Terms of Reference
Agriculture Economist cum Team Leader Specialist
Job Title: Agriculture Economist cum Team Leader Specialist
Appointment Type: Short Term Consultant (STC) - subject to Local Recruitment
Leader Name: Obert Pimhidzai, Senior Economist, Vietnam
Background
The World Bank’s mission is to help the Bank's clients in the East Asia and the Pacific Region (EAP) to reduce poverty and achieve environmentally and socially sustainable development. For Vietnam, the development of ethnic minorities is a key focus area for achieving these objectives, through a combination of direct financing of interventions and technical assistance activities provided in partnerships with other development partners. To this effect, the World Bank and the Government of Australia launched a partnership program – the Second Australia Bank Partnership (ABP2) - which has an Ethnic Minorities pillar designed to provide technical assistance to the Government of Vietnam to support the development of ethnic minorities. Activities under this pillar involve analytical work and technical assistance to support knowledge sharing, policy development and strengthening the Government of Viet Nam’s ongoing and future investments related to poverty reduction for Ethnic Minorities and social assistance programs. This includes strategically leveraging the impact of the National Target Programs through targeted activities.
The National Target Programs for New Rural Development and Sustainable Poverty Reduction (NTP- NRD and SPR) period 2016-2020 were launched to address the poverty in Vietnam, especially among Ethnic minorities. These two programs are central to Government’s strategy for raising rural incomes and productivity, while reducing the significant socio-economic disparities between rural and urban areas.
They both provide support for production development and livelihood support in rural communities. As part of ABP2, the World Bank will provide support for MARD and CEMA to bring new knowledge and build implementation capacity with regards to the One Commune on Product model, gender informed value chain analysis and mainstreaming as well as improving awareness of and ability to access NTP programs for ethnic minority women and men in the production and livelihood support activities. The envisaged capacity building activities include:
- Developing “One commune one product (OCOP) Handbook”, with reinforced emphasis on value chain analysis as part of product identification
- Developing a training curricula and manual for gender informed value chain analysis,
- Providing Trainer of Trainers to key provincial staff responsible for the OCOP and implementation of production support under the NTPs,
- Developing a user friendly communication handbook for district and commune officials to provide simple, clearer instructions and guide on communication of value chain support activities to communities.
The World Bank is seeking to hire four national experts as Short-Term Consultants (STCs) to support these activities. The four consultants are (i) an Agriculture Economics Specialist cum Team Leader, (ii) a Value Chain Analysis Specialist, (iii) Social Science, Gender and Ethnic Minority Specialist and (iii) Communication Specialist.
Objective of the TOR
This TOR is for the recruitment of a local, short term consultant to lead the consultant team for the NTP capacity building activities, develop a “One commune one product (OCOP) Handbook” and deliver ToTs on OCOP and Value Chain analysis for national and provincial officers. The Handbook would seek to draw upon and harmonize the various existing guidelines and implementation processes and procedures being used in Viet Nam and internationally, into a common guidance document that could be used for strengthening capacity of the NRD staff at all levels. The consultant will get support from a Social science, gender and EM consultant to ensure gender and culturally sensitive mainstreaming into the Handbook and the training.
Duties and Responsibilities
To take lead and coordinate the assignment of the team to ensure all the work is fully integrated with and in line with guidance under the Enhanced Operation Manual of the PforR and the DFAT Trust Fund Task Team, NCOs on each TOR/aspect of the assignments.
Conduct a thorough assessment of existing procedures and requirements for the OCOP, drawing upon the considerable experience, manuals and training already provided through various donor supported activities in Viet Nam, while also exploring relevant lessons and best practices established
internationally.
Draft an OCOP Handbook that has the necessary the applicability, effectiveness, gender sensitiveness and user friendliness for the implementation processes and procedures.
Jointly (with the value chain analysis and social science consultants) provide Training of Trainers to key officers at national and provincial levels to provide adequate knowledge and skills to deliver training for commune and districts officers and any other technical support for the OCOP program within their areas.
Key deliverables for the assignment will be in both Vietnamese and English.
Required Qualifications
- Master degree in a relevant field such as Agriculture, Agriculture Economics, Business Administration (MBA) and Management, Economics, Development Studies, Project Planning and Management,;
- Over 8 years’ experience in rural development, institutional capacity building, planning and monitoring institutional training programs;
- Experience in developing and evaluating training programs, particularly advantageous if this was done for rural development;
- Solid technical knowledge of rural business development programs and services as well as support for development curricula, tools and resources for training government officials.
- Fluent in both Vietnamese and English
- Previous work experience for NTP-NRD & SPR-135, will be preferable.
Timing/Assignment Duration
The consultant will be recruited for 65 days from *January 8, 2018 to June 30, 2019.
Reporting arrangements
The consultant will report to the DFAT Trust Fund Task Team Leaders. The consultant will work closely with NTP NCOs on each aspect of the assignment, and with World Bank Task Team, including other consultants who have similar roles in other designated assignments.
Application
Interested and qualified candidate must submit both their Curriculum Vitae and Statement of interest (not more than one page long) by email to Ms Dung Thuy Vu, [email protected] by close of business of the 28 December 2018.