Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development United Nations Development Program Project Support to Public Administration Reform in Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development VIE/02/016 TERMS OF REFERENCE Job title: Project name: Location: Project Assistant VIE/02016, PAR in MARD Hanoi Duration of assignment: 9 months (from April 2006) 1. Project Background The UNDP Project VIE/02/016 in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) Phase 2 aims at supporting the ministry to strengthen its organizational, institutional capabilities for HR development, information exchange and experience sharing in project management and public administration reforms. One major project component is to support IT application in MARD and DARDs. This component encompasses five key outputs with more than 20 activities. The five key outputs are: Output 3.1: An Informatics Division for public administration management within OMARD is strengthened and operated with the support of the project Output 3.2: IT Resources for extended pilot to all MARD Departments and DARDs implementation are developed. Output 3.3: IT related administrative processes and work procedures are redesigned and piloted following MARD PAR Action Plan 2005 Output 3.4: The State Administration Management information communication with local levels via Intranet, Internet and Email is standardized Output 3.5: Development of rural pilot telecentres for farming households is supported. The propose development goal for the Output 3.5 (Rural Telecentre Pilot) is to improve the lives of the rural community through providing them with better access to 1
information. Over the next 36 months, the RTI component is to pilot 13 Telecentres in farming communes to identify appropriate and financially sustainable Telecentre model/s that can best provide information to enhance income generation capacity of farmers. The immediate objective of the output is to deliver and exchange useful and useable information services to farmers based on their needs, priorities, aspirations and identified opportunities for improved agricultural production, leading to increased incomes, and within a tested and replicable mechanism that makes effective and sustainable use of ICT. An ICT Study Tour has been conducted in October 2005 and the visit to telecentres in India where the study group report recommended sustainable models (see ICT Study tour Report). The activities of RTI over the next 36 months are to achieve five outputs with 19 activities: Output 1: Activity 1.1: Activity 1.2: Activity 1.3: Activity 1.4: Output 2: Activity 2.1: Activity 2.2: Activity 2.3: Output 3: Activity 3.1: Activity 3.2: Activity 3.3: Activity 3.4: Activity 3.5: Output 4: Activity 4.1: Activity 4.2: Activity 4.3: Activity 4.4: Activity 4.5: Activity 4.6: Output 5: 13 pilot telecentres established Conducting the Baseline Survey Recruiting operators for the 13 pilot telecentres Leasing premise for the telecentres Procuring equipment for the 13 pilot telecentres Capacity of telecentres operators improved Preparing a manual of running a telecentre, including procedures for monitoring its operation Conducting a training course on (i) the use of computers; (ii) searching for information; (iii) running telecentres Organizing experience exchanging workshop Information supply channels developed Establishing a central information help desk Establishing a library of books, videos/vcds in the central information coordination unit and pilot telecentres Developing a list of information sources Contacting and studying information sources Establishing cooperation mechanisms with information sources Information distribution channels developed Strengthening common interest groups/extension clubs Developing forms of bulletins Issuing bulletins regularly Developing a form to receive queries/requests from farmers Processing queries/requests from farmers Developing a mechanism to support the development of demonstration models Impact Study of Telecentre Pilot 2
Activity 5.1: Contracting an external consultant to conduct impact studies 2. Need for Telecentre Assistant (TCA) The Project currently has two staff directly involved in ICT: an IT Trainer and an IT Project Assistant. The IT Trainer is mobilized under short service contract assignment focusing on the design and delivery of ICT courses to MARD/DARDs nationwide based on the IT TNA conducted in mid 2005 and the ICT training needs identified at the Nha Trang and Danang ICT Workshops. The IT Project Assistant supports the logistics and coordination of the ICT courses wherever they are conducted. Furthermore the IT Project Assistant takes full charge of the duties in processing and oversight of the maintenance/licensing agreements for all IT equipment purchased by the Project for MARD and DARDs. Given the above, it would be reasonable to deploy an additional staff, Telecentre Assistant, to focus completely on the RT Pilot as befitting of its importance. 3. Summary of duties Under the supervision of the National Project Manager (NPM) and guided by the Resident Technical Adviser, the Tele - Centre Assistant (TCA) shall coordinate the activities in executing the RT Workplan to ensure completion of activities. The daily tasks include: Drafting terms of references for activities of the RT component; Preparing procurement notices and contracts for hardware and software; Prepare sub-contracts for consulting services; Drafting the guidelines for PMU at the local level; Drafting the M&E reports for the component; Supporting national and or international consultants for the component; Participating in field study activities in the piloting the rural telecentres; Organizing RT workshops and seminars; Processing and filing all the related documents for access when required; Participating in PSU Meetings; Promoting the collaboration between IT Taskforce, IT Division of OMARD, ICARD and other stakeholders (such as Department of Cooperatives, relevant research institutes and other projects relevant for the telecenter initiative); Assist the PSU in undertaking the activities of the RT component as required. 3. Qualifications, experience and competencies a) Bachelors degree in Public Administration, IT, MIS, Engineering, Economics, Social or Agricultural subjects; b) At least 5 years working experience (of which 2 years IT-related for those 3
4. Timeframe graduated in Economics, Public Administration, Social and Agricultural subjects) c) Experience to wotk with government management agencies at central and local levels; d) Knowledge on state management or public administration; e) Good organizational skills and ability to work under high pressure; f) Good experience in management and organization of training courses; g) Fully conversant with MS Office, LAN, website design, ICT networks; h) Ability to work independently and in a team; i) Ability to draft reports in English (desirable); j) Working experience in MARD or agricultural sector (desirable) k) Experience in funded projects of large donor agencies (desirable). The TCA shall commence his or her duties in April 2006 for 9 months, with an initial 2- month probabtion. The contract assignment may be renewed/extended upon satisfactory performance and in line with the duration of the project. 5. Place of assignment: The TCA shall be based at the Project Office in Hanoi. 6. Key performance indicators of assignment: a) Baseline Survey has started; b) Advertisement for 13 RT Operators is prepared; c) Advertisement for procurement of RT equipment is prepared; d) Training materials for at least one RT Operators Workshop are distributed; e) Memo of Understanding/Agreements between RT and Information Channels are prepared; f) Helpdesk Manual is prepared; g) At least one RT Bulletin is written and disseminated nationwide; h) Monthly, quarterly and annual reports drafted. i) Weekly Activity Schedules are prepared; Please submit your applications together with curriculum vitae and relevant supporting documents to the following address: National Project Manager Project PAR in MARD (UNDP VIE/02/016) Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development No.2 Ngoc Ha, Room 202, Building B4 Hanoi Email: VIE0216.vn@undp.org 4
The deadline for submitting applications is 20 April 2006 Only short-listed candidates will be notified. Women candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. 5