National Activity Team Leader cum Axle Load Control Specialist

Northern Mountain Provinces Transport Connectivity Project - Design of an Axle Load Control Program(ALCPD)

Recruitment of a National Activity Team Leader cum Axle Load Control Specialist (TL)

Terms of Reference

Job Title:          National Activity Team Leader cum Axle Load Control Specialist (national individual specialist)

Reporting to:   Team Leader, Aus4Transport

A. Background

1.     Aus4Transport is an Australian Government initiative to support the Government of Vietnam (GOV) in developing high-quality transport infrastructure to promote economic growth and poverty reduction. Aus4Transport is managed by a Program Managing Contractor (PMC), DT Global, Australia, on behalf of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) of the Australian Government

2.     The program’s goal is to increase investment in Vietnam’s road, rail, and inland waterway infrastructures by bringing higher quality projects to market faster. The end-of-program outcome is faster project development and improved quality of transport infrastructures making use of funding from all financial sources. Two intermediate Program outcomes are anticipated: (i) the Ministry of Transport (MOT) giving enhanced consideration of engineering, financial, economic, safety, gender, social and environmental matters in all pre-feasibility studies, feasibility studies and detailed engineering design leading to MOT bringing better prepared proposals and concepts more rapidly to implementation, drawing on innovative and comprehensive approaches; and (ii) MOT identifying bottlenecks to improved project development, identifying and assessing remedial measures, and recommending improved practices, leading to MOT adopting innovations in policies and procedures toward improved project development.

3.     Working in close partnership with the Ministry of Transport (MOT) and the wider transport sector, the Program will provide support through two streams of activities:

• Stream A: Facilitating project preparation for major projects that are listed, or soon to be listed, in the Government of Vietnam’s Mid-term Investment Plan; and
• Stream B: Supporting the sector through research, innovation, policy reform, and training that responds to the specific needs of various transport users (including women, people with disabilities and ethnic minorities) as well as dealing with issues related to the development of the sector, including road safety and climate change.

B. Stream B – Axle Load Control Program Design (ALCPD) Activity

4.          The GoV has received a Loan from the Asian Development Bank to undertake the Northern Mountain Provinces Transport Connectivity Project (NMPTCP), in which MOT acting as the Project line agency. Also MOT acting as Program line agency of the Aus4Transport. Part of the Aus4Transport grant is used for financing the consulting services for the detailed design and documentation (DDD) of the NMPTCP as a Stream A Activity. Aus4Transport grant will also be used for financing a Stream B Activity “Design of an Axle Load Control Program for the NMPTCP” – ALCPD. MOT acting as the Activity line agency will have the overall responsible for the implementation of the ALCPD Activity. MOT has assigned (i) its Project Management Unit No.2 (PMU2) acting as the Activity Executing and Implementing agency, to oversee on behalf of MOT the Activity implementation progress and quality; overall coordination of the Activity with regard to MOT requirements, monitoring Activity progress and quality and using the Activity outputs.

5.          Aus4Transport has assigned the PMC to act as the client of the required consulting services.  The PMC will manage in collaboration with PMU2 the Activity implementation including recruitment and signing of contracts with the individual consultants.

6.          The Activity scope is to design an Axle Load Control (ALC) program to be implemented along the NMPTC Project roads prior to and during the construction period.

7.          The Activity deliverable is a comprehensive ALC program including detailed scope, implementation arrangements and estimated cost. The following outlines the task to be carried out by the Consultant team:

• Conducting a desk review of the history and trends of vehicle ALC measures and practices in Viet Nam, focusing on the reasons for insufficient effectiveness and identifying gaps and shortcomings in implementing the national regulations;
• Reviewing the country legal framework related to restrictions on vehicle overloading and penalties for violations;
• Arranging, in consultation with the provincial authorities concerned, and participating in an overloading survey along the Project roads including types of vehicle and freight, and vehicle destination, i.e., in-country or international traffic;
• Identifying the needs for and the location of fixed and/or mobile weighbridges, and selecting the most suitable type of weighbridge (fixed: single axle or multi-deck scales, or mobile: portable or weight-in-motion weighbridges) in consultation with MOT and Ministry of Public Security (MOPS);
• Reviewing the current operational manuals for weighbridge station personnel and inspectors: identifying shortcomings and making recommendations for improvements;
• Preparing in consultation with MOT, MOPS, Directorate for Roads of Vietnam (DRVN), Provincial People’s Committees (PPCs) and Provincial Departments of Transport (PDOTs) an ALC program specifically addressing the overloading issues likely to be encountered on the Project roads;
• Conducting workshops attended by representatives from national and provincial authorities concerned and local communities to present the ALC program and collect comments in particular on the current axle load legislation, location of weighbridges and operational manuals; and
• Preparing a final ALC Program incorporating comments from all stakeholders.
• Estimating the cost of the ALC Program (detailed cost estimate) and recommend arrangements for its implementation along with the Terms of Reference for the recommended service providers and, if required, the bidding documents for procurement of ALC civil works and equipment

8.          The Activity will require the input of (i) a national Team Leader cum ALC Specialist (3 person-months intermittent), (ii) a national Civil Engineering Specialist (2 person-months), (iii) a national Procurement Specialist (2 person-months) and (iv) an international ALC Specialist (3 person-months).

C. National Team Leader cum ALC Specialist (TL) – Scope of Services

9.          The implementation of the Activity will require the services of a National Team Leader cum ALC Specialist (TL) who will monitor and supervise in consultation with PMU2 and Aus4Transport, the technical work carried out by the Activity team and assist an international ALC specialist with necessary information and liaison with related stakeholders (MOPS, DRVN and MOT’s departments and provincial authorities) as required. The TL will coordinate with the PMC, to ensure timely delivery of the Activity outputs by the Activity team and will consult with PMU2 and MOT’s related departments on achieving the required deliverables.

10.        The tasks of the TL will include, but are not limited to the following:

10.1. Team Leader tasks:

• Managing, monitoring and supervising in consultation with PMU2 and PMC, the work carried out by the consultants’ team, ensuring compliance with the TOR requirements and contractual obligations of the specialists’ team;
• Preparing and submitting to Aus4Transport and PMU2, Activity progress reports, draft and final deliverables and reports as listed in the Activity deliverables, and any other reports on an as-needed basis by consolidating related reports prepared by the individual team members;
• Seeking in writing PMU2’s support to the Activity team in accordance with PMU2’s obligations;
• Organising and delivering in consultation with PMU2 and with the assistant of the consultants’ team all the Activity consultations, surveys, workshops and training sessions;
• Preparing, as assigned, memos and communications required for the Activity; and
• Representing the Activity team in meetings with DRVN, related MOT departments and provincial authorities and other government agencies associated with the Activity.
• The TL will maintain regular contacts with the PMC through its Team Leader, and PMU2 management as required to report on the Activity progress, issues, any unexpected requirements, and any guidance required

10.2. Axle Load Control specialist tasks:

• Conduct a desktop review of the history and trends of vehicle ALC measures and practices in Viet Nam, legal framework related to restrictions on vehicle overloading and penalties for violations, focusing on the reasons for insufficient effectiveness and identifying gaps and shortcomings in implementing the national regulations;
• Arrange in consultation with the provincial authorities concerned, and lead the Activity Team to participate in an overloading survey along the Project roads, which includes collecting data such as types of vehicle and freight, and vehicle destination, i.e., in-country or international traffic in the three provinces (Lai Chau, Lao Cai and Yen Bai);
• Assist the international Axle load control specialist in review and detail as required the PPTA recommended pilot priority measures whose objectives are step by step to avoid  overloaded vehicles on the roads prior and during construction of the Project.
• Cooperate with the international Axle load control specialist in identifying the needs for and the location of fixed and/or mobile weighbridges, and selecting the most suitable type of weighbridge (fixed: single axle or multi-deck scales, or mobile: portable or weight-in-motion weighbridges) in consultation with MOT and MOPS;
• Review the current operational manuals for weighbridge station personnel and inspectors: identifying shortcomings and making recommendations for improvements;
• Cooperate with the international Axle load control specialist in preparation of an ALC program specifically addressing the overloading issues likely to be encountered on the project roads in consultation with MOT, MOPS, DRVN, PPCs and PDOTs;
• In consultation with PMU2 and DRVN to conduct workshops attended by representatives from national and provincial authorities concerned and local communities to present the ALC program and collect comments in particular on the current axle load legislation, location of weighbridges and operational manuals;
• Finalize the ALC Program incorporating comments from all stakeholders with the assistance of the international Axle load control specialist; and.
• Assist the national Civil Engineering Specialist and the national Procurement Specialist to prepare detail cost estimation for the ALC program and recommend arrangements for its implementation along with the Terms of Reference for the recommended service providers and, if required, the bidding documents for procurement of ALC civil works and equipment

D. Key Expertise Requirements

11.        The TL will have a master’s degree in transport engineering or equivalent and more than 15 years of professional experience with at least 5 years of relevant experience in axle load control or two Axle load control program design. The TL should have substantive knowledge of project management and working knowledge of English.

12.        The TL should have a proven experience in axle load control related projects, preferably with MOT in Vietnam and experience in dealing with government and local agencies.

E. Implementation Arrangements

13.        The TL will be engaged by the PMC on an intermittent basis for a total duration of 66 days over the anticipated 4-month duration of the Activity and will be based at both, the Aus4Transport Office and PMU2 Office in Hanoi.

14.        The TL will be administratively accountable to the Aus4Transport Team Leader, with whom he/she will work closely in overseeing the Activity; also, he/she will work closely and collaboratively with the Activity team members including the international Axle load control specialist. The TL’s principal counterpart is PMU2. The TL is expected to maintain regular contact with PMU2 and the Activity team to discuss progress, issues, any assignment needs, and any guidance needed.

15.        The Aus4Transport Program will cover the cost of the TL’s remuneration in Vietnamese Dong, any domestic travel costs that may be required in support of his/her outputs. The TL is expected to provide his/her own computer and peripherals needed for the assignment.

Interested candidates should send a cover letter, detailing applicable experience and skills, and a CV referencing “Application to the position of National Team Leader cum Axle Load Control Specialist” in the subject title to [email protected]

Application Deadline: 15 June 2021.

No phone calls. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for interviews.

Aus4Transport Office
Suite 10-03, 10th floor, HCO Building
44B Ly Thuong Kiet Str., Hoan Kiem Dist., Hanoi, Vietnam
Tel:        +84 24 37347559
E-mail: [email protected]