Request for Proposal – Regional Trade for Development Program
Event Organisation and Management for an on-site event on AISP Project “Implementing AANZFTA Data Rules: Advancing Cross-Border E-Commerce.
About RT4D
The Regional Trade for Development (RT4D) initiative is funded by both the Governments of Australia and New Zealand. It assists ASEAN Member States (AMS) in meeting their commitments and realising the advantages offered by the Agreement establishing the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area, or AANZFTA, and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP.
Through the AANZFTA Implementation Support Program (AISP) and the RCEP Implementation Support Program (RISP), RT4D provides tailored support to enhance the capabilities of ASEAN Member States by strengthening skills, building networks, facilitating policy options and ensuring that trade benefits everyone, including Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), women and people with disabilities.
Also operating under RT4D is the Trade and Gender Equality Incubator (TGEI), an initiative funded by the Australian Government. The incubator tests ideas and methods, drawing on promising examples, that integrate gender in trade policy, technical cooperation, and development programming.
The Governments of Australia and New Zealand have committed up to AUD 48.7 million to fund RT4D from 2020-21 to 2027-28.
Project Summary
The AANZFTA Implementation Support Program (AISP), implemented RT4D Facility, aims to support AMS to realise the full benefits of AANZFTA through the provision of capacity-building support and access to technical expertise.
The following project is approved under AISP.
•Project Name: Implementing AANZFTA Data Rules: Advancing Cross-Border E-Commerce.
•Project Objective:
Request for Proposal – AANZFTA Implementation Support Program (AISP) - Promoting AANZFTA through Communications and Business Engagement
The Regional Trade for Development (RT4D) Facility supports ASEAN Member States to maximise benefits from the upgraded ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement. Through the AANZFTA Implementation Support Program (AISP) and the RCEP Implementation Support Program (RISP), RT4D provides tailored support to enhance the capabilities of ASEAN Member States by strengthening skills, building networks, facilitating policy options and ensuring that trade benefits everyone, including Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), women and people with disabilities.
Also operating under RT4D is the Trade and Gender Equality Incubator (TGEI), an initiative funded by the Australian Government. The incubator tests ideas and methods, drawing on promising examples, that integrate gender in trade policy, technical cooperation, and development programming. The Governments of Australia and New Zealand have committed up to AUD 48.7 million to fund RT4D from 2020-21 to 2027-28
This project will support a series of connected communications activities to promote AANZFTA throughout the Financial Year 2024-25 (until June 2025) under the AANZFTA Implementation Support Program (AISP) to strengthen public and private sector stakeholders' awareness of its economic benefits.
Objectives:
(i) Increase understanding of AANZFTA, the AANZFTA Upgrade, and AISP activities.
(ii) Build on 2023 AISP-ECWP communications and business engagement initiatives, including:
(iii) Develop business engagement resources to strengthen partnerships with diverse and potentially marginalised communities.
Key Outputs:
Request for Proposal – Regional Trade for Development
Implementation Consultant and Event Organiser for Building Institutional Capacity for Sanitary and Phytosanitary Standards (SPS) Implementation under RCEP
The Regional Trade for Development (RT4D) Facility supports ASEAN Member States to maximise benefits from the upgraded ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement. Through the AANZFTA Implementation Support Program (AISP) and the RCEP Implementation Support Program (RISP), RT4D provides tailored support to enhance the capabilities of ASEAN Member States by strengthening skills, building networks, facilitating policy options and ensuring that trade benefits everyone, including Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), women and people with disabilities.
Also operating under RT4D is the Trade and Gender Equality Incubator (TGEI), an initiative funded by the Australian Government. The incubator tests ideas and methods, drawing on promising examples, that integrate gender in trade policy, technical cooperation, and development programming. The Governments of Australia and New Zealand have committed up to AUD 48.7 million to fund RT4D from 2020-21 to 2027-28.
This project was created to implement activities that align with RCEP Chapter 5 on SPS. The objective is to enhance the practical application of SPS measures by promoting transparency and understanding of the development processes and applications among relevant stakeholders. The project seeks to strengthen coordination, communication, and consultation among the domestic parties involved in SPS measures, adhering to international standards, guidelines, and recommendations. With support from RCEP and the RT4D program, the fundamental goal of this project is to build the institutional capabilities of key stakeholders at the central and provincial levels under the leadership of FDD. This will set up a foundation to establish a modern, comprehensive, high-quality, and mutually beneficial economic partnership, facilitating regional trade and investment expansion and contributing to global economic growth.
Improving inter-departmental coordination is another crucial component of the project; it will establish a collaborative, dynamic platform for stakeholders such as the FDD, Department of Agriculture (DOA), Department of Livestock and Fisheries (DOLF), and Department of Planning (DOP) to monitor and evaluate the implementation of SPS chapters. This initiative aims to promote transparency, ensuring senior decision-makers and policy formulators have a unified understanding of the SPS chapter and the ASEAN Sectoral Mutual Recognition Arrangement for Inspection and Certification Systems on Food Hygiene for Prepared Foodstuff Products (MRA) guidelines, alongside developing implementation regulations that clarify procedural and operational parameters. This framework seeks to mitigate arbitrary decision-making while reinforcing compliance with national legal standards through stringent oversight and formalised inspection processes.
The specific objectives of this project are to:
Request for Proposal – Regional Trade for Development Program
Technical Consultant, Project “Advancing Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) in Regional Economic Integration and Trade in ASEAN – From Learning to Policy Actions”
About RT4D
The Regional Trade for Development (RT4D) Facility supports ASEAN Member States to maximise benefits from the upgraded ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement. Under the operation of the RT4D, the Trade and Gender Equality Incubator (TGEI), with funding support from Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), tests ideas and methods, drawing on promising practice to advance gender equality within trade-related policies, technical cooperation, and development programming.
Project Summary
GEDSI-responsive trade policy is important to ensure that all economic actors benefit from regional trade and economic integration. This regional project aims to build ASEAN Member State (AMS) capacity in gender equality, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI) and trade, such that relevant officials are better able to design and implement GEDSI-responsive trade policy and trade facilitation programs in their countries. TGEI intends a partnership with the World Trade Organization (WTO) to:
1. Adapt existing training materials on gender and trade to the ASEAN context.
2. Deliver these trainings to ASEAN officials (online and in-person).
3. Provide technical assistance to select AMS to implement GEDSI-responsive trade policy.
4. Foster a community of practice to support policymakers in these endeavours.
About RT4D
The Regional Trade for Development (RT4D) initiative is funded by both the Governments of Australia and New Zealand. It assists ASEAN Member States (AMS) in meeting their commitments and realising the advantages offered by the Agreement establishing the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area, or AANZFTA, and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP.
Through the AANZFTA Implementation Support Program (AISP) and the RCEP Implementation Support Program (RISP), RT4D provides tailored support to enhance the capabilities of ASEAN Member States by strengthening skills, building networks, facilitating policy options and ensuring that trade benefits everyone, including Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), women and people with disabilities.
Also operating under RT4D is the Trade and Gender Equality Incubator (TGEI), an initiative funded by the Australian Government. The incubator tests ideas and methods, drawing on promising examples, that integrate gender in trade policy, technical cooperation, and development programming.
The Governments of Australia and New Zealand have committed up to AUD 48.7 million to fund RT4D from 2020-21 to 2027-28.
Project Summary
The RCEP Implementation Support Program (RISP), implemented RT4D Facility, aims to support AMS to realise the full benefits of RCEP through the provision of capacity building support and access to technical expertise.
The following project is approved under RISP.
• Project Name: Fostering Inclusive Policies and Practices in ASEAN’s E-Waste Management and Recycling Industry to support Manufacturing Related Services
• Project Objective: The project aims to strengthen inclusive regulatory frameworks and business practices in e-waste management and recycling services; especially those of electronic vehicles (EV) battery and solar cell panels. In doing so, the project will ensure that e-waste policies and business models in ASEAN advance gender equality, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI) outcomes and promote more equitable, innovative and environmentally friendly manufacturing practices. In line with this aim, the project has the following objectives:
o to strengthen the capabilities of key stakeholders who are engaged in e-waste management and recycling services to use digital technologies, especially in the area of EV batteries and solar cell panel supply chains.
o to identify GEDSI issues and recommendations to support businesses, including those owned by women and people with disabilities, to effectively participate in e-waste management and recycling services.
o to encourage key stakeholders, particularly policy makers, to align trade related policies and regulatory frameworks to advance GEDSI and circular economy practices at the national and regional levels.
Cowater International is recruiting a long-term, full-time Regional Director in Southeast Asia.
The role is best suited to a candidate with strong leadership, strategic thinking, facilitation, and proven experience in regional program management.
Senior Program Officer- Judicial Learning and Development
Are you passionate about supporting rights-based justice in the Philippines? Tetra Tech International Development is looking for an experienced Senior Program Officer- Judicial Learning and Development. This position will support the capacity of judges and court personnel to deliver quality administration and adjudication of cases on a range of specialist and technical areas.
Contribute to a world where people, communities and the planet thrive.
Tetra Tech International Development is a leading development consulting firm working with government, businesses, and NGOs to solve complex development challenges in the Indo-Pacific region. For more information, please visit our website .
The opportunity
FAIR Justice Program
The Fostering Advancement of Inclusive, Rights Based (FAIR) Justice Program (the Program) will advance Australia and Philippines’ shared commitment to the rule of law, rights-based justice, and strong and accountable institutions, as vital to the stability, security, and prosperity in the Philippines and in the Indo Pacific region. Building on Australia and the Philippines’ longstanding cooperation in law and justice, the Program will support a broader justice system strengthening and ensure greater synergy with DFAT’s investments in promoting rights-based justice, countering terrorism and violent extremism, combatting human trafficking and protecting children against online abuse and exploitation, as well as justice initiatives of other donors and development partners.
Education Pathways for Peace in Mindanao Program will conduct a three-year research study to determine the impact of the program’s interventions on targeted schools (kinder to grade 3 only) in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). The research will be designed as a small n study testing the theory of change for each of four types of school: community schools (known as Learning Centres), catchment schools connected to the Learning Centres (known as Associated Catchment Schools), targeted madrasah schools, and the model inclusive schools (known as Inclusive and Supportive Centres of Learning).
This theory-based evaluation approach will be used to identify what worked by looking into the changes brought about by Pathways-supported intervention and, importantly, to understand why and how the interventions worked. The research will start in 2024 and be repeated in 2025 and 2026. The study will provide baseline data in 2024 and, where possible, estimate retrospective baselines as of September 2022 when schools reopened after the COVID-19 Pandemic. Data collection will estimate where Pathways is contributing to better learning outcomes, classroom teaching and learning practices, learning and development for teachers, support to schools by divisional offices, school-based management practices, and inclusion practices including equity outcomes for key variables.
The study aims to:
Identify to what extent Pathways’ interventions are reaching and creating change at the school and classroom level, and impacting children’s literacy and numeracy
Identify adaptations and modifications that are both positively and negatively influencing the outcomes
Understand results for different variables across the type of schools
How contextual factors are influencing the outcomes expected at the school-level
Identify the enablers, barriers, and challenges influencing school-level outcomes
Identify good practices and effective strategies within each school type
Provide learning and recommendations as to how policy and implementation can be improved during the remainder of the program, as MBHTE and the Philippines Department of Education take policy interventions forward, and to inform Australia’s ongoing education sector work.
The program’s overall target beneficiaries for each school type are 210 Learning Centres, 123 Associate Catchment Schools, 25 Madrasah, and one Inclusive and Supportive Centre for Learning (ISCL). Pathways support to each school type has included[1]:
Learning Centres
Pathways' assistance to the MBHTE Abot Kaalaman sa Pamilyang Pilipino (AKAP) Program aims to offer quality early years' education to learners in barangays without schools. This involves establishing functional learning centres (LCs) or providing flexible learning options in validated school-less barangays. By the end of the 2023-2024 school year, AKAP provided kindergarten to grade 3 education to 123 geographically isolated, disadvantaged, and conflict-affected communities in BARMM by introducing grade 3 classes.
Pathways' support to AKAP focuses on enrolling out-of-school children, enhancing social inclusion and strengthening stakeholder engagement at various governance levels and with the school. This involves enhancing stakeholder engagement in learning centres, community structures, school division offices, local government units, and the regional AKAP Technical Working Group.
Associated Catchment Schools
An Associated Catchment School is a catchment school assigned to manage an AKAP Learning Centre established under the Pathways Program. Pathways has progressively lifted the Catchment Schools linked to AKAP Learning Centres to ensure they provide support and management to the Centres for them to succeed. The focus is for the Associated Catchment Schools to develop specific support and management skills. The program’s support to the Associated Catchment Schools includes providing trainings to K-3 teachers and Catchment School Heads, designing and planning K-3 teaching and learning materials, developing K-3 learning assessment tools and manual, and production of teaching learning readers in Filipino and mother-tongue languages, among others.
Madrasah
Pathways support to madrasah is at both the system level to help establish system arrangements that will improve both formal and non-formal madrasah and improve delivery by the targeted madrasah. At the system level, Pathways support has included the development of the Bangsamoro Education Code, Madrasah Education Strategic Plan, Madrasah Comprehensive Plan, and the Madrasah Establishment System. The 25 targeted madrasah is a group of `formal’ madrasah that were established before 2017 that are still operating and are considered `stable’ and development ready. All 25 madrasah are private entities and `formal madrasah’ are recognised under the Bangsamoro Education Code as delivering the governments’ curriculum and are subject to government quality assurance processes. Pathways’ support ranges from development of curriculum and learning materials, teacher and school leader training, and introducing school-base management. Madrasah are recognised as historically under resourced and therefore less developed institutions whereby responding to Pathways’ supported interventions will take longer.
Inclusive and Supportive Centres of Learning
The ISCL refers to a primary school that is being transformed into a model inclusion institution of learning with an ecology that adapts to the needs of children. The model school supports a network of other public schools, known as Satellite Public Schools, which are coached by the ISCL and MBHTE (regional and divisions) to progressively implement the Inclusive Schools Approach. Pathways started supporting the development of the model inclusive school in 2022. To date, Pathways has supported ISCL with the development of the Inclusive Schools Approach Omnibus Policy, ISA-ISCL Five Essentials, and training of teachers and school leaders in inclusion and Play-based Approach.
_________________________________
[1] Pathways will provide a table to the successful candidate identifying the scope, timing, and nature of interventions rolled out to-date.
