Optional. This page reviews the Governance Structure required for developing and implementing a Roadmap
Governance structure
The Roadmap should include a draft outline of the Governance Structure required to develop, manage and implement the Roadmap. The detailed governance structure and the name of the steering bodies will vary from country to country but it is recommended that the Governance Structure is based on four layers or groups as shown in the table and figure below:
| GROUP | TASK | PARTICIPANTS | MEETING SCHEDULE |
| Top Level Policy Steering Group | – Provides ongoing high level support for the Roadmap, – Commits budgets, – Changes legislation where required, – Ensures active collaboration of Ministries, – Resolves high level conflicts between Ministries. | Prime Minister/President, Ministers and/or their advisors. | As needed; meetings / briefings can be linked to the meetings of the Cabinet. |
| High Level Management and Strategic Group | – Responsible for the development and delivery of the Roadmap, – Provides mandates and supervises the working groups, – Approves and controls implementation of the Activities of the Roadmap, – Addresses and resolves conflicting objectives and priorities, – Ensures inter-ministerial/inter-agency collaboration, – Manages public relations and external communications, – Oversees budget allocation, – Reports to the Top Level Policy Steering Group – Manages Stakeholder Engagement – Initiates Change Management programme – Ideally, the Review Phase should start between six and 12 months before the deadline for closing the Roadmap. | In many countries these functions are provided by the National Trade Facilitation Committee . Heads of Government agencies, Heads of industry associations, etc. | Regularly, suggested monthly. |
| Implementation Level Working Group(s) | – Implements the different activities of the Roadmap; – Drafts specific project plans, – Liaises with technical experts and consultants, – Reports to top level management groups on implementation progress. Participants on this level are usually organized in Working Groups which will implement specific Activities of the Roadmap. | Decision makers from those departments and agencies that will implement the Activities; technical experts and trade facilitation experts that support the implementation. | Regularly, suggested (bi) monthly and as required by project schedule. |
| TF Secretariat | – Manages the Roadmap implementation under the supervision of the top level policy steering group, – Liaises with participants and Ministries, – Manages budgets and contracts, – Provides secretariat to the different groups – Organises meetings of the various groups – Takes minutes and maintains records of decisions – Prepares reports | Full time staff appointed by the Top Level Policy Group | Daily, ongoing. |
Under the new WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement, WTO members are obliged to “establish and/or maintain a national committee on trade facilitation (NTFC) or designate an existing mechanism to facilitate both domestic coordination and implementation of the provisions of the Agreement. Development of a National TF Roadmap could well be a major activity of the NTFC. If this is the case, then the NTFC would likely constitute a major component of the High Level Management and Strategic Group. Depending on their own expertise, individual members of the committee could also be part of a specific Implementation Level Working Group . The NTFC Secretariat could assume the role of Roadmap TF Secretariat.
If the NTFC is not the main driver of the NTF Roadmap, then it is essential that it be strongly engaged in its development and should be well represented – at least on the High Level Management and Strategic Group.
