Consultancy - Sector Experts on Biodiversity Conservation and Countering Wildlife Trafficking

Consultancy - Sector Experts on Biodiversity Conservation and Countering Wildlife Trafficking

USAID Learns
Hanoi, Vietnam

Apply here

https://phg.tbe.taleo.net/phg02/ats/careers/v2/viewRequisition?org=SOCIIMPA2&cws=39&rid=4667

Note: This post is open to local candidates only

About Social Impact

Social Impact (SI) is a global development management consulting firm. We provide monitoring, evaluation, strategic planning, and capacity building services to advance development effectiveness. We work across all development sectors including democracy and governance, health and education, the environment, and economic growth. Since 1997 we have worked in over 100 countries for clients such as US government agencies, bilateral donors, multilateral development banks, foundations, and nonprofits. 

Project Objective

SI is implementing the USAID/Vietnam Learns Contract (USAID Learns). The scope of the five-year project is to support USAID/Vietnam staff and partners to implement more efficient, effective, and transparent programs by improving: (1) USAID and Implementing Partner (IP) capacity to achieve expected results; (2) USAID’s understanding and tracking of project performance; and (3) collaboration, learning, and adapting (CLA).

Background

There is a growing recognition in the development community that context significantly shapes the outcomes of aid initiatives. Programming can often succeed or fail on the basis of contextual dynamics, as forces outside of a program’s control enable or hinder its progress. Having a more intentional and systematic approach to context monitoring enables USAID to be proactive, rather than reactive, when there are context shifts.

Position Description

To help USAID/Vietnam navigate the local context, Learns seeks local consultants who are able to produce routine, high-level analyses (called Sector Snapshots) of key shifts and trends in the context for particular technical sectors and geographic areas of interest. Selected consultants will be expected to produce quarterly 3-5 page briefings on key updates in their sector and engage with USAID/Vietnam, Learns, and other partners on their findings and implications. Learns may also request additional ad hoc analytical briefings from selected consultants when necessary, such as following an important contextual development.

Vietnamese consultants with expertise in the following sectors are encouraged to apply:

• Biodiversity conservation
• Countering wildlife trafficking

The specific content of these briefings is flexible and will be determined by USAID/Vietnam based on their needs. Content will likely include:

• Summaries of key news items from a variety of local and international sources
• Updates on policy/legal/regulatory developments in the given sector
• Discussion of relevant historical context and international or cross-border dynamics
• Emerging trends or threats to USAID’s work in the technical area
• Analysis of key stakeholders concerned with given issues, including their perspectives on key issues, and other institutional dynamics
• Reflections on the implications of certain developments, for USAID/Vietnam and implementing partners

Importantly, these briefings are intended to be informal, engaging, and easy to quickly review for key information, with links to further reading; these are not intended to be formal research outputs. The briefings should also be responsive to USAID programming, including focusing on target geographies relevant to USAID’s portfolio. Selected consultants will likely rely upon desk reviews and informal engagements with stakeholders to produce the briefings. Learns will arrange initial meetings with USAID to identify specific priorities and briefing formats at the start of the assignment.

Selected consultants producing the briefs will take part in discussions with USAID colleagues or implementing partner staff to review the findings, their implications for USAID programming, and any necessary next steps.

Roles & Responsibilities

With support from USAID Learns, the selected consultants are expected to:

• Produce engaging, concise quarterly briefings that provide insight and understanding about the context of Vietnam in one of the identified sectors.
• Review the contents of these briefings with USAID/Vietnam and Learns within one week of submission.

Learns will enter into fixed price agreements with selected consultants to produce each brief (routine or ad hoc), and will work closely with each consultant to support and quality assure delivery. Learns will also help facilitate the conversations with USAID, other partners, and the selected consultant to help stakeholders apply learning.

Estimated LOE: up to 8 days per quarter per consultant

Timeline: Nov 2023 to June 2024

Qualifications

Consultants must demonstrate the following technical skills and experience:

• Master’s degree in related fields to development, Biodiversity conservation, Public policy or similar
• Deep technical and policy-oriented expertise in the relevant technical sector.
• Strong experience working with Government and other local stakeholders in the relevant technical sector.
• Experience advising donor organizations such as USAID is preferred.
• Fluent in Vietnamese language and professional proficiency (writing, speaking, and reading) in English.
• Experience with journalistic/informational writing styles is preferred.

Responding to this advertisement:

Consultants interested in this assignment should provide their CV along with a cover letter outlining a summary of key qualifications and submit it through the online portal. Consultants must specify in their covering letter which technical area they are interested in. If interested in both technical areas, consultants should submit separate cover letters for biodiversity conservation context monitoring and countering wildlife trafficking context monitoring. Consultants may also submit an application for only one technical area (biodiversity conservation or countering wildlife trafficking).

The closing date for application: October 30, 2023. Selection and interviews will be performed constantly and interested candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

To learn more about Social Impact, please visit our website:http://www.socialimpact.com

SI is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

Only selected candidates will be contacted for an interview. Please, no phone calls, no visits.