Local Finance Specialist

Scope of Work
USAID Green Annamites
The Financial Specialist for USAID Green Annamites

Job Description

Project:    USAID Green Annamites
Office:    ECODIT, 5th Green Plaza, Da Nang, Vietnam
Position:    Local Finance specialist
Duty station:    Da Nang, Vietnam
Work area:    This position will be based in Danang, Vietnam and will be expected to travel to other locations in Vietnam to implement this Scope of Work.
Starting date:    As soon as possible
Probation period:    2 months

1.  Project Overview

Forests play a critical role in Vietnam by protecting watersheds, preventing soil erosion, mitigating climate change, and building resilience for communities. They are also home to rare and endemic species found nowhere else in the world. Unfortunately, Vietnam’s forests, and the species that live in them, are depleting at an alarming rate due to conversion into other economic uses, as well as from activities of surrounding forest-dependent populations who lack alternative economic means. 

The USAID Green Annamites project supports Vietnam’s transition to climate-smart, low-emission, and resilient development that protects people, landscapes, and biodiversity in Quang Nam and Thua Thien Hue provinces with three main tasks:

1. Increased application of low emission land use: conserve the existing carbon sink; stop emission from small scale deforestation and degradation, and unsustainable agricultural practices; and increase carbon sequestration from restoration of degraded landscapes.
2. Strengthen biodiversity conservation: mitigate threats to the globally significant biodiversity in central Vietnam, including poaching and activities that destroy habitats for wildlife and cause habitat fragmentation (e.g., deforestation, forest degradation, and conversion of natural forest into plantation)
3. Increase resilience for vulnerable communities: ensure that results of activities supported under the two other components are not affected by climate change impacts. Build resilience for vulnerable communities particularly in regards to their livelihoods.

A central component of the Green Annamites’ intervention strategy is that of livelihood improvement and value chains, aiming at generating sustainable revenue streams for communities living in forested areas and in or around protected areas. Experience shows that with adequate level of support, forest communities reduce their impact on forested ecosystems when other income-generating alternatives to deforestation and forest degradation are available.

Some of the key program results include improving the livelihoods of 20,000 forest dependent people; improving biodiversity in over 400,000 hectares of natural forest; mobilizing at least $20 million in public and private resources for sustainable livelihoods and forest conservation; and avoiding and/or removing the equivalent of at least 7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Work Background

The local finance specialist is responsible for supporting the development and successful implementation of the financial strategy. By doing so, this position will contribute to mobilizing additional $20 million for the implementation of long term sustainable livelihoods improvements in the Quang Nam and Thua Thien Hue provinces. This position requires close collaboration and coordination with the international finance expert in order to successfully achieve the proposed project objectives. 

The Local Finance Specialist reports to the Sustainable Landscapes and Climate Change (SLCCL) Lead and provides support for the successful implementation of tasks 1 and Task 3, while developing synergies with task 2. This is position will supervise consultants, subcontractors and grantees, to ensure that project outputs meet the highest applicable professional standards of quality and comply with all contractual requirements. The Specialist will also work closely with other project staff to identify appropriate opportunities for  accelerated and impactful project implementation.

Duties and Responsibilities

Central to this position is the creation of partnerships for sustainable livelihoods. The position is expected to play a central role in private sector engagement.

The successful candidate is expected to perform the following activities:

• Work closely with the international finance consultant to prepare a coordinated work plan and ensure consistency in activities and deliverables.
• Support the development and implementation of the environmental financing strategy for the Project and facilitate the channeling of additional funds into livelihood activities.
• Support the process of prioritization of investment opportunities using a market-based approach and mapping out the value chains.
• Adjust the business plans of the investment opportunities to the needs of the program and identified finance opportunities.
• Work with regional and provincial institutions to jointly identify institutional arrangements required to successfully implement, finance and scale up activities. 
• Market the initiatives with potential investors and all participants along the chain. This includes but it is not limited to preparation of presentations, fact sheets, organization of business roundtables and roadshows.  
• Support identifying opportunities for carbon financing at national level and together with the international consultant propose a plan to access domestic and international carbon markets.
• The specialist will attend conferences and events to expand the network of opportunities as well as to keep up to speed with trends in impact and environmental finance in Vietnam and the region.
• Develop a data base of national sources of finance and grants. The database will include contact and background information as well as a status column that should be kept updated throughout the life of the assignment.
• Work closely with the other project staff to support the design and implementation of activities under Task 1, 2 and 3 pertaining to financing for sustainable livelihoods.
• Draft Statements of Work (SOWs) and/or Requests for Quotations (RFQs) for consultants, subcontractors, and grantees to implement project activities, and review and participate in the assessment of quotations or applications received when asked to do so.
• Provide high quality and timely inputs for the preparation of Project deliverables to USAID and Gov. counterparts, like work plans, quarterly and annual reports, fact sheets, financial reports, etc.

Required Qualifications

The successful candidate must comply with the following requirements:

• Hold Masters or higher degree on economics, business, finance or other discipline relevant to the objectives of this consultancy.
• Demonstrate at least 5 years of experience in agribusiness, social enterprises, corporate social responsibility or environmental finance agribusiness sector.
• Experience establishing public private partnerships and raising funds from a variety of sources.
• Have a solid knowledge and understanding of Vietnam’s institutional environment for agricultural development and of financing for small business development.
• Sound project management experience and experience working with private sector, governmental institutions, NGOs, and communities.
• Excellent communication skills in English and Vietnamese and able to work in multicultural environments.

Interested candidates should send application including:

• A cover letter
• Latest CV, and
• Three references.

By April 15th, 2018 to the following address: [email protected]

No phone contact please. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interview