Services Trade Competitiveness Diagnostic Toolkit

This Toolkit provides a framework, guidelines, and practical tools for conducting an analysis and diagnostics of trade competitiveness of the services sector. The methods of analysis are fully customized to address the features of the services sector. Successfully tested on country-specific assessments, the methods proposed in this toolkit aim to evaluate the competitiveness of the services sector and identify constraints to improved competitiveness and appropriate policy responses. The output of a services trade competitiveness assessment can be used to assess the overall performance of a country’s services sector as well as for individual sub-sectors. In addition to the desk (quantitative) analysis, the success of a services trade competitiveness diagnostics (STCD) will depend on qualitative assessments and input from a wide variety of stakeholders in the country, including government officials and the private sector. A STCD should therefore be conducted in four key steps: preparation of a preliminary trade outcomes assessment based on available hard data; initial desk research and preparation for fieldwork; in-country field research; and finally, analysis and preparation of the final STCD report and policy recommendations. The toolkit consists of the following main sections: 1) overview and guidelines for conducting a STCD geared to all audiences, including policy makers and managers overseeing a STCD exercise; 2) implementation toolkit providing detailed practical information and tools for carrying out the diagnostics exercise; and 3) illustration of reference databases that can help assess the importance of services and services trade.