ASEAN-USAID Inclusive Growth in ASEAN through Innovation, Trade and E-commerce (IGNITE) under Prime Contract -2022

Description of Project: 

WEAVE concluded in November 2021 and nearly one year later. IGNITE intends to evaluate the program to identify and understand the long-term changes, resulting, the impact, and sustained changes to women entrepreneurs’ (Wes) businesses, and highlighting recommendations for future inventions

Description of actual services provided by your staff within the assignment:

The evaluation will include key informant interviews (KIIs) of beneficiaries who completed Her Venture and Road to Growth and who registered for but did not complete Road to Growth and focus group discussions (FGDs) of beneficiaries who completed Road to Growth and Mentoring.  

• Translate the FGD and KII questionnaire/ tool to Vietnamese

• Facilitate one-in person focus group discussion in Vietnamese in Hanoi;

• Provide note in English on the focus group discussion;

• Facilitate two in-person key informant interviews KIIs in Vietnamese;

• Facilitate 9 virtual KIIs in Vietnamese via virtual call;

• Provide notes in English for all KIIs and join discussions about the findings.

Client: International Trade Centre (ITC)

Country: Vietnam

Wood for Work (WfW) - 2023

Description of Project:

The WoodforWork (WfW) project aims to generate reliable information on the employment situation along the forest-related value chain in various economies of the world.

The primary study aspects include, inter alia, informal employment, gender, decent work, and impacts of institutional, legal or economic conditions’ changes on forest-related employment.

The objective of this ToR is to determine the criteria to carry on the survey, that will allow us to evaluate the current employment situation in value-chains of wood chip, pellet and wood-based panels production. As well as analyzing the impact of a possible scenario n which the production of wood chips (fuel) and pellets is converted to wood panels and fiberboard, thus increasing the quality of the product, and generating better quality of employment.

The interviewer must assure you that all provided information during the interview will be kept strictly confidential and anonymous. Data will be used solely for scientific and project purpose. Individual responses or information potentially traceable to your organization will not be distributed for any purpose.

A very profitable business in the forest and wood sector in Viet Nam is the production of wood chips and pellets. Despite the rapid profitability generated by this type of product, it does not produce high value-added products and does not stimulate the generation of employment. This is related to extensive production systems, that do not require high value-added products and does not stimulate the generation of employment. This is related to extensive production systems, that do not require high work input.

The case scenario will try to answer the question what if the production of wood chips and pellets is replaced by higher value-added products such as wood-based panels or fiberboard. Promoting and enhancing value added products, we expect to improve the sector's income, and to generate an impact in the trade balance (less roundwood and wood-based panels imports, and less wood chips and pellets exports). Having impacts on employment quantity and quality (i.e., higher levels of qualification in job profiles).

To carry out the case, a questionnaire was developed with two sections, production and employment. In which we will try to capture the current situation of the sector and analyze what would happen in the event of a possible change in the current conditions.

Description of actual services provided by your staff within the assignment:

The selected consultant shall:
▪ Regarding the questionnaire and the database:
1) Random select companies: certified (FSC) 15 companies (5 wood chips, 5 wood pellets, 5 wood panels) – non-certified 15 companies (5 wood chips, 5 wood pellets, 5 wood panels) throughout Viet Nam. All large and medium companies Vietnamese scale. Provide a written detail on how the random selection and location process has been made.
2) UNIQUE and Thünen Institute will provide the questionnaire and the data entry template in excel. Mekong Economics will have to translate the questionnaire into Vietnamese, and they should provide the enumerators the same version.
3) Participate in the training day for the questionnaire and data entry held by
UNIQUE and Thünen Institute.
4) Mekong will conduct a pre-test of 3 companies, proving feedback in both written and meeting format in English to UNIQUE and Thünen Institute, to adjust the final version of the questionnaire. It could be that some questions will be revised and changed, thus there will be need of support and translation into Vietnamese/English.
5) Mekong will carry out 30 surveys according to the selection done in point 1.

6) Upload the information from the questionnaire to the provided data entry template in English.
7) Send the physical copy of all surveys to UNIQUE’s offices in Viet Nam, after data uploading; plus send a scan version after the survey is done.
8) Final meeting to discuss how was the overall interviews and final feedback.
▪ Regarding the overall timeline:
9) Mekong will submit a work plan before starting the company’s selection.
10) Mekong will start the assignment after the 1st March.
11) Mekong will finalize all the assignments (until point 8) until 31 May 2023.
▪ Regarding general aspects:
12) At all times maintain the anonymity and confidentiality of the information, meaning do not share the questionnaire or the results and the identity of the respondents.
13) All the communications and results will be provided in English language.

The World Bank Group - Implementation of the Enterprise Surveys (ES 2023-4)

Countries Involved:

Vietnam, Vanuatu, Samoa, Cambodia, The Philippines

Project Description:

The ENTERPRISE SURVEYS 2023-4 is an ongoing World Bank (WB) project aiming to study the business environment in countries across the world. With the participation of 11 key professional staffs and sub-contractors, MKE led the following responsibilities:

· Identifying sample frames in accordance with World Bank outlined strategy and approval;

· Conducting the face-to-face interview with approximately 2,706 establishments of the sample frame;

· Providing to client a set of a cleaned dataset of all completed interviews in the STATA format

· Preparing report, in English, on the data describing all codes, sampling biases introduced in the survey implementation and other pertinent information for researchers.

Land Tax Report

Mekong Economics is proud to announce the publication of the “Vietnam 2023: Options for Property Tax Reform” policy paper, written by Mekong Economics’ Chief Economist Adam McCarty and International Economist Ferdinando Cinotto. 

Conceptualised in the context of Vietnam’s 2023 revision of the Land Law, this policy paper is a contribution to the burgeoning debate on Vietnam’s land and property taxation policies. The aims of the paper, methodologically achieved by leveraging insights from mainstream economic theory, relevant academic literature, and comparative international experiences, are (1) to describe the current status of the Vietnamese land taxation system, (2) to outline its significant issues in the areas of property taxation, property valuation, and land leasing, and (3) to propose appropriate policy reforms for the Vietnamese economy. 

Consequently, the policy paper pushes forward three significant policy reforms for Vietnam: first, a transition from Vietnam’s current system of lump payments for long-term land leasing to a new system of annualised, predictable, and stable taxation; secondly, the establishment of modern, technology-based methodologies of market-led property valuation; and third, the increase of property tax rates to a level of 0.5% ~ 0.75% of the market-assessed value.

In terms of reform implementation, the paper argues in favour of a comprehensive plan over a 15-year transitional period, as previously supported in a linked World Bank 2022 report. More specifically, the plan should employ monitorable key performance indicators, such as targets for property tax revenues, and piecemeal policy pilot schemes.

It is the authors’ hope that the proposed reforms will be taken up and discussed by policy stakeholders in Vietnam, so as to guide the current land taxation reform process towards more efficient, sustainable, and fair outcomes.

Embassy of Ireland - Technical support for Ireland Fellowship Programme 2023/2024 - 2022

Description of Project:

The Ireland Fellows Programme (IFP) Asia is fully funded by the Irish Government and is offered under the auspices of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). The IFP enables early to mid-career professionals from eligible countries with leadership potential to benefit from a prestigious, world-class, quality education. The main aim of the programme is to develop in-country capacity to achieve national SDG goals, and to build positive relationships between Ireland and Asian countries. The IFP-Asia is administered by the Embassy of Ireland in Vietnam.

For the 2023 – 2024 round of applications, the Embassy is to launch 2 separate calls, including an open call to the public in Vietnam and a closed call to targeted Embassy partners in Vietnam, Lao and Cambodia. For each call there is a corresponding course directory. An identical procedure for data entry and scoring will be applied for the open call and closed call.

The application process consists of three stages:

●      Stage 1 Preliminary Application

●      Stage 2 Detailed Application (only for the applicants shortlisted at Stage 1)

●      Stage 3 Interviews.

The purpose is to establish a database of the applications for the IFP 2023 – 2024 round, and to mark the applications following the Embassy’s standard scoring templates.

Description of actual services provided by your staff within the assignment:

As part of this project, Mekong Economics team have conducted the following services for both calls:

●      At Stage 1, enter data of all applications into a worksheet using the Embassy’s template and score the applications using Embassy criteria.

●      At Stage 2, enter data of all applications into a worksheet using the Embassy’s template and score the applications using Embassy criteria.

●      Hand over to the Embassy the 2 separate datasets for the open call and closed call. The dataset consists of:

○      Scoring sheets for all applications

○      A database of applications (following the Embassy’s standard template)

Capricorn Hill Investment - Study of Taxing Land: Commercial Real Estate tax options for Vietnam - 2022

Discription of the project:

The purpose of this study is to conduct a study of Taxing Land: Commercial Real Estate tax options for Vietnam.

Tasks assigned to MKE:

• The approach will be a literature review and 5-page Inception Report (2 weeks). Then ongoing reading while starting interviews with relevant stakeholders.

• A preliminary draft (after 6 weeks) will be critically peer reviewed by two (paid) external individuals. After their feedback, we revise and send first draft to the Client after two months.

ITC - SME Competitiveness Survey of Swiss Trade Policy and Promotion - 2022

Description of Project:

Swiss Trade Policy and Promotion project is a four-year project to assist Vietnam in achieving sustainable and inclusive economic growth and poverty reduction by improving trade performance  (i.e., access to export markets) and international competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through enhanced favorable framework conditions for trade, public-private partnership mechanisms, and a strengthened eco-system for dynamic trade promotion.

Description of actual services provided by your staff within the assignment:

Phase 1

·         Furnish ITC/partners with a list of firms based on existing and secondary databases according to ITC’s business registry template;

·         Design and implement a stratified random sampling strategy from the list of firms in the business registry based on sector, region and size;

·         Translate the survey questionnaire from English to Vietnamese, to facilitate survey implementation;

·         Select Interviewers to carry out the surveys and Supervisors to oversee the surveys;

·         Ensure that selected Interviewers follow and complete ITC’s online training on SME Competitiveness Survey methodology and how to collect the data correctly;

·         Conduct a pilot survey with two firms from each sector and write a pilot report to share the findings.

Phase 2

·         Coordinate and conduct 500 nationwide remote surveys while ensuring interviews follow the sampling strategy and remain on schedule

Phase 3

·         Conduct the analysis of data on five sectors to prepare the SMECS Vietnam report in English and Vietnamese.

UNCTAD - ASEAN Investment Report - 2022

Description of project:

ASEAN Member States have been using investment facilitation tools and measures to attract and retain
investment for a long time. They include a portfolio of measures and actions aiming to increase
efficiency for investing, reducing the cost for pre- and post-investment, making investing easier and
improving the investment environment. Over the years, investment facilitation measures adopted have
evolved partly because of digital technology and new investment targeting approaches (e.g. development of ecosystems).
The recent years (2019-2021) witnessed an unprecedented rise in numbers of policy, institutional and
specific measures adopted by individual ASEAN Member States and collectively as a region to attract
and retain FDI. The pandemic further accelerated the adoption of national and regional investment facilitation measures and agreements.

Tasks assigned to MKE:

Under the supervision of the Chief of the DIAE / ITIB / Investment Issues Section, the consultant will
provide a report, 100 pages, on Investment Facilitation in ASEAN including:
The investment liberalization and facilitation measures that reduce transaction cost, increase efficiency
and enhance the ease of investing can play a positive role in attracting FDI and improving the
investment environment.
The competitiveness of ASEAN's investment environment and the region's investment policy
development in relation to investment facilitation (IF). It will examine IF trend and development, the
impact of IF on investment decision, challenges of and policy options for investment facilitation
The highlight of national and regional trend and salient features pertaining to investment facilitation
measures in ASEAN. It will begin with an analysis of a global trend on investment facilitation and in
relation to ASEAN. It will examine different types/clusters of investment facilitation measures, tools,
actors, reasons, challenges and their effectiveness in attracting FDI in the region. It will also provide
analyses of the investment policy, actions and institutional arrangements facilitating FDI in ASEAN.
Other initiatives implemented and adopted by individual ASEAN Member States as well as at the
regional level to attract and facilitate investment will be covered. Investment facilitation cover measures,
tools and actions aiming at attracting and retaining FDI in primary, secondary (manufacturing) and
tertiary (services) sector

WB - Australia-World Bank Group Strategic Partnership In Vietnam – Phase 2 (ABP2) Qualitative Impact Assessment – Number TF 072793 - 2022

Description of Project:

The evaluation aimed to assess the contribution and attribution of Australia and the World Bank’s shared strategic priorities and lessons learnt from ABP1, ABP2 focuses on six themes: (i) transport, (ii) trade and competitiveness, (iii) Mekong Delta, (iv) ethnic minorities, (v) gender, and (vi) VN2035 report implementation, with cross cutting themes of gender and innovation. The objective is to perform a qualitative impact assessment in selected areas to help consolidate into an overarching story that illustrates the results under the ABP2.

Description of actual services provided by your staff within the assignment:

MKE implemented the following tasks:

●        Meet with the ABP2 Secretariat to discuss initial ideas on proposed methodology and choice of samples/case studies in selected themes/areas for the assessment.

●        Develop proposed approach and methodology for the assessment including the questionnaires, expected data sources, targeted interviewees; and timeline.

●        Highlight areas that work well in the case study and areas that need improvement for the rest of the program implementation period;

●        Capture lessons learnt, and provide forward-looking recommendations to ensure that the program can effectively capture optimal impact from qualitative perspectives;

●        Make recommendations on strengthening methodology for qualitative impact assessment on the rest of the program.

Landell Mill - Strategic Country Cluster Evaluation – Mekong River Ecosystem - 2022

Description of Project:

The evaluation aimed to (i) draw evidence on GEF’s contributions to strengthening the transboundary river basin management in addressing the environmental and social and economic constraints in the region; (ii) assess the extent to which GEF support contributed to strengthening transboundary watershed management for national and regional partners in the Mekong Region through policy and governance processes; (iii) identify good practices and lessons which could potentially be shared with similar projects to enhance sustainability. GEF selected three countries in the Mekong River Ecosystem: Cambodia, Lao PDR and Viet Nam. The findings and recommendations of this evaluation will be presented to the GEF Council in June 2023.

Description of actual services provided by your staff within the assignment:

MKE implemented the following tasks:

●        Developed sampling and field plans in 3 countries;

●        Submitted the letters to local ministries to obtain and facilitate the field permits;

●        Commented on the data collection tools;

●        Conducted 53 KIIs and 9 FGDs in 3 countries;

●        Conducted KII/FGD data cleaning and analysis;

●        Prepared an analysis report and presented the findings to stakeholders.