Enabling Policy Lead

Scope of Work

Vietnam Innovation Ecosystem (VIE) Activity Enabling Policy Lead

Improving Economies for Stronger Communities (IESC) is a leading U.S. nonprofit organization that catalyzes private sector growth and creates economic opportunity for people and communities across the economically developing world. Since our founding in 1964 we have delivered lasting solutions across 139 countries.

IESC is a valued partner to people and communities throughout the economically developing world. We share proven business skills and experience with entrepreneurs, jobseekers, businesses, farmers, cooperatives, and governments. We also offer resources—human, technological, financial—that sustainably build capacity and empower communities. Our long legacy of strengthening developing economies is matched by our vision for the next generation: a world with economic opportunity for all, where people and communities thrive.

Our major funders today are the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), among others.

IESC is seeking an Enabling Policy Lead for the upcoming USAID Vietnam Innovation Ecosystem Activity (VIE). The 5-year Activity will provide technical support the Government of Vietnam’s (GVN) efforts to strengthen Vietnam's innovation ecosystem to drive the commercialization of 4IR innovations and contribute to fulfilling the GVN's National Strategy on the Fourth Industrial Revolution to 2030 (NS/4IR). The main objectives of this Activity are as follows:

1. Improve business enabling environment challenges and constraints to commercialize and implement innovative 4IR technologies or processes, by investing in growth-oriented businesses, to increase firms' productivity.

2. Strengthen the interconnections between actors engaged in innovative 4IR technologies or processes, and furnish support and resources.

3. Enhance the capabilities of the Ministry of Planning and Investment's (MPI) National Innovation Center (NIC) to facilitate the development of Vietnam's innovation ecosystem.

The Enabling Policy (EP) Lead is a technical position responsible for one of three technical components in the above Activity. The EP Lead will deliver technical design in close coordination with government counterparts and manage implementation related to the Activity’s business enabling environment. The EP Lead’s efforts will seek to improve commercial legal, regulatory, and administrative process reform to resolve challenges to better commercialize and/or implement innovative 4IR technologies or processes, encourage investment in emerging enterprises, and increase firms' productivity. The EP Lead will facilitate public-private dialogue between the government, business support organizations (BSOs), the private sector, higher education institutions (HEIs), and think tanks to design and implement regulatory platforms and mechanisms for nurturing local innovation and creating a more favorable environment for the commercialization of technologies and processes. The EP Lead will support HEIs and think tanks to collect and analyze data that informs economic models that provide evidence-based reform based on international best practices within the context of Vietnam innovation policy environment. The EP Lead will support HEIs and think tanks to collect and analyze data that informs economic models that provide evidence-based reform based on international best practices within the context of Vietnam innovation policy environment. This position’s base is anticipated in Hanoi, Vietnam, but will require travel. This position is contingent upon IESC winning the award and USAID approval of the candidate. This position’s base is anticipated in Hanoi, Vietnam, but will require regional travel. This position is contingent upon IESC winning the award and USAID approval of the candidate.

Responsibilities include the following:

• Provide technical design and management leadership for the Activities Component 1, closely coordinating with the other project technical leads and Activity support related staff.

• Facilitate public-private dialogue via workshops, roundtables, and technical working groups, between BSOs, the NIC, and other relevant GVN agencies to improve the innovation ecosystem business enabling environment.

• Develop a clear outreach strategy for systematically engaging, educating, and training the private sector, government counterparts, BSOs, and higher education institutions on legal and regulatory measures that protect and promote commercializing or implementing 4IR technologies or processes.

• Actively engage in new partnerships and maintain existing partnerships among government counterparts, the private sector, business associations, and other relevant stakeholders.

• Oversee seminars and training sessions on relevant legal and regulatory topics (e.g., protecting intellectual property, trademarks, legally securing investment funding, understanding innovation incentive policies, registering a business, tax responsibilities, rights and obligations of enterprises in Vietnam) and facilitate the sharing of international experience and best practices in relevant topics.

• Oversee and advance the technical strengthening of HEIs and think tanks to better prepare data driven analytics and dynamic economic modeling.

• Contribute to required USAID reports and deliverables.

• Manage long-term staff and design and manage short-term technical consultancies and contracts to delivery outcomes related to Objective 1.

Minimum qualifications include the following:

• A master’s degree or equivalent in a relevant field such as business policy or law is required; or a bachelor’s degree with at least ten years of professional experience and eight years of supervisory.

• Minimum seven years of work experience improving the commercial legal and regulatory environment in close coordination with government counterparts, BSOs, think tanks and the private sector to achieve results. This includes reviewing, analyzing, and/or drafting business regulatory and legal reforms faced by the private sector, including technology companies, to grow, scale, and expand.

Experience designing tools (templates) and trainings related to reforms to ensure instituting changes effectively with the agencies and people responsible for monitoring, managing, and delivering the reforms preferred.

• Must have strong understanding of current business laws and regulations faced by entrepreneurs, SMEs, corporations, and investors; and experience in disseminating guidance to these stakeholders including conducting seminars; and experience delivering interactive, participatory training sessions is preferred.

• Experience working to address the business enabling challenges and constraints to commercializing or implementing innovative 4IR technologies or processes, including investment laws, creating new legal entities, intellectual property, trademarks, innovation incentive policies, tax responsibilities, rights and obligations of enterprises.

• Must understand the challenges and opportunities of the private sector in Vietnam including challenges and opportunities faced by the technology and digital sectors.

• Experience facilitating public private dialogue on regulatory and enabling environment topics and engaging and educating public and private stakeholders.

• Experience synthesizing and disseminating recommendations.

• Understand data driven and economic models to demonstrate and justify economic benefits of implementing reforms and support HEIs and think tanks to prepare data and models.

• Must have astute political economy awareness and knowledge of (changing) policies in Vietnam and around the globe as they relate to the IR4 technology sectors.

• Fluency speaking, reading, and writing in English and Vietnamese are required.

• Demonstrated leadership, versatility, and integrity.