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United Nations Greek Trade Facilitation Roadmap Implementation Project Economic Commission for Europe Distr.: Restricted 21 March 2014 Original: English Greek Trade Facilitation Roadmap Implementation Project UNECE Summary Project Report 2013 Greek Trade Facilitation Roadmap Implementation Project 1. Project Background In 2012 UNECE supported the Greek Government to launch a holistic trade facilitation reform programme (“Roadmap1”). The reform aims to reduce time to export by 50% and costs by 20% by 2015, thus leading to a 10% increase in the value of exports, a 1.7% increase in GDP and creation of 80,000 new jobs. The Roadmap has become part of the lending agreement between Greece and the international donors. Its delivery is seen as a crucial milestone to establish trust in the Greek economy and to return to sustainable economic growth. The Roadmap contains 25 strategic reform activities such as Customs reform and automation, assessment of trade obstacles through process analysis, reform of agriculture trade and implementation of modern electronic business instruments. It is one of the more ambitious national trade facilitation programmes that UNECE is aware of. 2. UNECE technical cooperation project to support the implementation of the Roadmap To provide continued support to the trade facilitation reform in Greece the European Commission, through its Task Force for Greece (TFGR) asked UNECE to establish a technical cooperation project. The project was negotiated in 2012 and in January 2013, the commission, the Government of Greece and UNECE signed the project agreement on the “Support of the Implementation for the Greek Trade Facilitation Strategy (2013-2014)”. The total project funding budget provided by the Commission is 1.100.000 EUR and UNECE agreed to provide pro-bono expert staff contributions of 168.500 EUR. The project implementation is from January 2013 to January 2015. The activities planned under the UNECE technical cooperation project were designed to complement and be a forerunner to a broader trade facilitation project that would provide the funding to Greek Government administration to carry out the actual implementation activities. The broader overarching implementation project was estimated at 13.4 Million Euro. 1 http://www.mindev.gov.gr/wpcontent/uploads/2012/06/Greece_Trade_Facilitation_Strategy_Roadmap_Oct-2012.pdf 2 Greek Trade Facilitation Roadmap Implementation Project The main purpose of the UNECE trade facilitation support project is to assist Greek authorities in steering and managing the overall Roadmap provide managerial support for the implementation of different topics of the Roadmap provide specialist expertise in implementing the customs reform activities of the Roadmap The main support activities to be provided by UNECE fall into three components: A. Implementation support through UNECE regular budget staff based in Geneva to: 1. Advise and support to the Greek Project management and the European commission for strategy planning and review and assessment of progress; 2. Assist in the overall steering, monitoring and implementation of the Roadmap. This includes providing advice to the Greek project management, contribution to key documents, advice on implementation strategy, priorities of actions and design of terms of reference for projects on the request of the Greek government or as suggested by the TFGR; 3. Provide specialised technical advice to the implementation of selected areas of the Roadmap. It was envisaged that UNECE regular budget experts would provide the advisory services. The contract also provides budget for a 50% post of a regular budget staff member to handle project administration, contracts and to provide support to the project management in Athens. B. Implementation support through a resident trade facilitation advisor: The project foresaw placement of a resident trade facilitation advisor in Athens to ensure coherence of activities and to drive the reform process. The main activity of the advisor is to: 3 Assist the Greek project management in delivering the reforms; Contribute to the work and provides support in technical areas; Coordinate input for consultants and workshops; Report to the Greek Authorities and the TFGR on the overall progress of the implementation, including on risks and obstacles identified and makes suggestions for improvement; Ensure jointly with the Customs trade facilitation advisor the coordination between the trade and the Customs centric activities under the Roadmap. Greek Trade Facilitation Roadmap Implementation Project C. Specialised support to the Customs reform Reform of procedures for export in Greek Customs is crucial for the success of the Roadmap. The project document foresees specialised technical assistance to the Greek Customs organization through a 3 phase approach: Phase 1: Conduct a structured diagnostic of the current Customs export process management and identify major gaps. Phase 2: Engage a senior resident Customs expert to support the implementation of the Customs related Roadmap activities. Phase 3: Evaluate progress made through implementation of Customs reform. In preparing the project document it was envisaged that UNECE would engage the World Customs Organization to provide the expertise and actions for this work item. 3. UNECE support provided in 2013 to the Greek trade facilitation reform 3.1 Support the development of Greek Business Process Analysis The Analysis of Business Process for export of Greek Feta Cheese and Kiwi fruit were the first Roadmap deliverables undertaken by the Operational Steering Committee (OSC) that was responsible for the delivery of the reform. As pathfinder projects they had to establish credibility and authority of the OSC management, serve as a pilot for information exchange and collaboration between ministries and deliver a detailed analysis on the situation on the ground to validate the approach of the roadmap. As Greece had no experience in conducting formal BPA projects UNECE provided substantial and on-going support to the OSC in Q4 2012 and Q1 2013. In particular UNECE organised 1st workshop to inform about BPA and agree with stakeholders on Terms of Reference (ToR). This was followed by a 2nd Workshop to train Greek Analysis in using BPA. The training was based on a specific BPA training programme (UNNEXT Business Process Analysis Method) that has been developed by UNECE and ESCAP. The Greek BPA started in early 2013. Throughout the first quarter 2013 UNECE worked intensively with the Greek team of business process analysis to support delivery of the studies. Support was provided through conference calls, Virtual conferences (WebEx) and missions. In May 2013 the two BPAs were successfully completed. 4 Greek Trade Facilitation Roadmap Implementation Project Recommendation: Business Process Analysis is a standard trade facilitation instrument. Greek Administrations should ensure that trained staff and competence to conduct BPA is available within the administration on an on-going basis. This does not exclude recourse to complementary external resources to complement in-house resources when conducting BPAs. Recommendation: Documentation of Business Processes provides transparency and serves as a motor for improvement in the agencies. BPA reports should be formally approved by the OSC and submitted to the agencies for internal circulation. 3.2 Support the establishment of the Operational Steering Committee and Working Groups In early 2013 the organizational structures to deliver the reform needed to be established. There was no previous experience in Greece to establish a cross-ministerial collaborative platform including private sector participation for dialogue and action. Greek experts were also struggling to get commitments for resources and funding amidst the austerity measures that came with financial crisis. The Greek project managers requested UNECE to support the local team in developing the organizational structures and working methods required. In Q1 & Q2 2013 UNECE focussed on supporting the Operational Steering Committee to establish a secretariat using its experience in setting up working groups and collaborative mechanisms. In particular UNECE drafted the terms of reference for the different groups and working parties advised the project managers on the organizational structure and on roles and responsibilities. The formal establishment of Groups and their first meeting were completed in the second quarter of 2013. UNECE also set up a number of Internet based tools to support transparent work procedures and efficient communication among the working groups and the OSC. UNECE has set up a dedicated Confluence Web site for the project. Confluence is a tool widely used by UNECE working groups to share and publish information, including documents on the Internet. By using user accounts different levels of access and confidentiality can be implemented. The Confluence site for the project was set up and has been fully configured. Staff in Athens has been trained in using and managing the system. Recommendation: A structured, Internet based instrument should be used to for document management and information dissemination between the stakeholders of the trade facilitation reform. It is suggested that the OSC uses the Confluence server and the mailing lists provided through the project for document management and communication. 3.3 5 Support the development of project plans for the Roadmap activities Greek Trade Facilitation Roadmap Implementation Project After working groups had been established, UNECE worked with the OSC on assigning responsibility of Roadmap actions to working groups. While doing so it became apparent that working groups had significant difficulties in transforming the Roadmap activates into a project plans and a sequence of actions. The OSC management asked UNECE to assist the project groups in the establishing of a set of coherent project plans for the roadmap implementation. UNECE engaged a consultant with specialised expertise in trade facilitation and Customs project management. A structured project plan template and reporting approach was developed jointly with the OSC management. In the course of second and third quarter 2013 we conducted a series of mission and meetings with meetings with the leaders of the working groups to jointly draft and refine the work plans and implementation strategies. The final and complete set of project plans was presented to the OSC and approved in Q4 2013. These project plans now form the baseline for all activities conducted since November 2013 in the project. Recommendation: Project plans, in particular those on high priority deliverables of the Roadmap should be carefully monitored and followed up by the OSC. Project baselines and updates should be logged to have a traceable project history and to decide on future actions. 3.4 Support to the Customs reform From the outset, UNECE recommended to the TFGR that the WCO should be main agency to provide the specialised expertise and advisory services to the Greek Government – using the so called Columbus Programme approach. UNECE and the TFGR held several meetings with the WCO in 2012 to determine if the above programme could be adopted to address the needs of Greece and this was confirmed. Subsequently in 2012, the WCO undertook several needs assessment and fact finding missions to Athens which contributed to the development of the Roadmap. In the first quarter of 2013, WCO undertook a targeted diagnostic and support mission to Athens. The WCO Diagnostic Report which was submitted to the Government summarizes the findings of this mission and provides recommendations for the implementation and roll-out of Pilot Customs offices in Greece. Following this report the Greek Government requested in August 2013 the WCO to provide a customs advisor and technical expertise. It requested UNECE to provide the necessary funds using the trust fund. In response to this request, UNECE negotiated, in collaboration with the TFGR, a Grant agreement with the WCO. In November 2013 this agreement was approved by UNECE and WCO executives. Under this agreement the WCO is responsible for following actions supporting the Customs related activities of the Roadmap: 6 Greek Trade Facilitation Roadmap Implementation Project (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) Hiring Customs Advisor to the Greek Customs Administration Organization of Workshops Organizing Expert Mission Hiring Consultants Organizing Study Tours The total indicative Budget for this activity is 183.000 USD for implementation until December 2013. After signing of the Grant agreement WCO started in December 2013 with the first implementation actions. These included preparation for recruitment of a Customs advisor and preparation of a follow up mission to review of the implementation of Pilot Offices in Greece. 3.5 UNECE resident trade facilitation advisor in Athens A cornerstone of UNECE support to the roadmap implementation was the provision of a resident trade facilitation advisor in Athens. The role of this advisor is to drive the roadmap implementation, to identify possible obstacles and advise on solutions and to give specialised technical assisters on selected trade facilitation issues. UNECE started first steps towards recruitment as early as January 2013. However, this recruitment process met a number obstacles related to the very specific profile that the post required (Greek language) and the very cumbersome UN recruitment procedures for regular staff based in a field office. It took until November 2013 before we were finally able to identify and recruit a candidate that was supported by all project stakeholders and that met the contractual requirements of the UN. In November 2013, Mrs Athina Chatzipetrou took office in Athens. She focussed her initial activates on three main areas: follow up with the working groups on current state of project implementation, facilitate the transition from the outgoing to the incoming project management during December 2013 and liaison with the Ministry of Agriculture on providing external expertise for the implementation of a competitive regulatory system. 3.6 Support to the Agriculture trade facilitation The Ministry of Agriculture (MRDF) is responsible for the implementation of two major Roadmap activities: Implementation of an automated risk assessment system for agriculture exports and implementation of an Authorized Exporter Scheme. In addition the activities to be undertaken by this Ministry support a number of other deliverables of the Roadmap, such as implementation of a Single Window, document simplification and electronic data exchange and electronic payment of fees. Thus MRDF is a key ministry for delivery of the Roadmap. 7 Greek Trade Facilitation Roadmap Implementation Project The ministry started in third quarter of 2013 with the implementation process. As agriculture trade facilitation is inter-disciplinary and highly dependent on modern technologies and approaches UNECE believes that the MRDF projects would greatly benefit from international advice and feedback. This would help to ensure that the projects stay on track, meet objectives and incorporate current state of know how. In Q4 2013 UNECE spent significant time and effort to convince the MRDF representatives to use international expertise for the on-going project work and to propose collaboration and workshops. Although some progress has been achieved in January we are still cautious on the level of support and collaboration we can expect in the future for this approach. Working on this will be a key focus for Q1 2014 Recommendation: The trade facilitation projects in MRDF are crucial of the delivery of the roadmap. The also constitute a sue case for future collaboration between ministries for delivery of trade facilitation ad competitive agriculture export procedures require coordination of actions between ministries, public-private sector dialogue and use of information technologies and electronic business. UNECE recommends making extensive use of international experts and on-site training/advisory services to achieve a solution that meets the requirements of modern trade. 3.7 UNECE Support to TFGR for the reform process in Greece The Greek trade facilitation reform is implemented on the background of a major political and economic crisis in Greece. The Roadmap is a commitment in the lending agreements and the progress of the reform is closely monitored by the TFGR. In 2013 UNECE undertook significant efforts to ensure on-going communication with TFGR and other international organizations that provide support in Athens. There was continuous exchange of information through emails, telephone and conference calls and during missions. UNECE also undertook special missions to Brussels to brief the Commission on the project status, in particular in April 2013 on the occasion of the High Level Coordination meeting and the technical meeting with International Organizations and in October 2013 on the EC Inter-service meeting on Greek Trade Facilitation roadmap. On the request of the Greek partners and the TFGR, UNECE also organised weekly project conference calls in 2013. Due to lack of participation these conference calls were discontinued in December 2013. 8 Greek Trade Facilitation Roadmap Implementation Project 4. UNECE General Observations and Recommendations for the Greek Trade Facilitation process In the initial stages of the project, trade facilitation in Greece was perceived as a process that was initiated and requested by the Troika. Administrations looked at Trade Facilitation as an obligation rather than an opportunity for improvement and development. As a result, administrations provided very limited staff and resources exclusively dedicated to projects for the Roadmap implementation. Most staff in the ministries that work on the trade facilitation projects is engaged on a part time basis. This means that this staff continues working on their regular assignments and in addition delivers the trade facilitated project. Given the ambitious objectives of the roadmap, the staffing that the ministries provided in 2013 was clearly not sufficient. The lack of dedicated project staff in Greek ministries has been the most important limitation for UNECE support in 2013. Towards the end of 2013, the overall attitude to trade facilitation had improved and it is hoped that this will encourage Ministries to dedicate the required resources to the project in 2014. This is a fundamental prerequisite for the future success of the project. Recommendation: Ministries need to consider trade facilitation projects as a key deliverable of their mandate and work. Recommendation: Ministries need to assign full time staff for the delivery of high impact roadmap activities (Customs, MRDF, and Single Window). Staff that has acquired relevant competence and technical expertise needs to be retained for the project. Improving and defending Greek trade facilitation competitiveness is a continuous undertaking that will require requires sustained effort over the next 10 to 20 years. Greek trade facilitation support is currently limited to a small group of evangelists in the ministries and the OSC. The reform still takes its momentum from the pressure caused by the current financial crisis. Without anchoring the reform in the hearts and minds of the Government administrations there is a high risk that the reform process can loses momentum or is abandoned altogether if the environment conditions change. Recommendation: To embed the reform process in Greece, the engagement of the middle level management of Greek Administrations is highly important. UNECE suggests rolling out a trade facilitation capacity building programme on trade facilitation instruments, lessons learned and benefits. This outreach programme could be delivered for example through Greek Universities. UNECE has a standard trade facilitation training tool2 that could be used for the training. 2 9 UNECE trade Facilitation Implementation Guide (TFIG) , www.tfig.org Greek Trade Facilitation Roadmap Implementation Project Recommendation: UNECE further recommends the enablement of a stakeholder engagement programme to further motivate and empower the key change makers in the project, both with government and in the external partners. The programme should also have a strong change management component. We suggest the engagement of international experts to work with Greek counterparts in the project to design, develop and deliver this programme in early 2014. The current Greek Trade Facilitation Roadmap provides a mandate and set of activities for 2013/2014. Given the rather formalistic work method of Greek administrations there is a high risk that many of the trade facilitation reforms will evaporate after the Roadmap mandate expires. As previously pointed out, the current project was only intended to be a bridge to the larger trade facilitation implementation project. This needs to be launched as soon as possible and an action plan on trade facilitation for 2015-2020 established. Recommendation: Develop a medium term trade facilitation Roadmap for Greece. This roadmap should build on the concept and achievements of the 2013-14 Roadmap. It should provide vision, activities and funding mechanism for trade facilitation activities in 2015 to 2020. Work on this Roadmap should start as early as June 2014 to ensure final Government approval until November 2014. Trade Facilitation is a multi-stakeholder process. It can only succeed if different ministries and private sector actors develop a joint vision and understanding about the projects to be undertaken. To come to this joint vision the early stages of the trade facilitation process, in particular the project scoping and vision phases are of high importance3. In the case of Greece we observed that many important trade facilitation projects, (for example maritime SW, agriculture Risk Assessment, Customs selectivity) are initiated by the Commission and mandated through EU legislation. The understanding for the need and benefit of these reforms and the competence to deliver the projects is located in Brussels. The early project phases are not mirrored in Athens. When working with the ministries we clearly felt the lack of developing joint vision, stakeholder management and pilot project preparation of the trade facilitation projects. Trade facilitation project s in Greece tends to start directly with the implementation phase which is not recommended practice and is likely to fail. Recommendation: In the area of trade facilitation the interplay between the Commission and the Greek administrations in the preparation of trade facilitation projects should to be improved. Greek administrations need to conduct active project interception phases (scoping, stakeholder platform, project vision, pilot project implementation). For projects that are delivered in a trans-European context (maritime SW, electronic document and information exchange) a regular and formal peer-to peer process should be established by default. 3 For a discussion of trade facilitation project implementation in a policy driven environments see UNECE /ESCAP Guide on Single Window Project Planning http://www.unescap.org/tid/unnext/tools/implement-guide.pdf The Guide is based on a standard Enterprise Architecture Model used for large projects in Government agencies. 10 Greek Trade Facilitation Roadmap Implementation Project 11 Greek Trade Facilitation Roadmap Implementation Project Annex 1 Missions workshops and contracts delivered in 2013 MISSIONS 19-28 March, 2013 Athens 5 – 8 March 2013 23 April 2013 3-7 June 2013 24-27 June 2013 16-19 July 2013 WCO diagnostic missions in support of the Greek Trade Facilitation Roadmap WCO experts: Jani Sarvikivi Veijo Alatalo Dikky Gerrit Jan Bruno Hamon Matthew Bannon Mats Larsson The WCO findings resort with recommendations submitted to the Government. Romp UNECE Staff: Tom Butterly Advisory mission to Athens to Markus Pikart provide support to OSC, and finalize the process analysis with Greek BPA Team Mission in Brussels Virginia Cram-Martos Markus Pikart Mission to Athens to support Greek TF Project Mission to Athens to support the Greek trade Facilitation Steering Committee Mission to Athens to introduce Dietmar Jost and work on Project plans Organized 1st workshop to inform about BPA and agree with stakeholders on TORs High Level Coordination Meeting of the Task Force for Greece Markus Pikart Tom Butterly Markus Pikart Dietmar Jost, Consultant Work with Customs project Manager to establish project plans Work with MRDF on project plans and support 29 July – 2 August Meetings with the project Dietmar Jost managers 27 August – 3 September Meetings with the OCS and the 2013 project teams Markus Pikart Diermar Jost 21-22 October 2013 Mission to Brussels to support the Greek TF project 2-4 December 2013 Coordination Mission to Tom Butterly Athens Markus Pikart CONSULTANTS 1 July – December 31 Individual contractor, 50% Kamola Khusnutdinova 2013 project support 1 July – 19 August 2013 Consultant with specialized Dietmar Jost expertise in TF and Customs project management to support the Greek administration in launching activities of the OSC 1 November – 31 UNECE Resident TF Advisor, Athina Chatzipetrou December 2013 Consultant 3rd mission of Dietmar Jost Supporting TF Steering Committee Meeting with the European Commission Project implementation support The final and complete set of project plans presented to the OSC and approved in Q4 2013. Follow up with the working groups on the current states on project implementation and facilitate the transition from the outgoing to the incoming project management. 12 Greek Trade Facilitation Roadmap Implementation Project 13