Project Approval Specialist

USAID Vietnam Sustainable Forest Management

Scope of Work

POSITION: Project Approval Specialist PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: On/about July 24 – November 30, 2020 Estimated Level of Effort: Not to exceed 50 days BASE OF OPERATIONS: Hanoi, Vietnam

1. BACKGROUND

DAI works at the cutting edge of international development, combining technical excellence, professional project management, and exceptional customer service to solve our clients’ most complex problems. Since 1970, DAI has worked in 150 developing and transition countries, providing comprehensive development solutions in areas including crisis mitigation, democratic governance and public sector management, agriculture and agribusiness, private sector development and financial services, economics and trade, water and natural resources management, and energy and climate change. Clients include international development agencies, international lending institutions, private corporations and philanthropies, and host-country governments. More information about DAI can be found on the DAI website (www.dai.com).

The Vietnam Sustainable Forest Management Activity will work with the Government of Vietnam to reduce carbon emissions associated with deforestation, the degradation of natural forests, and poor plantation management. SFMA will implement a “Green Prosperity” approach that strengthens local communities’ ability to protect their natural resource base and reduce emissions while building a strong foundation for sustainable livelihoods and equitable economic growth.

SFMA will work in six provinces and focus on five activities:

Strengthening community forest management;
Promoting conservation-friendly enterprises;
Improving law enforcement to tackle environmental crimes;
Enhancing the management of production forests; and
Mobilizing domestic resources.

2. PURPOSE

In Vietnam, all Official Development Assistance (ODA) projects above $2 Million USD must go through a process to receive official government approval. The objective of this assignment is for the Project Approval Process Specialist to support the initial steps needed to secure Project Approval. This includes mapping the process to ensure the SFM team is following the appropriate steps to ensure a timely and effective project approval process. Once the mapping is complete, the Consultant is asked to prepare a report on potential approaches the project might take for seeking approval with a recommended approach as judged by the Consultant to be the best suited for SFM Additionally, the Consultant will support the SFM team to connect with key stakeholders and engage critical partners necessary for a successful project approval.

More specifically, the objectives of this activity are to:

Co-develop the project approval documents with government counterparts at the Ministry for Agricultural and Rural Development (MARD) in Hanoi.
Coordinate the stakeholders and gather necessary inputs throughout the project document development
Create the conditions for a successful and robust project approval process

Under this assignment, the Consultant is asked to complete the following tasks:

Mapping of the Project Approval Process: The mapping of the project approval process must include all necessary steps to be taken by the SFM team to engage government of Vietnam counterparts and any other necessary stakeholders, all required documentation that must be prepared during the process, and all approvals that must be secured throughout the process. This mapping report should include the following:
- A step by step process of the approval process
- Key inputs needed at each step of the process and the party(ies) responsible for providing those inputs
- Where possible, estimated timeframes for completing inputs and/or steps in the process
- Information on the purpose and importance of each step so the SFM team can understand how each of the steps support the ultimate goal of securing project approval
- Potential risks or challenges that may be experienced at each step and suggested mitigation strategies

Guidance and recommendations on which path to pursue: If there are multiple pathways to pursuing project approval that the SFM Team might take, such as seeking joint approval with the USAID Biodiversity Conservation Activity implemented by WW. The Consultant will provide a summary overview of the options available for project approval and provide pros and cons for each, resulting in a recommendation for which approach is most appropriate for SFM to pursue. In carrying out this task, the Consultant is encouraged to draw from other donor-funded projects, particularly USAID-funded projects, to learn from their experience.

Support initial engagement with key stakeholders: The SFM team understands that consulting with critical stakeholders early on to seek their input and build a trusting relationship is key to securing project approval and laying the foundation for a fruitful partnership throughout implementation. The Consultant will provide support to the SFM Team in identifying key stakeholders in MARD. The Consultant will also provide introductions via emails or phone calls to the identified stakeholders and provide any relevant guidance or background on the role or importance of a given contact. When possible, the Consultant will join the SFM team in initial meetings in Hanoi.

The Consultant will work closely with the Chief of Party, the Technical Leadership, and the Project Team to manage the project approval process through successful completion. The Consultant will engage the project’s technical team including the Deputy Chief of Party and Objective Leads as well as the Chief of Party to ensure the project approval documents accurately reflect the scope and mission of the project and are well aligned with any proposed workplan. Additional project staff may provide input as necessary to ensure the project approval documents reflect the operations and finances accurately.

3. TASKS

The Consultant will undertake a number of tasks in order to successfully complete this assignment, including but not limited to the following:

Develop and implement an approach for seeking project approval with MARD to the preferred process of the relevant government counterparts and requests of USAID
Outline the project document including all relevant sections and required information; determine the decisions to be made and present for consideration and input by the technical leadership of the project
Identify desk research priority documents to inform the project strategy and approach, such as provincial and national strategies, policies, stated targets, etc.
Identify key stakeholders and develop a meeting schedule to ensure comprehensive consultations and clear communications with the government counterparts throughout the process
Draft the agendas and talking points for each meeting with consultation and input from the Project Team
Provide the Project Team with stakeholder contacts and details of meetings in order for the project team to support outreach and scheduling
Lead / participate in any stakeholder engagement meetings in Hanoi
Provide guidance to the Project Team on the development of the project approval document including required information, key considerations, and any specific areas of concern resulting from stakeholder engagements
Hold regular meetings with Project Leadership on the status and progress of the approval process
Provide inputs for updates to USAID and attend meetings with USAID as requested
Respond to queries and comments from the government counterparts as needed throughout the process

The result of this assignment will be a set of draft project approval documents and a clear understanding of how the project should proceed in order to seek project approval with MARD. Additionally, this assignment will establish good working relationships and clear points of contact with the government counterpart.

4. DELIVERABLES

The Consultant will be responsible for the following deliverables:

Project Approval Document outline with detail on required sections and necessary information for MARD
Identification of resources and documents to be reviewed for desk research phase
Stakeholder Engagement plan including contact lists and agendas for each meeting
Meeting notes detailing meetings held, including participants present (with contact detail if possible), agenda items discussed, decisions taken, next steps required
Meeting reports detailing participation in USAID and Project Team meetings
Guidance & recommendations on development of Project Approval Document

5. SUPERVISION

The Consultant will report to the Chief of Party during this assignment and will work closely with other members of the project team as detailed above. The Consultant will be based in Hanoi.

6. QUALIFICATIONS

Experience working in Vietnam on natural resource governance and the forest sector
Demonstrated experience and track record in developing and securing ODA/project approval in Vietnam. Experience with the Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development (MARD) and/or USAID-funded projects preferred.
Bachelor’s degree at minimum. Master’s degree preferred.
An energetic, forward-thinking and creative individual with high ethical standards and appropriate professional image.
An extremely well organized and self-directed individual with sound technical skills, analytical ability, good judgment, and strong operational focus
Fluency in Vietnamese
Excellent writing, speaking, and reading skills in English; demonstrated report writing skills in English is required.
Position is for Vietnam Nationals only.

7. APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

Follow the link below to submit an application. Select the position in which you are interested in applying for, fill out the required information and upload CV. Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible as interviews will be conducted soon. Please note, due to the volume of applications that we receive and the urgency to fill-up positions only shortlisted applicants will receive notifications on next steps. https://fs9.formsite.com/daisuppliers/a1ejkczlwj/index.html?1593530224883