Consultant to Develop Tung Oil in Quang Tri

INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT SCOPE OF WORK

A. DAI ORGANIZATION AND VALUES

DAI is a global development company with corporate offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, EU, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Palestine and project operations worldwide. We tackle fundamental social and economic development problems caused by inefficient markets, ineffective governance, and instability. DAI works on the frontlines of global development. Transforming ideas into action—action into impact. We are committed to shaping a more livable world.

DAI and its employees are committed to confronting racism and holding ourselves accountable for positive change within the company and in the communities, cultures, and countries in which we live and work.  DAI is committed to attracting and retaining the best employees from all races and backgrounds in our continued effort to become a better development partner.

DAI upholds the highest ethical standards. We are committed to the prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment as well as other ethical breaches. All of our positions are therefore subject to stringent vetting and reference checks.

B. PROJECT BACKGROUND

The USAID Sustainable Forest Management Project (the Project) will work with the Government of Vietnam (GVN) to reduce carbon emissions associated with deforestation, the degradation of natural forests, and poor plantation management. The Project will implement a “Green Prosperity” approach that strengthens local communities’ ability to protect their natural resource base and reduce emissions while building a strong foundation for sustainable livelihoods and equitable economic growth.

The Project will work in seven provinces (Lao Cai, Son La, Hoa Binh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Quang Tri, Quang Nam) and focus on five objectives:

1. Improve and expand community forest management
2. Increase conservation-friendly enterprises in forest-dependent communities
3. Increase functionality of law enforcement system for forest crimes
4. Improve production forest management practices
5. Mobilize domestic resources for forest management and protection

The Project implements during the period 2020-2025 by DAI in collaboration with RECOFTC and Preferred by Nature as partners, with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) as the counterpart and the Management Board of Forestry Projects (MBFP) as project owner.

C. DESCRIPTION OF CONSULTANCY SERVICE:

1. Background

Under Objective 2 (Increase Conservation-Friendly Enterprises in Forest Dependent Communities), there are two main tasks as follow:

1. Identify Target Value Chains, Barriers, and Opportunities
2. Strengthen Conservation-Friendly Value Chains in sustainable forest management (SFM) Landscapes

In order to build a foundation for supporting the development of value chains and enhancing the participation of Conservation Friendly Enterprises (CFEs) to contribute to overall goals on reducing carbon emission and increasing carbon sequestration of the Project, it is necessary to develop the Production development Plan for market - oriented and processed Tung Oil in Huong Hoa and Dakrong districts, Quang Tri province for the period of 2022-2026, with the vision to 2030 (the Plan). It is also a prioritized activity of Quang Tri province mentioned in the Decision No 220/Q?-UBND of Quang Tri Provincial People's Committee dated in 18/01/2022 approving prioritized Programs in 2022 of the Quang Tri Province People’ Committee.

According to the Report on the development potential of Tung tree (Vernicia Montana) in 2020 by Medical Committee Netherlands-Vietnam (MCNV), Tung tree is a native tree that is suitable with the climate conditions of Quang Tri mountainous area, especially communes in the North of Huong Hoa district. Tung tree starts to bloom in the year 2 or 3 of the growth cycle, delivering seed products quickly and generating early and continuous incomes for growers. Tung tree is categorized as a multi-purpose tree that is suitable for afforestation with high economic values and yield early incomes. As a result, Tung tree can be used in afforestation activities as well as livelihood activities.

The aforementioned report also indicates that Tung tree has a large plantation area in five communes in the North of Huong Hoa district (i.e. Huong Linh, Huong Phung, Huong Son, Huong Tan and Tan Thanh) with total area of 2,456 hectare (ha). Plantation density ranges from 1,650 to 2,500 trees/ha. Tung tree’s cover rate in these area ranges from 50% to 100% and mostly was planted by Huong Hoa – Dakrong Protection Forest Management Board to increase the area of protection forest. In addition, it is estimated that an area of 35 ha of Tung tree (except of newly plantation area in 2020 funded by MCNV) is fragmentarily planted in three communes (i.e. Huong Tan, Huong Linh and Huong Son) in Huong Hoa district. Currently, Tung tree’s plantation for seed harvesting was implemented not foregrounded by a proper and overviewed master plan and lack of investment from production forest plantation projects/programs.

The report of MCNV also shows that there are two large Tung tree collection agents (first-tier) and ten small procurement agents (second-tier) in Huong Hoa. First-tier agent provides Tung tree’s products to companies in the North of Vietnam then exporting to China market. Total volume of these two first-tier agents is approx. 1,500 tons equivalent to VND 13 – 15 billion for farmers. Farm-gate price of farmer is VND 8,000 – 10,000/kg of dried seeds and the price sold to export companies is VND 15,000 – 16,000/kg of dried seeds. As such, price sold to export companies is 80%-100% higher than farm-gate price. Household survey highlights that Tung tree provides a considerable income of VND 7,000,000 in addition to the main income of cassava of VND 8,000,000 – 10,000,000. It is worth to mention that farmers need to spend far more efforts in cassava’s plantation than Tung tree.

Regarding to forest allocation under management of local authorities, MCNV’s report mentions that Huong Hoa – Dakrong Protection Forest Management Board allocated a total area of 1,446.8 ha to local authorities of communes in Huong Hoa in 2019-2020 (Decision No. 3359/QD-UBND dated on December 5, 2017 of Quang Tri Province People’s Committee (PPC) on the approval of conversion the forest and forest land under category of protection forest into production forest in Quang Tri province; Decision No. 2773/QD-UBND dated on October 11, 2019 of Quang Tri PPC on approval of data adjustment on conversion the forest and forest land under category of protection forest into production forest in Quang Tri province).

In order to support the plantation, production, harvesting, processing and facilitating market access of Tung tree’s products ensuring the economic-social-environmental benefits for forest-dependent communities in a sustainable manner, the Project and partners is recruiting an individual consultant to support Quang Tri’s Provincial Project Management Unit (PPMU) for the development of the Plan. This Plan, once developed, will be approved by relevant authorities in Quang Tri PPC to serve as legal basis for the implementation and resources mobilization. This activity would directly contribute to four main indicators: ID2 – Number of institutions with improved capacity; ID4 – Amount of investment mobilized; ID5 – Number of people receiving livelihood co-benefits; and ID6 - Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, estimated in metric tons of CO2 equivalent, reduced, sequestered or avoided (in 11 indicators of the Project).

II. Purposes of the activity

To support Quang Tri province to develop the Production development Plan for market - oriented and processed Tung Oil in Huong Hoa and Dakrong districts, Quang Tri province for the period of 2022-2026, with the vision to 2030 to contribute to incomes of forest – dependent residents and reduced deforestation, carbon emission and carbon sequestration.

III. Location

There will be activities conducted at the office of the Consultant and other activities in Quang Tri province, including field activities in Huong Hoa, Dakrong districts, and other location if needed.

IV. Tasks

The consultant is expected to fulfill the following tasks:

• Finalize the inception report, including update secondary data, survey methodologies, develop report outline and field study detailed plan based on the discussion and agreement of Project staff in charge and Quang Tri PPMU.
• Conduct field study of:
  
  • Assess current status and scale of Tung tree’s plantation by households in Huong Hoa and Dakrong, including area, distribution map and estimated volume.
  • Assess and provide recommendations on silviculture techniques for Tung tree (in order to yield fruits and seeds), including newly planted area in Huong Hoa and Dakrong.
  • Assess and analyze relevant criteria on economic-financial, social and environmental impacts of Tung tree, including processing of Tung tree by-products and economic effectiveness of Tung tree plantation model at household level. Analyze its competitiveness to other crops.
  • Conduct an analysis on Tung tree value chain, including market for Tung oil as supply material in Vietnam and potential to expand to other market in the region.
  • Conduct risk assessment for the implementation of the Master plan (e.g. using SWOT analysis tool).
• Consolidate data and analyze to develop the draft Plan, including current land use map and potential plantation area map for Tung tree forest in the period 2022-2026 harmonizing with the Land Use Planning and socio – economic development plan of the province. 
• Organize consultation workshop to present first draft of the Plan; collect feedbacks and explicit comments to finalize second draft of the Plan.
• Work with PPMU and Quang Tri DARD for comments and feedback of line Departments and districts.
• Finalize the Plan and submit for Quang Tri PPMU for authorized agencies’ approval.
• Prepare and submit final consultancy report.

V. Anticipated Level of Effort (LOE) and Deliverables

The estimated LOE for this assignment is 70 (Seventy) person-days, from April 10, 2022, and ends up on July 31, 2022. All final deliverables must be prepared in Vietnamese. The final report must be in both Vietnamese and English. The specific deliverables and timeframe are listed below in the following table:

VI.  Qualifications:

• Vietnamese National
• Have a bachelor’s degree or higher in forestry, natural resources management, sustainable rural development or relevant areas
• Have at least ten years of experience in planning, master plan development in forestry sector, silviculture construction, natural resources management.
• Knowledge on local context, forestry and agriculture sector of Quang Tri province and being able to travel and conduct field work in Quang Tri is preferable in the situation of Covid-19.
• Have skills in analyzing statistical data; synthesizing and writing reports
• Have Vietnamese and English proficiency in speaking and writing

VII. How to apply and requested documents

Interested candidates are requested to submit:

• A CV in English and Vietnamese
• A cover letter in English
• Scanned copy of related degrees
• Short technical proposal in English and Vietnamese (max 3 pages) on approach to this assignment (methodology and work plan), and list of relevant completed assignments.

via email to our recruitment email at [email protected]. 

Please quote the position title in the subject line: “Consultant name – Tung oil tree”.

Deadline for application: 5.00 p.m. (Hanoi time), April 04, 2022

To learn more about DAI, please visit our website www.dai.com.

DAI is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer with a commitment to diversity. DAI does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, parental status, veteran status, or other non-merit factor.