Place of work: Vientiane Capital with regular field work in target provinces
Duration: 12 months renewable
Expected: starting date July 2021
Deadline for applications: 27/06/2021
Context
Since 2004, GRET has been implementing projects in Laos in various sectors: WASH and solid waste (three ongoing projects and studies), natural resources management (“Bamboo” project), nutrition, tea value chain, and three regional projects on agro-ecology, geographical indications (GI) and land governance. The Representation Office is in Vientiane, with one branch office in Luang Prabang Province. There are currently 11 staffs working on GRET projects in Laos.
The vacant position here falls within the actions implemented at national level. A consortium gathering GRET, ARTE-FACT, CIRAD, Iram, Certipaq and REDD has been awarded a contract by AFD (French Development Agency) to implement a regional project called “PROMOTION AND RECOGNITION OF GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS (GI) IN CAMBODIA, LAO PDR AND MYANMAR”.
The French Development Agency has been supporting the development of the protection of Geographical Indications in South-East Asia since nearly 15 years, through support project at national level (Cambodia, Laos) and regional level.
The GI project has been prepared by AFD since 2018, and has started its implementation phase on the 6th of January 2020, for a duration of three years.
In each country, the consortium is working in coordination with the Departments of Intellectual Property, in charge of GI registration and supervision. GI management associations (existing or to be established) are the other key stakeholders that the project is supporting in order to build the capacities for an effective management of selected Geographical Indications.
The project is targeting in priority the following value-chains:
- Khao Kai Noi rice and Komaen Tea in Laos,
- Shwe Bo Paw San rice in Myanmar,
- Kampot/Kep sea salt, as the main new GI to develop in Cambodia, with some supports to already registered GIs as Kampong Speu palm sugar, Kampot pepper and Mondulkiri wild honey.
Besides, at the regional level, the project aims to enhance the sharing of experiences and the collaboration among the three countries.
Project will implement activities towards achieving Outcome 1: The GI team in the Department of Intellectual Property at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MoIC) has finalized tools and acquired practical skills to process applications for GI registration and to monitor their management and control.
Outcome 2: Khao Kai Noi rice and Komean tea GI BoS is revised and systems for its control and management are operational and on their way to be sustained for Khao Kai Noi in Xieng Khouang and Huaphan and Komaen Tea in Phongsaly.
Outcome 3: Increase awareness of public or value chain stakeholders on GIs.
Duties/missions
Under the responsibility of the Regional Project Coordinator who is based in Cambodia and of GRET country representative, and in close relation with the International Technical Assistant from CIRAD, the National project Coordinator in Lao PDR will undertake the following duties, missions and tasks:
Project Management (planning, coordination, liaison with stakeholders):
- Take part in the planning of activities of the project for Laos, in particular prepare monthly and quarterly planning of activities.
- Ensure that the planned activities are implemented and target objectives achieved in a timely manner.
- Facilitate and monitor the implementation and the engagement of partners and stakeholders in the project activities.
- Take part in the coordination at regional level, and liaise regularly with the Regional Project Coordinator.
- Take part in the preparation and facilitation of the National Steering committee meeting in Laos.
- Act as liaison officer of the project with AFD in Vientiane, relevant public departments in Vientiane (in particular the Department of Intellectual Property as the main partner), and GI associations and stakeholders, including professional and inter-professional organisations.
- Liaise with other projects and development partners involved in Laos in GIs or more broadly in value chains, quality and Lao products promotion.
Project Financial Management
- Contribute to elaborate operational budget for activities in Laos.
- If needed and in compliance with GRET-Laos and projects’ procedures, manage petty cash payments to partners or suppliers (in particular outside of Vientiane) when needed, record and report with support document to Accounting and Finance services of GRET in Vientiane.
- Define requirements and participate in selection of suppliers / service providers if needed.
Technical Assessment, Monitoring and Facilitation
- Conduct assessments / surveys to gather relevant information on production, value chain, market, stakeholder relations and engagement for the potential GI products and value chains.
- Collect information for monitoring of project implementation progresses, outputs and outcomes.
- Get information from GI associations on key indicators (number of producers / stakeholders engaged, production, sales, prices…etc.).
Capacity building, support and backstopping of field work
- Own capacity building: read relevant documentation and take part in training proposed by GRET and by the regional project coordination and Technical Assistants.
- Contribute to develop training material and guidelines.
- Provide technical training backstopping and on-hand support to the project private sector partners and stakeholders (in particular the GI management associations – notably Khao Kai Noy GI management associations in Xieng Kouang and Huaphan and Komaen Tea GI management association in Phongsaly – and their teams and members).
- Prepare and organize workshops, seminars, training sessions as required by the project implementation plan.
- Possibly contribute to provide technical training backstopping and on-hand support to the project institutional partners and stakeholders (notably the Department of Intellectual Property, other public institutions as required, local services of intellectual property, agriculture, and or commerce…).
Reporting
- Draft (in English) quarterly project report for project activities in Laos.
- Contribute to the preparation of projects annual reports.
- If required by GRET representation in Laos, draft short project fact-sheets / brief reports and take part in GRET-Laos project managers’ meeting, if any.
- Prepare minutes of meetings and workshops as necessary.
Other, miscellaneous
- Serve as interpreter for international missions when needed.
- Occasionally translate documents (Lao to English / English to Lao).
- All other reasonable tasks that may be needed to ensure the effective and fruitful implementation of the project.
- Participation in Gret internal coordination meeting to update and share the information of GI project.
Profile Requirements
Education
- Master’s degree in Development, Extension Education specialised in agriculture, Agriculture Environment and Food Science, Agricultural economics or related rural economics or MBA in project management.
Qualifications and skills
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively with Government officials and technical staff, professional organizations, farmers and famer organizations, as well as with other stakeholders (private sector)
- Excellent communication skills and interpersonal skills.
- Understanding of projects and organisations’ management.
General professional experience
- A minimum of five years of relevant work experience desired in implementing projects in the agriculture and/or trade sector.
- Experience of capacity building and coaching of local organisations.
- Significant technical assistance, capacity development and project development.
Languages used (read, written and spoken)
- Fluency in Lao language.
- Good command of written and spoken English (working language).
Conditions, remuneration (or allowances), duration
- Nature of position: Fixed-term working contract, full time.
- Duration of the mission: 12 months, renewable according to available resources.
- Expected starting date: July 2021
- Place of residence: The position is based in Vientiane with frequent and regular trips to Xieng Khouang, Huaphan and Phongsaly areas and other potential GIs’ areas in the country. Possibly travels in other countries of the region.
- Salary: Salary will be calculated on the basis of the grid applied by GRET in Laos and the experience.
Please send your CV + motivation letter before 27th of June 2021 to the following address: [email protected], indicating in the subject line the reference ” GI National Project Coordinator ” Only selected candidates will be contacted.