 years relevant experience
•    Extensive experience in organizing travel and events logistics within West Africa
•    Fluent in English and French
•    Demonstrated knowledge of administrative procedures and systems
•    Good communication and interpersonal skills
•    Previous experience working with a US government funded project is essential

Business Environment Technical Coordinator
In 2009-2010, the Trade Hub assessed the implementation of the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS), otherwise known as the free trade area (FTA) and finalized a Gap Analysis summarizing regional findings and recommendations.  The benefits of the ETLS for West Africa, when fully implemented would be greater economic growth, more jobs and lower consumer prices. In the longer term, ECOWAS envisions progressing from a free trade area to a full customs union and eventually a common market to facilitate trade in the region.
 
Trade Hub and ECOWAS Directorates (trade, customs and tourism, private sector, transport and infrastructure, free movement) agree to work immediately towards key recommendations that emerged: 
 
• the pilot of a joint Border Information Center that would provide information to both public and private sector on regional trading rules and procedures to facilitate border processing, reduce costs and delays, and finally increase trade across borders.  
• sensitization and communication of ETLS rules to all stakeholders involved in implementing the scheme, 
• capacity building for national approval committees to facilitate the implementation of the preferred trader scheme under the ETLS. 
 
To this end, The Trade Hub seeks a Technical Coordinator to support the Business Environment. 
 
Duties:  
The Technical Coordinator will work closely with all members of the Business Environment, Transport and Communications Teams, to:
 
• Support the implementation of pilot border Information Centers along targeted corridors 
• Conduct an impact assessment on trade facilitation of pilot border information centers
• Support capacity building activities for the National Approval Committees in the ECOWAS region
• Contribute to research, data collection and analyses for Business Environment Activities
• Assist in the collection and tracking of national legislation and policies on regional integration across ECOWAS Member States
• Work closely with Communications Department in the development of databases and websites for Business Environment information dissemination activities and updating of websites
• Provide administrative and event planning support 
• Coordinate with Transport team data, reports, and activities, especially in the utilization of the Borderless brand and campaign
• Trip and quarterly reports
• Salesforce updates
 
Requirements:
• Bachelor’s Degree 
• Functional in English and French
• Excellent writing and communication skills
• Reliable and organized self-starter, and team player
• First-hand experience in West Africa and familiarity with regional trade issues
• Demonstrated interest in international development and trade

Working Relationships:  

The Coordinator will work in close collaboration with the Trade Hub Business Environment team as well as with the Communications Team and the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Coordinator, the Transport and the Grants Management Team, Administration at the Trade Hub Accra office and the Trade Hub Senegal office. 

Timeline: The initial term of this assignment will be through September 30, 2012.  This position may be extended beyond that date.

To apply: Send CV and cover letter to jobs [at] watradehub [dot] com with job title in the subject line by Sept. 30, 2011. No phone calls please. The USAID West Africa Trade Hub is an EOE.

 

Field Researcher Trade Hub Transport Component

The USAID West Africa Trade Hub project, implemented by CARANA Corporation, is supporting the growth of private sector trade and investment in the region. The goal of the Trade Hub’s work is to create jobs and a stable foundation for long-term economic growth. The Trade Hub’s beneficiaries include regional inter-governmental organizations, national trade ministries, export and investment promotion councils, industry associations and individual enterprises involved in international trade. The Trade Hub is in immediate need of a Field Researcher for its Transport Component, who is well-versed in results-based communication and project management experience.

Background:

The Trade Hub’s goal is to fight poverty in West Africa through regional integration and export-driven development. Improving the competitiveness of West African transport and logistics is one of the strategies the Trade Hub pursues to achieve this aim. 

The Trade Hub’s transport component comprises three initiatives:

  1. Improved Road Transport Governance (IRTG)
  2. Reduced Road Transport Costs (RRTC)
  3. Communication and Advocacy

The IRTG program is also referred to as the Road Governance project and the RRTC program as the Transport cost program

1.    The Road Governance project supports an initiative started jointly by the Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) and l’Union Economique et Monétaire de Ouest Africaine (UEMOA) with support from USAID and the World Bank to document the number of check points along major transport corridors and the bribes and delays truck drivers incur at these checkpoints. Results are published and disseminated quarterly.
2.    The Transport Cost initiative studies procedures, costs and delays along selected transport corridors related to importing and exporting goods to and from landlocked countries in West Africa, in order to develop recommendations for improvements and policy reform.
3.    The Communication and Advocacy program aims to reduce road harassment and improve West African transport and logistics efficiency by mobilizing and educating stakeholders and raising awareness among the general public so as to create support for and build political will for achieving the Trade Hub’s goals of a competitive West African transport and logistics industry. The communication and advocacy work is done by the Trade Hub itself and through Trade Hub support to civil society organizations.

The Trade Hub transport team works closely with civil society partners and public and private sector stakeholders as well as with major donor organizations such as the World Bank and the European Union.

The Road Governance initiative gathers data on checkpoints, bribes and delays along several transit corridors in West Africa. Truck drivers are recruited and trained by field agents employed by national focal points, usually Shippers Councils or Chamber of Commerce, in participating countries. The Road Governance work is coordinated in each country by national coordinators, usually senior managers from Ministries of Transport. The data collected by truck drivers are verified by Trade Hub field researchers and the results are published quarterly, accompanied by extensive dissemination, communication and advocacy activities in all participating countries.

The Road Governance project is expanding geographically and striving to improve the data collection process, increase the indicator set, better train focal points and drivers, and improve the quality of the data.

The Field Researcher will be based in the Trade Hub office in Accra, Ghana but will travel extensively throughout the countries covered by the Trade Hub project, in particular but not limited to Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo.

Tasks:

1.    Travel on trucks as and when directed on designated road corridors to get accurate data on all information related to transport and trade facilitation, including quantitative data on bribes, delays and number of controls
2.    Assist the focal points in:
a.    identifying and registering appropriate truck drivers,
b.    checking documents pertaining to drivers and vehicles,
c.    raising the awareness of truck drivers about the Road Governance initiative,
d.    ensuring questionnaires are properly completed,
e.    processing the collected data,
f.    verifying the data,
g.    transferring the collected data to the DSI/UEMOA Commission.
3.    Update regularly the checkpoints database on the corridors covered by the initiative
4.    Ensure focal points do not run out of survey forms, update the form as needed, print survey forms and distribute them to the focal points
5.    Perform specific surveys and studies on transport and trade facilitation as requested
6.    Provide relevant information about road governance when needed
7.    Write reports and give presentations on Trade Hub transport activities
8.    Participate in transport event planning and execution
9.    Monitor Road Governance work elsewhere in Africa and the world, and liaise with people, institutions and projects involved in similar work
10.    Participate in all the work related to the sustainability, mandate and geographical coverage of the Road Governance program
11.    Perform all other duties as requested by the Road Governance team leader or the Director of Transport.
12.    Contribute to Trade Hub’s weekly and quarterly reports and the monthly publication Tradewinds.

Skills and Experience:
•    Extensive experience of the transport sector in West Africa is a plus
•    Basic knowledge of the main transport stakeholders among private and public sectors
•    Fluent in both English and French
•    Good communication skills
•    Excellent writing skills
•    Willing to travel very often, sometimes in difficult condition

Working Relationships:  

The Coordinator will work in close collaboration with other members of the transport team as well as with the Communications Team and the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Coordinator, the Business Environment and the Grants Management Team, Administration at the Trade Hub and the Trade Hub Senegal office.

Market Linkages Manager

Details of the Market Linkages Manager position can be found here

Communications & Advocacy Coordinator Trade Hub Transport Component

The USAID West Africa Trade Hub project, implemented by CARANA Corporation, is supporting the growth of private sector trade and investment in the region. The goal of the Trade Hub’s work is to create jobs and a stable foundation for long-term economic growth. The Trade Hub’s beneficiaries include regional inter-governmental organizations, national trade ministries, export and investment promotion councils, industry associations and individual enterprises involved in international trade. The Trade Hub is in immediate need of a Communications & Advocacy Coordinator    Trade Hub Transport Component who is well-versed in results-based communication and project management experience.

Background:

The Trade Hub’s goal is to fight poverty in West Africa through regional integration and export-driven development. Improving the competitiveness of West African transport and logistics is one of the strategies the Trade Hub pursues to achieve this aim. 
The Trade Hub’s transport component comprises three initiatives: (1) Improved Road Transport Governance (IRTG), (2) Reduced Road Transport Costs (RRTC) and (3) Communication and Advocacy .
1.    The Road Governance project supports an initiative started jointly by the Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) and l’Union Economique et Monétaire de Ouest Africaine (UEMOA) with support from USAID and the World Bank to document the number of check points along major transport corridors and the bribes and delays truck drivers incur at these checkpoints. Results are published and disseminated quarterly.
2.    The Transport Cost initiative studies procedures, costs and delays along selected transport corridors related to importing and exporting goods to and from landlocked countries in West Africa, in order to develop recommendations for improvements and policy reform.
3.    The Communication and Advocacy program aims to reduce road harassment and improve West African transport and logistics efficiency by mobilizing and educating stakeholders and raising awareness among the general public so as to create support for and build political will for achieving the Trade Hub’s goals of a competitive West African transport and logistics industry. The communication and advocacy work is done by the Trade Hub itself and through Trade Hub support to civil society organizations.
The Trade Hub transport team works closely with civil society partners and public and private sector stakeholders as well as with major donor organizations such as the World Bank and the European Union.

The Road Governance initiative gathers data on checkpoints, bribes and delays along several transit corridors in West Africa. Truck drivers are recruited and trained by field agents employed by national focal points, usually Shippers Councils or Chamber of Commerce, in participating countries. The Road Governance work is coordinated in each country by national coordinators, usually senior managers from Ministries of Transport. The data collected by truck drivers are verified by Trade Hub field researchers and the results are published quarterly, accompanied by extensive dissemination, communication and advocacy activities in all participating countries.

The Road Governance project is expanding geographically and striving to improve the data collection process, increase the indicator set, better train focal points and drivers, and improve the quality of the data.

The Communications & Advocacy Coordinator will be based in the Trade Hub office in Accra, Ghana but will travel extensively throughout the countries covered by the Trade Hub project, in particular but not limited to Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo.

Tasks:

1.    Lead and coordinate the dissemination of Transport team results and findings to a broad spectrum of national, regional and international stakeholders interested in and/or affected by our work.
2.    Ensure that the Trade Hub database of transport and logistics contacts (Salesforce) continues to be developed, cleaned-up, and maintained.
3.    Establish and maintain structured national, regional and international distribution lists of key stakeholders.
4.    Advise civil-society organizations, especially those that are recipients of Trade Hub grants, on how to plan, organize and implement advocacy campaigns.
5.    Monitor, evaluate and report on project progress in the Transport area, and, in cooperation with the Trade Hub M&E coordinator, keep copies and records of media coverage.
6.    Participate in event planning and execution
7.    Write reports and give presentations on Trade Hub transport activities
8.    Liaise with UEMOA and ECOWAS,
•    national coordinators and national focal points
•    public and private sector stakeholders in participating countries, including national facilitation and border management committees, and uniformed services manning road checkpoints
•    Industry Associations and Unions with an interest in transport and trade
•    Civil Society Organizations with an interest in transport and trade
•    the Abidjan – Lagos Corridor Organization in Benin, and sister USAID  projects such as Agribusiness and Trade Promotion (ATP) in Ghana, Burkina Faso and Mali, Projet Croissance Economique (PCE) in Senegal and Integrated Initiatives for Economic Growth (IICEM) in Mali,
•    US Embassies and USAID offices in participating countries
•    the World Bank, the European Union, and other international organizations with interest and activities in road governance and transport facilitation.
9.    Participate in the building of advocacy alliances in participating countries
10.    Monitor Road Governance work elsewhere in Africa and the world, and liaise with people, institutions and projects involved in similar work
11.    Participate in all the work related to the sustainability, mandate and geographical coverage of the Road Governance program
12.    Perform all other duties as requested by the Road Governance team leader or the Director of Transport.
13.    Contribute to Trade Hub’s weekly and quarterly reports and the monthly publication Tradewinds.

Skills and Experience:
•    Extensive experience of the transport and logistics sector in West Africa, excellent knowledge of the main transport stakeholders among private and public sectors
•    Very good knowledge of the African business environment
•    Fluent in both English and French
•    Excellent communication skills
•    Excellent presentation skills
•    Willing to travel often

Working Relationships: 
The Coordinator will work in close collaboration with other members of the transport team as well as with the Communications Team and the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Coordinator, the Business Environment and the Grants Management Team, Administration at the Trade Hub and the Trade Hub Senegal office.

Timeline:

The initial term of this assignment will be through September 30, 2012.  This position may be extended beyond that date.

To apply: Send CV and cover letter to jobs [at] watradehub [dot] com with job title in the subject line by Sept. 30, 2011. No phone calls please. The USAID West Africa Trade Hub is an EOE.

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