Funding Opportunities

Consultant, Trade & Clean Cooking (CCA)

Terms of Reference: Consultant, Trade & Clean Cooking

The Clean Cooking Alliance (CCA) works with a global network of partners to build an inclusive industry that makes clean cooking accessible to the three billion people who live each day without it. Established in 2010, CCA is driving consumer demand, mobilizing investment to build a pipeline of scalable businesses, and fostering an enabling environment to allow the sector to thrive. Clean cooking transforms lives by improving health, protecting the climate and the environment, empowering women, and helping families save time and money.

Position Overview

CCA is working to improve the access to data and information on trade, duties and taxation in the clean cooking sector highlighting the critical role of women in accelerating progress towards achieving universal access to clean cooking, and the importance of engaging the trade community in establishing an inclusive, enabling environment to support a robust and sustainable clean cooking industry.

One of the major challenges in the clean cooking sector is trade barriers and unpredictable policies for taxation and duties. Based on the data collected for CCA’s 2021 Industry Snapshot, almost half (46%) of the  respondents expressed their belief that lowering the tax and duties on clean cooking products or raw materials, namely through tax exemptions or reductions, would be most beneficial to them. Taxes and duties increase the price for the consumer of products sold in the formal sector. However, fuels and stoves sold in the informal sector become relatively cheaper, encouraging the lowest-income customers to turn away from cleaner fuels and technologies toward informally produced charcoal and artisanal stoves.

To address these challenges, CCA is collaborating with the World Trade Organization (WTO) to undertake a series of activities, in phases, that will improve access to data and information on trade, duties and taxation in the clean cooking sector.  The outcomes of this work would enhance awareness of clean cooking within the trade community, build capacity of governments and implementing agencies, support design of policy interventions and contribute to an improved enabling environment for the clean cooking sector.

CCA and WTO will take a step-by-step approach to generate data, evidence and buy-in from WTO members to address the barriers around trade and clean cooking and work together to form stronger regional and global partnerships. This collaboration will take a two-pronged approach, focusing both on high-level engagement within the trade community and on technical research and analysis around major barriers that currently exists.

The research phase is envisioned in two phases.  The first phase of the work (March – June 2022) will focus on technical research and analysis around major barriers that currently exist. The second phase (June 2022 – June 2023), will translate and communicate Phase 1 findings through policy briefs, case studies, workshops, and events, and seek to fill research gaps or dive-deeper into areas identified in earlier activities.

CCA is looking to hire a consultant to carry out technical research and analysis for the first phase of the work mentioned above.  The project is anticipated for a duration of approximately eight to twelve weeks, and all work will be done in close collaboration with and oversight from CCA’s Market Strengthening and Global Networks and Partnerships teams, and in collaboration with the WTO Trade and Environment Division. The consultant will support CCA to develop a repository of duties and taxes on clean cooking technologies and prepare a concise report based on analysis of the trade flows and supply chain assessment with recommendations to address the trade barriers in the clean cooking sector. The consultant will identify and engage key partners and stakeholders poised to take these recommendations forward and will outline an initial program of work for implementation.

1. Create a repository of current duties and taxes on clean cooking solutions in different countries: Companies and investors often struggle to identify the existing duties for clean cooking products and raw materials. This creates a barrier to entry especially for companies wishing to expand into new markets. At country level, custom officials are often not aware of the various Harmonized System (HS) codes to categorize clean cooking technologies and their respective duties, which causes delays in releasing shipments. The Consultant will work with WTO and the World Customs Organization (WCO) to look at the full list of clean cooking technologies (cookstoves, fuels and accessories) with specific HS codes for at least 15 – 20 countries (to be selected together with CCA and WTO) and study the existing duty rates and identify common challenges and barriers. This list of duties will also be used by CCA to create an online repository to be hosted and maintained on CCA’s information portal.
2. Collect and analyze existing trade data of clean cooking solutions: With support from WTO, the Consultant will analyze the available data on the trade flows of various clean cooking technologies based on the HS codes to understand market trends. In the first phase of work, this will look at categories of products, analyzing at least the first 6 digits of the HS code.
3. Undertake a supply chain assessment: To better understand the various duties applicable on raw materials, parts, and finished products, the consultant will undertake a supply chain assessment for improved biomass cookstoves and ethanol in select countries (tbd). The assessment would look at the various trade barriers, policies, challenges with customs across the supply chain of these technologies in select countries. The consultant will also provide some recommendations to address the challenges in the supply chain around trade barriers based on examples and approaches that have worked in similar sectors/contexts.

The consultant will be responsible for developing the following Deliverables:

• Deliverable 1: Develop a comprehensive list of duties and taxes on clean cooking technologies that will be used by CCA to create a repository in CCA’s information portal
• Deliverable 2: A detailed report based on analysis of the trade flows and supply chain assessment with recommendations to address the trade barriers in the clean cooking sector.
• Deliverable 3: An advocacy and engagement plan to engage with various stakeholders and the trade community with clear action items that CCA and WTO can implement in the long run.

Skills Required

• Entrepreneurial approach: ability to build something new in a complex system, learn by doing, and think beyond the bounds of what is presently considered possible.
• At least 8 years of professional experience, including 3 or more years of experience in analyzing trade data in similar sectors.
• Practical experience with addressing trade barriers in low and middle income countries.
• Experience in working with WTO, WCO and the trade community in addressing complex trade issues.
• Experience and understanding of global trade in relationship with environment, climate change and gender.
• Experience with facilitating and brokering multi-partnership and stakeholder projects, experience in co-creation processes a plus.
• Familiarity and/or interest in clean cooking projects and enterprises will be strongly considered.
• Understanding of how governments formulate trade policies and duty structures.
• Demonstrated experience in complex project development, management, and execution. Ability to drive multiple aspects of initiatives and projects from inception to implementation within a limited time frame.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to leverage current, and develop new, networks to build relationships and amplify access and impact.
• Effective and active in stakeholder engagement and external representation.
• Ability to plan and participate in virtual meetings that align with EST working hours.
• Energetic and positive attitude.
• Solutions-oriented and able to manage and advance multiple task and responsibilities in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
• Attention to detail and strong organizational skills.
• Problem-solver with a proactive, no-task-is-too-small nature who takes initiative.
• Team-oriented, supportive work style, and able to work independently.
• Excellent communicator, able to synthesize and convey complex information clearly.
• Excellent judgment and creative problem-solving skills, including negotiation and conflict resolution skills.
• Ability to work under pressure and handle stress.
• ​High ethical standards and ability to maintain confidentiality and discretion with sensitive information.
• Ability to learn new systems and collaboration platforms efficiently.

Duration
The position is expected to be on a partial time basis, lasting approximately twelve weeks, starting as soon as possible.

Location
Work can be completed remotely.

To Apply

Please email a resume, cover letter, and proposed budget to cfay@cleancookingalliance.org with the subject line “Consultant, Trade and Clean Cooking.”

Selected consultant must comply with United Nations Foundation and funder compliance requirements.