AIPEG’s Trade Sub-Facility is focused on providing support to the Ministry of Trade (MOT) in three areas. These three areas of engagement are consistent with the focus of the Ministry of Trade’s Strategic Plan 2010 to 2014 and the Ministry of Trade’s requests for assistance. The three areas of support are:
1) Bureaucratic Reform
AIPEG support addresses MOT strategic priorities and aligns them to priorities stated in the MOT’s draft Bureaucratic Reform Roadmap (BRR) and the Government of Indonesia’s Bureaucracy Reform Grand Design. AIPEG assistance includes support to strengthen: (i) effective leadership of the BR program; (ii) business processes within MOT; (iii) performance management systems; (iv) organisational systems in the key areas of planning, personnel management, training and trade policy development; and (v) change management and communication functions.
AIPEG also assists the MOT in facilitating staff applications for Australian Development Scholarships and Australian Leadership Awards. The ultimate aim of this is support is to increase the capacity of MOT staff to work on trade policy issues in Indonesia.
2) International Trade in Services
AIPEG’s work on International Trade in Services is structured around capacity development program for MOT staff. It aims to build staff capacity to; (i) provide better negotiating advice to trade in services negotiators; and (ii) have more effective preparation meetings for domestic and external services negotiations. AIPEG aims to build enhanced knowledge of trade in services policy and negotiation practice amongst MOT staff and staff from other relevant agencies. These are four streams to the capacity development program, these being:
- Stream 1: International trade policy and trade in services fundamentals induction training for new staff in MOT and other Ministries/agencies;
- Stream 2: Technical training on policy, institutional and technical aspects of international trade in services (trade architecture, negotiations and legal aspects);
- Stream 3: Training on services sector opportunities and challenges (including collaboration on service sector Policy Advice Reports); and
- Stream 4: High-level policy advice and refresher/update training for MOT staff.
AIPEG is also providing assistance to the MOT to develop a Management Information System for services data, services polices and regulations and services market information.
3) Communications and Public Relations
AIPEG provides support that will strengthen both internal communication within the MOT and external communication with civil society, the private sector, the media and academia. Support focuses on developing capacity, systems and processes for external and internal communications. Current activities include Media Handling Skills training for senior management of MOT and work on strengthening the MOT’s communication materials, including its website and intranet.