ASSET project (CIRAD) Recruitment: 02 Flagship Coordinators in Son La and Dien Bien, Vietnam

ASSET Recruitment: 02 Flagship Coordinators in Son La and Dien Bien, Vietnam

To support to the coordination and implementation of activities at flagship level and communications with local stakeholders in Son La & Dien Bien Province, Vietnam, ASSET Project is recruiting 02 Flagship Coordinators in Son La and Dien Bien, Vietnam.

Background and justification of the Services

The Agroecology and Safe food System Transitions (ASSET) project is a five-year regional project funded by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), the European Union (EU), and the Fond Français pour l’Environnement Mondial (FFEM). The overall objective of the project is to harness the potential of agroecology to transform food and agricultural systems into more sustainable systems. The project intervenes in four countries (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam).

Flagship sites are pilot administratively managed territories where efforts and resources are concentrated to support and document agroecological and safe food system transitions. They are seen as key instruments of ASSET project sub-components

2.1 “Knowledge production and support to innovations”,
2.2 “Design a methodology to assess performances and impacts of innovations of agricultural and food systems”
2.3. “Strengthen existing policy dialogue on agriculture, food and trade at local, national and regional levels”.

ASSET project will support innovations and knowledge production in four flagship sites, one per country. In Vietnam, Son La and Dien Bien Provinces have been selected as Vietnamese project flagship site.

ASSET project partners (i.e., NIAS, IPSARD, VAAS with NOMAFSI, CASRAD, FAVRI, ILRI, CIRAD and GRET) work closely with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) at provincial and district levels and other partners in Son La and Dien Bien Provinces. ASSET partners, at national and local levels, realized that there is an urgent need to support the coordination and communication between national and provincial partners and to provide also a methodological support to the DARD focal points involved in ASSET project for the implementation and monitoring of planned activities.

The flagship coordinators will play a key relay role between national and local stakeholders. The overall focus of the flagship coordinators will be to provide support to the ASSET coordination unit (CIRAD-GRET) and ASSET partners at national and local levels, in Dien Bien and in Son La Provinces, to ensure that all program field activities, under all ASSET sub-components and outcomes (SC2.1, SC2.2 and SC2.3), are effectively planned, implemented at provincial level and reported in accordance with approved program annual framework.

Objectives of the services

Based in Son La and in Dien Bien Provinces, the recruited 2 flagship coordinators will locally support ASSET project through the following duties:

Represent ASSET at local levels, build up and strengthen relationship with local stakeholders (local authorities, DARDs at Provincial and District levels, other projects, private sector and village community) and insure a good visibility of ASSET interventions at local levels.
Ensure effective and timely communication between the province/district authorities, DARDs, ASSET national partners and ASSET coordination unit (GRET-CIRAD).
Support to the coordination and implementation of the field activities within SC2.1, SC2.2 and SC2.3; he/she will participate actively in the design, implementation, and monitoring of AE-based innovative cropping and livestock systems
Aggregate the annual field action plan of national partners (i.e., NIAS, IPSARD, VAAS with NOMAFSI, CASRAD, FAVRI, ILRI, CIRAD and GRET) in collaboration with the ASSET coordination unit and communicate this global action plan to DARD focal points within SC2.1, SC2.2 and SC2.3
Support to DARD focal points for the elaboration of the tentative budget for the implementation of field activities by DARD within SC2.1, SC2.2 and SC2.3
Support DARD focal points in arranging and facilitating ASSET program visits to the province and district and village locations by national partners, short/medium-term missions, government officials, donors.
Ensure the follow-up of the implementation of the actions foreseen in the flagship action plan, by documenting notably the Emon system (key indicators of Flagship action plan progress)
Support and promote inclusivity and mainstreaming in regard to gender, ethnic and poverty issues in ASSET project activities at the provincial and district levels.

Supervision

The flagship coordinators will work under the supervision of the CIRAD SC21 leaders, in close cooperation with the national partners (focal points from NIAS, IPSARD, VAAS-with NOMAFSI, CASRAD, FAVRI-, ILRI, CIRAD and GRET) and DARD focal points.

Qualifications/Skills required:

At least a High Diploma in Agriculture/Livestock;
At least 4 to 5 years of professional experience in rural development and research & development projects in Vietnam, as project coordinator;
Very strong experience related to extension and research activities at provincial, district and village levels in connection with DARD, local authorities, international organizations, public and private sector, farmer groups;
Strong knowledge (theoretical and practical) on Agroecology (Agrobiodiversity, clean agriculture…);
Mature experience in partnership, facilitation and communication with local stakeholders, in particular with local authorities and village communities in Northwestern Provinces;
Strong knowledge of context and actors in Son La and Dien Bien Provinces;
Ability to live in Son La and Dien Bien Provinces and districts;
Efficient in English and/or French (reading, writing and speaking).