National Consultant to Develop Reporting Framework for Promoting Cooperate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Incubator Guideline (Lao Nationality only)

Background

The Lao PDR Poverty-Environment Initiative (PEI) has been designed to support the central, provincial and district authorities in the effective promotion, regulation and enforcement of foreign, domestic and public investments. Main target areas include governance of natural resources (SDG 15), poverty reduction (SDG 1), enhancing development of human capital (SDG 8), minimizing impact on the environment (SDG 15), adapting to climate change (SDG13), promoting clean energy investment (SDG7), supporting a diversified economy and providing a fair distribution of benefits to the population (SDG 5), and promoting partnership through knowledge exchange (SDG17).

Initiated in 2009, the PEI programme has transformed into what the government now calls the “PEI approach” that addresses poverty reduction and environmental protection by supporting the Government’s national socio-economic planning and strategy formulation processes. The programme also focused on building investment regulatory tools and the knowledge to assess, measure and enforce financial, social and environmental obligations of developers. Another aspect includes strengthening Lao PDR’s National Assembly’s ability to deliver their constitutional oversight role on investment quality.

The Improving Quality Investment for Achieving Sustainable Development Goals in Lao PDR (June 2018 – May 2020) will build on the package of tools already established by the PEI Programme while further expanding the PEI’s Approach and tools to other important institutions that play a role in investment regulatory compliance. The objective of the project is to strengthen coordination of government’s regulatory capacity to coordinate and promote higher quality investment, improvement the ease-of-doing business, transparency, accountability, and effectiveness of investment management for achieving the sustainable development goals in Lao PDR.

IPD and UNDP are looking for a qualified Local Consultant to support the development of Reporting and Promoting Framework for Cooperate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Incubator Guideline. The consultant will closely work with IPD, UNDP and relevant stakeholders. 

Duties and Responsibilities

To hire a national consultant to develop the tools to promote CSR for quality investment in tourism sector through reporting template, baseline study and other promotion tools. The assignment also consists of the development of incubator guideline to support start-ups in tourism value chain which aims to strategically mobilize CSR funding from large concession projects to support these small business ideas. 

Competencies

• Prove strong research and analytical skills
• Strong interpersonal skills with ability to establish and maintained effective work relationship with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.
• Strong project management, coordination, communication and report writing skills in both English and Lao.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced University degree in economy, general business administration, marketing, and tourism, environmental and development related field.

Professional experience:

• At least 7 years of relevant and progressive experience and knowledge of poverty environment issues related to cooperate social responsibility of private investment and incubation. 
• Prove experience in capacity building and delivery trainings on CSR and various topics relate to environmental and social development studies, tourism and incubation/start-up. 
• Proven understanding and experience in private investment compliance and cooperation social responsibility

Under the overall supervision of the Director General of IPD, PEA consultant and UNDP, the local consultant will perform the following tasks:

• Conducts study on existing CSR framework, practices and tools at national and international levels including reviews initiatives of national and international organizations in the area of CSR and responsible investment promotion such as the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry
• Reviews and revises the existing CSR reporting template developed earlier by the project.
• Conducts a baseline study on CSR practices in tourism sector. As part of this study, also:
  1. Develops a questionnaire with open-ended questions
  2. Tests the reporting template with tourism concession projects
  3. Identifies opportunities for circular economy development
  4. Identifies opportunities for enhancing inclusion of SMEs in the respective value chains
  5. Includes in-depth case studies of a few companies, including both good and bad CSR practices
  6. Provides practical policy recommendations to further promoting CSR in Laos in form of policy brief.
  7. Provides practical recommendations for companies to implement CSR 
• Provides support and guidance to involve businesses to develop CSR strategy that are more integrated,
• inclusive and sustainable.
• Develops the concept and support the organization of the CSR workshop to showcase the results of CSR baseline study and promote the awareness of CSR in coordination with PEA team.
• Supports the design and development of the CSR promotion materials such as video. 
• Develops a guideline for start-ups and start-up promoters (government agencies and companies) to promote SMEs in tourism value chains and provide training on the guideline to the targeted start-ups/SMEs. The business ideas should support the CSR of large concession projects and support circular economy development by maximizing the resource of the projects 

  Final Products: The consultant will deliver the followings reports with hard and electronic copy in Lao and English.

• Revised CSR reporting template and reporting mechanism
• Base-line study on CSR in tourism sector and policy recommendation, and policy brief on the study
• Final and agreed concept and materials for CSR workshop
• CSR awareness raising materials and promotion video
• Incubator guideline
• Evaluation report of that training and participants