Kimetrica LLC (funded by USAID) - Myanmar Analytical Activity (MAA) - 2019

Project Description:

USAID/Burma (Myanmar) requires analytical support to supplement its current portfolio of Democracy and Governance, national reconciliation, economic growth and health activities. This analytical support is aligned with the Democracy and Governance Project Appraisal Document and will primarily focus on the drivers of conflict impacting the implementation of development programs by USAID/ Burma. The activity will enable the Mission to better address emerging issues, take advantage of opportunities, and react to unexpected political and economic events and social conditions.

USAID/Burma anticipates the most significant need for support in addressing conflict dynamics in Kachin, Shan, and Rakhine States, southeastern Myanmar, and the influence of national political and economic actors and institutions based in Yangon and Nay Pyi Taw. The multitude of layers impacting Myanmar’s development and democratic transition require continuous monitoring and analysis allowing the Mission to make strategic adjustments to implementation.

Forest Department (FD), MONREC & Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar (GoM) - Climate Vulnerability Assessment - 2019

Project Description:

The objectives of this assignment were to conduct a Vulnerability Assessment (VA) that would inform the planning and implementation for the CCA, to build capacity at FD, ECD and FRI in the design and implementation of VA, including capacities in community consultation and facilitation processes that would be important skill for effective community engagement and institution building for co-management related to sustainable mangrove management.

MKE collected data and information from multiple sources, including existing research, studies and databases, expert consultations, community consultations, transect walks, community mapping, risk ranking, and focus-group discussions (including vulnerable groups such as women, poor, and different ethnic groups and religions).

The VA included community consultations as a key methodological approach. Since community consultations were also important elements of subsequent co-management and resilience-building work related to Engagement Outputs 2, 3 and 4, the VA would support capacity building on community consultation and facilitation as an integrated part of the VA

PwC Singapore/ Foreign Commonwealth Office (FCO) - The Technical Assistance Programme on Economic Reform in South East Asia - 2019

Countries Involved:

Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines

Project Description:

The Technical Assistance Programme on Economic Reform in South East Asia (“the Programme”) addresses current market failures and weaknesses that impede South East (SE) Asia’s inclusive economic growth, unlocking increased prosperity for SE Asia and for international business and the UK. The key outcomes supported by the Technical Assistance Programme on Economic Reform in South East Asia are (ER1) Strengthening the business environment, (ER2) Advancing business & government transparency and integrity, and (ER3) Broadening and deepening financial markets.

Overall, Mekong Economics was responsible for the design and delivery of the following cross-cutting analyses in the inception phase: Social Impact Analysis, Private Sector Development Analysis, Economic Analysis, Political Economy and Governance Analysis

Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (Timor-Leste)/ World Bank - Baseline Survey for the Sustainable Agriculture Productivity Improvement Project (SAPIP) - 2019

Project Description:

The Project Development Objective (PDO) of SAPIP is to increase the productivity and marketed production of smallholder agriculture in selected geographical locations in Timor-Leste. Mekong Economics developed and conducted a baseline study (using appropriate methodologies and tools) in order to establish credible baseline for a selected set of indicators included in SAPIP’s results framework. This would be instrumental to allow an assessment of SAPIP’s progresses and final results and outcomes.

GERES (Groupe Énergies Renouvalables, Enviroment Et Solidarites) - Impact Study of SCALE Project - 2018

Project Description:

The main aim of the impact study was to assess the impacts of GERES’s SCALE project activities in Myanmar, along with assessing the effectiveness and sustainability of its approach. The impact assessment focused on two key aspects: measuring of impacts (both positive and negative) by the project and identifying unforeseen activities, and finding interventions to mitigate the negative impacts in the future.

Our team designed and conducted quantitative and qualitative data collection including household surveys using CAPI in Plain and Delta Zone with appropriate quality control checks; analysed and prepared the final report for the client.

Private Client/IFC - Ecosystems Services Assessment of a solar project in Vietnam - 2018

Project Description:

Our client proposed to develop a solar photovoltaic project in Vietnam. The Project site was located in a local commune, which is inhabited by both the ethnic minorities and Kinh (Vietnamese) people. The mission’s main objective was to undertake an ecosystems services assessment to: Determine the impact on surrounding communities of the loss of ecosystem services; Assess the capacity of the area surrounding the Project site; propose sustainable alternatives for offsetting the loss of those services and achieving a comparable livelihood resource balance.

MKE’s team was responsible for undertaking a rapid ecosystem services assessment, conducting household surveys, interviewing relevant stakeholders, drafting and submitting final evaluation reports to the client.

Yunnan Gateway Culture Communication Co.Ltd - Asphalt Shingles Roof in three countries: Thailand, Singapore, and Philippines - 2018

Countries Involved:

Thailand, Singapore, and the Philippines.

Project Description:

The project aimed to collect market data of asphalt shingles roofs in each of the three countries, such as production and consumption capacity, import and export, supply and demand base analysis, top 5 manufacturers, and other macro environmental factors affecting asphalt shingles roofs.

MKE team conducted literature review, interviews with relevant stakeholders, market research and prepared reports for each country.

ADB - Facilitating SMEs Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Flows: An ASEAN+6 Case Study - 2017

Project Description:

The project assessed the likely impact of investment and other FDI-related provisions in the draft Regional Comprehensive Partnership Agreement (RCEP) for enhanced FDI flows in ASEAN+6; identified barriers to enhance SMEs’ FDI flows between ASEAN+6 countries; and proposed policy reforms, capacity development programs, and private sector transactional support to translate likely RCEP provisions and the potential internationalization of SMEs into enhanced FDI flows in the ASEAN+6 countries, particularly SME-driven FDI for agriculture, manufacturing, and services. MKE provided six key staff member to implement this enterprise-level in three source countries and prepared the final report on the RCEP agreement impact.

BSI & ADB - Consultancy services for Enhancing Capacity of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Arrangements to Facilitate Trade in the Greater Mekong Subregion – 2017

Countries Involved:

Vietnam, China.

Project Description:

The project built on the SPS projects for CLV and extended SPS analysis and consultations to the GMS. It also added value by bringing in the other countries to pursue GMS level analysis, discussions and consensus of SPS issues. In addition, the Technical Assistant prioritised the analysis on cooperation between customs and SPS agencies to strengthen the linkage between them, particularly in the areas of risk profiling, risk management and information sharing, through enhanced data sharing, and the establishment of a coherent and integrated approach to risk management.

This analysis eventually contributed the groundwork towards establishment of national single window systems and realization of the ASEAN single window, as well as the Asian Cargo Highway. Two National Consultants from MKE worked with BSI on this assignment.

BTC - The Mid-Term Review Of The Project “Support To The Innovation And Development Of Business Incubators Policy Project (BIPP)” - 2017

Project Description:

The project BIPP was designed to improve the  policy framework for technology business incubation: an essential element of increasing the competitiveness of Vietnamese enterprises. The project supported the Ministry of Science and  Technology to develop an appropriate enabling environment for the establishment and growth of technology business incubators and their S&T clients.

The resultant changes in policy and  legal framework were field tested through two technology incubators (one in Hanoi and one in HCMC) and  through a pilot capacity building fund (Innofund) which supported the  management  of other established incubators and their tenants throughout Vietnam. Best practice and lessons learnt were captured through a comprehensive monitoring system and the results fed back into further policy development.

MKE completed the MTR which analysed the performance of the project according to the DAC criteria and to the horizontal and transversal themes.