The Life & Peace Institute (LPI) is an international and ecumenical centre that supports and promotes nonviolent approaches to conflict transformation through a combination of research and action that entails the strengthening of existing local capacities and enhancing the preconditions for building peace. It works in the Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes Regions and has its regional office for the Horn of Africa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
LPI is looking for consultants to to develop Regional Policy on Informal Cross Border Trade (ICBT).
Terms of Reference (TOR):
1. Introduction
Most states lack the administrative resources, the monopoly of legitimate violence, and, in some cases, the political will to police their borders.[1] There are many sources of insecurity in the borderlands such as porous borders, violent conflicts, and trafficking in Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALWs). Informal Cross Border Trade (ICBT) is ubiquitous across the borderlands of the IGAD region and its socio-economic implications and scope are immense. According to some studies, ICBT is a source of livelihood for more than 40% of continent’s population (Afrika & Ajumbo 2012).[2] It is also a critical component of the security complex of the region and a key aspect of the tensions between borderland populations and governments.
The Collaborative Policy Analysis and Engagement Pilot initiative (henceforth Collaborative Policy Initiative or CPI) is a joint initiative between the LPI-HARP (Life & Peace Institute-Horn of Africa Programme), IGAD-CEWARN (Inter Governmental Authority on Development-Conflict Early Warning and Response Mechanism), IAG (Inter Africa Group) and OSSREA (the Organization for Social Science Research in Southern and Eastern Africa) (from henceforth the Quartet). It sought to identify policy dilemmas and develop policy options in response to these dilemmas through a uniquely collaborative and participatory process that involves government officials and experts but also local communities, civil society, and academia. The quartet identified the nexus of ICBT and Cross Border Security Governance (CBSG) as the policy dilemma that would be the focus of the Pilot. The Quartet also adopted a knowledge harvest approach to synthesize existing knowledge and the views of diverse stakeholders on the ICBT-CBSG nexus.
The scope of the knowledge harvest included 7 member states of the IGAD (Uganda, Kenya, South Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Sudan). It covered eight borderlands and border crossing points; Busia (Kenya-Uganda), Liboi-Dobhley (Kenya-Somalia), Moyale (Kenya-Ethiopia), Togowajale (Ethiopia-Somalia), Nimuley (South Sudan-Uganda), Abyei-South & West Kordofan(South Sudan- Sudan), Afar-Dikhil (Ethiopia-Djibouti), Metema-Al Qadarif-Kassala-Gash Barka (Ethiopia-Sudan-Eritrea).
The knowledge harvest produced valuable data regarding the livelihoods and resilience contributions of ICBT, patterns of ICBT in the region, the variations in the policy frameworks governing ICBT, a range of desired policy shifts and recommendations etc. In a process that took over a year to complete, the knowledge harvest produced over 20 outputs drawn from academia, civil society, local communities and government officials from the respective countries and borderlands.
2. Rationale
As pointed out earlier, while the knowledge harvest has generated valuable data and analysis on the ICBT-CBSG nexus, the fact remains that several key lacunae persist. A key gap centers on the fact that the knowledge harvest and its outputs have not led to the identification of an overarching policy framework and specific policy options for the IGAD region as a whole that would allow leveraging shifts in ICBT policy to improve CBSG. Another central issue remains the wide variation in policy frameworks (national, bilateral and regional) on ICBT and the difficulty in identifying a policy framework and options that would synthesize the optimal elements from all these. Finally the wide variation in conditions and situations across the borderlands in the IGAD region is another obstacle in developing an overarching IGAD framework on ICBT.
In order to narrow/fill these gaps, and meet its objective of identifying policy options that could be presented to regional and national level decision makers for adoption and implementation, the Pilot needs to translate all the analysis and outputs it has harvested thus far, into a policy document. The Pilot has already garnered great interest and support from the IGAD Secretariat. IGAD member states have also showed signs of support for a regional policy framework that would leverage shifts in ICBT policy to improve CBSG in the IGAD region.
Therefore, capitalizing on the knowledge harvested so far and building on the existing political will, the Quartet would like to develop a draft regional policy framework on ICBT-CBSG on behalf of IGAD. Considering that ‘collaborative policy making’ has been a critical element of the Pilot process itself, not only the quality of the final draft regional policy framework but also the process of generating this draft i.e. in a collaborative and participatory manner – is important. In order to facilitate such a process, the Pilot will hold a three-day workshop where civil society, academics and relevant national and regional government officials come together to provide content for the regional policy framework.
3. Key Objectives
In order to leverage shifts in ICBT policy to enhance livelihoods for borderland communities, regional integration and improve cross border security, the consultant/s will be expected to;
I. Design and lead the three day workshop in a way that leverages the participation of the various stakeholders that would be present in the workshop, to draft a regional policy framework
II. Develop an overarching policy framework and policy options on ICBT for the IGAD region as a whole, in consideration of the interests and concerns of all relevant stakeholders.
4. Roles & Responsibilities of Consultants
The consultants will be expected to;
I. Review relevant IGAD frameworks and strategies that would have bearing on proposed ICBT framework for IGAD region such as the IGAD minimum integration protocol.
II. Review and assess 2005 EAC (East African Community) Customs Union and 2010 EAC Common Market Protocol, relevance and applicability of elements of these EAC frameworks for IGAD Member States (MSs) in relation to proposed ICBT policy
III. Familiarize themselves with the Pilot initiative and the outputs of the knowledge harvest.
IV. Develop the facilitation plan of the policy options identification workshop and assist in its organization
V. Develop the background paper for the participants of the workshop that outlines the objectives of the Pilot, the outcomes of the knowledge harvest conducted thus far, existing regional frameworks that would lend a hand to the draft ICBT-CBSG framework, and the various possibilities of pursuing the draft regional policy framework on ICBT-CBSG
VI. Moderate the policy options identification workshop and elicit content that would go into the draft policy framework
VII. Based on the discussions in the policy options identification workshop, as well as the outputs produced in previous stages of the Pilot, develop an overarching ICBT framework for the IGAD region and for IGAD MSs’ consideration.
VIII. Review and revise draft policy framework in consultations with quartet and legal expert seconded from IGAD.
5. Expected deliverables
Deliverable | Timeline |
A five page background paper for the participants of the workshop outlining the existing regional frameworks that would lend a hand to the draft ICBT-CBSG framework, and the various possibilities of pursuing the draft regional policy (to define the form of the draft policy framework and inform next steps towards its adoption)
| Oct 28th |
An outline and agenda for the three-day policy options identification workshop and a facilitation plan | Oct 28th |
Develop list of experts/participants for the workshop | Oct 28th |
Conduct/support facilitation of workshop | Nov 1st – 4th
|
First draft policy framework
| Nov 11th |
Final draft policy framework
| Nov 19th |
6. Timeline
The consultants will be expected to complete the consultancy in a period not exceeding two months (October-November 2016).
Timeframe | Activity Items | Expected Output/s |
Oct 14th –20th | I. Announcement of Research/Consultancy II. Contract
| I. Shortlisting of candidates II. Final selection III. Signature of contract |
Oct 20th -28th
| I. Review IGAD policy instruments II. Review relevant EAC policy instruments III. Review of Pilot/KH outputs IV. Identify participants for workshop V. Develop format for workshop | I. Preliminary report on IGAD policy instruments, EAC instruments & KH outputs and ICBT policy. II. Assist in identifying experts for workshop III. Develop format for workshop |
Nov 1st – 4th
| I. Workshop | I. Participate in workshop. |
Nov 5th – 11th | I. Develop 1st draft policy framework | I. Submit 1st draft policy framework |
Nov 11th -16th | II. Review by IGAD legal expert | II. Completion of review and submission |
Nov 16th -19th
| I. Finalizing policy framework | I. Submission of policy framework |
7. Total billable days
The consultants will calculate costs/payment based on twenty two days.[3] Consultants will also be required to submit a financial proposal.
[1] Vorrath, J. 2010. ‘On the Margin of Statehood? State-Society Relations in African Borderlands’ in Understanding life in the borderlands: Boundaries in depth and in motion, pp.85-104.
[2] Afrika, Jean-Guy K and Ajumbo, Gerald. 2012. Informal Cross Border Trade in Africa: Implications and Policy Recommendations. AFDB, Africa Economic Brief, Vol. 3, Issue 10, November 2012.
[3] October 20th to October 28th , 8 working days. November 1st to November 4th , 4 working days. November 5th to November 11th, 7 working days. November 16th to November 19th, 3 working days.
8. Qualifications of Consultants
Two consultants are required. The consultant(s) should possess working experience in the IGAD region and/or having worked with the other regional integration organizations. Preference will be given to individuals or organizations with proven relevant experience in undertaking a task of similar magnitude, and shall preferably among others, have the following qualifications and experience:
I. Advanced university degree, preferably a Doctorate, in economics or development economics with an emphasis on cross border trade, international trade and trade facilitation issues, macroeconomics or closely related areas.
II. Advanced social sciences degree, preferably a Doctorate (minimum MA, LLM), with research experience on borderlands, informal cross border trade/specialization in regional economic integration.
III. Research experience and extensive publications on issue of border governance, cross-border trade, ICBT, conflict and insecurity in borderlands, regional integration.
IV. Fluency in written and spoken English. Knowledge of French is desirable.