The Member States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Have Responded to the Economic Challenges

1. BACKGROUND

The Member States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) have responded to the economic challenges of globalisation and trade liberalisation by deepening the integration process through the creation of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).

In January and June of 2006, the twelve beneficiary Member States advised that they had completed the required steps to comply with the requirement of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, establishing the CSME (Revised Treaty), which was signed in 2001.

Although, in addition to the 12 beneficiary Member States, Haiti is a party to the Revised Treaty, there is a separate project seeking to ensure that Haiti is able to implement its obligations.

The Revised Treaty establishes the legal basis for the CSME as defined in Article 1 of the Treaty. The article provides that the CSME means, “the regimes established by the provision of this Revised Treaty, replacing Chapters Three through Seven of the Annex to the Treaty establishing the Caribbean Community and Common Market, signed at Chaguaramas on 4th July 1973.”

One objective, in accordance with Paragraph 2(a) of Article 78 is the “full integration of the national markets of Member States of the Community into a single, unified and open market area”. Other provisions related to the regulatory/administrative practices, procedures and processes that have a direct bearing on the effectiveness of operation of the five core regimes are included in Articles 34 (b), 35, 37 (3)(b), 44 (1)(b), 78 (2), 133 (5), 116 (8), 170 and Article 76 Role of Public Authorities.

Six years after its inception in 2006 the CSME continues to be a work in progress. Extensive actions have been taken by participating Member States to establish the legal and institutional arrangements for a functioning Single Market (CSM). It is also envisaged that the market arrangements would be supported with some degree of harmonisation of economic and social policies agreed by Member States.

The benefits from the establishment and operation of the CSM expected by stakeholders will not materialize unless there is full implementation and effective

to establish businesses; provide services; and move capital in accordance with the specific provisions applying to those areas. In addition, Skilled “CARICOM nationals” have the right to travel, live and work in a CSME Member State of their choice.

Integration of this nature requires implementation of new and/or extensive reform of existing legislation, regulations, and associated procedural and administrative arrangements to operate the CSM. The reforms must then be integrated into the various institutional and public sector entities. In addition, appropriate systems need to be established, and education and advocacy needs to be undertaken, to ensure that stakeholders have access to and participate in the various markets. The reforms are intended to achieve this improved access.

One of the interventions undertaken by the CARICOM secretariat in addressing these needs is the CARICOM Trade and Competitiveness Project (CTCP).

The aim of the CTCP is to contribute to the creation of more and better opportunities for the people of the CARICOM region, to participate in and benefit from the introduction of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).

A contract for the execution of Component 100 of this project, CONSULTANCY TO CREATE BEST PRACTICE MODELS AND DELIVER TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO IMPLEMENT NATIONAL CSME WORK PLANS (REFORM ADMINISTRATIVE PRACTICES AND PROCEDURES) was awarded to A-Z Information Jamaica Limited in January of 2013.

Component 100 of the CTCP seeks to create improved harmonized, regulatory and administrative systems that would enable beneficiaries of the CSME to access their rights and thus the use of the various CSME arrangements that have been established for the free movement of Goods, Services, Capital, Skills and the Right of Establishment

This consultancy will look to achieve the following:

i) Refined Technical Action Plans for reform of Member States CSM administrative systems, practices and procedures in relation to agreed standards;

ii) Best practice models for harmonization and standardization of core CSME administrative practices and procedures developed;

iii) Reformed and documented national administrative systems, practices and procedures in Member States;

iv) Improved systems for data capture, and reporting

v) Training delivered to Member States

vi) Revised Manual of Administrative procedures.

As a part of this process, the consultants have recommended the implementation of a Document and Workflow Management System which is the subject of this Invitation to Tender.

The system is meant to address two specific regimes, namely the Movement of Skilled Persons and the Movement of Temporary Service Providers.

Movement of Skilled Persons

The free movement of skills regime entitles a national from a CSME Member State to seek work or engage in gainful employment in all CSME Member States.

The system is expected to address three processes under this Regime, namely

1. Application and issuance of the CARICOM Skilled National Certificate of Recognition (Skilled National Certificate)

2. Verification of Skilled National Certificate of Recognition

3. Change/replacement of Skilled National Certificate

These processes are currently being carried out manually in the various member states with a variety of data storage methodologies varying from completely manual (log books) to spreadsheets and simple databases. The data sets captured also vary by member state.

It is expected that the implementation of the Document and Workflow Management System will assist in obtaining a consistent and homogenous set of processes with a common dataset. Application form data are to be stored in a standard relational database which can be accessed by other systems (Business Intelligence, reporting, etc) and softcopy of supporting documents such as educational certificates, birth certificates, etc to be attached/linked to the respective applicant records.

Temporary Movement of Service Providers

The temporary movement of Service Providers regime entitles a national from a CSME Member State to enter and work in another member state based on a contract for service, letter of invitation or other approved document.

The system is expected to address the Application and issuance of the CARICOM Service Provider certificate and the update and/or replacement of such certificates.

Member states are not currently issuing service provider certificates and as such there is no back-file capability required for this process.

Further details on system requirements can be found in section 4 of the tender document and Appendix 1.