National Customs Expert (Number 1)

USAID Trade Facilitation Program

SCOPE OF WORK

Proposed Personnel:             

Period of Performance: 9 May – 15 June 2022         

Activity No.:                   FY2022 Activity 1.1bis – Develop and implement the Scheme on redesigning the blueprint for an overall Customs IT system (STTA no.1)

MEL indicator(s):           IR1.2-2; P-1; CBLD-9

Travel Dates:                         

Origin/Destination:               

Project Background:

The USAID Trade Facilitation Program (TFP) is five-year project that aims to support Vietnam to adopt and implement a risk management approach to customs, which will facilitate the implementation of the World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), of which both Vietnam and the United States (U.S.) are members. The Program will work with The General Department of Vietnam Customs (GDVC) to ensure simplification, harmonization, professionalization, and adoption and implementation of risk management approaches at the national and provincial levels to expedite cross-border trade and to enable Vietnam to implement WTO TFA commitments. The Program will work with the GDVC, private sector and other Government of Vietnam (GVN) agencies to simplify policies and across GVN units, foster stronger linkages between national and provincial levels, and improve coordination and implementation at the provincial level.

Overview

The Program worked extensively with the Working Group to develop the first draft Business Requirements, often providing options based on International best  practice for GDVC to consider. Following feedback from field offices on the draft business processes, the Program was requested by the GDVC PMU and CCS (27 April, 2022) to provide further assistance to the Business Process Working, in finalizing the draft business process requirements.

Specifically, the National Customs Experts will undertake review and finalize the following:

• Overall business process architecture, the general clearance business processes and the risk management business processes.
• Specific business processes:
  
  • Valuation, HS Code, Origins, Intellectual Property, Violations and Release
  • Supervision process of Goods Entering, Exiting and Storing at seaports and airports; and Process for transporting goods under Customs Control
  • Risk Management business processes

Responsibilities and Tasks

The TFP will engage two NATIONAL CUSTOMS EXPERTS consultants to work collaboratively in the  provision of technical inputs to the working sub-groups in reviewing the business processes. The NATIONAL CUSTOMS EXPERTS Number 1 will undertake the following tasks.

Deliverables

The NATIONAL CUSTOMS EXPERTS will produce and submit the following deliverables:

• Based on the international best practices and existing situation in Vietnam sub-national customs administration, provide  verbal and written inputs to GDVC Working Group members for the purpose of finalizing the business process requirements to be included in the tender for the new Customs IT system.

Reporting

The national Customs Operations experts will ultimately report to Mr. Andy Allan, the Senior Trade Facilitation Expert ([email protected]) but on a daily basis will report to Mr. Tu Pham ([email protected]), the Program’s Customs & Trade Facilitation Expert.

Qualification

• Bachelor's degree or higher in customs administration, business administration, trade policy, international trade, international economics, international trade law, or similar field;
• Minimum 15 years of experience working in relation to topics such as customs management and procedures, international trade agreements, trade facilitation, regional economic integration, etc.;
• Working knowledge, understanding and work experience with the WCO and WTO instruments such as the Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC) and the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA); and relevant customs administration expertise, especially on Valuation, HS Code, Origins, Intellectual Property, Violations Release, Inward and Outward Processing Relief, Export Processing Enterprises (EPEs)
• IT and presentation skills.

How to apply:

Applications should be submitted no later than 12 May, 2022 to [email protected];  

Applications should include:

1. Cover letter (no longer than 1 page)
2. CVs (see attached template); 
3. Updated USAID 1420 form (see attached template)
4. Cost proposal (See attached template)