Enrolment options
Training course on Trade Impact Assessment
To enhance the technical capacity of trade officials and other stakeholders in analyzing the possible impact of any bilateral or regional trade agreement their country seeks to sign or adopt, UNCTAD developed this online course. The course will be offered in English over a period of five weeks from 25 September to 29 October 2023. It is tailored to fit the needs of the stakeholders in developing and least developed countries and is part of UNCTAD’s portfolio of online courses on trade policy.
The course is based on the UNCTAD Guidebook on Trade Impact Assessment and consists of four pre-recorded videos, including an introductory module on trade impact assessment (TIA) methodology and application; two modules on quantitative approach and one on qualitative aspects of TIA. It also includes two demo modules on the use of some of the trade databases available online.
Objectives
The objectives of this course are to raise awareness on existing trade databases and tools, and how to access and use them; and strengthen the technical capacity of trade officials and other stakeholders to quantify possible effects, in terms of GDP, imports, exports, government revenues and welfare, of any bilateral or regional trade agreement their country seeks to sign or adopt. After completing this course, participants will be equipped with ways and means to better analyze the potential gains and costs of future trade agreements.
Contents
The course is composed of four substantive modules and two demo modules. Substantive modules are:
1. Introduction to Trade Impact Assessment Methodology and Application
2. Quantitative Approach I: Trade data analysis, data and sources
3. Quantitative Approach II: Trade indicators and simulated approaches to trade analysis
4. Qualitative Aspects of Impact Assessment
Demo modules include:
1. Introduction to International Trade Centre (ITC ) TRADE MAP database
2. Introduction to WITS database and the use of SMART, a partial equilibrium modelling tool included in WITS
There will be two live online sessions in October 2023:
Session 1 - Trade data and analytical tools: Presentation of various databases and sources and how to use them.
Session 2 – Impact assessment for policymaking: How to use impact assessment for trade policy making.
To successfully complete the course, participants will be requested to pass a multiple-choice quiz after each module to be able to move on to the following module.
Target Audience
The course targets government officials and other stakeholders, including trade experts from non-governmental organizations, involved in trade policy formulation and negotiations who need to understand and use trade data and analytical tools; interpret the results of analytical studies for policy making; and identify policy options and define national positions. We encourage applicants from a broad spectrum of backgrounds in policymaking including but not limited to international trade, industry, agriculture, services, environment, labor, and technology.
Prerequisites
Applicants must meet the following requirements:
· Hold at least a bachelor’s degree in economics or related areas.
· Possess excellent knowledge of the English language.
To successfully complete the course activities, participants should plan to devote around two hours a week to the course.
Cost participation
Thanks to support from the European Union, selected participants will be exempt from fees associated with access to the course and live sessions.