Consultancy Service for Mid-term Review of the “Inclusive and Sustainable Clam and Bamboo Value Chain Development in Vietnam” Project

TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR)

CONSULTANCY SERVICE CALL FOR MID-TERM REVIEW of the “Inclusive and Sustainable Clam and Bamboo Value Chain Development in Vietnam” Project (SCBV)

1. BACKGROUND

Clam and bamboo production are considered as important livelihood alternatives and business opportunities for small scale producers (SSPs) and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Vietnam. The unique clams and bamboo production of Vietnam have a good and growing demand in the domestic, regional and world markets. Currently, annual export value of bamboo sector reaches US $250 million/per year while clam obtains a total annual revenue of US $200 million. There are around 1.5 million SSPs in Vietnam whose households live on incomes from clams and bamboo. However, there are still many challenges due to unsustainable production practices by SSPs and MSMEs which causes serious economic, social and environmental impacts. The linkage and relationship between various actors have been fragmented and inefficient, inequitable and non-transparent which negatively affect product quality and traceability that decrease products’ competitiveness globally. Limited access to financial resources of SSPs and SME processors is also a barrier for them to expand production and comply with required standards. Moreover, women have limited opportunities to engage in decision-making despite they account for the majority of clam and bamboo SSPs and MSME workers. Value chains’ governance structures are underdeveloped and not fully supportive to sustainable production and inclusive decision making.

In this context, Oxfam in Vietnam in partnership with Research Center for Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPRC), International Collaborating Centre for Aquaculture and Fisheries Sustainability (ICAFIS), Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) implements the 4-year project “Inclusive and Sustainable Clam and Bamboo Value Chain Development in Vietnam” (SCBV) which is funded by the European Union during the period of 2018 - 2022. The Project will focus mainly on the 5 provinces: Tien Giang, Ben Tre, Tra Vinh (clam value chain) and Thanh Hoa & Nghe An (bamboo value chain).

Project Objectives:

The overall objective of the project contributes to reducing poverty and inequality in rural areas of Vietnam through realizing the following specific objectives (SO):

(SO1) SSPs and Micro/Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) processors of clam and bamboo VCs have increased income from sustainable production practices, improved business efficiency and access to markets.
(SO2) Clams and bamboo value chains in five provinces are better organized, equitable and inclusive.

Project expected results:

The project is expected to achieve 05 key results as follows:

R1: 35,000 SSPs (in clams and bamboo) have enhanced capacity to adopt appropriate production techniques and practice sustainable standards (MSC or MSC-based FIP and FSC).
R2:150 SSP groups are better organized and strengthened capacity to negotiate for their position and equitable benefit sharing among VC stakeholders. At least 95% of targeted SSPs increased annual income from bamboo and clam sectors (by 10% compared to baseline).
R3: 60 MSME processors, including 7 lead firms (LF), enhance added value and improve their investment and sourcing policies through application of innovative management and technologies.
R4: At least 80% of targeted SSPs and MSMEs in clam and bamboo VCs increased access national and international markets.
R5: 05 Public private alliances (PPA) established at provincial level function effectively and national policies are improved to enhance and support sustainable and inclusive value chain development.

SCBV project has been implemented for two years at the half-way the project, with numbers of interventions based on designed logical frameworks and methodology. It is time to revisit the log-frame, approaches, and progress against expected impacts of the project for necessary strategy and workplan adjustments. Therefore, Oxfam in Vietnam is looking for national consultant(s) to work with Oxfam MEL specialist to support the SCBV project to conduct the midterm review (MTR) for SCBV project. The purpose of the MTR is to assess significance of progress attained and formulate recommendations on how to further strategize and attain the objectives most optimally, including adjust and supplement interventions in the remainder of the project.

2. OBJECTIVES OF CONSULTANCY AND AUDIENCE

The primary aim of the mid-term review is to assess the progress and the pathway to the project overall objective through testing the logical assumptions in the Result Framework that underpins this project. The MTR will also identify unexpected or unplanned issues that may have hindered or facilitated the success of the project. Additionally, the review is expected to outline the lessons in identifying what worked well and not well during project implementation and providing recommendations for the remaining period.

Assess the project progress towards targets of specific objectives, results, outputs, and its achievements towards overall objective up to date (after the 2-year period of project implementation);
Identify unexpected or unplanned factors that may prevent the project from achieving its objectives and the opportunities to promote project’s positive outcomes and impacts;
Provide lesson learnt to date with specific recommendations on how to inform future implementation and improve project delivery, including adjust and supplement interventions in the remaining period of the project;
Review and revise project’s M&E system with its indicators and plan for accountability and learning purposes.

Audience: The mid-term review will be shared to the donor, relevant stakeholders, partners, and communities who are the beneficiaries of the project. The findings of this mid – term review also will serve as important inputs for the Program Management Unit (PMU), project staff, and partners to adjust implementation plans of year 3 and 4 taking in account which strategies to pursue and how to allocate the available resources.

3. KEY STUDY QUESTIONS

MTR will conduct critical analysis of the following aspects:

Achievement of project implementation:

Verify the mid-term values of project’s specific objectives and results, including both the quantity and the description of the reporting indicators.
Describe the current status of value chains actors, which may include the status of SSPs, MSMEs, especially women in sharing of benefits in clam and bamboo value chain to profile key value chain actors including role, capacity, power, benefit of SSPs, current linkages between SSPs and other value chain actors; supporting policies for inclusive and sustainable value chain development, etc.
What are the major factors influencing the achievement or non - achievement of outcomes/specific objectives and results?
What are the critical success factors contributing to the early progress we have made? What can we learn from this?
What areas of weakness are there in the project? How should we respond to them?

Relevance of the project:

If the project’s design is adequate and appropriate to economic, social, political, and environmental context of the project promotion of Clam and bamboo production and processing?
What internal and external factors that may have influenced the ability of beneficiary groups (MSMEs clam and bamboo processors and small-scale clam and bamboo producers (especially women producers and female workers) and partners to meet project targets?
Is there a need to reformulate project targets to fit with clam and bamboo production and processing context and the available resources of project?

Effectiveness of produced outputs and outcomes:

What is the linkage between produced outputs with specific objectives and expected result? What works and what may not work?
What is the level of contribution of projects results towards objectives at different levels?
If produced outputs are sufficient to produced expected results? And if the produced results would contribute to the achievement of expected objectives?

Impact

What change (positive or negative, direct/indirect, intended/non - intended), if any, has happened as a result of the SCBV project?

Sustainability

What should the project do (stop, start, continue doing) to maximize the chances of the project sustainability (positive results, increased capacity in others, etc.)?

Cross-cutting issues (Equity)

How has the project addressed issues of equity and equality of development in the context of the poor, ethnic minority, women empowerment and environment?

Recommendations

Based on MTR findings, is any adjustment of interventions/strategies required as compared to the approved project document; any improvements of the project MEL system?
What further improvement in the design, implementation deliver, and resourcing of the project to increase effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, and impact in the second phase of implementation?

4. METHODOLOGIES AND METHODS

The consultant is expected to employ a participatory approach of evaluation using a range of both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection where appropriate. This may include, but are not limited to, field visits to project provinces(Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Tien Giang, Ben Tre, Tra Vinh); meetings with project teams, partners and related stakeholders, in addition to a desk review of project documents and reports.

The MTR process should incorporate the perspectives of different stakeholders, including but not limited to, small-scale producers, collectors/middleman, processors, MSMEs, financial institutions, local government institutions, local/national partners. Collected data and findings should be disaggregated by sex, age, ethnicity, disability and clam/bamboo value chain.

The consultant(s) is expected to carry out the following work: (i) Document reviews and design review scope of work:

Brief meeting with project team to get deep understanding on the project;

Analysis/review of existing and relevant documents such as the SCBV project documents (Proposal, Log-frame, annual report), baseline reports and other project survey/study reports. This desk review will identify data gaps and inform the scope of the field work;
Agree on workplan with Oxfam including detailed methods (qualitative/quantitative, number of working days, budget and plan etc.);
Design MTR protocol including: sampling strategy, the survey approaches and method, data collection tools, detailed fieldwork plan, analytical framework, and quality control measures.

(ii) Conduct primary data collection in the field with support from SCBV project team. It is expected to collect both quantitative & qualitative data that might include:

In-depth interviews with relevant value chain stakeholders, including project implementation partners from central to local levels;
Households interview using structural questionnaires and analytical frameworks for each value chain.
MSMEs surveys;
Focus Group Discussion;
Stakeholders consultation meeting.

(iii) Data analysis and report writing

Analyze data and review field notes;
Write the draft mid-term review report;
Conduct consultation meeting with project teams and key partners on the key findings and to consolidate comments/inputs for report finalization;
Finalize the mid-term review reports (in both English and Vietnamese).

5. EXPECTED DELIVERABLES AND TIMELINES

(1) A review proposal/design that provide methodology, methods, evaluation schedule and tools: 08 – 15 Jan. 2020 (2) Data collection tools and set of raw data for two value chains: 10 – 20 Feb. 2020 (3) First draft report of the review: 02-05 Mar. 2020 (4) Two face-to-face debriefings representing key findings of MTR for further consultation with project staff and local partners of two value chains: 09 - 15 Mar. 2020 (5) The 2nd version of revised MTR report and PowerPoint presentation 18 Mar. 2020 (6) The final MTR report with an executive summary of the MTR report highlighting key findings and recommendations (in English and Vietnamese). 25 Mar. 2020

6. REQUIREMENTS FOR CONSULTANT

The consultant(s) will report to Oxfam SCBV staff in charge and work closely with the project team (Oxfam and partners). The consultant(s) should:

Possess relevant background in one of the following majors: social sciences, food industry, forestry, aquaculture, environment, natural resource management, economics. Master’s degree in the field is preferred.
Demonstrate a thorough understanding of result-based approach and tools;
Possess proven experience (at least 10 years) in MEL work for NGO’s development projects, preferably including issues of value chain development, rural economic development, social issues in aquaculture and agricultural sectors. A proven track record in designing and managing M&E syste for development is an advantage;
Have skills and experiences in conducting M&E/ project evaluation activities, assessments, and be familiar with forestry and aquaculture/clam production sectors in Vietnam. This will include strong skills in both quantitative and qualitative, methods.
Have knowledge on inclusive and sustainable value chain development, social issues in forestry in the Central region and aquaculture production in the Mekong delta region of Vietnam.
Demonstrate commitment to inclusiveness and gender equality with experience in integrating gender and diversity issues into project MEL system.
Be committed to and able to meet the deadline, strong analytical skills, and documentation skills.
Have excellent Vietnamese and writing skills of English.

7. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

Proposal should include:

Introduction of the Consultants’ profile and related experience;
Technical proposal in achieving all expected objectives within mentioned timeframe (including survey methodology, framework, sampling strategy, data collection tools, detailed workplan for field survey and quality insurance, team structure, etc ...);
Financial proposal that specifies number of working days required and consultancy rate;
Sample(s) of a MTR report for similar tasks.

How to Apply: An application, CVS and proposal should be submitted in English by email with subject mentioning “Clam&Bamboo – SCBV Midterm Review” to HR.Vietnam@oxfam.org.

The closing date for application: 17.00pm, 28 th December 2019. Only short-listed applicants will be contacted for an interview.

Tags: Oxfam