Consultant at HELVETAS

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Background

Vietnam has a large natural resource of ingredients with more than 4,000 species which can be used as raw materials for phyto-pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industry. 95% of Vietnamese remedies, including over 1,760 medicinal products, rely on natural resource base. Vietnam also produces up to 40,000 tons of raw medicinal materials annually. Additionally, significant amount of natural ingredients is being imported from overseas, China and India, most of them illegally and of low quality, though many of those plants are available in Vietnam.

In reality, the supply of natural ingredients in Vietnam is declining due to (a) ineffective management of natural resources, (b) lack of incentives to encourage smallholders to harvest products sustainably, and (c) weak linkages between players on both of upstream and downstream of the value chain that uses natural ingredients. On the other hand, the demand for natural ingredients in national and international market is increasing, amplifying the trend towards decreasing resource base.

Since 2013 to 2015, Helvetas Vietnam had been running a SECO-funded project to promote BioTrade initiatives in Vietnam’s phyto-pharmaceutical sector. As at the end of this project, four companies have successfully established 4 value chains that source supplies from EBT-complying plantation resource. Nevertheless, further effort is required to lift up EBT practice to a sustainable level.

The Project of ‘Upscaling of ethical BioTrade initiatives within phyto-pharmaceutical industry in Vietnam’ has been launched since Apr 2016. The project is funded by European Union, implemented by Helvetas Vietnam, and will take place from 2016 to 2020. The project is composed of four components:

• Component 1: Promote the application of production practices that comply with Ethical BioTrade (EBT) standards. These standards are seen as a fundamental ground for sustainable production and exploitation of materials from natural resources;
• Component 2: Increase consumers’ awareness as to the need for, and the value of, products that have been made as per ethical Biotrade standards;
• Component 3: support for performance improvement of value chains that uses natural ingredients as raw materials;
• Component 4: facilitate for improvement of enabling policy environment.

The project work with private sector, government and CSO throughout the country, on both supply, demand as well as enabling environment actors.

Communication and marketing are core interventions under the components 2&3 of the project. Which aim at impactful changes among consumers’ awareness about BioTrade concept and value of products and their behavior toward Ethical Bio-Consumption in order to increase demands for EBT products. In addition, it helps
increase the visibility and availability of EBT products over marketplaces (market platforms, trade fairs, e-commerce platform, etc.) as well as brokering business partnerships/production-consumption linkages.

Objectives

The consultant will help intensification and strengthening of market information, market platform, communication, marketing to contribute to systemic change of the market system within EBT sector.

Specific tasks

• Draft and consolidate communication and marketing contents, and update and maintain project’s BioTrade Website and Fan-Page on a regular basis (Minimum 2 news/articles/mini-games/week);
• Develop project marketing and communication strategy and communication plan;
• Manage a BioTrade (e-commerce) Platform;
• Collect market information (supply and demand) and update the project’s BioTrade database;
• Advice CMO to implement BioTrade promotion campaigns (e.g. communication campaigns, trade fairs, etc.) in partnership with EBT firms.

Deliverables

• BioTrade Website and Fan-page are updated in a regular basis and reached monthly targeted audience;
• A project communication strategy and action plans approved by Project Manager;
• A BioTrade E-Commerce Platform is well renovated/developed and put into operation by October 2019;
• A portfolio of BioTrade suppliers and products are collected, verified and regularly updated to E-Commerce Platform;
• Communication campaigns for BioTrade products are well organized and attracted target number of audience/visitors;
• A BioTrade Platform is well operated and attract monthly target numbers of visitors and sales.

Duration and level of efforts

• 6 months, up to 14 days/month, start as soon as possible

Qualifications

Education

• Minimum Bachelors’ Degree in marketing, communication, business administration or related disciplines;
• Masters’ degree is advantageous.

Experience

• 4-6 years of experience in behaviour change communication; Experience in digital communication, marketing using social media and sales is a plus;
• Experience in project management;
• Knowledge and experience working with business partners is an advantage;
• Experience working with media and communication agencies is advantageous;
• Understanding of corporate social responsibilities, environmental sustainability and/or ethical trading/sourcing is advantageous.

Skills

• Excellent Vietnamese and English writing skills is a must;
• Excellent communication, personal and interpersonal skills;
• Cultural and gender sensitivity;
• Negotiation and contract management skills is advantageous.

Application

Interested consultants are requested to submit their application including a CV and a cover letter to: email to: [email protected] and cc to [email protected] by COB July 19, 2019.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interviews, and (if successful) for contract negotiation.