Closing on: Jun 30, 2026
TERMS OF REFERENCE
| POSITION TITLE | PACER PLUS NATIONAL COORDINATOR |
| DURATION | Initial 15 months (with potential of extension based on budget). |
| LOCATION | As per appointment – Cook Islands, Kiribati, Niue, Solomon Islands, Tonga & Tuvalu |
| REPORTS TO | Operations & Secretariat Manager and Trade & Development Adviser |
| BACKGROUND | |
| The Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER) Plus (the Agreement) is a landmark trade and development Agreement that was signed in 2017 by the following countries: Australia, Cook Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. The Agreement covers goods, services, and investment. It aims to lower barriers to trade, provide greater certainty for businesses, raise living standards, create jobs and increase exports across the Pacific. PACER Plus entered into force on 13 December 2020 for the eight countries which have ratified the Agreement: Australia, Cook Islands, Kiribati, New Zealand, Niue, Samoa, Solomon Islands, and Tonga. On 31 January 2022 Tuvalu ratified the Agreement becoming the ninth country. At the same time as the Agreement was signed, the signatories also signed the Implementing Arrangement for Development and Economic Cooperation under the PACER Plus (the Arrangement). The Arrangement provides, among other things, for: the establishment of the PACER Plus Implementation Unit (PPIU); the PPIU to implement the Agreement and to manage and deliver the five-year Development and Economic Cooperation (DEC) Work Programme; and for the DEC Work Programme to be co-funded by New Zealand and Australia for a period of five years from 13 December 2020. The successful implementation of the DEC Work Programme will support the Pacific Parties to strengthen, diversify and build their economies’ resilience by integrating with regional and international goods, services, labour and investment markets, to foster growth and prosperity. A Labour Mobility Secretariat will also be established under the PPIU to provide direction on strengthening labour mobility cooperation in the Pacific under the Arrangement on Labour Mobility. | |
| Job Specification | |
| Support the PACER Plus in-country Program Working with PACER Plus focal points support the development of activity proposals and requests for support to the PACER Plus Implementation Unit, enabling adequate program planning (e.g. Annual Activity Plans), budget development and appropriate contextualisation in activity design. Identify and liaise with PPIU regarding country needs, identifying risks, challanges and opportunities that align with the DEC Work Programme and objectives of the PPIU Provide administrative and logistical support – facilitate and coordinate meetings, training and workshops as required. Contribute to the design and implementation of activities and partnership arrangements using internationally recognised best practice methods and processes Manage information and sharing of knowledge between stakeholders involved in delivering outcomes in the Annual Activity Plans and the DEC Work Programme. Support PACER Plus engagement and coordination of stakeholders at country level Lead gender mainstreaming of PPIU activities at the national level, at a minimum ensuring they are gender aware, and ideally gender transformative, with a focus on women’s economic empowerment. Drive social inclusivity of PPIU activities at the national level (women, youth, people with disabilities and those living in remote locations), at a minimum ensuring diverse representation in planning, implementation and review (where appropriate), demonstrating the value of activities and interventions, and that benefits are shared equally across the community. Be the primary in-country contact for PACER Plus Implementation Unit across the private and public sectors, including non-government organisations, trade-related agencies, and other donor funded regional and bi-lateral programs. Identify opportunities for and contribute to PPIU communications, raising awareness around the benefits of the PACER Plus Agreement, including national level achievements and trade-related stories. Support other activities as needed. Support Countries with Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Adaptation processes Contribute to PPIU Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Adaptation (MELA) activities and take the lead role in collecting and collating country specific data. Identify and support development of case studies that demonstrate outcomes and GEDSI impact. | |
| Reporting Requirements | |
| Intervention Concept Notes, Activity Proposals and Plans. 6-monthly Country Program Report. Annual Workplan, Six-Monthly Progress Report. Annual Performance Assessment. Other Ad Hoc reports as may be required from time to time. | |
| Qualifications and Experience | |
| Tertiary qualifications in International Trade, Social or Political Sciences, Economics, Business, Commerce, Law or related discipline 6+ years experience working in the public sector (highly desirable), and/or with DFAT/MFAT or other donor funded programs (advantageous) Solid knoweldge and experience working in trade/investment/service sector Demonstrate experience and knolwedge of project management cycles Demonstrate commitment to investment effectiveness, gender equality, disability awareness and social inclusion. Ability to develop dynamic working relationships with a range of private sector, government, and community stakeholders in complex and often challenging circumstances. A self-driven, proven team-player with well-developed interpersonal, communication, and relationship-brokering skills. Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English. Highly competent in the use of Information and Communications Technologies including: Microsoft applications (Teams, Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint); Communications applications (Zoom, WhatsApp, Conference applications and search engines); File Storage and information exchange (Box, cloud storage systems and drop boxes), | |
| Key Relationships | |
| Report to, collaborate with and receive strategic direction from the PPIU Have a technical reporting line to [country representative], the PACER Plus Contact Point. Work closely with Private Sector, Pacific government, DFAT, MFAT, Whole of Government partners. Works closely with complementary development partner programs at regional and country levels. | |
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Opportunity Type: Consultancy
Job Type: Contract
Job Location: Vanuatu
Components: General / Cross-Cutting
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