Terms of Reference
One-stop-shop Public Service Assessment in Cao Lanh and Can Tho cities of Vietnam
Association of Cities of Vietnam (ACVN) and Municipal Partners in Local Economic Development (PMI-LED)
Title: One-stop- shop public service assessment in PMI-LED cities of Can Tho and Cao Lanh.
Program: The Partners for Municipal Innovation in Local Economic Development (PMI-LED) Program – RED and Trade component; funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and administered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM).
Output:
- An assessment toolkits and research framework;
- A desk review report and inception presentation for finding validity
- A comprehensive assessment report, including executive summary and intervention recommendations;
Objective
The Overall Objective of this consultancy assignment is to assess the performance of one-stop- shop services delivered by the two PMI-LED municipal partners of Can Tho and Cao Lanh. The assessment is also expected to provide recommendations for improving one-stop- shop services that ultimately stimulate the growth of local business, and promote trade and investment for economic wealth in urban sector.
Key question for the assessment
To what extent, how the current one-stop- shop services provided by Can Tho and Cao Lanh municipalities affect the enabling environment of local economic development?
Area of interventions
- Performance of municipal services under one-stop- shop modality delivered to private sector; small household producers; and other economic stakeholders involving in local economic development in Can Tho and Cao Lanh cities;
- Types of public services delivered through one-stop- shop modality to local economic stakeholders in Can Tho and Cao Lanh;
- Local innovations and recommendations on improving one-stop- shop services
Duration of study: 25 days for the whole assessment
Budget Code: 13-29- 02
Reporting to: The ACVN Secretary General and PMI-LED National Program Coordinator
The research framework and methodology applied for this assignment, inception report and other final products are required to discuss and agree with ACVN, NPC and PMI-LED Regional Program Coordinator/FCM Program Manager for Asia and RED & Trade component manager.
ACVN is the PMI-LED implementing partner in Vietnam and is responsible for the program implementation and to closely consult with PMI-LED Regional Program Coordinator/FCM team for the implementation of this activity.
BACKGROUND:
The Partners for Municipal Innovation in Local Economic Development (PMI-LED) project is funded by the Government of Canada and implemented by ACVN Vietnam and FCM for the period of five years (2016 –2020). This project aims to contribute to sustainable and equitable economic growth in selected countries in Africa (Mali, Burkina Faso, and Ivory Coast), Asia (Vietnam and Cambodia), and the Americas (Nicaragua and Bolivia). The PMI-LED principal goals are:
- Strengthening local leadership in economic development with a particular focus on the creation of planning and development mechanisms that are centered on economic growth.
- Establishing programs for the economic empowerment of women and youth from poor and marginalized communities.
- Promoting trade and investment, as well as the adoption of regional economic development strategies aimed at stimulating economic activity on a local scale.
In Vietnam, the PMI-LED focuses on: (i) LED Enabling Environment and (ii) Regional Economic Development and trade (RED). The project will also to connect ACVN and Vietnamese municipalities to regional and international municipalities’ network. Gender equity and environment sustainability (including Vietnam’s commitment to SDGs) are the cross cutting themes in PMI-LED implementation in Vietnam.
Can Tho and Cao Lanh are two cities selected as championship for the regional economic development. In June 2017, Can Tho and Cao Lanh municipalities partnered with Edmonton and Rossland – two Canadian city partners to prepare a plan for improving the quality of the municipal services. One-stop- shop service modality is, therefore, expected to become an intervention area in the project for this purpose. Specifically, the local municipalities are expected to have the ability and capacity to stimulate economic activities in collaboration with the business sectors by offering better services tailored within a business attraction, retention and expansion (BARE) strategy.
The consultant will work with ACVN, Can Tho and Cao Lanh municipal partners and FCM field staff to conduct: (i) a desk review on one-stop- shop services and (ii) a field assessment on one-stop-shop services with particular focus on facilitation of trade and local economic development. The consultant, together with ACVN and two city partners in PMI-LED will also provide recommendations on how to improve the municipal services for the perspective of business promotion and local economic development. Some working sessions with Canadian city partners and FCM management team in terms of assessment findings and follow-up planning are also the requirements of this consultancy assignment.
OVERALL OBJECTIVESMENT GOAL AND OBJECTIVES
The Overall Objective of this consultancy assignment is to assess the performance of one-stop-shop services delivered by the two PMI-LED municipal partners of Can Tho and Cao Lanh. The assessment is also expected to provide recommendations for improving one-stop- shop services that ultimately stimulate the growth of local business, and promote trade and investment in the two municipal partners of Can Tho and Cao Lanh in PMI-LED implementation in Vietnam.
Specific objectives:
- Assess the key types of public services in business and local economic activities provided by Can Tho and Cao Lanh municipalities – indicate which ones are provided through one-stop-shop modality;
- Conduct a literature review on the studies and evaluations on one-stop- shop service modality did previously in Can Tho and Cao Lanh cities;
- Assess the relevance; effectiveness; responsiveness and sustainability of one-stop- shop service performance in Can Tho and Cao Lanh city
- Based on the findings of both literature review and field work, identify key areas of the interventions for municipal service improvement for trade and economic development in the two target cities.
- Work together with PMI-LED team in Vietnam (ACVN and FCM project staff) to recommend a follow-up plan to improve one-stop- shop services for the perspective of trade and local economic development.
SCOPE OF WORK
The process of the assessment is suggested as followed:
- Review the quality of one-stop- shop service modality, including the design; functioning; cost-efficiency; responsiveness to the demands for local economic development; and so on
- Analyze the implications of one-stop- shop services to the local trade and economic development; especially local government’s innovation on promoting the growth
- of private sector and dialogues with entrepreneurs (e.g., Café talk with businessmen in Cao Lanh city).
- Define the implications of one-stop- shop services in the stimulation of trade and economic development in Can Tho and Cao Lanh, especially the contribution to the PCI (Provincial Competitive Index) and PAPI (Provincial Administration and Public Service Index) in Vietnam
- Organize an inception workshop to present the primary findings and information validity.
- Write up interview notes; tabulate and assess using mixture of quantitative (% of respondents) and qualitative (stories, quotations, case studies) methods.
- Presentation of key findings and recommendations to ACVN; FCM and Can Tho/Cao Lanh municipal representative.
- Recommend interventions and follow-up actions to improve one-stop- shop service for trade promotion and local economic development.
METHODOLOGY
Key question for the assessment is “to what extent, how the current one-stop- shop services provided by Can Tho and Cao Lanh municipalities affect the enabling environment of local economic development?”
- The assessment process should be participatory, incorporating a cross section of key stakeholders, including ACVN, private sector, small household enterprises; local business association (e.g., SME association), the government agencies; research institutes and NGOs. All data and findings should be disaggregated sex, age, and ethnicity.
- The consultant and ACVN team will conduct both literature review and field survey work for the assessment, and use various tools/activities to ensure maximum participation and relevant to local context of LED in municipal sector. The consultant will also apply a gender responsive approach to all aspects of the work.
- Inception and wrap-up meetings on the assessment for discussion and validation of the findings will be also recommended. The outputs of these discussions will be used for follow-up action plan, which aim to promote one-stop- shop services as a cardinal contribution to improving the doing-business enabling environment of Can Tho and Cao Lanh cities
DELIVERABLES
A number of outputs delivered by the assignment are expected as follows:
1. A set of assessment toolkits and research framework
2. An analysis on the performance of one-stop- shop services and inception presentation for finding validity
3. A comprehensive assessment report, including executive summary; recommendations and follow-up framework;
DESIRED TEAM
The implementation team for this assignment is comprised of (i) ACVN Secretariat staff in charge for PMI-LED project and ACVN’s Center for Municipal Development Consultancy and Training, (ii) PMI-LED National Program Coordinator; (iii) outsourcing national consultant; (iv) PMI-LED Regional Program Coordinator (for technical inputs; quality oversee and final review)
The consultant, who is outsourcing to supplement skills and experience in municipal service assessment for PMI-LED team in Vietnam must have proven knowledge and competencies as follows:
- Proven hands-on experience in municipal sector analysis; public services; local business and the relevant subjects of the local economic development in urban context;
- Sound knowledge of local economic development and trade promotion, public services for LED and trade promotion;
- Good understanding of municipality sector, including local city government associations and municipalities in Vietnam and their relevant themes, e.g., needs, structures, leadership, LED enabling environment, LED relevant policies and strategies, etc.,
- Sound good research/study analytical skills and methodologies;
- Good knowledge on Vietnamese and regional urban context; trends of Vietnam and Mekong Delta areas of local economic development and local practices on LED capacity services;
- Proven participatory and multi-consultative methodologies.
- Vietnamese and English languages are preferable.
APPLICATION PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION
- A Bio data and sample of similar assessment (or work/report summary).
- An outlines of the work process (preferably 4 pages in maximum), which presents assessment framework and description of the way the assignment conducted upon the requirements of the TOR
- A quotation of consultancy fee, indicating the specific rate of working day, number of the days required for the assignment
- A timetable for the work’s progress
HOW TO APPLY
Please kindly send your CVs and Proposal for implementing the assignment as mentioned above to Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, PMI-LED National Coordinator at [email protected] [1] before 20 December 2017.