Bundling the trade promotion and assistance tools of ITC and TFOC (including the trade-related services of other Canadian organizations and enterprises, through TFOC’s partner network in Canada), packaging them in the form of a service menu that is offered in a modular and demand-driven manner to the selected African countries, adapted to the specific needs and conditions of the clients;

Basing the design on a review of the trade related technical assistance requirements in each of the selected countries, actively involving the relevant local stakeholders (strategy-makers, managers of public and private sector trade support institutions, clusters of firms and development partners), thus contributing to client ownership of the design, of the expected results and the active involvement of the local stakeholders in the envisaged activities;

Offering comprehensive solutions through an innovative combination of multi- and bilateral technical assistance, while responding to clients’ most pressing requirements in the form of punctual interventions or so-called ‘early deliverables’ aimed at achieving quick impact;

Ensuring, in all stages of PACT, collaboration, co-ordination and coherence with other country-specific and regional initiatives under this programme, as well as with trade-related technical assistance through other bi- and multilateral programmes in the selected countries (such as JITAP, IF, others);

Putting the prime focus on capacity building rather than on one-to-one assistance to individual exporters; even if the programme includes some direct assistance to enterprises as regards the preparation and follow-up of market missions, this is always done through public and private support institutions, with a view of improving/expanding the services they render to existing or emerging exporters (sustainability concern);

Building on existing public and private sector capabilities to support trade development, complementing and deepening the same, in line with the thematic and sectoral priorities of the benefiting countries; , by using where feasible national expertise, typically working in tandem with international experts, the continued presence of advisory capacity at the local level is ensured;

Linking trade and poverty issues, through, where applicable, the involvement of poor communities in the export value chain;

Maximizing gender opportunity through equitable participation in the programme’s offerings, and ensuring that approaches and methodologies introduced are gender-sensitive;

Reflecting concerns related to environmental protection, and corporate social responsibility, where appropriate.