The Dominican Institute for Quality (INDOCAL) was established through Law 166, enacted on July 12, 2012. This legislation led to the creation of the Dominican Quality System (SIDOCAL), which is outlined within the law. Specifically, Article 38 of Law 166 officially established INDOCAL, replacing the General Directorate of Standards and Quality Systems (DIGENOR).
Prior to INDOCAL's establishment, DIGENOR was responsible for quality standards in the Dominican Republic. DIGENOR began its organization in 1978, operating under the guidance of the Dominican Institute of Industrial Technology (INDOTEC). In June of that year, the institution’s first Director General was appointed. Subsequently, in October, DIGENOR joined the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), ensuring the Dominican Republic's participation in global standardization efforts.
Today, INDOCAL serves as the national authority for standardization, conformity assessment as well as legal, industrial, and scientific metrology in the Dominican Republic. It is an essential structural component of the Dominican System for Quality, SIDOCAL. INDOCAL is affiliated with the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and MSMEs (MICM).
As a decentralized institution governed by public law, INDOCAL possesses legal personality, assets, and funds. It enjoys administrative, economic, financial, technical, and operational autonomy. The institute is headquartered in Santo Domingo and maintains national jurisdiction.
INDOCAL’s primary functions as a standards-setting body include organizing the development, adoption, harmonization, approval, publication, and dissemination of technical standards. These activities are intended to facilitate trade, support industrial development, and serve as the foundation for Technical Regulations.
The Standardization Directorate within INDOCAL was established to comply with Article 45 of Law 166:2012. This article specifies INDOCAL’s technical authority in matters of standardization, which includes the following responsibilities:
- Coordinate, plan, and organize the development, adoption, harmonization, approval, officialization, publication, and dissemination of technical standards, with the goal of facilitating trade and industrial development and serving as the basis for Technical Regulations.
- Develop annual training and instruction programs on standardization and quality certification, targeting businesses, public sector personnel, and consumers and users.
- Formulate the National Standardization Policy and the National Standardization Plan.
- Represent the Dominican Republic in regional and international standardization activities.
- Maintain active membership in recognized global standardization bodies.
- Perform any other function or responsibility related to international standards, guidelines, procedures and practices followed in the formulation and adoption of standards, strictly adhering to the WTO, The ISO/IEC 59, Code of Good Standardization Practices, the ISO publication “Good Standardization Practices (GSP)” or any other similar document that could replace it.
The Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) project forms a crucial part of Phase 3 of the Support Programmed for the new Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). This initiative is embedded within the European Union's Neighborhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDIIC), which serves as the legal foundation for EU cooperation programming in developing countries for the period from 2021 to 2027.
The main aim of this action is to promote the sustainable integration of the Caribbean region into the global economy. By enhancing the region's ability to participate effectively in global trade, the project seeks to drive lasting economic growth and development throughout the Caribbean.
As part of the TBT component, efforts have already been made to strengthen quality infrastructure across the region. Despite these achievements, there remains significant potential for further improvement. The current phase of the TBT project is therefore centered on increasing the utilization of internationally recognized Regional and National Quality Infrastructure (QI) by both regional and national quality institutions, as well as the private sector. The expected outcome is a boost in both interregional and international trade.
By making effective use of the available Regional Quality Infrastructure (RQI), the project anticipates improvements in intraregional and extra regional trade involving Caribbean Forum (CARIFORUM) products. The enhanced quality infrastructure is also expected to facilitate the region's access to international markets, thereby improving the competitiveness of Caribbean products both domestically and globally. This, in turn, supports the sustainable production of goods and services within the CARIFORUM States.
Among the key activities undertaken in the project is the development of National Standardization Strategies. The Dominican Republic has demonstrated a strong commitment to this activity. As part of its national priorities, the country aims to stimulate economic growth beyond its traditional natural resource sectors by diversifying its economy, adding greater value.
To achieve these goals, it is essential for local industries not only to comply with international standards, technical regulations, and other market requirements, but also to be able to prove to export partners that these requirements are consistently met. The development and implementation of a National Standardization Strategy is an integral part of this process, supporting the broader objectives of economic diversification and value creation. This approach is aligned with Decree No. 337-24, which establishes the RD 2036 Goal, aimed at doubling the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2036, recognizing standardization and quality as strategic instruments for sustainable economic growth and the country's competitive integration into international markets.
The Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Phase 3 Project is seeking the expertise of a qualified professional to assist in the formulation of a National Standardization Strategy (NSS) for the Dominican Republic. This strategy will serve as a guiding framework for the country’s standardization efforts over the next five years.
The NSS must be closely aligned with the Regional Standardization Development Policy and Plan (RSDPP) 2022 established by the CARICOM Regional Organization for Standards & Quality (CROSQ). Additionally, it should adhere to the Dominican Republic’s national directives, particularly Law 166-12 in July 2012. This law should be complemented by other strategies for the country's economic growth and development, such as: the National Development Strategy Law (Law 1-12), the Dominican Republic's National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (ENIA), the Dominican Republic's Target 2036 Decrees; the 2030 Agenda-SDGs, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, among other instruments that should be considered when proposing the development of a National Strategy.
The NSS needs to follow the recommendations of the ISO guide “National Standardization Strategies” for the process.
The primary objective of the National Standardization Strategy is to provide clear direction and establish priorities for the development of national standards. This will create a foundation for the efficient and effective mobilization and utilization of resources by the State, ensuring that standardization efforts contribute to overall national development goals.
Development of a National Standardization Strategy with its Implementation Plan validated by stakeholders and approved by Institute Dominican of Quality (INDOCAL) and submission of the Final Report of the consultancy.
These commitments will be detailed next.
| No | Responsibilities | Products to be delivered | Estimated duration (person-days) | Place | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Initial meeting to launch the consultancy. Presentation of the work plan. Creation of the working group. The Working group should include top management at INDOCAL, Technical staff, project coordinator and potentially stakeholders from outside the NSB. | Meeting memorandum with a description of the working group | 2 hours | In-person or online. | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Participating in meetings convened by the project. | Meeting memorandums | Consulting time. | Convened | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Develop the necessary tools and formats to collect information that will serve as the basis for developing the strategy. These may include surveys, data collection forms, a summary of the review of Law 166-12 and the 2022 RSDPP, among others. | Formats and instruments prepared. | Preparatory time approximately 1 day | Consultant workplace | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Definition of the economic sectors, areas, economic and social priorities, and economic and social plans to be considered for information gathering. Prioritization, input and common understanding with stakeholders. | Report on these priorities with the ranking score. | 2 days | Consultant's workplace | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Gathering baseline information. | Report on collected information. | 3 days. | Consultant's workplace and designated interview locations | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Preparation of the draft Strategy reconciled with the INDOCAL working group. It must contain the list of topics for the new national standards required that correspond to the priority sectors, areas or fields identified in activity 4. | Draft Strategy. | 9 days. | Consultant workplace and INDOCAL | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Draft validation activities with the participation of stakeholders. | Report with the compilation of the recommendations collected. | 1 day. | Convened | ||||||||||||
| 8 | Preparation and approval of the final document by INDOCAL. | National Standardization Strategy approved by CODOCA | 4 days. | Consultant workplace and INDOCAL | ||||||||||||
| 9 | Delivery of the Strategy and the Implementation Plan. The plan must be aligned with the existing catalogue of national standards and the work program for national standards under development and considering the work being done on international standardization. | National Standardization Strategy and Implementation Plan approved | 4 days | Dominican Republic | ||||||||||||
| 10 | The delivery of the Final Report of the consultancy | Final report | 1 day | Consultant workplace |
12 months
- Reports and Work Plans.
- Report on the stakeholder engagement event.
- Draft of the National Standardization Strategy.
- National Standardization Strategy and implementation plan approved by INDOCAL.
- Final report of the consultancy.
Required Skills
- Ability to work interpersonally and gather documentary and testimonial information.
- Commitment and honesty to the task.
- Focus on results and achieving the deliverables agreed upon in the contract.
- Ability to work independently to achieve the expected results.
- Organization and time management to fulfill the proposed plan.
- Ability to write reports and communicate results.
- Knowledge about the ISO NSS Guide.
- Knowledge of the legal, economic and institutional framework of the Dominican Republic.
Education
- An advanced university degree in trade policy, engineering, natural sciences, or a related discipline is required.
- Postgraduate degrees in related sciences.
- Training in international, regional, and national standardization is required.
Experience, technical and functional knowledge
- A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible work experience in the field of standards and demonstrated knowledge of quality infrastructure is required.
- Recognized competence and experience in the ISO methodology for establishing standardization priorities is required.
- Experience in developing standardization strategies is required.
- Familiarity with the regional standards development process and experience working with National Standards Bodies is required.
- Experience in strategic planning is desired.
- Familiarity with the CROSQ RSDPP is desirable.
- Fluency in written and spoken Spanish is required.
- Proficiency in English is required.
Proposals and CVs should be sent to Alejandra Villoch (avillochcambas@gmail.com) with a copy to Ms. Angela Savoury (angela.savoury@crosq.org) by 1:00 p.m. AST on February 23, 2026. Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria: educational background, experience, skills and competencies, suitability, and technical focus. Proposals should include a financial indication of daily consultancy fees and number of required days. The TBT Phase III Project reserves the right to negotiate rates with the most technically qualified candidate.
****Note: Only the successful applicants will be contacted.
