Since 1989, the Ottawa-based Centre for Trade Policy and Law (CTPL) has been helping governments achieve their international trade policy and law objectives. We do this through customized training, policy research, and advisory programs. These programs are based on the practical experience of former trade negotiators and other trade professionals from Canada and the countries in which we work and the policy-oriented expertise of our faculty at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs (NPSIA) at Carleton University and the Faculty of Law at the University of Ottawa. CTPL has 32 years of direct experience working in more than 30 countries in all regions of the world.
CTPL offers a suite of applied training and advisory services customized to meet the needs of its clients as they advance through the various stages of the negotiations process. These services range from foundational courses, to ongoing accelerated training, and establishing long term Learning & Professional Development programs.
Please consult the following page to find information about scheduled certificate courses http://carleton.ca/ctpl/events/
CTPL and the United Kingdom
CTPL won an international competition to provide multi-year trade negotiation training and expert advice to support UK trade officials in the negotiation of bilateral and regional free trade agreements under the UK’s independent trade policy strategy. CTPL Principals Rosemina Nathoo and Phil Rourke work with the Trade Negotiations Capability Team at the UK Department for International Trade (DIT) to design and deliver standardised and bespoke practical training based on experiential learning principles. CTPL successfully pivoted to an online course delivery format in April 2020, which allowed CTPL to accelerate and further customise the delivery of its training and expert advice. Since 2017, CTPL has delivered more than 100 online and in-person courses to senior and junior officials across the UK government.
CTPL and Cambodia
CTPL delivered six online courses on practical trade negotiations skills development for the Royal Government of Cambodia. The courses increased the knowledge and skill levels of Cambodia’s trade negotiators and improved their stakeholder engagement, both across government ministries and with the private sector. Participants were drawn from the Ministry of Commerce (MoC), the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) and other trade-related government departments. MoC was the government partner for this project. CTPL won an international competition to implement this project for ARISE+ Cambodia, which is co-financed by the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
CTPL Certificate in Trade Negotiations Skills
CTPL regularly delivers this 3-day executive-level, skills development course on how to implement the international trade negotiations component of a government’s national trade strategy. This popular course is highly interactive, using a simulation of a prospective trade negotiation to provide hands-on experience in how to prepare, conduct, and finalize a modern and forward-looking trade agreement. The course is based on the experience of former trade negotiators and diplomats from Canada, the United States, Europe, Russia, Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and China.
The course simulation is tailored to the specific interests of the negotiating partners to provide a real-life experience to all participants. The course is designed to develop further the negotiation and advocacy strengths of teams preparing for, and participating in, trade negotiations. The simulation approach tests scenarios to inform strategies for upcoming negotiations. Individual participant assessments at the end of the course can be used to identify areas for further training development of negotiating team members. The target audience for this CTPL Certificate is new and existing staff of trade and trade-related ministries.
Customized training courses
CTPL works with senior managers of trade-related departments and their officials to develop customized training for both CTPL Certificate graduates and trade professionals with some negotiations, policy or trade law experience. These more advanced courses focus on the technical and strategic dimensions of particular negotiating issues in more detail than the Certificate Program. CTPL has developed training programs for (among others) Global Affairs Canada, Transport Canada and Canada Revenue Agency.
The courses are designed based on individual training needs assessments of the expected participants and the training priorities of their respective departments. Each course adopts an experiential learning approach, combining lectures and discussions with case exercises, simulations, and individual presentations. To maximize its impact on the negotiation process, course content and timing of delivery should complement preparations for, and participation in, the issues being dealt with at the negotiating table.
Customized strategic and technical advice and support to negotiations
“Learning-by-doing” is the most common way that trade officials develop their skills as negotiators. The challenge that trade ministries across the globe increasingly face, however, is how to move up the experiential curve more quickly to respond when their respective governments launch ambitious trade negotiations strategies.
CTPL in-house staff and its network of trade professionals help address this challenge. We develop coaching and mentoring strategies based on individual needs assessments, in the context of departmental trade negotiation priorities. Our coaching and mentoring can be provided both online and in-person. Individuals are assigned to experts that work directly with them on particular issues as they prepare for negotiations and are on-call during and after negotiations. At the end of the support, CTPL works with senior managers to integrate the content developed and lessons learned into their internal human resource development strategies.