RISE is looking for a contractor to manage RISE programs in Vietnam.  The contractor needs to have significant experience working with the garment sector to develop and delivering worker capacity programs that consider the needs of women.  They need to be based in Vietnam and speak Vietnamese.

Read the full Terms of reference

RISE in Vietnam

RISE has been present in Vietnam since 2007 through HERproject and Gap PACE programs across Hanoi and HCM regions.  In 2024, RISE is working with over 30 factories to deliver RISE Digital, RISE Respect, RISE Financial Health and RISE Foundation, which are delivered by two implementing partners and through the RISE licencee model.  RISE works closely with global brands and buyers based in Vietnam, and with key stakeholders including founding partners CARE, Better Work and Gap.     

The Vietnam Country Lead will form part of the program delivery team within RISE and will be initiative’s Lead/Representative in Vietnam which includes oversight of and responsibility of all RISE activities within Vietnam. The Vietnam Country Lead will be responsible for timely and high-quality program delivery and project management, and for local relationship management of local member representatives, workplace leadership and increasingly - as RISE full Impact Model is activated - with additional local stakeholders such as unions, industry associations, women’s rights organizations, and others as relevant in the Vietnam context.

As part of a highly matrixed team, effective collaboration across other team functions and particularly with in-country teams and local partners will be critical to success. The Vietnam Country Lead will report to the RISE Programs Director.   The Vietnam Country lead will be based in either Ho Chi Minh or Hanoi, and will visit either Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh (depending where they are based) on a quarterly basis.

Scope of Work

 Technical expertise:

• The Vietnam Country Lead is expected to bring strong knowledge and experience in the areas of gender equality, women’s economic empowerment, women’s leadership and advancement, supply chains and capacity building. The Vietnam Country Lead will keep up with the latest developments on women’s empowerment, gender equality, women’s leadership, and trends within global supply chains, identify leading topics, and contribute to RISE published thought leadership in the area.
• They will be working closely with technical leads for RISE Capacity Strengthening programs to ensure program content responds to women workers’ needs and priorities as well as the priorities and gaps of business and is delivered in using global best practice. 
• The Vietnam Country Lead will use their understanding of the program topics combined with their understanding of the local context to contextualize materials whilst adhering to the global approach.

Project Management and Implementation:

• The Vietnam Country Lead will play a key role in RISE delivery of collaboration and grant funded projects in Vietnam. This includes overseeing program implementation and quality in Vietnam, working closely with local expert partner to ensure programs are delivered on time, and utilizing RISE tools and materials. The Lead is the main contact point for troubleshooting program implementation at the factories.

Monitoring, evaluation, and learning:

• Working with the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning team, the Vietnam Country Lead will be responsible for ensuring that monitoring and evaluation activities are conducted at the highest level in Vietnam including overseeing baseline and endline activities, conducting stakeholder interviews; reviewing monthly progress reports from the local experts, keeping the impact portal up to date and providing progress reports for individual projects. This includes reviewing monthly progress reports from the local experts, monitoring the timeliness of factory program implementation, and keeping the data portal up to date.
• They will work with the program leads to ensure consistent learning and improvement of the program, including sharing insights and best practice with other country Leads.  

 Thought Leadership and External Representation:

• The Vietnam Country Lead will keep up with the latest developments on women’s empowerment, gender equality, women’s leadership and trends within global supply chains, identify leading topics, and contribute to RISE published thought leadership in the area. This includes contributing to writing reports, blogs and articles, and organizing stakeholder events in Vietnam.
• They will represent RISE to external audiences and are expected to build and maintain partnerships with relevant networks and stakeholders in Vietnam.
• The Vietnam Country Lead will be building, maintaining, and nurturing strong relationships with external partners such as local RISE partners, brands representatives and workplace management and other key industry stakeholders, such as unions and women’s associations.
• If relevant, they will support the team in the design of projects and programs including drafting concept notes.

 Team:

• The Vietnam Country Lead is expected to collaborate with other country Leads and share learning across a wider team to ensure that activities link up from an impact perspective and have a degree of standardization between them.

Deliverables 

The planned work is expected to take place 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2025, and will be for a maximum of 220 days (pro rata across the calendar year).

Technical expertise

• Review and deliver the annual Vietnam country strategy and work plan during 2025.
• Contribute to the program design and implementation of new programs in Vietnam, where relevant,, via facilitating dialogue with different stakeholders through needs assessment, interviews, etc.

Program delivery and quality oversight

• Delivery to expected standard, on time and within budget, of the Vietnam country workplan and Vietnam workplace programs/grants by 31 December 2025.
• Overseeing local implementing partners, including monthly progress meetings, monitoring program quality and discussing challenges/corrective action.
• Visit factories and run a program quality assurance check.
• Follow up and troubleshoot program implementation in approx. up to 40 factories (subject to change throughout the course of the year).
• Support Training of the Trainer for new local partners or licencees on RISE programs if needed.

M&E and Learning

• Oversee RISE data platform for Vietnam, ensuring that factory workplace programs are updated and, approving baseline and endline reports and reviewing monthly reports and case studies prepared by implementing partners.
• Be a thought partner for the global RISE data, evidence and learning strategy.
• Participate in RISE learning calls [regional & global].

Stakeholder engagement, external representation, and business development

• RISE Business Development supported – including through meeting global brands and donors when they visit Vietnam and working with local brand teams to develop new opportunities.
• Develop and maintain stakeholder network in Vietnam, and RISE representation to external audiences.
• Organize annual RISE members meeting in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City.
• Support the team in the design of projects and programs including drafting concept notes for funding opportunities in Vietnam.

  Payment Schedule

 Contractor will submit a monthly invoice with all days worked for the month and what activities were performed per deliverable.  RISE will issue payment within 30 days of receiving the invoice.      The consultant will be responsible for their own taxes and other statutory obligations. 

Application Process and timeline:

Interested individuals must submit the following by Thursday 12th December 2024 to: recruitment@riseequal.org.

• Cover letter with a summary statement of competencies in relation to the TOR;

• Curriculum Vitae;
• Daily rate and availability for this assignment;
• Names and current contacts of 2 referees.