Session+1+Introduction+to+trade+facilitation


 * Session 1: Introduction to trade facilitation**


 * Learning objectives:**

- to introduce the participants to the trade facilitation concepts in the guide - to make the business case for trade facilitation implementation - to apply the four pillars to practical examples from the participant's context - to identify the different steps of the TF generic approach


 * Relevant content sections of the TF guide**

- business case - TF principles - TF Generic Approach


 * Methodology**

Opening the session "**What is trade facilitation?**" (20 minutes)

The trainer asks two questions to the group :

- What is trade facilitation ? - Why is it important

Participants can discuss these two questions in buzz groups. Buzz groups are simply small groups of two or three participants formed impromptu to discuss this topic for a short period. After five minutes the trainer will ask one of the groups to write the results on a flip chart and present them in the plenary session. Other groups are asked to provide suggestions and comments, and contribute according to their own results. To debrief the trainer presents the definition of UN/CEFACT and discusses the complexity of having one commonly accepted definition everybody agrees upon. The trainer can compare for example with the definition of the World Trade Organization. To support the debriefing the the trainer can make use of the following presentation "What is trade facilitation and why is it important to companies and governments"


 * Making the business case for trade facilitation** (20 minutes)

The trainer invites each participant to write down one idea why trade facilitation is a good idea. The participants have one minute the time to write down the idea. Everyone than passes their sheet of paper to their neighbor to the right and repeats the process using the paper they receive (from their left-hand neighbor). It is important that they are instructed not simply to repeat ideas but to produce as many as possible. Participants are able to work in isolation while assessing the other people's ideas, thus generating even more than in standard brainstorming. After this initial exercise the trainer will provide a short input with the following presentation "Making the business case". During the presentation the trainer tries to link as many ideas as possible with the collective input of ideas coming from participants.


 * The four pillars of trade facilitation** (30 minutes)

The trainer divides the entire group in four smaller groups. Each groups gets one principle:

Group 1: transparency Group 2: simplification Group 3: standardization Group 4: harmonization

Every group gets the following two questions:

1) Try to explain your principle in one sentence 2) Illustrate this principle with a practical example

Each group gets 10 minutes and writes it results down on a flip chart. A spokes person of every group shares the results with the entire group in a plenary debriefing. As a trainer you can complement the given examples with cases that you are familiar with.


 * Introduction to the TF Generic approach** (30 minutes)

The trainer starts of with a presentation of what the TF generic approach is about. (Link presentation) After the presentation a large poster (print out) or a digital projection of the TF generic approach is at the front of the classroom.

The trainer divides different coloured post-it notes (or cards) to the participants and asks them to note down the following items:

Yellow post-it's: Make a clear description of what the logic sequence is about Orange post-it's: Identify the activities (methodology) of each step Green post-it's: Map out the perceived benefits

As a start of the activity the train can model this for the first sequence (Needs assessment) and gives an example of each section (description, activities, perceived benefits)


 * Materials**

- Access to 4 computers/laptops with the electronic TF guide - four flip charts - markers - paper and pen for each participant - large post-it notes or coloured papers

The entire introduction session to trade facilitation will take about 2 hours
 * Timing**