Local STTA Sustainable Agribusiness Expert (focused on environment and origin of rice production)

Vietnam Digital Trade

SCOPE OF WORK

Local STTA Sustainable Agribusiness Expert
(focused on environment and origin of rice production)

Date: February 2024
Position: Local STTA Sustainable Agribusiness Expert (focused on environment and origin of rice production)
Reports to: USAID Vietnam Digital Trade (VDT) Technical Team
Location: Hanoi or other provinces in Vietnam (if required)
Eligibility: Vietnamese Nationals
LOE: (STTA) 30 days
Period of Performance: February – October 2024

International Development Group LLC is an international development consulting firm that assists donors, governments, and the private sector to create and take advantage of opportunities for sustainable, broad-based economic development and poverty reduction. IDG provides entrepreneurs and policymakers with the practical tools needed to achieve real and measurable impact for their communities and countries. IDG assistance programs aim to build the capacity, skills, and knowledge of local individuals and institutions in the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors, fostering synergies between local knowledge and international experience. 

Project Background

The VDT is a two-year activity (2023-2025) addressing regulatory gaps and promoting private sector engagement in the rapidly growing digital economy. USAID VDT activity (“VDT”) supports the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s (MOIT) implementation of frameworks that facilitate digital trade, with an emphasis on supporting MOIT in holding public-private dialogues to ensure implementation is done in consultation with the private sector. Regulations that are responsive to private sector needs remove bottlenecks in trade faced by enterprises and increase regulatory transparency, helping to shape an e-commerce sector where enterprises of all sizes can benefit. The activity encourages the participation of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in digital trade by introducing new business models and other best practices, such as traceability of goods, as well as facilitating cross-border connections between enterprises via MOIT’s digital trade promotion platform.

Activity Background

Under the approved work plan between the USAID and MOIT, the USAID Vietnam Digital Trade Activity will support the MOIT Agency of Foreign Trade of MOIT (the “AFT”), to conduct comprehensive assessment of the state of digital technology application in the rice industry in Vietnam, to ensure requirements for quality, food safety, environment, and origin of rice production.

Vietnam, one of the world's top three rice exporters, is under increasing pressure from global markets to meet stringent standards for the origin, quality, and environmental impact of its rice industry. To develop the industry in a sustainable manner, it is necessary to apply digital technology to help the production process of exported to ensure requirements for quality, food safety, environment, and origin which well and compressively responds to the requirements of export markets. This process needs to be implemented quickly by stakeholders in the rice industry value chain (producers, exporters, and state management agencies), and at the same time, increase efficiency.

In response, the proposed activity will primarily focus on conducting a comprehensive assessment of the current state of applying digital technology to support sustainable agribusiness, i.e. rice production. The activity is aimed to:

• Evaluate the status of digital technology application to ensure requirements for quality, food safety, environment, and origin of rice production.
• Study appropriate digital technology application methods/processes for the rice industry based on Vietnamese regulations and requirements from other countries.

The assessment will encompass the mitigation of the environmental impact of rice production, especially concerning water usage and methane emissions. It will address food safety standards, focusing on pesticide use and potential contamination with mycotoxins like aflatoxin. Ultimately, the activity seeks to improve the transparency of the rice supply chain, allowing for better origin tracing and promoting sustainable production practices without directly implementing these changes.

The activity will include the following tasks:

• Conducting survey to production households, exporters and state management agencies about the current situation and interviewing a number of large enterprises in Can Tho and Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC).
• Providing a report on results, guidance on the application of digital technology, and the method/process of applying digital technology in the rice industry. The report will also include the best international practices and recommendations.
• Workshop and trainings to relevant stakeholders.

To conduct this activity, the VDT will mobilize two local experts and one international expert to implement the following tasks:

• Local STTA Sustainable Agribusiness Expert (lead/focused on quality and food safety) (Local Expert 1): In charge of designing and leading the activity in cooperation with VDT Technical team, MOIT Legal Department and other local and international STTA experts. The Local Expert 1 will have main responsibility of assessing the situation of digital technology application in the rice industry in Vietnam, to ensure requirements for quality and food safety. The Local Expert 1 will participate to the survey, workshop, and trainings and be the main responsible of delivering the final report, in cooperation with Local Expert 2 and International STTA Expert.
• Local STTA Sustainable Agribusiness Expert (focused on environment and origin of rice production) (Local Expert 2) (this SOW): The Local Expert 2 will be in charge of assessing the situation of digital technology application in the rice industry in Vietnam, to ensure requirements for environment and origin of rice production. The Local Expert 2 will also participate to the survey, workshop and trainings and be the main responsible of delivering part to the final report, focused on environment and origin of rice production.
• International STTA Sustainable Agribusiness Expert (focused on international experiences). The International Expert will provide international best practice in digital technology application in the rice industry in other countries to ensure requirements for quality, food safety, environment, and origin of rice production. The International Expert will participate to the workshop and trainings (online) and deliver part to the final report, focused on international experiences and recommendations for Vietnam.

In consultation with the VDT Technical team, the Local Expert 2 will work primarily closely with the MOIT Agency for Foreign Trade and the other STTA local and international experts. The Local Expert 2 may also be required to work in collaboration with other members of the VDT team in order to undertake this activity.

Key Tasks/Responsibilities:

• Provide comments on the activity plan and the timeline, prepared by Local Expert 1.
• Desk study on the situation of digital technology application in the rice industry in Vietnam (focused on requirements for environment and origin of rice production).
• Participate in conducting the survey for assessing situation of digital technology application in the rice industry in Vietnam in coordination with Local Expert 1:
• Develop part of the questionnaires with focused on requirements for environment and origin of rice production in cooperation with Expert 1;
• Identify key stakeholders for sending survey questionnaires and interviews (focused on requirements for environment and origin of rice production);
• Distributing questionnaires and getting feedbacks (focused on requirements for environments and origin of rice production).
• Conduct interviews with relevant stakeholders in collaboration with Local Expert 1 (focused on requirements for environment and origin of rice production).
• Draft the part of the assessment report related to requirements for environment and origin of rice production, by analyzing survey responses and interview information. 
• Provide comments on final assessment report, with focused on part of requirements for environment and origin of rice production.
• Participate in and present key findings and recommendations to relevant stakeholders in workshops and trainings in some provinces in Vietnam.

Deliverables

• Comments on the activity plan and the timeline.
• A list of suggested key stakeholders for the surveys and interviews (focused on requirements for environment and origin of rice production).
• Part included in final survey questionnaires, focused on requirements for environment and origin of rice production;
• Written part on assessment report (focused on requirements for environment and origin of rice production).
• Comments on the final assessment report on the situation of digital technology application in the rice industry in Vietnam, focused on focused on requirements for environment and origin of rice production.
• Active participation and a presentation at the workshops and training for relevant stakeholders in different provinces in Vietnam, focused on requirements for environment and origin of rice production.   

Qualifications

• Advanced degree (Master's) in Economics, Supply Chain Management, Agribusiness, or a related field.
• Substantial experience (at least 5-7 years) in the field of agricultural economics and supply chain management, particularly within the context of the rice industry.
• In-depth knowledge of the rice industry in Vietnam, including its economic landscape, supply chain dynamics, and challenges faced by stakeholders.
• Understanding of information technology (IT) applications in agriculture, with a focus on its potential impact on economic aspects and supply chain efficiency.
• Proven skills in conducting market analysis, including the ability to assess market dynamics, trends, and economic implications of changes within the industry.
• Strong research and data analysis skills, including experience in collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data related to agriculture and supply chain economics.
• Excellent written communication skills to produce clear, concise, and impactful reports, proposals, and presentations.
• Strong written, and oral English and Vietnamese.

Proposals should be submitted to [email protected] no later than March 1, 2024.