KEY INFORMATION
Job Title: Independent consultant
Training Sector: Trade and development
Position Type: Short-term (3-months)
Duration/Level of Effort: Part-time
Position Location: Remote
Background
Funded by Global Affairs Canada, the Expert Deployment Mechanism for Trade and Development (EDM) provides technical assistance to Official Development Assistance (ODA)-eligible countries to maximize the development impacts of trade and investment. Over seven years (2018-2026), EDM is investing CAD 16.5 million to support Canada’s developing country trading partners to negotiate, implement, benefit from, and adapt to trade and investment agreements with Canada.
EDM is a demand-driven project that benefits partners - including governments, local private sector groups and local civil society organizations - through capacity building and technical advisory support on policy reform issues that have a high potential to reduce poverty and gender inequalities and support progress in trade and investment agreement negotiations and implementation. Over the last seven years, EDM has implemented trade and development programming in eight countries (Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Paraguay, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and Panama) and, as a group (all ODA-eligible members of ASEAN). For more information about EDM, please go to: https://edm-mde.ca
Project Description
EDM has three programming pillars: trade negotiations; trade agreement implementation; and benefiting from, and adapting to, trade agreements. All EDM programming fully integrates both the overall development objectives of Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP) and the specific Gender and Social Inclusion (GESI) and the environment and sustainable development objectives of that policy.
In its final year of operation, EDM is interested in commissioning a policy paper on lessons learned and the policy implications of how international development assistance - using EDM as a case study - can support both Canada’s trade and development objectives and Canada’s trade diversification objectives.
The target audience for the paper includes trade and development government officials, officials of international organizations interested in trade and development issues, non-governmental trade and development experts and others interested in trade and development issues.
Description of Assignment/Key Responsibilities
Donors have been providing trade-related technical assistance (TRTA) for decades to support the trade and development objectives of developing countries. Most of the analysis done on the results achieved from TRTA has focused on its impact, positive or otherwise, on developing countries. That was the objective: support developing countries so they can fully benefit from trade by increasing their capacity to negotiate, implement, benefit from - and adapt to - their bilateral and regional trade agreements.
Canada and the trading partners of these developing countries also benefit from this assistance: a more predictable, credible and rules-based regulatory framework for trade and investment in the targeted developing countries creates new trade and investment opportunities in these countries for firms based in developed countries.
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s mandate to his ministers has given policymakers the opportunity to question the assumptions behind conventional thinking about public policy and to find creative ways to address the social, economic and security problems currently facing Canada. As GAC examines internally its policy “tool kit” with the view to new thinking of how these tools can be used and combined to advance Canada’s interests internationally, one question to be addressed is: how can Canadian international development assistance best support both Canada’s trade objectives while also advancing the trade and development objectives of its developing country trading partners?
Since its establishment in 2017, EDM has been at the forefront of putting this trade and development “nexus” into practice. EDM, for example, has helped ASEAN countries better understand the technical and substantive issues that Canada wants to see addressed in a prospective Canada-ASEAN free trade agreement. This has helped ASEAN developing country members advance their own interests on these issues with increased confidence and ability. Increased ASEAN member negotiation capacity also benefits Canada through more effective discussion of the issues at the negotiating table and, in some instances, an acceleration of the negotiations.
More importantly for both Canada and ASEAN members, greater understanding of what is being negotiated and ultimately agreed to on both sides can translate into more effective and efficient implementation of the trade agreement once reached. The real value of trade agreements comes from firms taking advantage of the benefits of the agreement. Those benefits cannot be fully realised if the agreement is not implemented.
At the same time, as an international development project that advances Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP), EDM has provided technical assistance support to advance both Canada’s inclusive trade agenda with respect to women, Indigenous Peoples and other marginalised groups, and Canada international climate change and sustainable development objectives.
As a group, the nearly 100 targeted technical assistance interventions that EDM has supported over the last seven years provides a rich set of potential examples to inform new thinking about Canadian trade and development policy. For this reason, EDM is seeking a consultant(s) to undertake the following:
As part of the research for the policy paper, the consultant will be provided with background information on each EDM-sponsored project on a confidential basis. The consultant will be required to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) prior to receiving these reports. In addition, the EDM team will make themselves available for a meeting of up to three hours with the consultant for interviews about the results of EDM programming. The consultant will provide questions in advance for this meeting.
Technical Expert Profile/Expertise Required
Bidders for this technical assistance activity must demonstrate expert knowledge and extensive experience in at least one or preferably all the following areas (more than one expert can be included in the bid):
Bilingual (English and French) proficiency preferred
Timelines
The deadline to apply is October 15, 2025. The report is to be submitted in draft by December 15 for review by Cowater and Global Affairs Canada. Final report to be launched at an event in mid-January, the date will be determined in consultation with Global Affairs Canada.
Deliverables
Detailed policy paper outline, including proposed methodology for conducting the research
EDM is responsible for organizing the workshop and all associated costs.
PROPOSAL SUBMISSION PROCESS
For your proposal to be considered, please name your document in the following format:
Consultant Last Name, First Name
(Proposals can be submitted by a single consultant or a consortium of consultants).
Your proposal should be in English and contain the following sections:
Cover letter
Proposal that includes the following:
Your expertise and experience to implement this activity
Your approach to implementing this activity (up to 10 pages maximum);
All proposed personnel to implement this project and their roles and responsibilities. Include all CVs of proposed personnel/experts (up to 20 pages maximum).
Budget, including estimated level of effort (in days) and consulting rates (in CAD) for each proposed personnel member and/or expert.
Please submit your proposal as one PDF document through the Cowater Career Page. Emailed proposals will not be accepted. If you have any questions, please email info@edm-mde.ca.
ABOUT US
Founded in 1985, Cowater International is a leading global development consulting company. Headquartered in Ottawa and with corporate hubs in Auckland, Berlin, Brussels, Helsinki, London, Madrid, Manila, Nairobi, Singapore and Stockholm, Cowater International has successfully delivered a portfolio of over 2500 projects and assignments in more than 95 countries. We work with governments, private sector actors and communities implementing projects that support socio-economic development, institutional strengthening, environmental improvements, and advance equal opportunities for all. We are a diverse and experienced team committed to building a better tomorrow for the people we serve. Our adaptive approach to management has led to our yearly award-winning work and recognition as one of Canada's Best Managed Companies since 2017.
We thank you for your interest in building a better tomorrow with Cowater International.
