International STTA Green Supply Chain Expert

Vietnam Digital Trade

SCOPE OF WORK

International STTA Green Supply Chain Expert

Date: April 2024

Position: International STTA Green Supply Chain Expert

Reports to: USAID Vietnam Digital Trade (VDT) Technical team

Location: Home-based

LOE: (STTA) 15 days

Period of Performance: April – May 2024

International Development Group LLC is an international development consulting firm that assists donors, governments, and the private sector to create and take advantage of opportunities for sustainable, broad-based economic development and poverty reduction. IDG provides entrepreneurs and policymakers with the practical tools needed to achieve real and measurable impact for their communities and countries. IDG assistance programs aim to build the capacity, skills, and knowledge of local individuals and institutions in the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors, fostering synergies between local knowledge and international experience. 

Project Background

The VDT is a two-year activity (2023-2025) addressing regulatory gaps and promoting private sector engagement in the rapidly growing digital economy. USAID VDT Activity supports the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT)’s implementation of frameworks that facilitate digital trade, with an emphasis on supporting MOIT in holding public-private dialogues to ensure implementation is done in consultation with the private sector. Regulations that are responsive to private sector needs remove bottlenecks in trade faced by enterprises and increase regulatory transparency, helping to shape an e-commerce sector where enterprises of all sizes can benefit. The Activity encourages the participation of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in digital trade by introducing new business models and other best practices, such as traceability of goods, as well as facilitating cross-border connections between enterprises via MOIT’s digital trade promotion platform.

Activity Background

The Vietnam's Strategy for Merchandise Exports and Imports Strategy by 2030 (Decision No. 493/QD-TTg of Prime Minister approved in April 2022) focuses on sustainable development, green trade, and fair trade. It aims to ensure balanced and harmonious growth, with specific targets such as stable growth, a reasonable trade balance, and a balanced product and market structure. The strategy includes orientations towards merchandise exports and imports, developmental orientations towards export and import markets, approaches to implementation, and funding for implementation.

In particular, the strategy emphasizes the concept of “green transformation”, promoting the development of a green, sustainable, and circular production system, investment in economic-technical infrastructure, science-technology, and digital transformation. It also aims to increase the innovative and creative content in exported products, build and develop trademarks of Vietnamese goods for export, and promote the development of eco-friendly products for export. The strategy also includes viewpoints on green trade, fair trade, environmental, biodiversity conservation, and adaptation to climate change.

The USAID VDT, based on the work plan approved by the MOIT and USAID, will support the MOIT Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (Vietrade) to promote the application of digital technology in the development of green supply chains in line with the Strategy above mentioned. In particular, the tasks will be implemented in some steps:

• Identify major export items which must be adopted green transformation by 2030 (the end of the implementation period of the Strategy)
• Develop a roadmap for the green transformation of the selected products that includes specific goals, milestones and specific actions to be taken.

To conduct this activity, the VDT will mobilize one local and one international STTA experts to implement the following tasks:

• Local STTA Green Supply Chain Expert (Local Expert). In charge of designing the activity in cooperation with VDT team, MOIT VIETRADE and the international STTA Expert. Details of Key Tasks/Responsibilities of the Local Expert is described bellows.
• International STTA Green Supply Chain Expert (International Expert) will cooperate with the Local Expert to provide international experiences about the application of digital technology in the development of green supply chains and provide comments on the draft roadmap of the VIETRADE.

In consultation with the VDT Technical Team, the International Expert will work closely with the MOIT VIETRADE and the Local Expert. The International Expert may also be required to work in collaboration with other members of the VDT team in order to undertake this activity.

Key Tasks/Responsibilities:

• Desk study on international experiences about the application of digital technology in the development of green supply chains.
• Cooperate with Local Expert to provide recommendations for identification of major export items which must be adopted green transformation by 2030 (the end of the implementation period of the Strategy).
• Reviewand provide comments for the draft VIETRADE roadmap for the green transformation of the selected products, in the light of international experiences and best practices.
• Participate in the consultation workshop with private sector and relevant stakeholders to get feedbacks for the draft roadmap.
• Review and provide comments for the Final Report containing details of all work carried out in areas assigned prepared by Local Expert.

Deliverables

• Study report on international experiences about the application of digital technology in the development of green supply chains.
• Recommendations for identification of major export items which must be adopted green transformation by 2030 (the end of the implementation period of the Strategy).
• Comments on the draft VIETRADE roadmap for the green transformation of the selected products, in the light of international experiences and best practices.
• Active participation at a consultation workshop with private sector and relevant stakeholders to get feedbacks for the draft roadmap; and giving presentations on key findings.
• Comments on the Final Report containing details of all work carried out in areas assigned prepared by Local Expert.

Qualifications

• Degree in economics, green technology, green science, trade, or related topics.
• At least 10 years of working experience in trade and industrial-related sectors
• Relevant experience in “green transformation” processes, or, more in general, in applying environmental policies, regulations, and in applying sustainable practices in businesses
• Prior involvement in projects related to green transformation.
• Strong written, and oral English.

Interested candidates should send applications to [email protected] no later than March 10, 2024.