Assessment Coordinator

USAID/Vietnam Local Governance Assessment:

Local Government and Community Organization Support

Scope of Work: Assessment Coordinator

USAID Learns Contract

**Please note: This is local position. Only Vietnamese citizens are eligible to apply**

Apply Here

https://phg.tbe.taleo.net/phg02/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=SOCIIMPA2&cws=1&rid=3786

About Social Impact

Social Impact (SI) is a global development management consulting firm which provides monitoring, evaluation, strategic planning, and capacity building services to advance development effectiveness. In Vietnam, SI is implementing the USAID Learns program to support USAID staff and partners to implement more efficient, effective, and transparent programs.

Purpose

USAID Vietnam will launch an assessment of the key dynamics and issues affecting local government and community organizations, which will be used to inform new programming to support the capacity of and engagement between both parties, leading to more transparent policy making processes and better delivery of services to Vietnamese citizens. This will ensure USAID support is well-targeted, informed by experience, and likely to reinforce rather than duplicate existing efforts. Importantly, the assessment will also propose programming options and evaluate their feasibility, including a recommended strategy for engagement with relevant stakeholders within the Government of Vietnam (GVN) to ensure buy-in and approval of any proposed activity.

Background

Context

Analysis of the context in Vietnam suggests that the GVN prioritizes consensus, efficiency, and the delivery of results for citizens. Much of the work of delivery, particularly social programs and domestic economic development, takes place at the provincial level, where there are both technical and financial capacity constraints. At the same time, inclusion in policymaking and access to the governing consensus is a significant challenge. However, anecdotal evidence suggests there is interest in input and feedback from citizens and local organizations on what is or is not working in order to improve performance.

The overarching problem statement may be characterized therefore as local organizations and local government officials do not work together effectively to address issues of concern to citizens, and require support to do so.

The USAID Mission in Vietnam is interested in exploring the potential for standalone governance programming in Vietnam, operating alongside governance-informed work in technical sectors. There is particular interest in supporting the capacity of local government, building on the experiences and successes of prior programming, as well as interventions to open the space for local organizations to operate and advocate for change at different levels of society.

Scope

USAID Learns, implemented by Social Impact, seeks a local consultant to support management of this assessment, working closely with the Learns team. The assessment will focus on the following analysis questions:

• What is the formal role and responsibility of local government entities in delivering services to citizens?

  • Identifying key technical service areas delivered by decentralized entities.

  • Identifying fiscal capacity and revenue sources at local level?

• What are the key local government/governance challenges that could be resolved through donor support? This could include policy planning, transparency, service delivery, monitoring and feedback to/from citizens and organizations, e.g. businesses, budgeting, etc.

  • In what areas would GVN welcome support on local government capacity building? Where is the least resistance and motivation to change within target provinces?

  • To what extent do these link to other USAID priorities, including climate change, economic development and competitiveness, gender, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) countering corruption, etc.?

  • What are other donors currently funding in these areas, and how can duplication be avoided?

• Who are the local organizations best placed to engage on these challenges, and what support do they need?

  • Assess constraints including technical capacity, financial management, leadership, operational capacity, etc.

  • Identify the areas of mutual collaboration with the local government entities to deliver the best services to the citizens.

• In light of the above, what are the possible entry points for facilitating collaboration between and building the capacity of local government and local organizations in Vietnam? Disaggregate findings by type, e.g. local government and local organizations needs.

  • How feasible is support to these actors at present, across different thematic and geographic areas? What type of activity is most likely to receive buy-in and support from the GVN?

  • What technical approaches might be most useful?

  • What management and operational models (top-down or bottom-up, single counterpart or multiple counterparts) might be most effective for a new activity?

  • What are the main lessons from previous donor-funded programs, including USAID/USG, in these areas?

This rapid assessment is primarily intended to be a landscape analysis exercise informing new USAID programming options. To deliver the assignment, the assessment team will conduct a document review and hold interviews with key stakeholders (across the Mission’s offices and with external partner organizations) to identify where transformative work is already being done and can be leveraged, as well as where possible gaps exist that could present opportunities for strategic integration of governance in the future.

Terms of Reference

To ensure successful delivery of this assignment, USAID Learns seeks a coordinator who can manage logistics and take accurate notes of interviews, working in close consultation with the Learns team.

Responsibilities include:

• Supporting the securing of appointments with key informants, including correspondence and follow-up.

• Note-taking during interviews in either Vietnamese or English

• Debriefing with the research team

• Providing light-touch inputs into analysis and reporting

• Others as requested by the research team

The estimated total LOE is 25 days, with the assignment completed by October 1, 2021. An indicative LOE table is below.

The Coordinator will report to the USAID Learns Senior Governance and Learning Specialist, who will be accountable for all deliverables to USAID. The consultancy will be delivered in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Required qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in a relevant subject area, along with 3 years of experience

• Demonstrated experience in research coordination and logistics

• Excellent experience with taking accurate notes and debriefing reflections with senior colleagues

• High degree of fluency in English and Vietnamese reading, speaking and writing is required

• Experience with USAID assessments is an advantage

The closing date for application: August 08, 2021. Selection and interview will be performed on a rolling basis, and interested candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

To apply, please submit your CV through the online portal.

To learn more about Social Impact, please visit our website: http://www.socialimpact.com

SI is an EEO/AA/ADA Veterans Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

Only selected candidates will be contacted for an interview. Please, no phone calls.

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