Sectoral Strategies Specialist (Individual Consultant)

Country:

Afghanistan

City/Locality:

Kabul

Notice/Contract Number:

PSD/AISA-C-13/1

Publication Date:

Jun 13, 2008

Deadline:

Jul 15, 2008

Funding Agency:

World Bank

Buyer:

Private Sector Development (PSD) Support Project
Afghanistan Investment Support Agency (AISA)

Eligibility of Bidders:

Qualifications Required:

To perform the job of the Sectoral Strategy Specialist (Individual Consultant) successfully, the consultant must be able to perform independently each essential duty satisfactorily, and broadly satisfy the following requirements regarding knowledge, skills and abilities.

1- Ph. D or Master Degree in economics, commerce, or business administration;
2- At least five years experience with a Ph.D and ten years with a Master degree;
3- Strong research and analytical capability, with policy analysis experience;
4- Previous experience in working on investment climate issues in developing countries;
5- Experience in designing the process and preparing sectoral strategies related to investment promotion;
6- Familiarity with the operating procedures of international organizations;
7- Excellent oral and written communication skills;
8- Fully proficient in MS applications (Word, Excel, Power Point, and Access). Knowledge of SPSS, view or other statistical package is valuable.
9- Proficiency in English and knowledge of Afghan languages would be preferable

Original Language:

English

Address:

Naseem Akbar
Director of Industrial Park Development Department (IPDD)
Afghanistan Investment Support Agency (AISA)
Shah Mahmood Ghazi Watt,
Opposite Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
kabul , Kabul
Afghanistan

Telephone:

+ 93 799 336 526

Email:

Click here

Web Site:

www.aisa.org.af

_________________________________________________________________________

Request for Expressions of Interest
Sectoral Strategies Specialist (Individual Consultant)

Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Private Sector Development Support Project
Consulting Services: Sectoral Strategies Specialist (Individual Consultant)
Grant No: H275-AF
Project ID No.: P090928
EOI No.: PSD/AISA-C-13/1
Closing Date: July 15th, 2008

Background
Due to three decades of war, Afghanistan faces problems of unemployment, low income, low production, lack of access to basic needs, resulting into pervasive poverty. One of the ways to alleviate this poverty is to promote private sector development for creating employment and generating income for poor people. The World Bank under its technical assistance component of the Private Sector Development Support Project will assist the Policy and Research Department (PRU) to develop capacity to undertake independent policy research pertaining to various sectors of the economy. Such policy research can contribute promoting investment to the economy. The PRU has established the following principles in its sectoral development program:
• Focus on existing areas of strength, e.g. fruits and carpets
• Emphasis on geographic (often urban locations), as noted below
• Need to incorporate cluster (intra-sectoral) type thinking in the analysis
• Sectoral strategies should be based on deep sector specific knowledge of processes and markets
• Opportunities to expand areas of strength in terms of breadth of coverage and locations should be identified
• Strong coordination with provincial governments

A number of sector specific investment opportunities in agriculture, construction, industries, and services, mining and other areas have been identified in five regions of the economy, namely: Kandahar, Mazar-e-Sharif, Herat, Jalalabad and Khost. In parallel with the work of AISA there are other important donor funded initiatives such as the World Bank Growth diagnostic which will provide some sector specific analysis and relevant international experience.

AISA Research and Policy Department will ensure that the output of the sectoral studies is disseminated to wider number of investors and also in AISA website.

The AISA is the key implementing agency for this project.
The AISA intends to apply a part of the Grant to hire the services of an individual consultant to work as a Sectoral strategy Specialist initially for a period of twelve (12) months, which may be extended depending on the requirement of the project.

Specific Responsibilities

1. Build capacity of the staff at RPD through on the job and formal training;
2. Prepare training materials to increase capacity of the staff in: (a) preparing questionnaire; (b) pre-testing questionnaire; ( c) collecting data and information; (d) compiling and organizing data; (e) conducting data analysis; (f) preparing tables with key information; (g) drafting initial report;
3. Update sectoral studies already undertaken and design new studies, when show potential to attract domestic and foreign investments. These sector studies which where possible will draw on specific expertise provided by AISA or other donors will review the market demand and availability of raw materials, logistics, labor, manufacturing processes, technical skills of labors, regulatory constraints, quality control, packaging, skills, competitors, and environmental issues. This analysis will be undertaken regionally and then aggregated;
4. Facilitate the work of detailed sectoral expertise provided by AISA or donors, including the drafting of any necessary terms of reference (with the accomplishment of at least two sector studies).
5. Assist in organizing a library and information bank in AISA on studies conducted by various donors on policy reform, import and export sectors and investments;
6. Coordinate with international donors and agencies to help building RPD’s relationship and sharing knowledge and expertise.
7. Prepare short policy notes, strategy papers and reform agenda papers which helps focus AISA’s pro-activeness in investment promotion;
8. Assist the President AISA in preparing short policy notes and also conduct analysis of policy issues to examine implication of such policy in investments in Afghanistan;
9. Organize a database for domestic and foreign investments in Afghanistan and conduct meaningful analysis to show the trend of actual foreign and domestic investments in various sectors as well as measure implementation and impact;
10. Assist RPD to publish a Quarterly Bulletin, which will disseminate AISA activities, investments trends, and analysis of policies and reforms;
11. Support AISA efforts to establish online government applications;

The Sector Specialist is expected to achieve the following:

The Sector Specialist (Individual Consultant) is expected to build the capacity of RPD and AISA in order to undertake the following: (a) research and analytical work on sectoral investment opportunities; (b) policy studies on various reforms required to promote investments; (c) prepare strategy paper to project AISA’s role in the investment promotion, domestic and foreign direct investment; (d) Identify, at least two sector opportunities.

Work Responsibilities:

The Sector Specialist (Individual Consultant) will work under the supervision of the Research and Policy Director. He/she will work in close collaboration with the AISA regional offices, ministries, donor agencies and other stakeholders relevant to sectoral studies.

Qualifications Required:

To perform the job of the Sectoral Strategy Specialist (Individual Consultant) successfully, the consultant must be able to perform independently each essential duty satisfactorily, and broadly satisfy the following requirements regarding knowledge, skills and abilities.

1- Ph. D or Master Degree in economics, commerce, or business administration;
2- At least five years experience with a Ph.D and ten years with a Master degree;
3- Strong research and analytical capability, with policy analysis experience;
4- Previous experience in working on investment climate issues in developing countries;
5- Experience in designing the process and preparing sectoral strategies related to investment promotion;
6- Familiarity with the operating procedures of international organizations;
7- Excellent oral and written communication skills;
8- Fully proficient in MS applications (Word, Excel, Power Point, and Access). Knowledge of SPSS, view or other statistical package is valuable.
9- Proficiency in English and knowledge of Afghan languages would be preferable.

AISA now invites eligible individual consultants to indicate their interest in providing the above mentioned services. Interested consultants must provide information indicating that they are qualified to perform the services (in addition to the educational qualifications, experience of similar assignments and country of work etc. should be incorporated in the CV to be submitted along with expression of interest/application).

A consultant will be selected in accordance with the procedures set out in section V of the World Bank’s Guidelines: Selection and Employment of Consultants by World Bank Borrowers (May 2004).

Interested consultants may obtain further information at the address below during office hours [i.e. 0800 to 1600 hours].

Expression of interest must be delivered to the address below by 16:00 on July 15, 2008.

Afghanistan Investment Support Agency (AISA)
Attention: Mr. Naseem Akbar
Director of Industrial Park Development Department (IPDD)
Shah Mahmood Ghazi Watt,
Opposite Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Kabul, Afghanistan
Tel: + 93 799 336 526
Fax: + 93 (0) 20 210 3402
E-mail: naseema@aisa.org.af
Web site: www.aisa.org.af

Sectoral Strategies Specialist (Individual Consultant)

Request For Expressions of Interest

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