Ethiopia: Investment Promotion Expert

1). Background

The East Africa Trade and Investment Hub (the Hub) is the U.S. Government’s flagship project under the presidential Trade Africa initiative, launched in 2013 to boost trade and investment with and within Africa. The Hub’s strategy is geared towards attracting and facilitating new investments and technology to promote trade within the East African Countries and other global markets especially the U.S under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). This will lead to the creation of new jobs and increase the region’s competitiveness.

The Ethiopia Investment Commission (EIC) is the principal and autonomous government institution that is responsible for promoting, coordinating and facilitating investment in Ethiopia. Established under Investment Proclamation No.769/2012 (as amended) and the Council of Ministers Regulation No. 313/2014, EIC is functionally overseen by the Ethiopian Investment Board– a governing body chaired by the Prime Minister that is composed of government officials designated by the Prime Minister. EIC serves as secretariat to Board. Over the years, EIC has undertaken a range of measures to ensure the efficiency of the service it renders and thereby increase client satisfaction levels. It has recently launched a new strategic plan and embarked on restructuring of its institutional setup to meet the changing dynamics of investment in the country, attend to the growing number and size of investment inflows and respond efficiently to the requirements of new frontiers in the investment landscape of the country such as the development of industrial parks. .

The main services provided by EIC include:

1. Promoting the country’s investment opportunities and conditions to foreign and domestic investors.

2. Issuing investment permits, business licenses and construction permits.

3. Notarizing memorandum and articles of association and amendments.

4. Issuing commercial registration certificates as well as renewals, amendments, replacements or cancellations.

5. Effecting registration of trade or firm name and amendment, as well as replacements or cancellations.

6. Issuing work permits, including renewals, replacements, suspensions or cancellations.

7. Grading first grade construction contractors.

8. Registering technology transfer agreements and export-oriented non-equity-based foreign enterprise collaborations with domestic investors.

9. Negotiating and, upon government approval, signing bilateral investment promotion and protection treaties with other countries.

10. Advising the government on policy measures needed to create an attractive investment climate for investors.

The Hub’s mandate is to improve Ethiopia’s investment climate and generate both foreign and domestic investment. A key element of this requires the support to the Government of Ethiopia’s investment regulation and promotion agency, the Ethiopia Investment Commission (EIC). The Hub would like to bring on board an Investment Promotion Expert for a12 months period to provide technical and institutional support to the Ethiopia Investment Commission (EIC) to improve its investment promotion strategy.

2). Objectives:

Under the supervision of the Deputy Commissioner for Policy Research and Investment Promotion, the Investment Promotion Expert will work to assist the Government of Ethiopia to increase private sector investment. To achieve this objective, it will require development of an investment promotion framework. The framework’s overall intent is to structure and develop capacity of the EIC to attract and support successful private investment in government priority areas such as agriculture, agro-processing, textile and garment, leather and leather related products, pharmaceuticals, light machineries manufacturing etc. The investment framework will also contribute to an improved business enabling environment by helping increase Ethiopia’s ranking on key business climate indicator indices, such as World Bank Doing Business indicators (DB).

3). Tasks: The Investment Promotion Expert will be expected to perform the following duties;

1. Develop and implement an effective, sector-focused investment promotion strategy, with an emphasis on:

2. Sector investment drivers analysis and sector specific benchmarking of investment opportunities, potentials and constraints

3. Sector specific investment promotion strategy development in accordance with indications to be given by EIC

4. Future sector identification and prioritization

5. Support EIC with implementation of a proactive investment promotion methodology, planning and organization including; Assist relevant EIC departments on production of appropriate investor outreach materials

6. Plan and organizing outreach campaigns,

7. Provide technical support in the planning and development of the investment promotion activities including but not limited to events such as trade and investment missions, conferences and workshops organized by EIC or other relevant government bodies. - Maintain up to date database of potential investors into the key sectors of focus in Ethiopia and follow up regularly for investment opportunities.

8. Assist EIC investment promotion team and the overseas Embassies and Consulates investment promotion teams to ensure accurate and up to date information on investment opportunities in Ethiopia is relayed globally.

9. Develop tools for all aspects of EIC’s communication platforms including: web sites (writing, editing and proofreading site content), email, social media, events etc updating and development of existing and new EIC staff on content management and strategy.

10. Attend regional trade and investment events and represent EIC and the Hub where required. 3.

3.Enhance EIC’s internal investment promotion functions through capacity and skills building of EIC investment promotion staff, leveraging on global best practices.

• Build capacity of EIC staff to be able to review investment projects, track investor interest and follow up post investment.

• Provide leadership and support to review and ensure implementation of the strategic plan developed by the EIC. - Develop, implement and follow up recommendations from investors, private and public sector stakeholders on opportunities to improve Ethiopia’s investment climate.

• Work closely with relevant government ministries and agencies to identify and address internal challenges affecting the effective conclusion of investment deals and follow up with EIC to address these.

• Support in the development of linkages with private sector partners in the country e.g. producers, traders and associations that will act as investment catalysts within priority sectors identified by the government; including

• Providing advisory services to Ethiopian businesses in the key sectors of focus to become investment ready, through business model and product advice, investor linkages and deal facilitation.

4). Deliverables:

The Investment Promotion Expert shall be expected to:

• Support the EIC in attracting at least USD 25 million new investments in the key sectors of agribusiness and agro-processing, textile and leather.
• Support the EIC in the creation of at least 500 full time jobs from the investments that take place in the industrial parks in Ethiopia

· Develop and implement an effective, sector-focused investment promotion strategy, one three priority areas as identified by EIC.

• Perform a review of the current investment promotion materials used by EIC and help develop improved materials.
• Develop a business development tool to help EIC staff track investment opportunities and follow up.
• Plan and execute investment promotion missions with EIC to attract foreign direct investment into targeted sectors.

5). Reporting:

The Investment Promotion Expert shall report to the Deputy Commissioner for Policy Research and Investment Promotion – Ethiopia Investment Commission, and the Hub’s Country Representative in Ethiopia

Base of Operation: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Period of Performance: 12 Months

6). Eligibility:

1. A post graduate degree in economics, business or any related social science field.

2. At least 10 years in a senior management role within the private sector and or government institution and at least 8 years relevant industry experience.

3. Demonstrated understanding of the role of the government investment promotion agencies and how they operate.

4. Good knowledge of cost effective investment promotion strategies and tools benchmarked by international standards.

5. Experience in directing, coordinating and/or providing leadership on investment related policy issues regionally or internationally.

6. Highly networked individual in the local and international investment space at both private sector and government level

7. Extensive and demonstrable technical & practical experience in value chain development, quality assurance, market development, research and development in key sectors such as agribusiness and agro processing, textile and leather.

8. Proven record of successful implementation of partnerships, key account management, cost effective business processes and innovations projects in previous assignments.

9. Demonstrated understanding of the trade and investment environment in Ethiopia.

10. Methodical research skills with analytical capabilities in collecting, distilling and interpreting data.

11. An innovative and pragmatic problem solver with demonstrable skills for prioritization and organization of tasks.

12. Demonstrated leadership skills, ability to work in a team and sell new ideas and innovations.

13. Excellent English report writing and communication skills.

Interested and qualified applicants should submit their applications in PDF (preferred) or other electronic formats on or before December 11, 2016 to tenderstih@eatradehub.org

The proposal submitted should have:

i. Curriculum Vitae (not more than 5 pages) which should include Three (3) referees. (Note: references listed should be from supervisors or other individuals who reviewed prior consultancy work completed).

ii. A copy of the highest awarded education certificate

iii. Proposed technical approach to improving the investment promotion strategy of the EIC in relation to the above purpose of the expert (not more than 10 pages)

iv. At most one page summary budget which should contain the proposed professional fees and operational costs for undertaking this assignment. Note: the budget should only contain professional fees for the consultant (preferably stating rate per day and total fees) plus any consultant’s accommodation or/and travel as may be applicable.

v. Not more than 2 pages schedule summarizing past relevant work experience stating assignment title, dates of the assignment, brief description of the assignment, client name, value of work done and point of contact.

vi. At least one sample assessment or a deliverable that is similar to this assignment conducted in the applicant’s past areas of work.

Visit http://www.eatradehub.org/call_for_applications_for_individual_consultants_ic_investment_promotion_expert to view the scope of work and learn more about The Trade hub.