Call for Expressions of Interest
#036 – Job Title: A National Short-term Consultant to support reviewing child road safety legislation and enforcement and helmet standards
1. Background
Every day, five children in Viet Nam lose their lives due to road traffic crashes – amounting to approximately 2,000 preventable deaths each year. These losses represent not only profound tragedies for families but also a significant burden on the country’s health system, economy, and society. We want to change this.
Viet Nam has made notable progress since 2010, reducing road traffic fatalities by about 40% and meeting the target of the first UN Decade of Action for Road Safety (2011–2020). Progress continues under the second Decade of Action (2021-2030), which aims to halve road deaths and injuries by 2030. However, more must be done to protect the country’s most vulnerable road users: children and youth.
Despite progress in implementing the National Road Safety Strategy and associated laws, gaps remain in legislation and enforcement related to child safety – such as helmet use for all ages, child restraint systems, speed management, and drink-driving regulations.
The World Health Organization (WHO) Viet Nam Country Office is seeking a national consultant to review relevant laws and regulations affecting child road safety; conduct a technical review of Vietnam’s motorcycle helmet standards and their implementation; compare them to international standards; and provide clear, practicable recommendations (including draft legal/regulatory language and a roadmap) to strengthen child protection on roads.
2. Planned timelines
Start Date: 20 October 2025 (subject to confirmation)
End Date: 31 December 2025
Number of working days: 44 non-consecutive working days
3. Work to be performed
Purpose of the consultancy
To produce an integrated legal and technical review that (a) identifies legal and regulatory gaps related to child road safety in Viet Nam; (b) conducts a clause-by-clause technical mapping of national motorcycle helmet standards/regulations to international standards/regulations and assesses market enforcement gaps; and (c) produces prioritized, evidence-based recommendations (including implementation roadmap) for strengthening child road-safety legislation and helmet quality controls.
Scope of work and tasks
The consultant will deliver the following core tasks:
A. Legal and policy review (child road safety)
- Collect and review all relevant national laws, decrees, circulars and policies affecting child road safety (Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety, Law of Roads, Law of Children, decrees and circulars on helmet use, national road safety strategy, school zone regulations, etc.).
- Identify legal inconsistencies, omissions or weak provisions specifically affecting children (helmet age/size rules, child restraints, school-zone speed limits, enforcement mandates, penalties).
- Draft prioritized legal/policy recommendations (including proposed amendments or new clauses) to strengthen protections for children.
B. Technical review on national technical standards/regulations for helmets
- Obtain authoritative copies of national motorcycle helmet standards/regulations (TCVN/QCVN or equivalent), any draft standard updates, and implementation guidance.
- Prepare a clause-by-clause mapping matrix comparing national helmet standards/regulations with the main international. Map test methods and acceptance criteria for impact testing (linear and, where applicable, oblique/rotational), penetration, retention, headform sizing, labeling, and production QA/traceability.
- Assess child-specific provisions: headform sizing and specific requirements (if any) for children, explicit child helmet test requirements, labelling requirements (age/size range), fit/instruction requirements, and availability of certified child helmets on the market.
- Review national lab capacity and market surveillance mechanisms – accreditation, testing capability (including for advanced tests like oblique impact), customs/import control, and recall/enforcement processes.
C. Stakeholder engagement and validation
- Map stakeholders (NTSC, relevant ministries, manufacturers, importers, consumer groups, NGOs).
- Conduct key informant interviews (government, enforcement, labs, manufacturers, NGOs).
- Present findings in a validation workshop and incorporate feedback into final outputs.
Methodology
- Desk review of legal/technical documents and published evidence.
- Clause-by-clause standards/regulations mapping matrix.
- Key informant interviews and targeted stakeholder consultations.
- Participatory validation workshop with NTSC, relevant ministries, and technical stakeholders.
- Drafting recommendations and an actionable roadmap (policy, technical, enforcement, lab capacity) for enhancing child road safety and qualified helmet use.
- The consultant should use participatory and evidence-based methods and be ready to produce technical annexes.
Deliverables
| Deliverable |
Key activities |
Expected completion |
| Inception report and worklan |
Detailed methodology, stakeholder list, documents to be obtained, workplan and timeline |
31 October 2025 |
| Desk review and legal gap analyis | Summary of laws/regulations, identification of legal gaps for child road safety | 15 November 2025 |
| Technical standards mapping matrix (draft) |
Clause-by-clause table mapping national standards/regulations to international standards such as ECE R22.06 / DOT / AS/NZS; summary of technical gaps, child-specific analysis |
30 November 2025 |
| Draft policy brief and recommendations |
Develop a policy brief on child road safety legislation and enforcement, roadmap for implementation and technical recommendations for helmet standards/regulations, specifically child helmets, in Viet Nam |
15 December 2025 |
| Stakeholder validation workshop and presentation |
Workshop facilitation (or virtual presentation) and revised materials incorporating feedback |
20 December 2025 |
| Final integrated report and policy brief |
Final report consolidating legal review, technical mapping, recommendations, roadmap for implementation. Executive summary and short policy brief for decision-makers on child road safetyand helmet standards/regulations specifically child |
31 December |
Expected outputs
- Inception report and workplan.
- Legal gap analysis report (child road safety).
- Clause-by-clause standards/regulations mapping matrix (electronic Excel + PDF summary).
- Prioritized roadmap for implementation (short/medium/long term) including lab upgrades, market surveillance, procurement and enforcement actions.
- Presentation slides and summary policy brief (2–4 pages) for policymakers. – Final consolidated report (English and Vietnamese versions).
Management and reporting
- Regular status updates (weekly emails) and short progress meetings (virtual or in-person) will be arranged.
- Drafts should be shared in editable format (Word/Excel) for WHO review.
4. Specific requirements
Educational Qualifications required
- Advanced degree (Master’s or higher) in public health, traffic safety, traffic law, or health sciences, mechanical engineering, or related field. A specialization in road safety or injury prevention is preferred.
Experience required
- Minimum 7 years’ experience in the field of road safety, legislation or public health, preferably in road safety or child injury prevention; Experiences in legal or policy analysis, especially in road safety is preferable.
- Familiarity with Viet Nam’s legislative processes and government structures.
- Familiarity with Viet Nam’s legal and standards institutions, as well as relevant stakeholders, is preferred.
- Good understanding of the transport and health systems, with experience working with government agencies, transport authorities, and communities.
Skills/ Knowledge
- Strong skills in research, policy analysis, and program assessment related to road safety and public health.
- Ability to work independently and in collaborative, multi-sectoral teams.
- Proficiency in office information technology, including MS Word, MS Excel, and PowerPoint.
- Good communication and report writing skills in technical and policy contexts
Language requirements
- Excellent report-writing skills in Vietnamese and good working knowledge of English.
Competencies
- Technical expertise
- Producing results
- Teamwork
- Communication skills
5. Place of assignment
Home-based in Viet Nam with in-person visits to Hanoi (and other provinces if required) for stakeholder meetings and the validation workshop.
6. Medical clearance
The selected Consultant will be expected to provide a medical certificate of fitness for work.
7. Travel
Travel only in Ha Noi or other provinces in Viet Nam as required. Travel and per diem will be reimbursed according to WHO rules and only where explicitly authorized.
8. Budget
Please take note of the following when submitting application: – The contractor will be responsible for paying taxes, if any.
Application letters and updated CVs in English should be received on/or before 10 October 2025 and should be addressed to:
Administrative Officer World Health Organization
UN Building, 304 Kim Ma Street, Hanoi, Viet Nam OR
For further information on this Call for Expressions of Interest, please contact: [email protected]
Annex 1 – Schedule of work
|
No. |
Tasks |
Required number of working days |
Notes |
|
1. |
Inception report and worklan |
3 |
|
|
2. |
Desk review and legal gap analysis |
8 |
|
|
3. |
Technical standards mapping matrix (draft) |
10 |
|
|
4. |
Draft policy brief and recommendations |
10 |
|
|
5. |
Stakeholder validation workshop and presentation |
3 |
|
|
6. |
Final integrated report and policy brief |
10 |
|
|
|
Total |
44 |
|