Call for Experts - Consultants Pool for Technical Assistance to Component 3, USAID Linkages for Small and Medium Enterprises Project

IESC is the implementing organization of Linkages for Small and Medium Enterprises Project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). USAID LinkSME aims to strengthen the capabilities of the intermediary organizations in Vietnam, such as business associations, export development centers, and SME promotion agencies, in order to facilitate the supplier-buyer relationships between Vietnamese small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and lead firms located in Vietnam and expand Vietnamese SMEs’ capacity to participate in manufacturing supply chains. USAID LinkSME will enhance the business enabling environment by institutionalizing key reforms and strengthening the legal and regulatory framework for SME growth across the nation. Overall, this project will advance the Indo-Pacific vision of improved economic competitiveness and support USAID/Vietnam’s objective of expanding inclusive, market-driven, private sector-led growth.

The Project includes four components with specific objectives as below:
- Component 1: Promoting institutional reform, streamlining regulations and administrative procedures, cutting down compliance cost to enhance the competitiveness of SMEs
- Component 2: Promoting an e-Government to improve government-to-business interactions, and facilitate SMEs’ investment, business and international integration
- Component 3: Improving SMEs’ supply capacity and strengthening business linkages between SMEs and global value chains
- Component 4: Project management, engagement of consultants, communication, and monitoring

In order to support the implementation of Component 3 of the Project until September 2023, IESC is recruiting for qualified consultants. After being selected, the consultants will sign with IESC a principle agreement/contract with general provisions applied to all specific assignments under LinkSME Project that the consultants will be invited and accepted to engage in. Depending on the nature of each specific activity and workload and based on agreement with government partner of that activity, a Terms of Reference (TOR) for each specific assignment will be developed, based on which, IESC will select relevant consultants, with priority given to those in this pool.

For this purpose, IESC call for interest from individuals with the relevant qualifications to apply to be in the LinkSME Project consultants.

GENERAL DUTIES, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND REQUIREMENTS:
Experts will provide necessary technical assistance to activities under Component 3 of the USAID LinkSME Project. For general duties, responsibilities, and requirements of each sub-activity, please follow the relevant link:

- Consultants Pool for Technical Assistance to Component 3 - Capacity Training Program: https://chp.tbe.taleo.net/chp01/ats/careers/v2/viewRequisition?org=IESCORG&cws=39&rid=1353
- Consultants Pool for Technical Assistance to Component 3 - Finance and Banking: https://chp.tbe.taleo.net/chp01/ats/careers/v2/viewRequisition?org=IESCORG&cws=39&rid=1354
- Consultants Pool for Technical Assistance to Component 3 - Business matching/linkages: https://chp.tbe.taleo.net/chp01/ats/careers/v2/viewRequisition?org=IESCORG&cws=39&rid=1355
- Consultants Pool for Technical Assistance to Component 3 - Database and Platform: https://chp.tbe.taleo.net/chp01/ats/careers/v2/viewRequisition?org=IESCORG&cws=39&rid=1356

Specific tasks and specific topics and deadline for specific deliverables will be determined in the job description of each assignment which will be built up at the stage of preparing for the implementation of a specific activity approved in the annual approved Project workplan (activities are included below in Annex 1).

REPORTING
For each activity, there will be one specific expert person in-charge from USAID LinkSME. The consultant will report directly to this person depending on the activity that the expert will be invited and accept to work in.

Interested candidates are requested to submit their application ONLY at the above-mentioned links.

IESC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Please note that this position is intended for a Vietnamese national only. CV and letter of interest should be in English. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and the position will remain open until filled. Qualified candidates may be contacted to join the consultant pool.

ANNEX 1 - OVERALL ACTIVITY PLAN OF COMPONENT 3

Improving SMEs’ supply capacity and strengthening business linkages between SMEs and the value chains.

C3-1-001: Develop a national SME support plan for 2021/2025 period, focusing on assisting SMEs to take part in the clusters and the global value chains; and support for implementation of the plan in some potential localities.
C3-2-001 : Assess capacity and identify priority/focus areas for support and build capacity for business support organizations (BSO).
C3-2-002 : Develop training materials and training programs to build capacity for BSOs focusing on the Project’s selected priority or focus areas.
C3-2-003 : Deliver training to BSOs in the Project’s selected priority or focus areas.
C3-4-001: Conduct preliminary capacity assessment, classify and analyze SMEs’ capacity to participate in several sectors, and develop a framework business database.
C3-4-002 : Support for the development of an information platform to support business registration, assessment and diagnosis, to monitor the growth of businesses and the participation of SMEs in the global value chains, and to assist up-chain businesses in connection and expansion of investments in Vietnam.
C3-4-003 : Support BSOs in integrating the data of their respective sectors into the Project’s shared platform.
C3-4-004: Develop and update a database of the up-chain enterprises involved in the Project, and their requirements.
C3-4-005 : Develop a processes to search and identify the outsourcing needs of up-chain enterprises, identify their technical specifications, general and specific requirements for each order or customer category by countries or regions
C3-4-006 : Survey the demand side (buyers) to understand the barriers from the perspectives of the up-chain enterprises, and the impact of those barriers, if any.
C3-4-007 : Compile international BSOs’ best practices in SME support from the existing materials/documents.
C3-4-008 : Organize conferences to promote the development of enterprises and their participation in the sustainable value chains in the international integration context.
C3-5-001 : Organize, or coordinate with BSOs in organizing, activities to assist the qualified and ready-for-linkage, and ready-to-cooperate SMEs in linkage with the up-chain enterprises, and sharing the latter’s needs for local partners with SMEs.
C3-5-002 : Organize, or coordinate with BSOs in organizing, activities and events for large-scale promotion and linkage of the SME community with up-chain enterprises.
C3-6-001: Assist BSOs in developing a set of criteria for capacity assessment of enterprises by sector/industry and provide implementation guidelines.
C3-6-002 : Assist and coordinate with BSOs in auditing the capacity of the enterprises in the selected sectors/industries, and propose intensive measures to improve technical capacity of the audited enterprises.
C3-7-001 : Provide intensive technical assistance individually to each selected SME for linkage based on the assessment and audit findings.
C3-7-002: Develop technical documents and programs for training based on the Project’s experiences and lessons learnt.
C3-7-003 : Deliver or coordinate with BSOs in delivering training and capacity building for SMEs in general and stakeholders in general based on the Project’s lessons learnt.
C3-7-004: Organize linkage programs, surveys and studies to learn about best practices and lessons in linking selected SMEs with the supply chain.
C3-8-001 : Study and survey for a mapping of the financial sources for SMEs in Vietnam in order to propose support options for SMEs’ access to financial sources for development.
C3-8-002 : Assess performance of the Credit Guarantee Funds (CGF) for SMEs, develop a Manual on credit guarantee operations, and a set of criteria for assessment of the risk management performance and credit rating of CGFs.
C3-8-003: Study and Evaluate credit extension schemes to SMEs in the commercial banking system.
C3-8-004 : Study and develop a set of procedures, rules and criteria for SME capacity assessment in accordance with the international standards applicable in Vietnam and conduct a pilot application thereof in the operation of the SME Development Fund as part of the activities to improve the lending activities of the SME Development Fund in support of the SMEs’ participation in the value chain.
C3-8-005 : Study and assess the information system in service of the SME credit rating.
C3-8-006 :
- Carry out activities to support connecting SMEs with domestic and foreign credit institutions:
- Organize a business linkage conference for the SME Development Fund, financial and credit institutions, and SMEs to connect with the global value chains;
- Organize conferences to promote credit access between commercial banks/ financial and credit institutions and the enterprises taking part in the value chains.
C3-8-007 : Organize demand-supply linkage events in the selected sectors/industries (electronics, metal, agriculture...; and other sectors).

- Opportunities to be trained in the professional environment to maximize your potential
- Good chance to study and develop career path stably
- Professional, dynamic working environment

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