Consultant to Survey on the Cookstove Usage in Northern Vietnam

Context
SNV is a Dutch development organization committed to eliminating poverty and inequity in emerging markets worldwide by catalysing Market Based Solutions for the Poor. In Asia, SNV is active in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Bangladesh.
SNV provides advisory services, knowledge and innovation, implements projects and programs, and promotes the development of local markets for capacity development.
Leveraging 40 years of experience on-the-ground in emerging markets, SNV counts on more than 1,500 professionals in more than 100 offices in 40 countries in Asia, Africa, the Balkans, and Latin America.
SNV provides these services to leading public and private clients to catalyse innovative and strategic solutions that drive growth and performance while generating jobs, income and improved access to basic services for the low-income segment.
Recently the RE team of SNV started to develop new programs besides the very successful household biogas program that was developed since 2003. One of the current programs under development is about Improved Cookstove. SNV will have a capacity building role within the ICS project(s) building upon the existing (technical) knowledge and experience within the Vietnamese market. SNV Vietnam is in need of a baseline survey of cookstove usage in Northern Vietnam.

Current situation
Several market players are identified within the Vietnamese cookstove market. There are ICS initiatives as well within the country. Nevertheless they are all very scattered and fragmented throughout small communes, districts and sometimes a whole province. Unfortunately, with some exceptions there, these initiatives stopped after funding stopped. It is SNV’s intention to develop a sustainable long term project, with focus on institutionalization to ensure continuance after introducing the product to the market.
SNV wants to develop this national wide ICS program building upon the existing ICS knowledge and experience of local partners. Two types of stoves are currently on the Vietnamese market, portable and fixed stoves. The latter, the fixed version is constructed inside the household with bricks and cement by masons, it is decentralized production and quality control is more complex. The lifetime of these units is around 5-10 years, and especially large families or farmers (with pigs) use this type.
The portable units can be produced more centrally and require a whole different market approach. SME training and development will be the core focus for this type of cookstove. The production, distribution and sale will require more intensive investigation and development. New cookstoves are bought every 5 months to 2 years, depending on the type. Therefore, especially if the price is close to the traditional stove price, sales and PR will be easier than with the fixed cookstoves.
To be able to develop a sustainable project and further develop the ICS market more knowledge on the existing market needs to be developed. Therefore SNV Vietnam is looking for a local party to execute a survey in order to get a clear image, and obtain accurate information of the current (traditional) cookstove use within the rural context.
The result of the survey should be a statistical based report usable as a baseline for a future project.

Objectives
The primary objective is to execute a baseline survey within 250 households in 3 provinces in North Vietnam (in total 750 households), with the aim to acquire knowledge on the current cooking situation in rural households, the current cooking fuels used and to observe the cooking area (ventilation). Furthermore the developing trend within cookstove development needs to be identified together with people attitudes and/or driving factors for change.

Scope of activities
In consultation with SNV Vietnam, the consultant is to conduct a survey in three -yet to be determined- provinces, in 250 rural households per province, to acquire knowledge about the issues below:
- Statistical data on current cookstove usage in rural Vietnam
Number of cookstoves used in the household
Type of cookstove used in the household
Fuel use for current cookstoves (type, quantity, cost, source) and fuel origin / collection behaviour
Lifetime cookstoves, purchase costs, distribution channels
Background information on family, including cooking purposes (food, ricewine, animal food etc.)
- Observations on the cooking area and its ventilation, supported by pictures of each household
- Identify the disadvantages in the eyes of the user towards the current way of cooking
- Survey the attitude of the main user of the cookstove towards changing the cookstove
- Identify if there in the surveyed areas already cookstoves introduced that supposed to be “improved”

Consultancy team composition and profile
The assignment by a team leader that can warrant the quality and objectiveness of the survey. The brief profile:
- The Consultant should be a Vietnamese national and have strong experience in surveying large quantities of households in Vietnam.
- The Consultant should have a good insight into the rules, regulations and laws involved in surveying in rural reas.
- The Consultant will be solely responsible for the timely delivery of a detailed work plan and the quality of the final report.
- The Consultant will possess prior experience in surveying, with preference given to those with experience in the provision of advice within the renewable energy sector and particularly ICS.
- The consultant team will work with SNV programme staff to develop a detailed plan and consolidate methods/tools for study.

Reporting, debriefing, sharing:
- Reports are to be submitted in English and should include case studies and photos, use neutral and moral simple language, be based on evidence and experience with clear and transparent references.
- Draft reports are expected to be submitted to SNV for comments a week before formal submission date.
- Consultants will lead a debriefing workshop to present key findings to SNV.

Timing
The process is expected to take a maximum of 2 months. The final report is due at the end of the contract period.
The Consultant should start the activities as soon as possible
Estimated budget and contract
Proposals should be submitted by 31st of May 2011 to:
Ms Dagmar Zwebe
SNV Vietnam
6th Floor, Building B, La Thanh Hotel, 218 Doi Can, Ba Dinh, Hanoi
Email: [email protected]

Proposal should include:
1. A cover letter that includes a brief statement (no more than 2-3 pages) explaining the general approach, methodology, the proposed research tools (questionnaires, database, reports, etc.) and its methodology (focus groups, interviews, participatory rapid appraisal, etc.)
2. Proposed team formulation, role assignment and consultant fee
3. Up to date CVs, highlighting relevant qualifications and experience.
SNV has standard contracts for engagement of external consultants with conditions that will apply for this assignment.