Senior E-commerce Expert

Profile

DIGITAL FRONTIERS SARDI
South Asia Regional Digital Initiative (SARDI)
USAID/BANGLADESH
ICA – SOW
BACKGROUND
Digital Frontiers is a $75 million buy-in mechanism available to USAID Bureaus and Missions from 2017-2023. DAI implements the Digital Frontiers project, which works closely with USAID missions, the private sector, and international and local development organizations to identify successful and sustainable digital development approaches and scale their impact globally.
South Asia Regional Digital Initiative (SARDI), is a $3.7 million buy-in to the Digital Frontiers program, managed by DAI, funded by the Digital Connectivity and Cybersecurity Partnership (DCCP). SARDI will work to improve digital connectivity in the South Asia region and to strengthen the private sector’s participation in digital policy debates to enhance the enabling environment for a digital economy that supports economic development in the region.
SARDI’s key objectives include:
Develop and foster a policy and business environment that values reliable and secure digital communications in South Asia
Increase the capacity and commitment of the private sector and civil society actors in South Asia to engage on important digital policy issues, by building up digital skills of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and by strengthening their awareness of the impact that key digital policy decisions may have on the growth of the digital economy in their respective countries
In direct support of the IPS’s Strategic Objective 2, fostering private sector-led economic growth, DCCP Outcome 2, policy frameworks for internet governance implemented, and Outcome 3, human and institutional capacity to participate in secure digital economy increased, SARDI aims to advance economic development in South Asia by strengthening the digital economy per the objectives above.
BANGLADESH
Bangladesh’s ecommerce sector has experienced tremendous growth in recent years. While it was already rapidly expanding pre-COVID, the advent of COVID increased the rate of expansion further. The ecommerce industry was estimated at $1.6 billion in 2016 and projected to hit $3 billion by 2023.1 However, regulations and oversight have not matched the pace of growth of the industry, as evidenced by the recent fraud charges against numerous Bangladeshi ecommerce platforms.
Bangladesh’s ecommerce policy was drafted in 2018 and adopted in 2019. An analysis of this policy conducted by DAI’s Ecommerce Policy Specialist found many gaps compared to international best practice, including in the areas of consumer protection, data protection, and regulations around e-payments. A steering committee has beenformed to develop an updated ecommerce policy, and recently published an SOP incorporating urgently required changes to the law. However, since it is not legally binding, the SOP is a temporary stopgap and must be reinforced with stronger legal instruments. The members of the steering committee lack structured knowledge of international best practice for the formulation of such laws and regulations. In addition, not all relevant stakeholders have been included in the committee and therefore are currently excluded from the review process.
Considering the above critical factors, SARDI is partnering with a2i, a member of the referenced steering committee to coordinate structured policy dialogues to raise awareness and capacity of government officials and other stakeholders impacted by the Digital Commerce Policy.
OBJECTIVES
The local Senior E-commerce Expert will work closely with a2i on the technical content for each dialogue. The Expert will review the existing Ecommerce Policy Analysis published by DAI and will further flesh out and customize the report, particularly recommendations to the Bangladesh context. The Expert will assist in converting this information to a format appropriate for group discussion, will attend the policy dialogues, and will help synthesize the outcomes of the dialogues for DAI and a2i.
RESPONSIBILITIES
A local Senior E-commerce Expert is required to support DAI and a2i in a series of policy dialogues on the Digital Commerce Policy.
The local Senior E-commerce Expert will:
Review and comment on the Bangladesh Ecommerce Legal Analysis and the Comparative Policy Review drafted by DAI’s Ecommerce Specialist. Pay special attention to recommendations for Bangladesh based on these documents.
Translate short, relevant legal documents from Bengali into English as needed (for example, the recently issued SOP on digital commerce).
Work closely with DAI and a2i to develop agendas, talking points, and supporting presentations for each policy dialogue. The Expert will join regular calls between a2i and DAI and may attend additional meetings as needed.
Attend each policy dialogue. Facilitate portions of the dialogue as requested.
Lead synthesis of dialogue outcomes into actionable recommendations and next steps.
DELIVERABLES
The local Senior E-Commerce Expert will provide the following deliverables.
Detailed feedback on the Ecommerce Legal Analysis and Comparative Policy Review
Presentations and talking points for each dialogue
Summary reports of the outcomes of each dialogue
TIMEFRAME AND LOE
The level of effort for this SOW is 30 days. The period of performance for this work is January 17 – April 15, 2022.
QUALIFICATIONS
Must be located in Bangladesh and able to participate in in-person meetings and events
Advanced degree in law, economics, business or other relevant area and minimum 10 years of experience
Strong familiarity with Bangladesh’s digital policies and ecommerce landscape
Demonstrated experience in policy analysis and policy drafting
Fluent in English and Bengali
Project Management experience will be an additional bonus

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