Consultancy Service to Develop a Guideline for Local Economic Development Planning

Project on poverty reduction through Institutional Strengthening in Quy Chau District and at Nghe An Provincial Level (PORIS in short) is under implementation since September 2009. This 4 year project
(Sept. 2009-Sept. 2013) is aimed at promoting pro-poor socio-economic development through support to public administration reform at provincial, district and commune levels which, inter-alia, is expected to strengthen capacities of local government in decentralized planning, budgeting, monitoring & evaluation, implementation and public services delivery in accordance with Public Administration
Reform (PAR) objectives. To achieve these aims, the project focuses on four result areas, including: (1) Result 1: Improved decentralized planning, budgeting and monitoring and evaluation at all levels; (2) Result 2: Improved practice of planning for service delivery and small-scale infrastructure; (3) Result3: Improved decentralized implementation of pro-poor service delivery and small-scale infrastructure; and (4) Result 4: Exchange and dissemination of results/capitalization/replication strategy.

The project has been implementing in a conducive context, the renovation of socio-economic development planning (SEDP) and budgeting (including SEDP and budget preparation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation) becoming imperative in Viet Nam in general, and in Nghe An province in particular, especially in the context of the country’s economy moving strongly towards market economy and integrating more into the world economy. At the macro level, the MPI has completed draft decree on preparation, implementation monitoring and evaluation of socio-economic development plan, and ready for approval from PM. In the Quy Chau district, the Master Plan for SEDP 2010- 2020 was completed and approved, the plan for New Rural Model of 11 communes and 1 town also were
conducted by the support of provincial and national consultant agencies.

Objective

The objective of this consultancy service is to develop/apply a guideline for sustainable local economic development planning and to enhance knowledge/capacity district and commune leaders and planers on planning for sustainable local economic development so that they can improve the quality of annual and mid and long term SEDPs in their communities.

A provincial LED assessment was conducted in 2010, but it is seemingly to assess at the provincial level, not supported directly to annual commune SEPD process in general and sustainable local economic development component of QCDF in particular. The reflection workshop on 2012 SEDP process shows that generally the local partners and district/commune planners are still unclear and
confused to understand, identify and address LED issues in their communities, difficult choices as their economies evolve from dependence on agriculture and natural resource-based industries to dependence on less traditional sources of income and employment. Through a series of development decisions, district/commune must create new ways to provide essential public services and secure a strong economic base. In addition, not so much trainings on planning, budgeting implementation, monitoring and evaluation for local partners is conducted to support and promote the SEDP process. And then most of annual SEDPs have completed with unclear objectives and visions, almost activities of the LED component of QCDF still are proposed by direct support. Therefore, the project needs a national consultant or a team to develop a SPLED process and training program and as trainer to conduct SPLED local partners/stakeholders.

Specific duties

The consultant will work under supervise of the PMU in the close cooperation with the expert group to provide specific consultancy service as following tasks:
- Review the LED assessment report undertaken for the Nghe An and further analyze and detailed the economic development diagnostics and potential identified in the report.
- Study secondary related documents on district/commune SEDP process and other district/commune plans.
- Work and collaborate closely with the project expert team and province/district/commune working groups to understand current SEDP process, other plans.
- Assess potential economic development and natural resources as well as strong/weakens/opportunities/risks analysis of the Quy Chau district for the sustainable development and recommend possible commune/district support action to develop them (please note that the LED is not a tool to finance private sector initiative but rather to identify public/private synergies and public support action to stimulate and trigger economic development and local private sector investment)
- Draft a guideline on SPLED process to ensure that the local partner would take basic knowledge/skill on SPLED towards market mechanisms with socialist orientation, integrating more into the world economy in general and integrating SEDPs of different levels in particular. The guideline on SPLED should also be applicable to support local partners in annual and 3-5 years SEDP preparation.
- Undertake, jointly with local partners, a LED diagnostic and opportunities on the communes of Quy Chau district based on data fathering and the Nghe an LED assessment
- Propose SPLED trainings for local partner (on the job /practical training based on local economic diagnostics)
- Play the role as a technical facilitator/trainer for the TOT training on using SPLED guideline for partners at the district and commune levels.
- Use case studies as best practical exercises of steps on commune SEDP process to facilitate the SPLED process and consultancy report.
- Submit the consultancy report with the finalized SPLED process and other annexes attached at least 7 days after mission ended.

Qualifications and Experience

- Post graduate degree in agriculture and rural development, social sciences, economic/ business management or in relevant fields
- Minimum of at least 5 years working in the above mentioned aspects
- Strong analytical skills
- Good understanding of PAR, planning and policy system in Vietnam
- Full experience working with national levels of Vietnam, international organization and/or NGO
- Able to work independently
- Knowledge in establishing multi-agency cooperation mechanisms
- Good communication skills and excellent spoken and written Vietnamese and English or/Thai language is preferable
- Good training/workshop organization skills

Study station

- Mainly in Quy Chau district and travel to Vinh city

Consultancy fee and payment

The remuneration is based on fees for National Experts and National Consultants in the UN- EU Guidelines for Financing of Local Costs in Development Co-operation with Vietnam, and payment
through the service contact agreement. The income tax will be applied as current policy.

Duration time

The assessment is expected to carry out and complete in August and September 2012, the number of working day is not over 40 working days for 2 consultants. (The final timeframe is agreed before the consultancy service contract signed)

Logistic and travels

Project will provide the car for travels and full logistic for any training/workshop.

Expected output

- District/commune planning makers and planner has acquired basic knowledge/skills on planning renovation and steps/tools uses of SPLED process to cover practical ways of obtaining information, analyzing that information, and developing a vision for the community that can be translated into project/programs and line items in a budget.
- A finalized SPLED guidelines and annexes attached in both English and Vietnamese.
- An LED assessment and diagnostic for the communes of Quy Chau

Deadline for submission of the proposal

The interested candidate, please send CV, one page proposal to explain why you might be considered the best candidate for this service, to the below address of the project before 16.00 on 20 July 2012.
The potential candidates would be contacted and negotiated before the services contact signed.

Project Management Unit of PORIS project, Quy Chau DPC
Block 3, Tan Lac town, Quy Chau district, Nghe An province
Tele: (038) 3892610
Email: [email protected]
CC: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]