WTI, PITAD and ITC jointly organise training modules

The Pakistan Institute of Trade and Development (PITAD) and the World Trade Institute (WTI) entered into a partnership arrangement under the auspices of the International Trade Centre (ITC) for the institutional capacity building of PITAD. To that effect a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for twinning arrangements was signed between the two institutes on 18 February 2011 during the visit of the Director-General of PITAD to Switzerland. According to the MOU, the WTI is to assist PITAD to develop the necessary capacity – in terms of knowledge know-how and technical equipment resources – for conducting high level training and research.

A key aspect of the partnership is the development of modules of PITAD’s Specialized Training Programme (STP), a nine month programme for newly inducted Commerce and Trade Group officers of the Civil Service of Pakistan which aims to equip participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to manage international trade and commercial diplomacy. For this purpose “Master Trainees”, selected from PITAD, Trade Development Authority of Pakistan, Lahore University of Management Sciences and the Institute of Business Administration have been chosen to develop modules on selected trade policy issues.

After a thorough review of the STP course outline, system of examination and evaluation, course objectives, delivery mechanism, training materials and including the results obtained from a survey of relevant public and private sector stakeholders conducted earlier this year, the WTI and PITAD agreed on seven modules to be developed in 2011 on different trade policy areas.

Accordingly, seven “Master Trainees” have been selected to work jointly with the mentors provided by the WTI to develop these modules. Online interactions between the mentors and “Master Trainees” have been initiated for this purpose. To benefit from a face to face interaction with their mentors, three weeks of training courses were organised in Berne in July 2011. The aim was to fill the gaps in the proposed modules and to discuss pedagogical methods for training. This module development for a WTI-PITAD joint certificate in international trade law and commercial diplomacy consisted of the following topics which were taught at the WTI:
Trade in Services, Trade in Agriculture, Techniques for International Trade Negotiations, Trade Policy Analysis and Regional Integration.

After receiving training, including individual mentoring and collective training at the WTI in Berne, the “Master Trainees” will be involved as trainers in the STP as well as other PITAD regular training activities; including, the Training Course on Commercial Diplomacy for the officers of Foreign Service of Pakistan and Training Programme for Pakistan’s Trade Officers Abroad (designated), as well as ad-hoc short trainings on current trade policy issues for the officers working in different ministries and departments.