TERMS OF REFERENCE
Consultants to customize the APAC Cybersecurity Training Program and provide technical support
to the deployment of the training program
December 2024
Background
The Asia Foundation is a nonprofit international development organization committed to improving lives and expanding opportunities across Asia and the Pacific. Informed by 70 years of experience and deep local knowledge, our work is focused on governance, climate action, gender equality, education and leadership, inclusive growth, and international cooperation. We work in more than 20 countries through our 17 permanent country offices and programs across Asia and the Pacific, supported by a headquarters in San Francisco and an office in Washington, DC. Our funding comes from a diverse array of bilateral and multilateral development agencies, foundations, corporations, and individuals.
The APAC Cybersecurity Fund (ACF) is funded by Google.org, implemented by The Asia Foundation (the Foundation) in 12 countries in the Asia and the Pacific region. The project aims to strengthen the region’s cybersecurity ecosystem by equipping micro and small businesses, nonprofits, and social enterprises with skills to navigate the Internet safely and confidently. Entrepreneurs skilled at identifying and mitigating cyberattacks will bolster the region’s digital economy growth. The project, through training, works to improve the targeted sectors’ awareness and knowledge of basic cyber hygiene.
In Vietnam, the overall goal of the project is to support development and growth of household businesses, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), nonprofits and social enterprises, with more priority given to women-led/owned ones, to effectively leverage digital economy in the country. The project will contribute to this goal by bolstering cyber capabilities of more than 150,000 target trainees in Vietnam to protect themselves from cyber-risks through a cyber hygiene awareness and skilling program.
The Asia Foundation’s regional office will commission a qualified institution – called Global Cyber Alliance (GCA) – to develop a comprehensive cyber hygiene and digital safety training curriculum for use by 12 implementing countries as a master curriculum during their customization/localization. The training content will tentatively include 6 modules: (1) Understanding cyber risks for small business; (2) How to inventory your devices, apps and accounts; (3) Software updates & business security; (4) Creating strong passwords & two-factor authentication; (5) Protect against phishing & malware; (6) Protecting your business data with backups. The project will adopt the e-learning method for easier access and use by the target trainees.
Scope of work
The Asia Foundation is seeking qualified consultant(s) to conduct customization/localization of the cybersecurity training program to be tailored to needs of target trainees in Vietnam, specifically the household-based and growing businesses, as well as to provide technical support to The Asia Foundation and local implementing partners on deployment of the training program.
Specifically, the Consultant(s) will be responsible for implementing the following specific tasks:
- Review available cybersecurity training curricula and materials, including those developed by GCA.
- Collaborate with implementing partners, particularly the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies (VBSP), to gain insights into their LMS system and the diverse needs of their target trainees, in order to solicit inputs for customizing/localizing the training curriculum.
- Customize and localize the training curriculum on cybersecurity to meet the specific needs of various types of the target trainees, who are primarily owners/mangers of household-based and growing businesses (60% are women) and VBSP’s microfinance clients. Most of them come from informal sectors, low-income households and underserved locations. The training curriculum is also expected to address their different development stages and level of awareness, ranging from beginner to more advanced ones. In addition, the Consultant(s) should ensure compliance of the training content with Vietnam’s legal framework and regulations.
- Design and finalize the training material package, which should include videos of training sessions (as a main training material), reading manuals (as reference materials), quiz tests for each training session, pre- and post-training surveys, and a trainee guidebook/booklet.
- Provide technical advice to the Foundation and the local implementing partners on suitable approaches to set up and/or leverage their Learning Management System (LMS) that provides the training program to target trainees in the most cost-effective and timely manner.
- Work with The Asia Foundation and local implementing partners to ensure the training curriculum and materials is successfully uploaded onto the LMS.
- Deliver Training-of-Trainer (ToT) to key staff of local implementing partners, who will become the project’s master trainers/key instructors, ensuring they are able to provide orientations/instructions and supervision of the target trainees during their enrolment and self-learning process in the e-learning platform
Task schedule and expected deliverables/outputs
|
Tasks |
Deliverables/Outputs |
Deadline |
|
Submit the detailed proposal with proposed approaches, workplan, and budget |
A detailed proposal with proposed approaches, workplan and budget approved by The Asia Foundation |
Dec. 31, 2024 |
|
Solicit inputs from VBSP on the current situation of LMS and needs of target trainees for customizing/localizing the training curriculum.
|
Technical inputs for customizing/localizing the training curriculum collected
|
Jan. 6, 2025 |
|
Customize/localize the cyber hygiene training curricula and materials |
|
Jan. 10, 2025 |
|
Mar. 10, 2025 |
|
|
Mar. 31, 2025 |
|
|
April. 10, 2025 |
|
|
Deliver ToT training to core staff of local implementing partners on the cyber hygiene and digital safety training program |
ToT training delivered to key staff of local implementing partners
|
Last week of Mar. or early Apr. 2025 |
Qualifications/Requirements
The following are the specific qualifications of the consultant(s) required
- Expertise in relevant fields; specialization in cybersecurity will be an advantage;
- Knowledgeable and experience in cybersecurity would be a must;
- Knowledge and experience in developing e-learning courses/materials are required;
- At least 5-10 years experience in developing training/education programs on digital and cybersecurity in Vietnam would be an advantage, preferably having some experience and skills working with women-led small and growing businesses;
- Strong understandings of Vietnam’s policy framework and regulations on information security and cybersecurity;
- Strong communication and presentation skills;
- Excellent writing skills in English;
- Be committed to and able to meet the deadline.
Application Submission
Interested organizations/consultant groups/individuals are requested to submit a 2 to 3-page expression of interest (EOI) in English together with CVs. The EOI should clearly describe the candidates’ understanding of the tasks, outline your approach, organizational/personal profile, skills and experiences relevant to the tasks as well as proposed quotation/budget.
Note that during the selection process, the Asia Foundation may ask the short-listed candidates to submit their previous work as one of the considerations for making the final selection decision.
Please submit via email to:
Ms. Tran Giang Linh – Senior Program Officer
Email: [email protected]
Title: Cybersecurity training program
Closing time for applications is 5.00 PM (Hanoi time, GMT+7) on December 24, 2024.
Please note that only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interview.