Job Description
Position Mandate
Customs administrations globally play an important and powerful role in trade facilitation and revenue collection. Best practices to ensure Customs administrations operate effectively and efficiently include developing an Internal Affairs (IA) department to investigate and deter unethical or corrupt behavior. However, designing, staffing, and maintaining an effective IA department can be a challenge. The World Customs Organization and other international organizations or donors have published guides and reports on the important role that IA departments can play, as well as guides on how to manage staffing and Human Resources (HR) administration of Customs as a whole but there are currently no guides that focus on the specific HR support needs of specialized IA departments within Customs.
Due to the specialized role that IA units play within customs there is a particular need to devote HR staff and time to attracting and retaining highly qualified talent. This requires more than basic HR administration, with an emphasis on targeted recruitment, career development and retention. This activity seeks to develop a specialized HR Guide for the management of IA departments that will outline the aspects of this more strategic HR talent management role.
The main focus of the guide will be on best practices in Human Resource Management for the attraction, development, and retention of IA staff. The guide will also provide a brief overview of best practices in an IA units’ staffing structure and reporting lines, considering its unique role within the Customs Administration. The task lead will be responsible for research and development of the guide and will collaborate with a TCA customs expert regarding customs specific content, the editor and graphic designer.
This is a part time independent consultancy, reporting to the USAID Trade and Competitiveness Activity (TCA) Chief of Party.
OUTCOMES / ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Key Deliverables
The completed guide should cover the following key elements; however, the offeror will present a complete outline and structure of the report as his/her first deliverable:
- A brief background on the role of Internal Affairs (IA) Units
- The need for IA and it’s role within Customs
- Understanding the context and challenges for staff recruiting and retention
- Best practices in structuring IA units size, roles, responsibilities, and reporting lines
- A brief background on general HR guides/support for Customs administrations
- Links to WCO HR guide for customs
- Summary of key elements or structure of overall HR for Customs units
- How to structure and develop HR to specifically support IA
- Need for specialized HR support for IA within Customs
- Structure and characteristics of HR team
- Best practices in recruiting IA staff
- Best practices in retaining IA staff
- Compensation, benefits etc.
- Career development, training etc.
Breakdown of Deliverables:
- Proposed work plan and activities. The work plan outlines specific activities, strategic and approach research methodology, key literature resources, references, and interviews with key actors to develop the guide.
- Activity kick-off meeting. The TCA team will organize a kick-off meeting where the task lead will present the proposed work plan, clarify questions as well as receive guidance and feedback from the TCA team.
- Literature review progress report and experts’ interviews. The report will include a list of literature resources and experts that will be referenced in the guide.
- Annotated outline for the Guide. The annotated Guide will present the structure of the document and describe the content of each section of the document.
- First Draft of the Internal Affairs Human Resources Guide. The first draft will be submitted to TCA team for review. The TCA team will review and provide comments.
- Final Draft of the Internal Affairs Human Resources Guide. The finalized document will address the comments and will be further edited and designed for publication and translation into English and Spanish.
- Collaboration with the Editing, Graphic Design, and translation team. After the final draft is submitted, the Task Lead will collaborate and provide guidance and clarifications, when necessary.
- Develop the contents for communications materials: The task lead will provide the contents and will provide support to develop for a communications flyer and a short PowerPoint deck for agency use in presentations for advertising/disseminating the final paper.
REQUIRED EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE
- Advanced degree in one of the following areas: Human Resources, Public Policy, Business Administration, Psychology, or related fields.
- At least 8 years of experience providing support and good practices in human resources for complex organizations.
- Demonstrated expertise in the implementation of human resources practices for staffing, training, and retention, including benefits policies.
- Demonstrated experience of working in programs improving human resources management and adapting good practices.
- Demonstrated experience of work in human resources with public sector law enforcement agencies, in the United States and internationally, desirable.
- Research and interviewing and excellent writing and presentation skills.
