Temporary Project Coordinator

TERM OF REFERENCE

Providing Technical Support as A Temporary Project Coordinator for
the Project Regional and Local Economic Development on the East West Economic Corridor

Temporary Project Coordinator
Duty station: Quang Tri province, Vietnam
Hiring type: Part time employee
Duration: from Feb 2019 to end of July 2019.
Application due: 11a.m., Feb 13, 2019

Mekong Institute

Mekong Institute (MI) is an Inter-governmental Organization working closely with the governments of six countries in Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS), namely Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, People’s Republic of China, Thailand and Vietnam, to promote regional development, cooperation and integration by offering standard and on-demand capability development programs across three themes of Agricultural Development and Commercialization, Trade and Investment Facilitation, and Innovation and Technological Connectivity.

RLED-EWEC Project

Since 2013, with support from Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation - SDC, MI has implemented a project titled Regional and Local Economic Development on the East West Economic Corridor (RLED-EWEC) in three Greater Mekong Sub-region countries of Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam. Overall, the project aims to contribute to equitable and inclusive growth in income via improved and effective marketing (both inputs and output) along the East West Economic Corridor. In (Quang Tri) Vietnam, RLED-EWEC has 2 distinct components of Market Development which are aimed to increasing income for small-holder farmers and for enterprises involved in coffee and rubber value chains; and of Cross-border Trade Facilitation aiming for improved enabling environment for cross border trade of agricultural products/inputs at three provinces of Quang Tri, Savannakhet and Mukdahan (Lao Bao – Dansavan, Savannakhet - Mukdahan border gates).

Component Market Development details that small-holder farmers and SMEs involved in the selected value chains will benefit financially by having better access to inputs (fertilizer) or in the case of SMEs achieve income from either the trade in inputs of via the provision of services. Through linkage with the private sector drivers in the value chain both will occasionally obtain them under credit and certainly in close proximity to their location with reduced delivery cost and possibly at a lower cost because they have been acquired and distributed at volume. The proposed linkage to the market should also ensure a better price or guarantee a more consistent volume of purchases and hence an increase in overall income for producers and increased turn-over for traders and service providers.

Component Cross-border Trade Facilitation envisages an improvement in the enabling environment at selected border posts which will, by reducing delays and possibly removing other requirements that could increase cost requirements, e.g. Non-tariff measures related to regulation and documentation, all contribute to an increase in income for those involved - producers, transporters and traders / agents.

There have been diverse interventions of both components implemented by MI in collaboration with relevant partners. Nonetheless, the business model of quadripartite (Q4) and Business to Government Dialogue (B2G) are considered the most successful and importantly, can be maintained and replicated in post-project time. Quadripartite is a model whereby a bank (A) provides a loan with preferential interest rate to the farmer but pays the funds to the input supply company (C) who delivers factory-price fertilizer to the farmers. When the coffee cherries mature the farmer working through their farmers group sell the produce to a coffee processor (B) who transfers both interest and principle amount to the bank (A). B2G is an event, opportunity, platform where business community and provincial government in a province or from adjacent provinces meet up to share opinions, to discuss pending issues and the corresponding solutions, which helps the provincial government in planning, policy making and stipulation on cross-border trade and investment facilitation.

The project is now seeking for a qualified consultant to provide technical support as a Temporary Project Coordinator (TPC) of the RLED-EWEC in Quang Tri, Vietnam; s/he will conduct the assigned task/ responsibilities with support from RLED-EWEC Team of Mekong Institute in Vietnam.

Main responsibilities and Tasks of the TPC

• Report to the Project Team Leader.
• Responsible for facilitative support to all activities implemented within the scope of the Q4 and B2G in Vietnam.
• Support the Team Leader by coordinating with subject matter experts to arrange facilitation of all capacity development sessions under the Q4 and B2G. This includes working with AP1 Working Group, rubber value chain actors/ stakeholders, in preparing working plan, monitoring and making synthesis and evaluation of the implemented activities.
• Write completion report after activities and events are completed.
• Coach and facilitate networking between local partners and beneficiaries.
• Develop the budget for project activities in close collaboration with the Project Assistant.
• Monitor expenditure and reporting of activity budgets when working in the field.
• Maintain good working relationships with all local partners and beneficiaries.
• Contribute information to be used in MI communications and publications.
• Any other reasonable task requested by management.

Qualifications and Requirements:

• Vietnamese national
• Masters degree in rural development, economics, agriculture or related field.
• Knowledge of project management systems and principles.
• At least seven years experience of working in agro-business project implementation in the GMS region, and/ or cross-border trade facilitation.
• Proven ability to communicate in English and the local language in written and spoken form.
• Good negotiation and interpersonal skills.
• Proven ability to work in a team and coordinate with others.
• Proficient user of all Microsoft Office applications.

Contact and Deadline

• Please submit a Cover letter, a Resume, and three references with current email addresses and telephone numbers to Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Van - Project Assistant at [email protected] and copy Ms. Jutamas Thongcharoen – Project Director at [email protected] by latest 11a.m. Feb 13, 2019 (Hanoi time).

Others

• Candidates from Quang Tri are preferred.
• Regular travels to project sites are a must.
• Proven ability and legitimacy to drive project car is an advantage.
• Number of working days per month can be negotiated. The TPC’s agreed man-days will be recorded in form of time-sheet and payments are made accordingly.
• MI reserves the right to apply its policies relevant to contract arrangement, costs and expenses (e.g. travel and accommodation) for this assignment. Negotiation will be required if the proposed expenses are beyond the institutional policy.
• All applications will be carefully vetted including working history and background.
• Only shortlist persons will be contacted for interview.