Location :
BURKINA FASO
Application Deadline :
26-Oct-13
Additional Category
Poverty Reduction
Type of Contract :
Individual Contract
Post Level :
National Consultant
Languages Required :
English French
Starting Date : (date when the selected candidate is expected to start)
18-Nov-2013
Duration of Initial Contract :
30 work-days
Expected Duration of Assignment :
30 work-days
Background
General Background of the Services Case Studies Project
African economies are required to improve their competitiveness and diversify their economic base in the current context of global trade liberalization in part due to the erosion of preferences in traditional exports like bananas, sugar and clothing. Trade in commodities, though the prime generator of employment and foreign earnings can no longer sustain African's development by itself. The region's relatively small share in world markets is well documented and signals that African economies must invest in new and more sustainable sources of employment, exports and growth.
As part of an effort to address the challenges of Intra-African trade, and the need to come up with strategies to improve the situation, the African Union Summit of Heads of Government in January 2012 adopted an Action Plan for Boosting Intra-African Trade and a Framework for the fast tracking of a continental free trade agreement (CFTA). A number of issues and priorities were identified to enhance intra-African trade. Among others, enhancing trade in services was seen as an important and emerging opportunity to explore. In this context, the following recommendations were made:
- Partners are summoned to assist Regional Economic Communities (RECs) in developing regional frameworks for services in trade liberalization;
- The AUC and RECs should assist Member States in strengthening domestic regulations in specific service sectors in preparation for regional and continental liberalization;
- The AUC and partners should assist RECs and Member States in mainstreaming services into regional and national export strategies, with a focus on sectors with potential to enhance intra-African trade in services;
- RECs and Member States should improve trade in statistics to aid policy analysis and formulation.
Cultural Industries in Burkina Faso
The cultural industries sector is an area of the global economy where Burkina Faso enjoys some notable comparative advantage. Burkina Faso's contribution to Africa's cultural sector, particularly popular film, fashion and music, has been very significant over the recent years. This is an aspect of the new global economy and of services trade that Burkina Faso can and has been participating in with relatively low levels of investment. This also represents a window of opportunity given the growth in the global cultural industries, the increasing commercialization of the arts in the burgeoning digital and knowledge economy and the widening acceptance of alternative genres around the world. From this standpoint investing in the cultural industries provides worthwhile returns because it draws on the creativity of regional artists as well as cultural entrepreneurs and communities, and generates high value-added forms of employment, production and exports. It also aids in strengthening the competitiveness of the tourism sector through market diversification, destination branding and media value
The challenges for the development of cultural industries in Burkina Faso and in Africa in general go beyond lack of talent, product or market. The main challenge is that of establishing new and alternative art forms and genres in global, regional and national markets that are increasingly saturated with content from the main cultural exporters (e.g. the US, EU and India). Additionally, the challenge lies in backing up the creativity of African artists by an entrepreneurial, managerial, marketing and distribution capability from within the local business sector. In the cultural industries sector, the business environment has suffered from a lack of investment capital, managerial talent, business support services, fragmented institutional framework and weak governmental facilitation in terms of support policies, including trade policy, promotion efforts and intellectual property policies.
Duties and Responsibilities
Scope of Work and Methodology
The scope of work for the project is understood to cover all activities necessary to accomplish the stated objectives of the project, whether or not a specific activity is cited in these terms of reference. The methodology of approaching firms will be undertaken through a harmonized survey/questionnaire. The main tasks/activities are described below:
- Review relevant reports on the state of development of the services sector in Burkina Faso;
- Review the development of Burkina Faso's cultural industries sector as well as current cultural activities.
- To the best extent possible, estimate the contribution of the cultural services sector to the GDP, employment and trade of Burkina Faso;
- Evaluate the factors that have been responsible for the success of the development of a cultural services industry in Burkina Faso, including the role of relevant government promotion and training policies;
- Review the way in which Burkina Faso is currently exporting cultural services ;including through the undertaking of select case studies on domestic firms;
- Evaluate the opportunities for increasing exports of entertainment and other cultural services from Burkina Faso both within and without the African region;
- Comment on the challenges to further development of the cultural services industry and of cultural services exports
- Recommend ways to promote sector development and increase the export of services;
- Review the approaches used by Burkina Faso in the area of cultural industries to identify current best practices for the development of the entertainment sector and for the promotion of the export of cultural services by other African countries;
- Make recommendations on how the competitiveness of the cultural industries sector can be enhanced through business and trade facilitation, legislative and institutional capacity strengthening, human resource development, etc.
The above activities that constitute the Scope of Work will be carried out through a variety of methods which will involve investigation of the economic and export performance of the cultural industries sector in Burkina Faso based on primary and secondary data gathering as well as on interviews with key cultural firms, stakeholders and national policy makers.
Competencies
Core Competencies:
Ethics and Values:- Demonstrate and safeguard ethics and integrity.
- Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment;
- Development and Innovation: Take charge of self-development and take initiative.
- Demonstrate ability to work in a multicultural, multi ethnic environment and to maintain effective working relations with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.
- Facilitate and encourage open communication and strive for effective communication;
- Ability to work in culturally diverse environments and display diplomacy and tact.
Functional competencies:
- Strong proven capacity in , data collection and analysis;
- Good facilitation and communication skills;
- Ability to plan, prioritize and deliver a variety of tasks on time;
- Exercise sound judgment/analysis;
- Ability to provide constructive coaching and feedback for others;
- Ability to liaise with a myriad of stakeholders and partners, including government, civil society, international organizations and grassroots organizations.
Required Skills and Experience
Education :
- A combination of postgraduate and undergraduate qualifications in the arts, and international development/international trade or related field with equivalent experience in the field of international trade in services-PHD will be an added advantage.
- At least Eight (8) years' experience at a senior level in policy development and application and/or programming national or regional levels;
- Expertise in the area of international services trade and services policy;
- Knowledge of the global and regional Cultural industry/sector would be an advantage;
- Knowledge of trade policy and services trade negotiation issues at the regional and multilateral level and of African interests in services negotiations; and
- In-depth knowledge of trade policy issues in Burkina Faso.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills, in French and English.
UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.
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