Inclusive Business Program Consultant ; Circular Economy Program Consultant

Scope of Work
Vietnam ESG Initiative
01 Inclusive Business Program Consultant
01 Circular Economy Program Consultant

Background

Improving Private Sector Competitiveness (IPSC) is a U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) technical assistance project, and the Agency for Enterprise Development (AED) under the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) is the project owner. The project is implemented by Deloitte Consulting LLP (“Deloitte”) and runs from 2020 to 2025.

The purpose of the USAID IPSC Activity is to remove constraints and build the competitiveness of small and growing businesses (SGBs) in Vietnam, including those led by vulnerable populations. With this activity, USAID/Vietnam is supporting Vietnam’s competitiveness: vertically at the policy, market and firm level; and horizontally by working along the entire spectrum of enterprise growth models, from household businesses transforming into registered firms to small firms on the cusp of scaling up.

IPSC is made up of four interrelated Objectives:

• Objective 1. Building business management capacity of SGBs, including those led by vulnerable populations, particularly women and ethnic minorities.
• Objective 2. Improving efficiency and productivity by promoting innovation, technology adoption, and sustainable business models.
• Objective 3. Enhancing business enabling environment for a broad-based inclusive economy.
• Objective 4. Strengthening business-to-business (B2B) and cross-sectoral linkages.

Summary of Activities

Changing business environments and the global commitment to Sustainable Development Goals have prompted business leaders to rethink their definition of success. The triple bottom line concept is now widespread across industries, stating that companies should pay as much attention to social and environmental aspects of their businesses as they do to financial results. The adoption of Environment, Social, Governance (ESG) practices is rapidly increasing worldwide, fueled both by customer demand, investors’ expectation, and sustainability regulations. Globally, ESG investing is projected to reach $53 trillion by 2025 and is increasingly demanded by clients and investors, up from 45% in 2017 to 59% in 2020 (Bloomberg Intelligence’s ESG 2021 Midyear Outlook report). The Government of Vietnam has approved the National Green Growth Strategy and Action Plan, followed by the National Program on Support for Private Enterprises in Sustainable Business (Decision 167/QD-TTg 2022). Accelerating corporate sustainability and ESG practices can help companies in Vietnam improve competitiveness, build long-term growth, rise to international operating standards, and facilitate joining and moving up in global value chains.

However, the active adoption of corporate sustainability in general and ESG frameworks in particular among the business communities in Vietnam, especially among SGBs, is still limited. Some highlighted barriers include a general lack of awareness about sustainable business models and standards, limited access to investment capital to finance sustainable technologies and business transformation, and lack of measurement and recognition for business sustainability practices. Within this context, IPSC aims to support the private sector to become more competitive and ready to enter the global market through integrating sustainable business practices and adopting ESG.

Vietnam ESG Initiative is a challenge fund aiming at promoting private sector-driven ESG for sustainable growth. In 2023, Vietnam ESG Initiative will award 3 Vietnamese small and growing businesses up to VND 2 billion worth of technical assistances and support to pilot, implement, or scale up their ESG initiatives. The goal is to promote the adoption of ESG in Vietnam’s private sector and inspire sustainable business models.

There are two challenge areas in 2023:

1. Upstream innovation: Circular economy is a model of production and consumption that seeks to achieve a waste-free world. Upstream innovation refers to designing products and services at the production stage to prevent waste from being created in the first place (Ellen MacArthur Foundation). Businesses can rethink packaging (packaging concept, format, components, and material choice), product (product formulation, concept, shape, and size), and business model (delivery model, supply chain, location of production, revenue streams) to eliminate waste and pollution.
2. Inclusive business: Inclusive businesses provide goods, services, and livelihoods on a commercially viable basis, either at scale or scalable, to people at the base of the economic pyramid by making them a part of the value chain of companies such as suppliers, producers, distributors, retailers, customers, shareholders, employees, etc. (World Bank). While many firms work with or sell to low-income people in some way or another, only few provide low-income people with enhanced income opportunities or with goods and services relevant to overcome poverty and exclusion. These business lines are called inclusive business models.

Tentative activity timeline for Vietnam ESG Initiative 2023:

IPSC is looking for 01 individual consultant with expertise in Circular Economy Program & 01 individual consultant with expertise in Inclusive Business to support the technical design and implementation of Vietnam ESG Initiative

Please find more details on specific tasks, deliverables and timeline, qualifications in follow links:

Circular Economy Program Consultant [1]

Inclusive Business Consultant [2]

USAID Improving Private Sector Competitiveness Key Concepts and Definitions

• Small and Growing Business (SGB): An organization/economic unit of Vietnam, including enterprises, under the provisions of the Law on Enterprises, cooperatives operating under the provisions of the Law on Cooperatives, and business households registered in accordance with Vietnamese law, which employs no more than 500 full-time employees, has growth potential but lacks the resources of knowledge, finance, human resources, and technology to realize its goals and growth potential. 
• Pioneering SGBs or Pioneering Enterprises (PEs): A growing Vietnamese enterprise with Vietnamese-branded products, good competitiveness, the ability to lead and expand in the industry, sector, and locality, good management capacity and willingness to innovate and produce products with high added value, with the vision/objective to build a Vietnamese brand in the international market.
• Business Development Service Provider (BDSP): Agencies, organizations, and enterprises in both the public and private sector with functions, duties/business lines providing non-financial services to support enterprises to improve operational efficiency and business development.
• Business Support Organization (BSO): An organization with the function and mission to connect and support business development, often including business associations/clubs, industries, etc.

Interested candidates are invited to submit their CV to [email protected] [3]. Please state “Application for Circular Economy Program Consultant/ or Inclusive Business Consultant” in the subject line.

Deadline for applications is 03 January 2023 by 5pm Hanoi time. Due to the high volume of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.