Request for Expressions of Interest Senior National Consultant - Institutional Partnership Development Specialist for TRVC Project

Company Description About SNV Stichting SNV Nederlandse Ontwikkelings Organisatie, (hereinafter referred to as “SNV Netherlands Development Organisation” or “SNV”) is established as a Foundation (Stichting) in The Netherlands, and is a not-for-profit international development organisation, that applies practical know-how to make a lasting difference in the lives of people living in poverty. We use our extensive and long-term in-country presence to apply and adapt our expertise in agriculture, energy and water to local contexts. SNV has been working in Vietnam since 1995 in partnership with government agencies, the private sector, and local authorities across the agri-food, energy, and water sectors. We’re particularly proud of the work we’ve done to support the country’s most remote and deprived areas to strengthen their capacity to reduce poverty. About the TRVC project and the Assignment The Transforming the Rice Value Chain for Climate-Resilient and Sustainable Development in the Mekong Delta (TRVC) is a five-year programme (2023–2027) funded by the Australian Government (DFAT) and implemented by SNV Netherlands Development Organisation, in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE) and the Departments of Agriculture and Environment of An Giang and Dong Thap provinces. TRVC supports the transition to low-emission rice production across approximately 200,000 hectares, contributing to Vietnam’s target of one million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice in the Mekong Delta. The programme uses a Pay-for-Results (PfR) mechanism and is structured around three End of Programme Outcomes (EOPOs): • EOPO 1: Reduced GHG emissions from rice production in the upper Mekong Delta. • EOPO 2: Increased profit margins of rice farming smallholder farmers (SHF). • EOPO 3: Strengthened institutional framework for effective transition to low-carbon rice production. Work Component 3 (WC3), linked to EOPO 3, is critical to ensuring long-term sustainability and systemic change beyond the programme. It encompasses: (i) supporting MAE to standardise the national MRV system for the rice sector; (ii) establishing a national project registry and GHG database for low-carbon rice under MAE; (iii) developing regulatory frameworks for carbon credit registration, carbon rights, and benefit distribution; and (iv) transferring TRVC’s MRV data, methodologies, and lessons learned to government institutions. Key institutional partners for WC3 include the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection (Cục Trồng trọt và Bảo vệ Thực vật), Department of Digital Transformation (Cục Chuyển đổi số), Institute of Agricultural Environment (Viện Môi trường Nông nghiệp), Department of Science, Technology and Environment (DoSTE), and the Department of Climate Change (DCC) – all under MAE following the merger of MARD and MoNRE. Job Description Objective TRVC seeks to engage a Senior National Consultant – Senior National Consultant – Institutional Partnership Development Specialist to build strategic institutional partnerships between SNV and national government agencies responsible for developing and standardising Vietnam’s national MRV system and policy enhancement for sustainable rice production. The Consultant will lead structured knowledge and MRV data transfer from TRVC to these institutions, support co-design of regulatory framework recommendations. Qualifications Consultant Qualifications Education • Advanced degree (Master’s or PhD) in Agriculture, Agricultural Economics, Environmental Science, Climate Change Policy, or Natural Resource Management. Additional certifications in GHG accounting or carbon markets are an asset. Professional Experience • Minimum 12-15 years of professional experience in senior leadership roles in Government sector overseeing agriculture/rice development sector, science and technology, climate change, or environmental policy in Vietnam; • Demonstrated track record in building institutional partnerships with Vietnamese national government agencies at ministerial level (former MARD/MoNRE now MAE), including negotiating MoUs and facilitating policy dialogues; • Experience in capacity building and knowledge transfer to government institutions; • Familiarity with Vietnam’s national climate governance framework: NDC processes, Low emission crop production scheme, Carbon Project development and ITMOs etc. • Experience with the Mekong Delta agricultural context and rice value chains is strongly preferred. Technical Knowledge • Strong understanding of agricultural GHG, MRV methodologies, including IPCC Tier 2/3 approaches and remote sensing applications in rice systems; • Knowledge of voluntary carbon market standards (Verra VM0051, Gold Standard) • Working knowledge of Vietnam’s 1 Million Hectares Initiative; • Familiarity with digital data management systems for GHG monitoring and reporting Competency • Excellent stakeholder engagement and relationship management with senior government officials; • Strong facilitation and negotiation skills; experience convening multi-stakeholder technical working groups; • High-quality written and oral communication in Vietnamese and English; 4. Duration and Working Arrangements The assignment covers the planned period, starting from September 2026 to end of 2027, with an estimated level of effort of up to 120 working days, structured in phases aligned to the deliverable schedule above. Additional Information Submission and Enquiries Interested national individual consultants are invited to submit the following documents via the instructions in this site, including: • Letter of Interest with updated CV (maximum 5 pages) in English, highlighting relevant experience and achievements; • List of at least three professional references, including at least one from a national government institution; • A completed Due Diligence document, along with all required supporting documents, click https://c.smartrecruiters.com/sr-company-attachments-prod-aws-dc5/58919688e4b0672cc03331a9/c09ab847-037d-465d-971c-3a0f0ac652a2?r=s3-eu-central-1 EOIs are accepted until September 3rd, 2026. Tender Process and Evaluation criteria This tender process will take place in two stages. Stage one is an Expression of Interest. Those selected from the Expression of Interest stage will move forward to the Full Proposal Stage and receive a second assignment description ahead of being asked to prepare a more detailed proposal submission for the assignment. Expression of Interest (EOI) Evaluation Criteria: Due Diligence: Pass/Fail Academic background / qualifications of the expert: Max. 40 points. Relevant experience related to this assignment (at least 03 professional references, including at least one from a national government institution): Max. 50 points. Reference feedback: Max. 10 points. Total: 100 points. Only Expressions of Interest (EOIs) with a minimum score of 70 will move forward for Full Proposals. Protection of Information We request that Expressions of Interest responses be free of any intellectual property that the applicant wishes to protect. Should offerors wish to include proprietary intellectual property that they believe would be helpful for SNV, please note the proprietary nature of such information. Issuance of this EOI does not constitute a commitment, award, or engagement on the part of SNV nor does it commit SNV to any future commitment or engagement. Note: SNV reserves the right to change or cancel this requirement in the EOI/or solicitation process at any time. For more information about the TRVC project, please visit: https://trvc.vn Funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) • Implemented by SNV Netherlands Development Organisation.