Location: Lao Cai with frequent travel in Lao Cai province and some travel to Hanoi

Period of Assignment: 12-month contract (with possibility of multi-year extension)

Reporting To: Agriculture Portfolio Manager

Background:

Cowater International is a leading global development consulting company. Headquartered in Ottawa which has successfully delivered a portfolio of over 2500 projects and assignments in more than 95 countries. We work with governments, private sector actors and communities implementing projects that support socio-economic development, institutional strengthening, environmental improvements and advance equal opportunities for all. We are a diverse and experienced team committed to building a better tomorrow for the people we serve. 

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. 

The objectives of the GREAT 2 Program are:

Objective 1 – Ethnic minority women living in Son La and Lao Cai, have improved economic benefits.

Objective 2 – Ethnic minority women living in Son La and Lao Cai, have increased confidence and social status, including more balanced workloads and greater decision-making within the home, workplace, and community.            

Objective 3 – Ethnic minority women and household members living in Son La and Lao Cai benefit from more gender-responsive, inclusive, and effective provincial and national policies, plans, strategies, and programs.

The program is in its second five-year phase and GREAT 2 and focuses on agriculture and tourism, identifying specific sectors that lend themselves to opportunities for women’s economic empowerment and work with multiple stakeholders to address constraints, generate opportunities, drive market growth and increase productive value of the sector. A limited number of agriculture sectors have been targeted, in addition to tourism. Cross-sector strategies such as women, access to finance, digital transformation, policy advocacy and behaviour change will complement the sector strategies.

Statement of Duty:

The Project Officer, reporting to the Agriculture Portfolio Manager, will work closely with various GREAT 2 team members as required and, in particular, will:

• coordinate with the Provincial Coordinator, Provincial Management Unit and other provincial stakeholders in the management and implementation of selected projects in agriculture and cross-cutting sectors in Lao Cai
• work with other GREAT team members including Monitoring Evaluation Learning and Research (MERL) and Finance to support and guide project partners in developing proposals for specific sub sectors and cross cutting sectors. 

The Project Officer will manage and provide quality guidance and support to assigned partners for effective implementation and delivery of value for money results for beneficiaries and market system change in coordination with other members of the Agriculture Portfolio.

Specific Duties:

Directly manage 3 to 4 projects being implemented by partners in Lao Cai province including, but not necessarily limited to:

• Provide inputs to sector & systems analysis and update of local government and private sector priorities and plans in the agriculture and cross cutting sectors and gender inclusion work;
• Input to, and support GEDSI and Policy coordinators and technical experts with, policy and WEE constraints and opportunities analysis;
• Manage and quality assure partners in project delivery, providing guidance on adoption of approaches consistent with GREAT’s Market System Development (MSD) and Women Economic Empowerment (WEE) goals and objectives;
• Ensure partners are familiar and up-to-date with all guidelines, policies and procedures in the GREAT’s SOP and manuals, particularly in project planning, budgeting and disbursement and provide training as necessary;
• Support and provide quality assurance to partner preparation and update of intervention plans, annual workplans and budgets;
• Support partners to prepare quarterly progress reports;
• Verification and validation of partner’s completed activities for financial  acquittals;
• Support ongoing output and outcome performance monitoring (including disbursement status vs budget) and identification of key issues and mitigation strategies;
• Support partners and GREAT in establishing performance feedback loops, identifying in a timely manner performance issues to inform project adaptation and decision making;
• Provide inputs to and participate in annual value for money assessments;
• Identify and support training to address key technical skills gaps as part of partner support;
• Support partners and GREAT colleagues to identify, document and share lessons learned, and
• Other tasks as required. 

Required Qualifications:

• University degree
• Minimum three (03) years’ experience in managing inclusive business, value chain development initiatives, and/or implementing markets for the poor approaches in Vietnam; 
• Good understanding and experience of the full and results-based project management cycle (planning, monitoring, reporting).
• Commitment, demonstrated knowledge, and understanding of minority groups in Vietnam and gender-related issues.
• Strong inter-personal and communications skills;
• Highly adaptive, solution-oriented manager able to work to hard deadlines;
• Excellent analytical and strategic thinking skills; 
• Strong computer skills
• Good spoken and written communication skills (both English and Vietnamese) 
• Experience in the following areas would be a distinct advantage:
• Working on agriculture value chain projects in northwest Vietnam and/or Lao Cai 
• Experience with women’s economic empowerment and supporting ethnic minority groups is an advantage. 

Application process:

Candidates are encouraged to apply no later than 5 pm Hanoi Time (GMT+7) Friday 11^th October 2024. Applications will be assessed as they are received. We thank all applicants, however, only those making the shortlist will be contacted.

Interested candidates are invited to send an application to recruitment@aus4equalityvn.org. Please indicate in the subject “Application for Project Officer – Lao Cai”.

Applications should include:

• A cover letter responding to the selection criteria

• A Curriculum Vitae

• Contact details of three referees

Cowater International is an equal opportunity employer, basing employment on merit and qualifications as they relate to professional experience and position expectations. Cowater does not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, religion, sex, gender identity, disability, age, or any other basis protected by law.

For more opportunities, please visit our website at https://equality.aus4vietnam.org/careers