Expert Institutional Management for Textile Business Linkages with Export Orientation

Background

In line with the Ethiopian Home-Grown Economic Reform, the British and German governments are supporting the country’s pathway towards industrialization through the implementation of a joint project named Sustainable Industrial Clusters (S.I.C.). The project is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH under a co-financing agreement between the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) of the United Kingdom and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). S.I.C. has the objective of fostering job-effective growth while improving social and environmental sustainability in Ethiopia’s manufacturing sector. Within this framework sequa supports business linkages between Ethiopian based textile suppliers and exporters in industry parks.

The project will focus on products and services that are currently imported but that can potentially be sourced locally:

• Tier 1: Fabric supply, knitwear, woven fabric etc.
• Tier 2: Accessories (hard and soft), value adding services (wash, print, embroidery, dyeing, etc.), subcontracting. 
• Tier 3: Packaging supplies and services

 Expert Institutional Management for Textile Business Linkages with Export Orientation

We are looking for an institutional and policy management expert to facilitate textile business linkages with export orientation. The consultant will collaborate very closely with the Ministry of Industry (MoI) and the Ethiopian Investment Commission (EIC). The consultant is required to participate in relevant government meetings and lobby for the interests of the project.

Tasks

• Liaise with FDIs in the industry parks and export orientated supply chains companies (Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3) to identify necessary policy gaps and formulate recommendations to improve overall investment climate and export facilitation.
• Actively lobby with government institutions to realize recommended policy changes and facilitate the integration into relevant regulative structures
• Facilitate relevant stakeholder meetings to address identified challenges and opportunities for export orientation. Organize matchmaking events like forums, exchange visits, workshops, platforms and seminars. It Includes but not limited to 
• Induction workshop and visits for potential buyers/manufacturers about local sourcing capacity
• Facilitate nomination of potential local suppliers for interested buyers and IP suppliers.
• Promote the business linkages to new investments and collect their basic demands from the local suppliers.

• Facilitate the visits of international experts and consultants relevant for capacity building events. This may also include the facilitation of visa and work permit for international consultants. 

Duration and Schedule of the Assignment

The consultancy lasts for 50-days, starting from 15th June 2022 to 31st December 2022. The consultant will collaborate with an international team based in Addis Ababa. 

Deliverables

• Document solutions to policy and operational issues that are obstacles to the business linkage, and which are sources of not being price competitive, availability of hard currency to meet delivery of buyers and good business environment for sustainable linkage.
• Formulate recommendation incentive mechanisms for better attractions for local sourcing including taxes and lobby to governmental structures.
• Facilitate and document workshops, visits and meetings among suppliers and buyers in the business linkage as per detailed action plan agreed for the year

Searched qualifications of the expert:

• 15 years of experience in institutional management in the textiles sector in Ethiopia
• Very well connected in the sector and with the relevant government institutions
• Having a clear private sector focus, strong experience in export industry
• Very good network into the relevant ministries and other government structures
• Leadership and team leading ability
• Fluency in English