MARD/UNDP Jobs: Project Assistant (Telecentre)

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Job title: Project Assistant

Project name: VIE/02016, PAR in MARD

Location: 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
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: 13 pilot telecentres established

Activity 1.1: Conducting the Baseline Survey

Activity 1.2: Recruiting operators for the 13 pilot
telecentres

Activity 1.3: Leasing premise for the telecentres

Activity 1.4: Procuring equipment for the 13 pilot
telecentres

Output 2: Capacity of telecentres’ operators improved

Activity 2.1: Preparing a manual of running a telecentre,
including procedures for monitoring its operation

Activity 2.2: Conducting a training course on (i) the use
of computers; (ii) searching for information; (iii) running
telecentres

Activity 2.3: Organizing experience exchanging workshop

Output 3: Information supply channels developed

Activity 3.1: Establishing a central information help
desk

Activity 3.2: Establishing a library of books,
videos/VCDs in the central information coordination unit and
pilot telecentres

Activity 3.3: Developing a list of information
sources

Activity 3.4: Contacting and studying information sources

Activity 3.5: Establishing cooperation mechanisms with
information sources

Output 4: Information distribution channels developed

Activity 4.1: Strengthening common interest
groups/extension clubs

Activity 4.2: Developing forms of bulletins

Activity 4.3: Issuing bulletins regularly

Activity 4.4: Developing a form to receive
queries/requests from farmers

Activity 4.5: Processing queries/requests from farmers

Activity 4.6: Developing a mechanism to support the
development of demonstration models

Output 5: Impact Study of Telecentre Pilot

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 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).

4. Timeframe

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

The deadline for submitting applications is 20 April 2006

Only short-listed candidates will be notified.

Women candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

To facilitate co-ordination regarding the introduction of OSS SW in Vietnam

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