Canada’s Development Programming Footprint in Vietnam
Celebrating Canada-Vietnam Cooperation
Introduction:
The Vietnam Field Support Services Project (FSSP) (https://vnfssp.org/ [1]) is a Global Affairs Canada (GAC) funded bilateral development project. Its purpose is to provide administrative, technical, logistical and financial management support to GAC’s development assistance program in Vietnam in order to maximize the development results and impact of the program. The FSSP would like to contract the services of a nationally based Consultant with knowledge of GAC ‘s development assistance program in Vietnam to conduct the following assignment.
1. Context
Canada has been supporting development efforts in Vietnam for the past 30 years. Since 1990, Canada has contributed $1.7 billion in development assistance to support Vietnam’s development and poverty reduction efforts, closely aligned to Vietnam’s strategic priorities. Canada and Vietnam’s strong partnership on development cooperation has produced positive results on poverty reduction, inclusive economic growth, and strengthened people-to-people links.
This success is defined and measured by both personal stories from poverty to leadership and empowerment; and, the laws, legislation and regulations that Canadian-assisted projects have directly influenced.
The past decade featured support for more inclusive policy and legislative development, entrepreneurship and small and medium sized enterprises, agricultural value chain development, and greater access to gender-responsive financial and business development services.
Previous decades of collaboration were constant in the thematic areas of economic growth, initially in private sector development in the rural areas and later on in agriculture and rural development, education and governance. Over time Canada’s has responded to the Government of Vietnam's poverty reduction priorities, including during the period of Doi Moi, by improving the enabling environment for investment and support for rural enterprise development and agricultural competitiveness. In addition to supporting policy reforms that improve the transparency and accountability of public institutions and market-driven growth, Canada contributed enhanced entrepreneurship, technical assistance to small and medium-sized enterprises, legislative and banking reforms and improved access to skills for employment. Canada focused on increasing agricultural competitiveness by improving food safety and quality and by supporting agricultural innovation and the development of marketing techniques for farmers and traders, especially at the provincial level.
Program and project evaluations, monitoring reports, publications, documentaries and testimony can attest those significant results have been generated of which most Canadians are not aware. There is little collated documentation that captures this relationship and its impact on lives in Vietnam.
As the 50th Anniversary of the Canada-Vietnam bilateral relationship is to be celebrated in 2023, the program would like to prepare a retrospective study of Canada’s 30 years of development programming with Vietnam as one means through which to showcase Canadian development experience and results. While the study would focus on bilateral aid which has been the main resource flow, it should also consider other areas of support such as from Canadian Partnership Branch, Scholarships, and Volunteer sending etc. Further, the study would also serve to provide content should the mission decide to produce a video documentary to highlight Canada’s 50 years of diplomatic relations with Vietnam which will be celebrated in 2023.
2. Link to Canada-Vietnam Development - Communication Strategy for 2021-2030
The bilateral Vietnam Development Program has been diminishing in size overall, from CAD $20M annually to approximately $9-10M per year over the next 5-year planning cycle starting in 2021. Canada has developed a communication strategy for the future to ensure clear and consistent information moving forward. Many development partners in Vietnam, including Canada, are scaling back their bilateral assistance programs, but will continue to contribute to Vietnam in other ways as enduring partners.
Therefore it behooves both parties to reflect about how far we have come as partners with the following key and enduring principles:
- Our current relationship is based on previous Vietnamese partners for whom this retrospective is largely also intended: the Government of Vietnam, the private sector, civil society, women’s groups and networks, academia, and others.
- We continue to advocate for women’s empowerment and gender equality across all areas of engagement by highlighting political, economic and social opportunities for Vietnamese women, and
- We underline the importance of sharing relevant information, learning and research with partners, stakeholders and beneficiaries, to promote ongoing accountability, transparency and local ownership of these activities.
3. Rationale
To undertake research of primary and secondary sources, as well as to conduct interviews and bring together a cohesive report to illustrate Canada’s development assistance to Vietnam and its impact on the lives of the Vietnamese people. The report would provide the necessary documentation to serve as the platform for the preparation of a storyboard for a video production to highlight the 30 years of development assistance. The programming during this period provides the milestones that can be recognized during the upcoming 50th. Anniversary of the Canada-Vietnam bilateral relationship to be celebrated in 2023.
a. Communication and Advocacy Tool
The rationale for preparing a retrospective study of Canada’s 30 years of development programming will permit the bringing together of documentation, testimonies and stories to capture the Canada – Vietnam relationship and share how this relationship has had an impact on lives, and those of women and girls in particular. The study would also serve to provide the content should the mission want to produce a video documentary to highlight Canada’s 50 years of diplomatic relations with Vietnam which will be celebrated in 2023.
It will be a communication, advocacy and outreach product to increase Canada’s visibility and the public’s appreciation and understanding of Canada’s development program in Vietnam and its contributions to enhanced socio-economic well-being of the Vietnamese people. The retrospective study will be a tangible contribution of the Development Unit’s role towards the Head of Mission’s advocacy strategy and preparations for the 50th year of Canada’s established diplomatic relations with Vietnam which commenced in 1973. Consideration is being given to prepare a film documentary of the 50 years of Canada–Vietnam diplomatic relations for release in 2023. Thus the development components to such an undertaking require a retrospective study.
The retrospective study would be an investment in articulating the significant impact Canada’s support and efforts have had in Vietnam. Clearly presenting the evidence and outcomes of Canada’s investment will serve to situate the Program as a leader, innovatively programming in various sectors and on thematic priorities adopted over this period. The study would serve as the background for the preparation of a film documentary.
b. Target Audience
The primary target audiences for the documentary will be the Canadian public and the Government and people of Vietnam. The secondary audience will be Canadian decision and policy makers. It is important to present to Canadians and Vietnamese counterparts what the Program has learned over the past 30 years and how Canada’s investments have supported this. This is politically and strategically important in terms of Canada’s current efforts to confront contemporary challenges of climate change, the evolving strategic Asian economic powers and the role for cooperation between Canada and evolving middle income powers such as Vietnam.
c. Creative Approaches
1) Take the viewer inside the subject and make him/her familiar with the issues and their impact and 2) Use mediums that will reach and communicate with a diversified audience.
4. Scope of Work & Deliverables
The activity would comprise a contract to undertake a file review, collate the information (largely housed at the FSS, the Canadian Embassy and from HQ electronic records, as well as the documentation of current and previous executing agencies of Canadian-funded development initiatives) into a report. The report would highlight concrete successes at multiple levels, and provide names and contacts of project partners and participants throughout the years of Canada’s bilateral development assistance which commenced in 1994 in Vietnam.
A sample Table of Content for the Report to be prepared is provided as Annex 1.
Deliverables should include the following:
- Brief historical overview of Canada’s policy objectives and situate those aligned in the programming for Vietnam during the past thirty years.
- Project/file review as far back as records permit. Collate, assess and map lessons learned, results, and personal testimonies of selective projects from program reviews, evaluations, monitoring reports, publications etc;
Identify and recommend specific projects and beneficiaries to highlight. - Provide contact information and recommend potential interviewees – both NGO/coop, Governments of Vietnam and Canada, and beneficiaries.
- Identify any critical gaps/constraints in required information.
- Develop five possible slogans to situate the relationship and ensure appropriate ‘pitch’(i.e. what common threads weave throughout the period or outstanding features to pitch/describe the nature of the relationship/outcomes).
- Delineate five potential key advocacy messages (that spring from the joint partnership over the years and may be a platform going into the future).
5. Level of Effort, Timeline
The estimated Level of Effort is approximately 40 days. This assignment is expected to be conducted over a period of 3 months starting in mid-March 2022 and completed by end May 2022, with an initial draft report submitted for feedback no later than April 30, 2022.
Within one week of signing the Contract, and after briefing with the FSSP and Embassy Development Section staff, the Consultant will prepare a workplan confirming the schedule of activities and deliverables.
6. Qualifications
The applicant(s) should have the following relevant knowledge, experience and skills:
- Knowledge of Official development assistance (ODA) as defined by the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC);
- Knowledge of Global Affairs Canada historic bilateral aid and implementation mechanisms;
- Knowledge of Global Affairs Canada implementation history in Vietnam and ideally of its influence and impact on Vietnamese partners and people; have at least 4 years of experience with evidence-based research; research and documentary practices;
- Demonstrated ability to work with a diverse group of stakeholders ranging from government departments, donors, civil society organizations, other;
- Strong networking, communications and facilitation skills;
- Ability to identify, understand and interview target audiences;
- Ability to analyze and synthesize large amounts of information and data and reflect it narratively thematic results ;
- Ability to write in an engaging but highly informative manner and project key advocacy messages and themes, and
- Good facility a variety of software including written, graphic and data applications.
7. Application Process
- Interested bidders will be required to submit separate a Cover Letter and a short Technical Proposal describing their interest and qualifications for the position (Cover Letter) as well as the methodological approach they would take to complete it (Technical Proposal- max of 4 pp). CVs should include two references.
- The Consultant should include a Financial Proposal in the form of an expected daily rate. In addition, an estimate of operational costs should be included as a % of the overall budget to cover such things as, communications and transport costs etc.,) Remuneration levels are based on the EU/UN Cost Norms for Local Consultants in Vietnam[1]
- Shortlisted candidates may be invited for an interview with a Selection Panel where their knowledge, skills (including language and communication skills) and technical competency may be further assessed using pre-established evaluation criteria.
Applicants must submit their application by email to: [email protected] [2]. Please quote “Canada’s Development Programming Footprint in Vietnam. Celebrating Canada-Vietnam Cooperation” in the subject of the email. Questions can also be addressed to the same person for forwarding to the FSSP Project Director.
Applications must be submitted in English by Tuesday 22 February, 2022 at noon (By Email, Hanoi Time). Applications received after this date and time will not be considered.
We thank all applicants for their interest in this position with the FSSP, but only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for further discussion.
Annex 1: Proposed Table of Content of Report
List of Acronyms
- Summary: The Story Line
- The Canadian Context
- Historical Overview of Canada’s Policy Objectives in Vietnam
3.1 Evolution of Canada’s Policies on [PSD-SEG/Agriculture & Rural Development/Gender Equality/Education]
3.2 Milestones of Canada’s Policies on [Good Governance/PSD-SEG/Agriculture & Rural Development/Gender Equality/Education] in Vietnam
3.3 Explanation of Canada’ s Changing Implementation Practices: From Projects to Programs
3.3 Canada’s Current Programming in Vietnam
3.4 Key Results Achieved - Identify Projects by Result Cluster
4.1 Rural Poverty Reduction/Income Generation and Empowerment/Food Security
4.2 Leadership and Decision Making: Gender Equality and Environmental Governance
4.3 Collective Engagement – NGOs-Coops and Government
4.4 Human Capital Formation/Education
4.4.1 Policy Level Influence - 5. Contact Information and Recommended Potential Interviewees
- Slogans to Situate the Relationship and Key Advocacy Messages
- Gaps in Required Information and Notes for Documentary
- Conclusion
- Annexes
9.1 Annex I - Terms of Reference
9.2 Annex II - Case Studies, Success Stories and Testimonials
9.3 Annex III - A Photograph of ....
9.4 Annex IV – B Photograph of …...
9.5 Annex V – C Photograph of ......
9.6 Annex VI – D Photograph of ......
9.7 Annex VII - List of Persons, Contact Details and Organizations to be interviewed in Vietnam or Canada
9.8 Annex VIII - Lessons from WID to Gender Equality and from Environmental management to more holistic Climate Change programming
9.9 Annex IX - List of Documents (published and unpublished), Reports, Documentaries and Presentations