Optional. This page discusses how to construct the Baseline (the “As-Is”) for a Roadmap
Baseline current situation
The baseline refers to the current trade facilitation situation in the country, including its strengths and weaknesses, bottlenecks and obstacles (the “as-is” situation). The future desired situation (the “to-be” scenario) is often referenced to international indicators such as the World Bank Doing Business with its Trading Across Borders Indicators (1*) as well as the Logistics Performance Index (2*). It may also relate to implementation of international best practice such as the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement, the WCO Kyoto Convention or best practices from other countries.
By describing the current situation and its strengths and deficiencies, this chapter identifies the gap(s) that must be filled in order to achieve the high level vision statement defined in the previous chapter of the Roadmap. It also forms a base for elaborating the specific Goals and Activities that will be defined in the next two chapters of the Roadmap.
The main work in drafting this Chapter will go into analyzing and describing the current trade situation of the country, the trade policy environment and initiatives (trade agreements, entry into common markets, etc.), the competitive situation, and the main regulatory and procedural obstacles to trade that the roadmap will take into account.
Some of the key tools for undertaking this analysis are described below.
| INSTRUMENT | DESCRIPTION |
| Desk research | Desk research is the process of gathering and analysing already available information, such as reports, studies and global indicators. Many countries may have already undertaken in depth analyses of the different trade processes and these can already bring many of the issues to light (i.e. WTO Needs Assessment, Trade Policy Reviews, UNECE’s evaluation methodology for assessing regulatory and procedural measures in trade project documents, former Customs modernization programmes, among others). Countries rankings on global indexes (i.e. World Bank Doing Business Index or Logistics Performance Index) might also be also available. This information can be considered as a basis for describing the current challenges. |
| Gap analysis | A gap analysis is a methodology to compare processes and define the gap existing between the current situation and the desired situation or outcome. The desired outcome should be clearly identified and it should be concrete (i.e. Provisions of the Revised Kyoto Convention, WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement). This detailed methodology should compare each process step-by-step and document the differences. |
| Stakeholder consultations and interviews | Stakeholder consultations and interviews are a powerful source of information. They provide opportunities to voice opinions and concerns regarding the current situation and suggest solutions to existing challenges. Depending on time and resources available, the Drafting Team might decide to do:One to one interviews – with a limited number of key stakeholders following a script that addresses the main reasons for delay and costs in trade procedures.Questionnaires. Stakeholders receive a series of questions that address current issues and possible solutions. Questionnaires can be sent online, in paper form or be used during an interview with a trade facilitation expert (3*).Consultation workshops. Organising a brainstorming event with key stakeholders is a fast way to gather vital information on the current situation and identify main challenges ahead. It is important to properly prepare the workshop, making sure that the discussions are focused on the essential topics. |
| Business Process Analysis (BPA) | A BPA is a powerful structured way to analyse the current situation for the export and import processes and a useful instrument to identify gaps in the export and import process. It provides a comprehensive and detailed view about a specifc area of business processes. A BPA typically takes three to four months to be completed. Based on the resources available and the timelines given, the Lead Editor needs to decide whether a BPA should be included in the baselining phase and how detailled this analysis should be. |
The type of instruments used will depend on the available financial and human resources, the time available for drafting the Roadmap and the subject area that is analyzed. In many cases, a combination of the above instrument is used. The BPA is the most resource intensive instrument but it provides the most detailed analysis of the situation. Desk research, on the other end, is the least resource intensive and fastest instrument. However, the results obtained with this technique are very much depending on the quality of the reference data and studies available.
(1*) www.doingbusiness.org
(2*) lpi.worldbank.org
(3*) There are several questionnaires that could be used as a reference for this kind of exercise. For instance: UNECE, Assessing regulatory and procedural measures in trade: An Evaluation Methodology , accessed 26 August 2014. UNESCAP, Trade Facilitation and Paperless Trade Implementation in Asia and the Pacific, accessed 27 August 2014.
