Consultancy for training on women economic empowerment and gender equality and social inclusion for ORLAR-BPP Project

CALL FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (EOI)

CONSULTANCY FOR TRAINING ON WOMEN ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT AND GENDER EQUALITY

AND SOCIAL INCLUSION FOR ORLAR-BPP PROJECT

BACKGROUND

SNV Netherlands Development Organisation

SNV is a mission-driven global development partner working in more than 20 countries across Africa and Asia. Building on 60 years of experience and grounded in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, we work on the core themes of gender equality and social inclusion, climate adaptation and mitigation, and strong institutions and effective governance. Together with our team of over 1,600 people, our mission is to strengthen capacities and catalyse partnerships that transform the agri-food, energy, and water systems, which enable sustainable and more equitable lives for all.

SNV has been working in Vietnam since 1995 and has over 30 national and international staff. SNV Vietnam’s team works hand-in-hand with communities, government agencies, and businesses in more than 50 provinces, including the remotest and poorest areas of the country. We operate from a country office in Hanoi and project offices in Ho Chi Minh City and Lam Dong province. Our work focuses on three sectors: Agri-Food, Energy, and Water, Sanitation, & Hygiene (WASH).

BPP Partnership

The Australian Government provided A$6.5 million COVID-19 for a Green Economic Recovery Package for Vietnam. The package includes A$2.5 million for four business partnerships that will leverage a further A$9.2 million in private sector investment. These unique partnerships, established under Australia’s successful Business Partnerships Platform, will support Vietnam’s green economic recovery through commercial initiatives in the energy and climate sectors. BPP supports partnerships between the Australian Government and inclusive businesses to create both development impacts and sustainable commercial returns through their core business operations. With BPP support, businesses are creating a social and environmental impact by:

1. Creating and adapting products and services that improve lives and reduce emissions.
2. Helping to create more inclusive and productive value chains.
3. Expanding inclusive business practices.

A partnership between The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) - Orlar - SNV - Raise Partners Vietnam, funded by DFAT through the Business Partnerships Platform (BPP), in which SNV will provide Technical Assistance to Orlar to scale an innovative vertical farming technology to increase sustainable food production and free up agriculture land for rehabilitation. The partnership will test and expand existing vertical farm technology to demonstrate the climate and economic value of vertical farms in the Mekong Delta, an area vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

The Mekong Delta of Vietnam is a region greatly exposed to increasingly frequent and severe droughts, saline intrusion, and floods. In response, the Government of Viet Nam developed Resolution 120 proposing urgent actions for the Sustainable and Climate Resilient Development of the Mekong Delta. The transformation of the agricultural sector to adapt to the changing environmental conditions is a major priority of the resolution, and the private sector has a critical role to play in introducing and scaling innovative technologies. Orlar’s vertical farming technology offers an advanced solution, particularly in estuarine and near-coastal areas where due to rapidly rising salinity levels, agricultural production needs to shift from rice production to other and higher-value crops. While Orlar has already developed and is improving hi-tech systems to monitor many environmental aspects of production, SNV’s TA in this project is desired to help the company successfully transfer and expand its business and production models to the Mekong Delta. The intensive experience of SNV can support Orlar to fast and effectively develop in its inclusive supply chain, ensuring food safety along the chains while addressing both economic and environmental efficiencies (e.g. reducing packaging, recycling organic waste back on the farms) as well as generating new and inclusive business opportunities.

Project Sites

The project sites are located in Long An province and Lam Dong province. The main targeted -project site is in Long An with a new vertical farming model set up and operated in 2023.

OBJECTIVES

The main objective of this assignment is to build the capacity on Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) and Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) for Orlar’s staff and workers and strengthen the director board’s capacity to develop the Gender Equality Action Plan for Orlar.

KEY TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The following tasks are to be performed under the guidance and supervision of SNV Vietnam project manager, and in consultation with Orlar’s designated staff. SNV’s staff will support fieldwork implementation.

1.    Enhance capacity of Orlar’s staff and workers on Economic development (WEE) and Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI). Specific tasks are to:

• Develop the training material on topics on (a) Basic principles for financial management and making-decision skills, and (b) Awareness Gender Equality and Social Inclusion targeting staff and workers.

1. Prepare the training course based on the approved plan.
2. Deliver the one-day training with each topic above.

• Support Orlar’s Director Board (ODB) on Gender Equality Action Plan

1. Work with the ODB to diagnose Gender Equality status in working atmosphere.
2. Build up the Gender checklist based on diagnostic results.
3. Complete the action plan on implementing Gender Equality for Orlar to close the gaps, specify tasks, persons in charge, and timelines.

• Write a final report (Vietnamese and English).

DELIVERABLES

• Training plan and material.
• The detailed Action plan on Gender Equality.
• The final report.

TIMEFRAME

April and May 2024

For more details on the Expression of Interest process, submission requirements, and evaluation details, please see corresponding sections below:

Selection Process

SNV will review all Expressions of Interest received in accordance with the guidelines and criteria in this solicitation. SNV reserves the right to exclude any EOIs that do not meet the guidelines. Please note that SNV is unable to provide detailed feedback to those EOIs that are not selected.

Step 1: SNV will shortlist selected EOIs, and unsuccessful respondents will be notified. Successful applicants will be contacted by SNV.

Step 2: SNV will release Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for the specific activities and contract with the selected organizations/ consultants.

Protection of Information

We request that Expressions of Interest responses be free of any intellectual property that the applicant wishes to protect. Should offerors wish to include proprietary intellectual property that they believe would be helpful for SNV, please note the proprietary nature of such information. Costing information will be kept confidential and will not be shared beyond SNV.

Issuance of this EOI does not constitute a commitment, award, or engagement on the part of SNV nor does it commit SNV to any future commitment or engagement.

Note: SNV reserves the right to change or cancel this requirement in the EOI/or solicitation process at any time.