TERMS OF REFERENCE
Click HERE for Vietnamese
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Activity Name |
Assessing the impact of technology and digital technology (mobile applications) on the livelihoods of informal waste collectors in Ho Chi Minh City |
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Implementation Period |
February 3, 2025 – May 31, 2025 |
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Type of Contract |
Consultancy |
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Deployment area |
Ho Chi Minh City |
I. GENERAL INFORMATION
The “Pioneering Company, Community & Consumer Responsibility in Plastic Waste Reduction in Vietnam” (P3CR) is one of six initiatives under the “Reducing Pollution Activity” project funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) through Winrock International. The initiative is managed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE), with the Pollution Control Department (PCD) serving as the project owner.
The P3CR initiative is currently led by Supporting Green Development Company Limited – GreenU (formerly known as the Centre for Supporting Green Development – GreenHub). Its primary objective is to support the implementation of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system for plastic packaging waste by focusing on capacity building, multi-stakeholder dialogue mechanisms, and pilot models in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC).
Under the P3CR, in Ho Chi Minh City, the model of connecting the supply chain of at-source sorting – collection – transportation – recycling of plastic waste to promote the implementation of EPR has been deployed since the beginning of 2023, piloted at the city and district levels (Phu Nhuan District and District 1) and has achieved certain results, including: creating connections between households (consumers/polluters) and plastic waste collection points ó informal waste pickers (‘ve chai’) ó junk shops ó recyclers to collect and recycle plastic waste; connecting MM Mega Market Vietnam Co., Ltd. (importer) with DuyTan Plastic Recycling (recycler) to promote the EPR implementation.
Besides, in order to furthe rconnect and promote EPR implementation, the P3CR has cooperated with VECA company (https://www.veca.app/) to develop two technology applications: i) an application connecting households ó informal waste pickers (by the end of December 2024, there were 45,000 households, 100 collection points and 50 collectors connected in the VECA app); and ii) the ‘Vua’ (junk shops) application to support the management of scrap purchasing in an official manner to participate in the EPR implementation (by the end of December 2025, there were 18 junk shops using the ‘Vua’ app). In addition, to promote the reduction of plastic waste, the P3CR Initiative and Winrock International directly supported Saigon Co.op in coordinating with ALTA to install 13 plastic bottle collection machines (reverse vending machines) at Saigon Co.op supermarkets and their offices based in HCMC (by the end of December 2024, these machines had collected more than 72,000 plastic bottles).
The development of technology, especially reverse vending machines, has contributed to increasing the amount of recyclable waste collected and automating the process. However, in the future, these machines may threaten the livelihood of informal waste pickers because they may replace their jobs.
At the same time, the application of digital technology, such as mobile applications, in the plastic waste collection and recycling supply chain has brought benefits to informal waste pickers. They can access transparent and stable sources of recyclable waste, and at the same time track the flow of scraps from collection to recycling. In the long term, this helps reduce travel time to find scrap sources. However, technology can also have negative impacts, such as reducing the need for labor and leading to job cuts.
To assess these impacts in detail, GreenU plan to conduct a study titled “Assessing the impact assessment of technology (reverse vending machines) and digital technology (mobile applications) on the livelihoods of independent scrap collectors in Ho Chi Minh City”.
Based on the findings of the study, the research team will propose recommendations to support the informal waste picker group, taking advantage of technology while ensuring the livelihoods of this group. Besides, the research aims to provide policy recommendations in supporting the informal collection sector or/and businesses operating technology applications to avoid conflicts of interest between the parties. In addition, the P3CR Initiative may propose other ideas on new solutions for both technology and the informal collection force in future initiatives/projects. To implement this study, the P3CR Initiative needs to recruit consultants, specifically as follows:
II. OBJECTIVES
- Assess the current status and study development trends of technology in the supply chain of sorting, collection, and recycling of plastic packaging waste in Vietnam
- Analyze the impact of technology supporting the collection of plastic packaging waste currently applied in Ho Chi Minh City on the livelihoods of informal collectors in the supply chain of recycling plastic packaging waste in Ho Chi Minh City.
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Propose actionable recommendations to minimize negative impacts and ensure the livelihoods of the informal waste pickers in the recycling supply chain.
III. SCOPE OF RESEARCH
The research will be conducted in Ho Chi Minh City and focus on assessing the impacts of technology applications (including reverse vending machines), and digital technology (mobile applications) on the livelihoods of informal waste collectors in Ho Chi Minh City.
- Research location: Ho Chi Minh City
- Technology applications to be surveyed: mobile technology applications (collection, classification apps) & scrap collecting machines (reverse vending machines)
- Main contents, but not limited to:
- Changes in employment or income, financial opportunities/financial losses of informal waste pickers due to the impact of technology.
- Potentiality of informal collectors to participate in formal supply chains or cooperate with formal enterprises.
- Technology affects the way of working, the level of recognition and position of informal waste collection groups in society, the level of access to support policies and benefits.
IV. ACCEPTANCE PRODUCTS
- A complete set of research tools, finalized after incorporating feedback from GreenU and Winrock International (Vietnamese).
- A detailed report titled “Assessing the impact assessment of technology (reverse vending machines) and digital technology (mobile applications) on the livelihoods of independent scrap collectors in Ho Chi Minh City”, reviewed and approved by GreenU and the donor, Winrock International (Full report: Vietnamese; translated into English).
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A concise summary report (policy brief) highlighting key findings and policy recommendations (in both Vietnamese and English).
V. EXPECTED OUTPUT AND TIMELINE
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No. |
Output |
Time |
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1 |
A draft comprehensive Inception Report along with an initial Assessment Toolkit |
Week 2 February 2025 |
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2 |
A finalized Inception Report A finalized set of Assessment Toolkit, developed through discussions and consensus with relevant stakeholders |
Week 4 February 2025 |
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3 |
Completion of a field survey |
Week 3 March 2025 |
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4 |
01 draft research report completed and sent to relevant parties for comments |
Week 3 April 2025 |
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5 |
01 documented minute of the consultation meeting for the draft report |
Week 1 May 2025 |
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6 |
01 final research report and research summary are widely shared |
31/05/2025 |
VI. REQUIREMENTS FOR CONSULTANTS
The consultant may be an individual or a team.
Requirements for the Team Leader:
- Educational Background: A Master’s degree or higher, with at least 10 years of experience in relevant fields such as sociology, economics, or environmental studies
- Relevant Experience: Knowledge and experience in the solid waste collection, sorting, and recycling system. Familiarity with the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system is a strong advantage.
- Preferred Qualifications: Priority will be given to candidates who have previously participated in similar research and survey projects and possess strong analytical skills to interpret survey data in depth.
- Availability: The team leader must have the time and commitment to participate in the consulting tasks within the timeframe set by GreenU.
VII. IMPLEMENTATION TIME
- The research is expected to be carried out in 4 months, from 3/2/2025 – 31/5/2025.
VIII. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
The proposal (in Vietnamese) should include:
- Letter of interest (no more than 1 page, describing why the consultant is well-suited for this task).
- Propose a research idea: reasons for conducting the research, research objectives and questions, research methods, process, and plan for implementation.
- Financial proposal: breakdown for the consultant’s services, including a quotation for the entire research process (with personal income tax included)
- Consultant’s CV(s)
IX. SUBMISSION INFORMATION
The proposal must be signed (and sealed if submitted by an organization) and sent to the following email address: [email protected]
Closing date for submission: before 17:00 on January 17, 2025.