ANNEX C6: Sample terms of references for setting up a secretariat to promote and manage PPD

The purpose of the Secretariat is to facilitate a constructive dialogue between the Government and the business community, both foreign and domestic, and thereby improve the investment climate, stimulate private sector development in [name of country] to raise employment and improve peoples’ lives.

To raise the quality of the government-private sector dialogue and to monitor progress on issues raised by the private sector, the Secretariat will facilitate and coordinate interaction within and between the private sector working groups as well as between the joint government-private sector working groups.

The Secretariat will coordinate its overall activities with [insert names of relevant institutions] and assist in organizing joint government-private sector working group meetings and a bi-annual Forum.

The Secretariat will ensure that initiatives and issues emanating from the private sector are appropriately identified, are broadly representative, are adequately researched and are presented to the Government through the joint government-private sector working groups in a focused, solutions-oriented manner.

The Secretariat will monitor discussion of issues raised, implementation of potential solutions and disseminate information to the working groups and the broader community of businesses, multilateral institutions and donors.

The Secretariat will have no decision-making or policy-making powers.

The impact of the Secretariat will be measured by the extent to which coordination and communications within and between the working groups is considered effective and efficient.

Longer term indicators of success would be the degree of participation by the business community in the dialogue process and improvement in the business environment, leading to higher foreign and local investment activity.

Tasks and Responsibilities

? Promote a strong public-private partnership between the Government and local and foreign businesses by acting as a neutral honest broker between the various parties.

? Promote the Government-private sector dialogue within the business community to broaden and deepen private sector participation in the process, especially from local businesses.

? Act as a resource center for private sector-led initiatives.

The Secretariat will report to the Steering Committee. [Include a paragraph on the composition of the Steering Committee].

[The following are sample staffing and responsibilities of a Private Sector Forum secretariat]

? Executive Director. [Title could also be: Coordinator, Liaison Officer, Forum Manager, etc.]
The executive director has a critical role for coordinating, facilitating, administering and otherwise providing structure and form to the PPD process. The Secretariat he or she heads is an important facility for providing resources to the entire Forum process. In addition to its administrative and other duties the coordinator will play the role of the ‘honest broker’ for the entire dialogue process, and especially when working group dialogue process moves from earliest stages to maturity. He or she
? Assures the overall leadership and management of the PPD activities, maintenance of liaison with government and private sector, brokering of access to funding for studies, etc;
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• Consults with all stakeholders to determine their interests, willingness/ability to participate;

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• Manages Secretariat’s professional and administrative staff;

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• Formulates a detailed program and work plan, distributes necessary tasks, defines priorities and ensures implementation of program tasks by the Secretariat team in particular and other key PPD participants ;

? Establishes and maintains working contacts and exchanges with the relevant public and private sector principal counterparts for the program;
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• Secures support for the structure of the PPD and appropriate participation from the public and private actors;

? Arranges meetings between the government and private sector representatives to agree on the topics and agenda of the dialogue process and facilitates discussion during the meetings;
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• Guides the working group in the completion of their stated objectives;

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• Elaborates action plans; assist working groups in finding information on specific topics (seeking donor and government support for technical inputs when needed);

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• Ensures that the partnership stays on course and that the suggestions agreed by the working groups are presented to the government and inform Government policy;

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• Prepares quarterly reports to participants, donors and counterparts; along with other reports which may be required, such as media briefings;

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• With other team members drafts articles, delivers presentations and speeches on reform approaches in each of the program areas;

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• If the secretariat is funding through technical assistance, prepares a plan for continuation of secretariat function, and recommend how the functioning of the PPD will be assured following the completion of technical assistance.

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• Manages funding and is responsible for accountability, transparency and efficiency of the Secretariat and the initiative.

Qualifications include: strong neutral figure vis-à-vis the government and the private sector; relevant academic credential; experience in business, government, law or related profession in country and/or abroad; private sector management experience; demonstrated entrepreneurial spirit; knowledge of business environment reform programs, public-private dialogue processes and related communications programs.

? Private Sector Development Specialist. [Title could also be: Policy Analyst, Business Reform Manager, Economist, etc.] The PSD Specialist assists the director with sorting through working group’s proposals, coordination or drafting of issues papers that emerge from working groups and elaborates on initial regulatory or policy proposals made by working groups or individual entrepreneurs, applying cost/benefit analysis to reform ideas. He or she:
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• Participates in the implementation of the action plan or reform program;

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• Participates in working group meetings and maintains dialogue and support to technical committees;

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• Provides technical support to private sector participants on economic and policy analysis;

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• Researches and drafts background papers and policy notes on issues identified by working committees, as needed on an a demand-driven basis;

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• Participates in the organization and execution of communications program;

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• Conducts economic analysis of reform proposals as needed;

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• With other team members drafts articles, delivers presentations and speeches on reform approaches and institutional change in each of the program areas.

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• Links to private sector, and to policy specialists in government institutions and within the donor community to ensure viability of proposed reforms;

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• Assist the Executive director in other PPD related activities.

Qualifications include: Strong experience in policy analysis and formulation in areas relevant to investment climate; Knowledge of international good practice on private sector development; strong communications and advocacy skills; ability to interface effectively with government and private sector; strong teamwork and interpersonal skills.

? Other professional staff. [This may include the following, depending on the specific needs of the PPD and the availability – or not – of other resources that which could be drawn upon:
– A Lawyer specialized in development economics – if the PPD is processing a lot if regulatory proposals, to ensure their compliance with best practice, their legal workability and to formulate the corresponding amendments
– A Public Service/Institutional Change Specialist – if the government is willing to integrates the findings and work process of the PPD in its institutional framework, to maintain working relationships with all institutional partners, create change management strategies and coordinate their implementation within the institutions.
– A Regional Coordinator or a Sector specific coordinator – if the PPD has a strong regional focus and that some parts of the country are significant in term of economic activity but too remotely located; or if a partnership gives a particular emphasis to specific clusters of activities or to particular industrial activity, to manage the work on these regions or sectors.]

? Administrative Assistant. [Could also fulfill the function of interpreter/translator if needed.] The Administrative Assistant has a key role in supporting the PPD activities and the Secretariat team. PPD dealings tend to produce a mass of detailed documentation, which the Assistant will help manage effectively. He or she:
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• Manages the Secretariat office and deals with all logistics related to the Secretariat;

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• Organizes plenary meetings and working group meetings;

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• Handles sensitive correspondence, and ensures proper documenting of all Secretariat’s activities and dealings.

Qualifications include: Strong organization and interpersonal skills, good knowledge of local settings,

Sample ToRs for setting up a secretariat to promote and manage PPD