Consultants to provide consultancyon conducting Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) and developing an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)

Scope of Work

Technical Assistance for Secoin Saigon Industry Investment JSC.

02 Consultants to provide consultancyon conducting Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA)
and developing an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)

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

The adoption of Environment, Social, Governance (ESG) practices is rapidly increasing worldwide, fueled both by customer demand, investors’ expectation, and sustainability regulations. 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. 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 program aiming at promoting private sector driven ESG for sustainable growth. In 2023 and 2024, IPSC launched the first two calls for proposals for the program, which resulted in the selection of 20 finalist SGBs and delivery of in-depth technical assistance for the winners to implement excellent ESG initiatives. The winning SGBs of each year will receive in-depth technical assistance to pilot, implement, or multiply initiatives for the adoption of ESG and sustainable business practices.

The IPSC project has completed an ESG technical assistance plan for Secoin Saigon Industry Investment JSC. (“Secoin Saigon”), one of the winning SGBs of 2024 Vietnam ESG Initiative. As part of this technical assistance plan, IPSC will recruit a team of 02 consultantsto support Secoin Saigon to conduct Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) and develop an Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) for Secoin Cement Tile product, including 01 LCA Consultant and 01 EPD Consultant.The tasks and deliverables for each consultant and the timeframe for each deliverable are noted below.

Consultant 1: Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) consultant

Specific Tasks

This consultant shall work closely with the EPD consultant in a team led by IPSC Sustainability and ESG Portfolio Manager and Secoin Saigon to perform the following tasks:

• Together with the EPD consultant, prepare a joint work plan which includes expected activities, deliverables, schedule, key milestones, personnel, resources and outputs in line with IPSC’s approved monitoring and evaluation indicators. The work plan will serve as the primary document to track progress against the proposed schedule and must be approved by IPSC prior to any delivery.
• Gather comprehensive data on the product’s life cycle stages, such as raw material extraction, manufacturing, distribution, use, and end-of-life disposal. Ensure data accuracy and completeness to support a robust life cycle assessment (LCA) following standards such as ISO 14040 and ISO 14044.
• Analyze the collected data to evaluate environmental impacts across various categories such as global warming potential, resource depletion, and water use, and identify significant environmental aspects and potential areas for improvement.
• Prepare detailed LCA reports that clearly communicate findings, methodologies, and assumptions.
• Together with the EPD consultant, prepare a joint Final Implementation Report in English to describe key activities delivered and outcomes. Report template will be provided by IPSC.

Deliverables and tentative timeline

The consultant must complete and submit the following deliverables for IPSC review and acceptance:

Qualifications

• Vietnamese national with minimum a master’s degree in economics, business, environmental engineering, sustainability, or related fields.
• Having at least 10 years of experience and demonstrated capabilities to carry out anticipated support in the technical areas noted above.
• Strong knowledge of LCA methodologies, including familiarity with standards such as ISO 14040, ISO 14064, ISO 14067 and proficiency in using LCA software tools.
• Good analytical and data interpretation skills.
• Fluency in spoken and written English and Vietnamese and proficiency in reporting and presenting.

Place, Period of Performance and Estimated Level of Effort

Estimated Level of effort:             35 days during the period of December 2024 and May 2025.

Location:                                    Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam with travel to other provinces if required.

Consultant 2: Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) consultant

Specific Tasks

This consultant shall work closely with the LCA consultant in a team led by IPSC Sustainability and ESG Portfolio Manager and Secoin Saigon to perform the following tasks:

• Together with the LCA consultant, prepare a joint work plan which includes expected activities, deliverables, schedule, key milestones, personnel, resources and outputs in line with IPSC’s approved monitoring and evaluation indicators. The work plan will serve as the primary document to track progress against the proposed schedule and must be approved by IPSC prior to any delivery.
• Assist the company in preparing data and EPD documents in accordance with relevant international standards and guidelines.
• Assist the company in completing the EPD submission for verification and auditing by an accredited third-party certification body.
• Help the company address feedback and comments from the certification body, including clarifying and updating required documents at their request, if necessary.
• Together with the LCA consultant, prepare a joint Final Implementation Report in English to describe key activities delivered and outcomes. Report template will be provided by IPSC.

Deliverables and tentative timeline

The consultant must complete and submit the following deliverables for IPSC review and acceptance:

Qualifications

• Vietnamese national with minimum a master’s degree in economics, business, environmental engineering, sustainability, or related fields.
• Having at least 10 years of experience and demonstrated capabilities to carry out anticipated support in the technical areas noted above.
• Strong knowledge of EPD standards and guidelines, such as ISO 14040, ISO 14064, ISO 14067, ISO 14025 and EN 15804.
• Good analytical and data interpretation skills.
• Fluency in spoken and written English and Vietnamese and proficiency in reporting and presenting.

Place, Period of Performance and Estimated Level of Effort

Estimated Level of effort:             25 days during the period of December 2024 and May 2025.

Location:                                    Hanoi, Vietnam with travel to other provinces if required.

Mode of application:

Applicants are encouraged to form a team and submit a team CV in English with a technical proposal to [email protected].

Subject line: “Technical Assistance for Secoin-Sai Gon_ consultancy on conducting Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) and developing an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD)

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted due to the volume of applications. The application deadline is 5:30 PM, Friday , Nov 15 2024, Hanoi time.

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.