Cowater International is recruiting a qualified candidate as a Value chain Advisor to support the Lao Cai Forest Protection Department (FPD) in delivering the project results. FPD is a project under GREAT 2 Program. The Advisor will report to the GREAT Agriculture Portfolio Manager while working closely with Project Coordinator of FPD, the GREAT Partner(s) and Lao Cai Cinnamon and Anise Association (LCAA) in planning, implementing organization and monitoring of project activities under the result framework of Lao Cai sustainable cinnamon development project.  

Cowater International is recruiting a qualified candidate as a Public - Private Sector Engagement Specialist to support the Forest Protection Department (FPD) in delivering the project results. 

The incumbent will report to the GREAT National Agriculture Portfolio Manager while working closely with Project Coordinator of FPD, the GREAT Partner(s) and Lao Cai Cinnamon and Anise Association (LCAA) in planning, implementing organization and monitoring of project activities under the result framework of Lao Cai sustainable cinnamon development project.  

GREAT is a flagship initiative of the Australian aid program.  The Program promotes women’s economic empowerment (WEE) in the ethnically diverse north-west region of Vietnam, through the integration of a market systems development (MSD) approach.

GREAT, under its second phase, is supporting Son La Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) to implement the project namely “Technical assistance for the implementation of production development support policies under the National Target Program in Son La province from 2024 to 2027” that aims to achieve the objective “Policies on PS under the NTPs for the period 2026 - 2030 in the province are designed on the results of implementing PS projects according to market-based value chains, gender inclusive and responsive”. The project has 03 components. GREAT is seeking qualified consultancy to provide technical support to DARD Son La to implement component 1 and 3. The consultant team will work closely with DARD assigned staff and GREAT Agriculture Portfolio Manager to achieve the set results.

Cowater is seeking the support of a qualified service provider to support an action-oriented project (under GREAT 2 Program) to identify and invest in inclusive supply chain innovations with the aim of learning, disseminating lessons and replicating good practices in effective and inclusive supply chain management targeting ethnic minority women and men producers in mountainous areas in northwest Vietnam. 

Cowater is recruiting a Policy Manager as outlined in this TOR to lead and implement these initiatives. Reporting to the Deputy Team Leader and working closely with other GREAT staff, the Policy Manager will oversee and quality assure the work of a team of policy advisors and technical partners, provide strategic steering and technical support to partners to maximise outcome and document and share best practices on policy support at national and provincial level, updating of GREAT policy strategy and contribute to organisation-wide objectives as a member of the Strategy Team. 

Call for technical service provider

Capacity building for Lao Cai College in vocational training in the hospitality and tourism sector

Cowater is seeking to recruit a Technical Consultant / Consultancy specialised in vocational training and management to partner with Lao Cai College in building the College’s capacity to develop, text and manage innovative and market-facing tourism and hospitality training offers targeting ethnic minority women working in the tourism and hospitality sector. Individual Consultants / Consultancies or Consortia and welcome to apply.

The role will directly support the work of Cowater’s flagship socio-economic development initiative – The Gender-Responsive Equitable Agriculture and Tourism Phase 2 (GREAT 2) in northwest Vietnam. 

Cowater is recruiting an experienced professional as Project Officer in Lao Cai to support the provincial work of its socio-economic development initiative - Gender-Responsive Equitable Agriculture and Tourism Phase 2 (GREAT 2 Program) in Vietnam. 

Cowater is recruiting an experience professional as Project Officer in Lao Cai to support the provincial work of its socio-economic development initiative - Gender-Responsive Equitable Agriculture and Tourism Phase 2 (GREAT 2 Program) in Vietnam. 

Communications Training Consultancy (Photography, Storytelling, Social media)

The GREAT Program, a 10-year flagship initiative of Australian Government, managed by Cowater International, is looking for a service provider (an individual consultant or a consultancy firm) who can provide high quality training in areas of communications and promotion for our partners in provinces of Lao Cai and Son La. 

About the program: GREAT is an innovative, market-oriented program funded by the Australian Government and working in Son La and Lao Cai provinces in northwest Vietnam. The program works with innovative and forward-thinking commercial businesses, as well as government partners, to identify and unlock economic opportunities for ethnic minority women producers and entrepreneurs.

https://equality.aus4vietnam.org/

A strategic opportunity for the right business partner

Objective

The objective of the GREAT program is to work with one or more sector partners to test, develop and operationalise innovative business ideas that seek to transform the medicinal plant commodity sectors from low value conventional production toward GACP-WHO compliance to access potential markets in Son La and Lao Cai and open up mutual opportunities for ethnic minority women producers and pharmaceutical industry business investors. This is an ambitious agenda that seeks to build strong and effective partnerships between sector leaders and ethnic minority women suppliers and requires both innovation and a commitment to the medicinal plant commodity sector in northwest of Vietnam.

The GREAT program is seeking to support business initiative and innovation and would like to hear from those willing and able to try new ways of working with small scale producers and cooperatives and who are prepared to invest in successful models to develop the medicinal plant commodity sector in northwest Vietnam. The right business partner(s) will have the following expertise and interests:

• A track record in the production, supply and/or manufacture of medicinal plant products from northwest Vietnam
• Extensive knowledge, know-how and networks in the medicinal plant commodities sector and supply chains in Vietnam, particularly the northwest
• A track record of working with ethnic minority producers and cooperatives and/or in the development and support of supply chains characterised by large numbers of small scale producers
• Feasible business plans (under implementation or to be implemented) that seek to develop the GACP-WHO medicinal plants production areas Son La and/or Lao Cai
• Willingness and capacity to co-invest in supply chain development and production support

If the above applies to you or your organisation, then GREAT would welcome your Expression of Interest:

Your commitment: partnering with GREAT, provincial stakeholders and ethnic minority producer communities, particularly women, to pilot solutions for the development of the medicinal plant commodities sector in northwest Vietnam, including co-investing in the form of expertise, resources and finance.

GREAT’s commitment: supporting selected partners with critical resources including technical expertise and co-financing mobilise producers, build production and semi-processing capability and develop mutually beneficial production and off-take arrangements to drive quality, growth and resilience in the sector.