BACKGROUNDDAI has been awarded a contract by USAID to implement the five-year Trade Central Asia activity. The goal of USAID's Trade Central Asia activity is to improve region-wide trade connectivity and harmonization to accelerate economic growth and increase economic opportunity in Central Asia through harmonization of customs and border procedures, increasing public-private dialogue on cross-border trade and investment and improving cross-border firm-to-firm connectivity; addressing gender-relevant trade issues. It is implemented in the five Central Asian countries, including Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan.On the Caspian coast of Kazakhstan, there are two significant seaports – Aktau and Kuryk. The port of Aktau is the key transshipment point for the Trans-Caspian corridor and is owned by the Government of Kazakhstan. As of 2022, the seaport's carrying capacity is estimated to be 17.7 million tons, possibly expanding to 20.5 million tons annually. The infrastructure was last updated in 2015 and includes a ferry complex, tanker berths, a grain terminal, a cargo terminal, and loading/unloading facilities. The Kuryk seaport's capacity is 6 million tons, possibly expanding to 10 million tons annually. The key investor, "Semurg Invest," plans to develop the area within the Kuryk seaport and construct a grain terminal, dry cargo, and universal and liquid cargo terminals.Today, when processing the entry/exit and docking of vessels in the seaports of the Republic of Kazakhstan (RoK), about 30 paper forms and their copies are required for submission to the border, customs, sanitary/phytosanitary authorities, and port control services each time a vessel enters/leaves the port (i.e., several times a month). Duplicate documents must also be submitted, such as the cargo declaration, cargo manifest, and bills of lading, with an identical scope of information. In addition, it takes about 2-3 hours for the Commission to carry out control and supervisory procedures when ships pass through the state border. The Commission consists of law enforcement representatives, border and customs control, and vessel inspections to control procedures when ships pass through state borders to ensure the safety and security of maritime activities. The UN FAL Convention (Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic) outlines several recommendations on the most effective measures to support the smooth transportation of goods by sea and global supply chains. The FAL Convention obliges Parties to implement, maintain, and use "maritime single window" systems for the electronic exchange of information required for the clearance of ships entering/leaving and docking at ports. The FAL Convention limits the scope of advance shipping information from carriers (Standard 2.1) and contains a list of documents that government authorities may require from a vessel. The FAL Convention requirement for all public authorities to establish systems for the electronic exchange of information on maritime transport defines the maritime industry objectives to digitalize shipping, reduce administrative burdens, and improve the efficiency of marine transportation. To implement the FAL Convention, Kazakhstan adopted the concept of developing electronic document management at sea checkpoints. The Ministry of Transport was assigned as the responsible state body for creating the national segment of electronic document management at sea checkpoints. Therefore, the development of a single e-portal (from now on referred to as the System), using internationally recognized standards - including those about UN International Maritime Organization (IMO), the Rules for Electronic Data Interchange for Administration, Commerce and Transport (UN/EDIFACT), World Customs Organization (WCO) data model and International Organization for Standardization (ISO) - is required to improve the exchange of information related to the arrival, location and departure of ships, persons and cargo, and to ensure integration and interoperability of the systems of public authorities and other stakeholders. In line with TCA's approved Project Year 3 Work Plan, TCA will assist the Ministry of Transport (hereinafter beneficiary) in developing the terms of reference for Maritime Single Window (e.g., Creation of the national segment of electronic document management at sea border checkpoints).OBJECTIVE:The objective of the activity is to assist the GoK in implementing best practices in the maritime transportation area and making recommendations for improving the legal environment, digitalization, and development of the Maritime Single Window to reduce trade barriers and increase trade along the Trans-Caspian Corridor. TASKSGeneral methodological approaches to the assignment should include: Desk study;Consultations with all relevant stakeholders ; Identification of the resources required, including development of the Terms of Reference (ToR) of the Local Process Reengineering / Logistics ExpertData collection and compilation;Documentation of current processes and regulations governing them.Identification and analysis of bottlenecks and opportunities for optimization;Documentation of recommended processes and procedures, including areas for regulatory/legal amendments.Drafting final reports. The work will comprise of four (4) phases:Phase 1: Background readings and development of schedule:-Develop a regulatory and stakeholder map including: olist of laws and regulations on sea/water transport in Kazakhstan, seaports, and state control, with a brief description of their respective scopeolist of stakeholders, including state ministries/agencies, with a brief description of the relevant scope within maritime transportationoDevelop interview // information collection guidelines for consultations with the stakeholders -Develop a schedule of meetings with relevant stakeholders identified in agreement with TCA and government agencies.-Development of the SOW for and support to USAID TCA for identification and selection of Local Process Reengineering / Logistics Expert-Submission of the project plan (tasks and timelines) for USAID TCA concurrence Important note: Study mission and interviews might require field visits to Astana, Aktau, and Kuryk. Phase 2: Analysis of the regulatory framework:Analysis of the RoK legislation to determine:osets of functions in the normative and legal framework;oenshrined stages of control and supervisory activities of state bodies;oa regulated algorithm of interaction between the interested state bodies.-Analysis of current processes and information systems: analysis of existing processes to be digitalized (Identification of key steps, actions, and resources involved in the process, sequencing of stages of the process and links between them, identification of potential problems and bottlenecks in the existing processes).Phase 3: Development of draft ToR for Maritime Single Window: ToR should include the following sections: Introduction: Brief description of the project, its objectives, and main specifications.General description of the System: Overview of the functionality and features of the System from the end-user's perspective.Functional requirements: Detailed description of all modules and their functions and capabilities, including subsystems and components.Interface requirements: Description of the user interface, its components, and user interaction methods.Reliability and scalability requirements: All requirements are to ensure reliable and scalable system operation.Information security and confidentiality requirements: Outline measures to ensure the security of data and users of the System.Performance requirements: Specify expected System performance attributes such as request processing speed, response time, etc.Testing and quality requirements: Define testing procedures, acceptance criteria, and code and documentation quality requirements.Maintenance requirements: Specify requirements for maintaining and upgrading the System after its introduction.Documentation requirements: Describe the need for and formats of documentation to be created during the development and maintenance of the System.Server hardware and database management system requirements: Describe server and database system requirements.Requirements for System provider: Indicate the requirements and qualifications of the experts who will develop the System and provide technical support.Technical support requirements: Requirements for technical support and SLA (System Service Level Agreement) formation)Requirements for integration solutions and Open API generation: Requirements for forming open APIs for quick connection of systems of the transportation process participants. Requirements of the AWP module (automated workplaces).IT Architecture of the System: Detailed architecture description, including components, linkages, technologies, and platforms used.Testing methods: Methods and tools that will be used to test various aspects of the System. Important note: Review and approval of the ToR:Once the Terms of Reference are drafted, they are subject to approval and agreement by the Ministry of Transport. Phase 4: A workshop/training with a presentation: present the essential findings and the ToR for the beneficiary and stakeholders (at least 15 attendees). DELIVERABLESBy the end of the assignment, the consultants shall deliver:Phase 1 List of laws and regulations.List of public and private stakeholdersList of questionsTentative schedule Phase 2The Interim Report 1 includes:- process visualization in the form of diagrams (the sequence of actions and information flows from one responsible party to another, indicating the initial documents that serve as a prerequisite for the actions and the final documents that may be received at the end of the actions).- diagram description in the form of tables ("actors" performing these actions, steps, results of each action, documents, etc.) interrelationships of "actors"; - description of applicable rules and regulations (list of documents: relevant laws, rules, regulations, and instructions). The Interim Report 2 includes:- description of the main processes: data management and processing, interaction with users and other systems, breakdown of functionality into logical blocks (user management modules, data analytics, reporting, etc.) and subsystems for more convenient and structured development;- identification of the list of subsystems, their purpose, and main features;- defining data structures and standards for integration – which modules of the systems will interact and what information will be transferred from one module to another (defining interfaces between blocks and data exchange formats);- documenting functional requirements: each function and block shall be clearly described, including input and output data, execution terms, performance requirements, etc.; The Final Report for the Phase 2 includes:- determining the main requirements for the new System based on the problems identified and process optimization;- System architecture development – a range of technologies that will be used to implement the information system (selection of technology platforms and tools, architecture design, including data models (data structure and types), components (modules or parts of the System), and interfaces (modes of interaction between the System components, as well as external systems and users);- defining types of user interfaces (web interface, mobile application, desktop application, etc.). Phase 3- Final ToR in MS Word in EnglishPhase 4MS PowerPoint Presentation presenting the findings and recommendations in EnglishBi-weekly progress updatesWritten progress updates on the execution of the overall assignment (in English via emails) **The Consultant may submit invoices monthly or upon completion of certain deliverables, as outlined in the Deliverables section. Qualification Requirements: At least 10 years of experience in international maritime transportation.At least 2 years of experience in the maritime and sea sectors: knowledge of the industry, including port operations, shipping processes, customs procedures, and regulatory requirements.Knowledge of international standards and protocols of data interoperability.Understanding of maritime regulations, Single Window concepts, port operations, and informational technologies. Extensive experience designing, developing, and implementing studies related to transport, logistics and supply chain management.A master's degree in economics, international relations, transport/logistics or related areas of study.Excellent written and verbal fluency in English will be considered an asset REPORTINGA consultant shall report to TCA's Transport Corridors Development Advisor and Kazakhstan Technical Activities Lead for day-to-day implementation. Please send your CV and letter of interest to the email address with vacancy title "International Maritime Transport Expert" in the subject line. Deadline for applications is 16 June 2024. Only applications sent by email will be considered. Only short-listed candidates will be notified. No phone inquiries, please.