TERM OF REFERENCE

FOR SPECIALIST STUDY ON FARMER’S LINKAGE POLICIES AND PROPOSE RECOMMENDATIONS

PROJECT: ENHANCING AWARENESS AND POLICY ADVOCACY CAPACITY ON FARMER’S LINKAGE

I.             Background

Vietnam’s economy after 20 years of rapid and heated development has slowed down since 2010 due to low growth quality. Economic growth mainly depends on the increase of investment capital and labor, not from the increased productivity and technology improvements. Poverty reduction in the past years gained many substantial achievements. However, the poverty rates still stay high in rural and ethnic areas. The agriculture sector also faces many integration challenges when large enterprises have troubles with barriers regarding to land accumulation and the application of high technologies. 

Currently, Vietnam’s agriculture is entering into the second phase, after the first phase is the production phase to ensure food security, modern Vietnamese agriculture requires clean and safe agricultural products and farmers and their collaborators also have to be market-driven to meet the demand of their marker. In the context of small and fragmented agriculture, the linking of farmers in groups and cooperatives to apply specific and technical knowledge and to do market research is considered as an “irreversible trend” of Vietnamese agriculture. It is one of the most effective ways to support the poor farmers to improve their livelihoods and reduce poverty in rural areas in Vietnam.

The advantages of famer’s organizations (FOs) in the market, according to economic theory, is to utilize the “economies of scale” in which members of the FOs finds common interests when they gather together voluntarily and democratically. In the arena of economic integration and technology development, one of the most important role of FOs is to support its members to connect with the market to sell their product and/or service. Market accessibility requires FOs to understand on the demand of the market, making their business plan and conduct that plan. It also require the FOs to have good marketing and trading strategy.

The project “Enhancing awareness and policy advocacy capacity on farmer’s linkages” is part of a larger We Effect Program in Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar (Southeast Asia Programme). Under this project, the Institute for Economic and Policy Research (VEPR), the coordination agency of the Agriculture Coalition, with financial and technical support from We Effect is planning to conduct a research on the accessibility to market of famer organizations in Vietnam and prose recommendations for famer organizations to strengthening their capacity to connect with the market as well as discuss policy implications to improve the market-access capacity of famers organizations.

To achieve the objectives of the project, VEPR is in need of a research group to conduct a scientific research on the “market access capacity of Vietnamese FOs and policy recommendations”. The research group includes a lead researcher, a senior researcher, a researcher and a research assistant, conducting the research under the supervision of VEPR and We Effect.

II.           Objectives of the Study

• Review the formulation, development and existence of different forms of FOs, including with special focus on cooperative to assess viability/sustainability dimensions in both (i) within organization (structure, governance, democracy, equality…)  and enabling environment with regard to financial, business and operational viability.
• Assess the current status of Vietnam FO’s operations and accessibility to market and case studies in Yen Bai, Bac Kan, Lao Cai and other Southern provinces.
• Assess in-depth Vietnam's legal system supporting FO access to market.;
• Study development and operation of cooperatives in other countries, especially accessibility to market;
•  With reference to the international case studies and Vietnam current situation, identify and analyze different issues to recommend to policy-makers and policy making processes on strengthening the capacity of famer’s organizations in viability/sustainability (organizationally, financially, business-operationally), especially in accessibility to the market.

III.          Scope of Research and Research Methodology

• The research plans to use the theoretical approach and comparative research methodology to study on the formulation and development FOs; different dimensions of FO like internal factors: organizational development, financial viability, business-operational sustainability and access to market, and external factors, including enabling environment (supporting policies, market trend,…)  will be reviewed and studied. Then the current status of Vietnamese FOs in the above-mentioned dimensions will be surveyed and collated with the international study. From that, the research would suggest recommendations for FOs (micro level) and the Government (macro level) to improve the capacity of FOs in Vietnam. Specific research stages are as following:

Stage 1: Conduct desk study on the formulation and development FOs regarding internal factors and external factors, including accessibility to market of FOs

Stage 2: Conduct desk-study on international good practices on organization development and accessibility to market of FOs (cooperatives), especially the experience of those countries with developed cooperatives such as Sweden, Canada, the Netherland and/or the models of international organizations

Stage 3: Conduct in-depth interview with national and international agricultural experts to collect comments on the international good practice on market-oriented FOs

Stage 4: Conduct the literature review to assess the current status of different dimensions, including accessibility to market of Vietnamese FOs, particularly cooperatives, e.g. market linkages in different value chains (linkages among cooperatives and collaboration groups and linkages between FOs and business enterprises…)

Stage 5: Conduct in-depth interviews with selective cooperatives in Yen Bai, Bac Can, Lao Cai and other Southern provinces to collect information on actual issues relating to the above mentioned dimensions, including accessibility to market of the Vietnamese FOs, their market linkages in different value chains (linkages among cooperatives and collaboration groups and linkages between FOs and business enterprises…).

Stage 6: Compare the good international practice with Vietnam’s current status, from that, the research would suggest their recommendations for FOs in terms of internal factors and the Government, in terms of external factors, including enabling environment to improve the capacity of Vietnam FOs in organization development and access to market to ensure their viability/sustainability financially and business operationally.

IV.         Specialist’s responsibilities

1.    Overall responsibility

• Conduct desk studies on theoretical basis, international good practice and current status of market access capacity of Vietnamese FOs
• Participate in in-depth interviews with experts and FOs in Hanoi, Yen Bai, Bac Can, Lao Cai and other Southern provinces.
• Revise and finalize research report upon the comments of peer-review and donors
• Participate in consultation meetings on research findings, research drafts and launching workshop

2.    Specific responsibility

1. Lead researcher

• Introduce research methods, assign tasks for team members;
• Lead field trip and in-depth interviews with experts and cooperatives;
• Prepare presentations at the consultants’ meetings, and final research launching workshop;
• Finalize the research report; present and answers questions at the research launching conference.

2. Senior Researcher

• In charge of reviewing theoretical basis on the formulation and development FOs and the market access role of FOs
• In charge of reviewing the international good practice on market- oriented FOs;
• Take lead in interviewing with agricultural experts on international good practice.
• prepare presentations at the consultants meeting
• Finalize the research report; present and answers question at the research launching conference.
• Translate the report in to English

3. Researcher

• In charge of reviewing and accessing the current status of market access capacity of Vietnamese FOs
• Design questionnaires and participate in in-depth interview with FOs in Yen Bai and Bac Can
• Prepare presentations at the consultants’ meetings
• Finalize the research report; present and answers questions at the research launching conference.

- Translate the report in to English

d. Research assistant

• Collect documents, data support senior researchers and researchers to study on international good practice and Vietnamese FO’s current status on the capacity to access to the market
• Support with the logistic for the research
• Support translating and interpreting

V.           Deliverables

Expected deliverables include:

• 01 research report assessing the current capacity of Vietnamese FOs to access to the market and policy recommendations;

• Vietnamese and English version of research report;
• Comments, opinions ... from VEPR and relevant parties are reflected adequately in the research report.

VI.          Report format

The final research report should include the following points:

• Acknowledgement
• Executive Summary
• Glossary/Acronyms
• List of tables and figures
• Chapter 1: Introduction
• Chapter 2: Theoretical basis on the formulation and development and the role of FOs in market access
• Chapter 3: International good practice on market access capacity of famer’s organization
• Chapter 4: Assessment on the current status of Vietnamese FO’s capacity on market access – the case of Yen Bai and Bac Can
• Chapter 5: Policy discussion
• References
• Appendices/Annexes

VII.        Requirements for research group

The research group includes four (04) specialists with specific requirements as below:

1. Lead researcher

• Master’s Degree in Agriculture, Economics or related field;
• At least 7 years of relevant working experience;
• Highly developed organizational skills, including time management skills and the ability to handle pressure while meeting deadlines with minimal supervision;
• Good communications, presentation skills; High level of written English and Vietnamese;
• Ability to work independently and work with the team;
• Experience in working the Agriculture Coalition or VEPR is preferable;
• Willing to travel;

2. Senior researcher

• Master’s Degree in Agriculture, Economics or related field;
• At least 5 years of relevant working experience;
• Knowledgeable about Vietnam economic and agriculture, cooperatives policy;
• Good communications, presentation skills; High level of written English and Vietnamese;
• Ability to work independently and work with the team;
• Experience in working the Agriculture Coalition or VEPR is preferable;
• Willing to travel

3. Researcher

• Bachelor degree in Agriculture, Economics or related field;
• At least 3 years relevant working experience;
• Experience in working the Agriculture Coalition or VEPR is preferable;
• Ability to work independently and work with the team;
• Good research skills, organizing skills, computer skills;
• Good level of written English and Vietnamese;
• Willing to travel 

4. Research assistant

• Bachelor degree in Agriculture, Economics or related field;
• At least 2 years relevant working experience;
• Experience in working the Agriculture Coalition or VEPR is preferable;
• Ability to work independently and work with the team;
• Good organizing skills and management skills;
• Willing to travel 

VIII.      Working location: Ha Noi, Yen Bai and Bac Can and other Southern provinces

IX.         Work plan and payment process

After signing the contract, the lead researcher will make specific plan to conduct research and discuss with VEPR.

Expected shedule are as follow (subject to change)

After signing the contract, the research group will conduct the research and will recieve a first 30% payment after submitting literature report and first findings. The second and final payment will be paid as follow as the schedule above. 

X.           Application

Please send the application package to these following email before 17h00, 22th October 2018:

nguyen.dieulien@vepr.org.vn

Application package include:

• Curricullum vitae (in English and/or Vietnamese);