Knowledge Product Development Consultant

 

TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR)

DEVELOPMENNT OF KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTS TO ACCELERATE THE TRANSITION

TO CLEAN ENERGY AND SUSTAINABLE AVIATION FUEL

Eligible duration: October 2026 to February 2027

 

I. BACKGROUND

Action on Poverty (AOP), formerly known as The Australian Foundation for the Peoples of Asia and the Pacific Limited (AFAP), is an independent, non-religious Australian non-government organisation headquartered in Sydney, Australia. Since 1968, AOP has worked with local partners to support poor and vulnerable communities to achieve sustainable change.

AOP began operating in Vietnam in 1989 and was the first Australian non-government organisation to open a representative office in Vietnam in 1996. In Vietnam, AOP is recognised as a pioneer in implementing community-based biological control programs to prevent dengue fever. From the field of public health, AOP has expanded its work to agriculture, water and sanitation, food security, climate change, livelihoods, and governance.

AOP, in collaboration with ReFeed, is implementing a multi-year programme focusing on the collection, recycling, and sustainable use of Used Cooking Oil (UCO). The programme aims to strengthen environmental sustainability, promote circular economy solutions, contribute to policy dialogue, and raise public awareness of UCO collection and recycling, including its potential use as a feedstock for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).

As part of the programme, AOP seeks to recruit a qualified consultant to develop knowledge products, including a policy brief to strengthen the enabling market environment and a business case study demonstrating the success of the business model and capturing key learnings from the startup’s journey towards investment readiness.

AOP is therefore seeking a qualified consultant to implement the above activities in accordance with the detailed scope of work outlined below.

 

II.  OBJECTIVES

The assignment aims to develop two knowledge products that capture learning from the AOP-Refeed partnership and contribute to strengthening the enabling environment and investment readiness of the Refeed. The consultant/service provider is expected to:

• Analyse the market ecosystem and enabling environment for UCO management in Vietnam
• Identify key challenges and opportunities related to investment readiness and market expansion.
• Translate partnership learning and evidence into practical insights and recommendations for relevant stakeholders.
• Develop concise, evidence-based and externally oriented knowledge products.

 

III. SCOPE OF WORK AND DELIVERABLES

Scope of work	Purpose	Expected deliverables	Timeline
Task 1 : Develop a policy brief	Understanding the enabling market ecosystem within which the partnership is operating Learning how to navigate the potential challenges towards becoming investment ready The policy brief is expected to contribute to influencing or shaping the enabling environment	The policy brief should be a concise, evidence-based document that clearly presents key issues, their implications and actionable recommendations for policymakers and relevant stakeholders. The brief should: Identify key enabling factors, barriers and emerging challenges within the relevant market ecosystem. Analyse their implications for the business model and the broader sector. Provide practical recommendations for policymakers and other relevant stakeholders to strengthen the enabling environment. Highlight lessons from the partnership that may inform policy and practice.	October 26 to  February 2027
Task 2: Develop a Case Study in Business Model	The case study must detail the pathway the startup has navigated towards becoming investment ready. This study is intended to qualitatively validate and demonstrate the impact and viability of the business model developed through the partnership.	The case study should include: Background and Problem Analysis: Define the problem addressed by the business, including its magnitude, severity and relevance to global and/or regional priorities. Solution: Clearly describe the product, service or solution developed by the business and how it responds to the identified problem. Methodology and Approach: Describe the approaches, methods, tools and innovations used by the startup to develop and implement its solution. Business Model: Explain how the product is positioned and packaged for the market, who the target customers are, how they are reached, and how the business generates revenue. Results: Present the key outcomes achieved through the AOP-Refeed partnership, including relevant quantitative and qualitative results aligned with the P4G MEL framework. Challenges and Solutions: Analyse key barriers encountered in achieving investment and scale readiness, including challenges related to market access, operations, finance, technology, partnerships or other relevant areas, and how these were addressed. Lessons Learned: Identify key lessons from the partnership that can inform investment readiness and the scaling of similar businesses. Recommendations: Provide practical recommendations for future actions and improvements, based on the partnership experience, that may benefit the startup and/or other stakeholders in the sector.	October 2026 to February 2027

 

IV. DURATION OF THE CONSULTANCY

• The overall consultancy period will be from October 2026 to February 2027, in line with the project implementation timeframe.
• The consultant/team will provide inputs according to the tasks, deliverables, and timelines outlined in this ToR and the discussion with AOP.
• The working schedule and timing of inputs will be coordinated with AOP to ensure alignment with the actual implementation progress, the workplans and schedules of relevant teams and stakeholders, and the approval of AOP supervisor/manager.

 

V. REPORTING AND COORDINATION

• The consultant will report directly to AOP’s designated Programme Manager. All deliverables will be submitted to AOP for review and approval.
• The consultant coordinates with AOP staff; partners are required.

 

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

The consultant(s) should have:

• Advanced degree in environmental science, public policy, economics, development studies, or a related field;
• Proven experience in research, policy analysis and recommendations, and report writing related to environmental sustainability, the circular economy, renewable energy, carbon markets, carbon credit mechanisms, and/or related fields, particularly in developing knowledge products for P4G-funded projects.
• Understand about Vietnam’s policy and regulatory framework related to UCO, waste management, circular economy, and/or SAF;
• Strong experience in qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis;
• Demonstrated ability to produce high-quality technical and scientific reports;
• Experience working with NGOs, development programmes, or donor-funded projects;
• Excellent written English, with working knowledge of Vietnamese considered a strong advantage.

 

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Interested consultants are invited to submit the following documents to email address: [email protected] by 22 October 2026.

• Letter of interest outlining understanding of the assignment and methodology;
• Financial proposal indicating consultancy fees;
• Updated CVs and profile showing relevant experience

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.