MyFedAccess
"Our commitment to help ease human
suffering in every corner of the globe
continues."--Michael J. Young
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20004
Tel: 1 888-995-3326 -- E-mail: info@MyFedAccess.com
suffering in every corner of the globe
continues."--Michael J. Young
Tel: 1 888-995-3326 -- E-mail: info@MyFedAccess.com
THA Prev
PRGI/MyFedAccess
Contract Activity & Project Profiles: Asia - Vietnam
Contract Activity & Project Profiles: Asia - Vietnam
1. Acquisitions & Assistance Training Course for Cognizant Technical Officers (CTOs) Acquisition & Assistance Certification Training Program Teaching COs & CTOs/COTRs How to Write a SOW and Evaluate Proposals
2A. Displaced Children & Orphans Fund -- 2B. Patrick J. Leahy War Victims Fund
Contract Activity: Acquisitions & Assistance Training Course for Cognizant Technical Officers (CTOs)
Background:
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) routinely enters into contracts
with vendors to acquire a variety of goods and services in support of its development projects and initiatives. When
requirements that need to be fulfilled are identified, the requesting Program/Project Office submits its Scope of
Work (SOW) to a Contract Officer. In turn, the Contract Officer incorporates the SOW into the resultant Request for
Proposals/Quotations (RFP/Q).
To help ensure the agency receives responsive Proposals/Quotations, the SOW and RFP must clearly describe the technical
requirements, as well as the rules and regulations that must be followed by all vendors. The next critical step in
the Acquisitions & Assistance process is evaluating the Proposals/Quotations that are submitted by prospective vendors.
Finally, after a contract is awarded, a Cognizant Technical Officer (CTO)--historically known as the Contracting
Officer's Technical Representative--oversees the actual delivery of the goods and/or services that were procured.
Certain procurement policies are subject to change, and there is a constant turnover of Contract Officers and CTOs;
hence, ongoing training must be provided in all phases of the Acquisition & Assistance/Procurement process to
ensure compliance with the prevailing procurement policies.
Administered to COs & CTOs/COTRs from Over 40 Countries, including Vietnam
Project Profile:
Professional Resource Group International, Inc. (PRGI)
was contracted to design a curriculum and training manuals, provide Subject Matter Experts, and Professional Facilitators
to assist government procurement personnel in delivering the Acquisition & Assistance training course for Contract
and Cognizant Technical Officers from Vietnam and other countries throughout Africa, Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, Latin
America (including the Caribbean Basin), and the Middle East. Case studies, audio-visual materials, small group discussions,
and other tools were used to enhance the effectiveness of the overall training presentation.
The course included instructions and guidance on how to write a comprehensive Scope of Work and how to evaluate
responses to Request For Proposals/Quotations.
Contract Activity: Displaced Children & Orphans Fund
Background:
An estimated 135 million children living in developing countries lack the support and
protection of parents or suitable guardians. These most vulnerable children are usually innocent victims of dire social
and economic distress, disease, or conflict. The number includes perhaps more than 400,000 unaccompanied refugee or
internally displaced children, 200,000 child combatants, more than 100 million street children and 34 million children
who have lost one or both parents to disease or other causes.
With support and encouragement from Congress, the U. S. Agency for International Development's (USAID) Displaced
Children and Orphans Fund (DCOF) began to address the needs of orphans in 1989. Its mission is to strengthen the
capacity of families and communities to provide care, support, and protection for orphans, unaccompanied minors, and
war-affected children. The fund works through nongovernmental organizations (NGO) in developing countries to develop
models and implement programs that provide direct service to children and support local organizations so that work can
be sustained beyond the length of the grant.
Displaced Children and Orphans Fund was Active in 25 Countries
1. Afghanistan |
7. Brazil |
13. Guatemala |
19. Sri Lanka |
25. Zambia |
2. Angola |
8. Cambodia |
14. Kenya |
20. Sudan |
|
3. Azerbaijan |
9. Colombia |
15. Liberia |
21. Tanzania |
|
4. Bangladesh |
10. Congo* |
16. Mozambique |
22. Thailand |
|
5. Belarus |
11. Egypt |
17. Nepal |
23. Uganda |
|
6. Burundi |
12. Georgia |
18. Philippines |
24. Ukraine |
____________________ Children Affected by War - With no fewer than 25 civil conflicts being waged at the present time,
more than 500,000 children are thought to be unaccompanied or separated from their families. Some 300,000 are thought
to actually be fighting in these conflicts. Children Orphaned by AIDS - In just the 23 countries included in USAID's study, Children on the
Brink, the number of children orphaned as a result of the HIV/AIDS epidemic will increase from under 25 million in 1990
to over 41 million in the year 2010. Street Children - An estimated 100 million children work or live on the streets of the developed
and developing worlds. They are the innocent victims of family financial distress, and social, economic and political
upheaval. Over the past decade, the problem has worsened, leaving a tremendous loss of human potential and a detrimental
impact on economic and social development. Children with Disabilities - Stigmatized by cultural values and religious beliefs, they are hidden
in back rooms or placed in government institutions, displaced from communities and society. DCOF is supporting
community-based approaches to provide care and training in life skills.
*Democratic Republic of the Congo-Kinshasa
Support programs for displaced children and orphans fall into the following categories:
Project Title in Vietnam: Adaptive Vocational Training Program for Adolescents with Disabilities World Concern Development Organization (WCDO) Displaced Children & Orphans Fund
Cooperating Agency in Vietnam: World Concern Development Organization (WCDO)
Background:
According to the Vietnamese government and UNICEF estimates, more than 1 million
Vietnamese children (3 percent of the child population) have physical or mental disabilities. Many of these
children are cut off from social, recreational, educational, and other normal childhood activities. Many others
are at risk of being displaced as a result of parental death, abandonment, or poverty. Physically or mentally impaired
children suffer further due to the inability to support themselves. They are often stigmatized by cultural values and
religious beliefs.
Adaptive Vocational Training Program for Adolescents with Disabilities
Provides Support for Orphans, Unaccompanied Minors, and War-Affected Children
Project Description in Vietnam:
Purpose is to provide Adolescents With Disabilities (AWD) with the skills and
abilities necessary to meet their own social, vocational, and economic needs. The program will develop an awareness
of and responsiveness to disability issues; develop adaptive vocational training programs; and facilitate the
formation of a supportive social network managed by AWD. The project began in two provinces-Hai Duong in the North and
Quang Nam in the central region-and was replicated in one additional location in Da Nang City in the third year.
Project Title in Vietnam: Expansion of Community Support for Children with Disabilities Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Displaced Children & Orphans Fund
Cooperating Agency in Vietnam: Catholic Relief Services (CRS)
Project Description in Vietnam:
Activities broaden the support for children with disabilities in Vietnam through
inclusive education, strengthening of community support, and increased awareness and advocacy; The program
implements inclusive education, from preschool to lower secondary schools, in 3 northern districts; trains 60
community support teams in basic rehabilitation techniques and advocacy; has established three district-level support
teams and resource centers for teachers, parents, and community workers involved in rehabilitating children with
disabilities; and establishes and broadens strategic links with Vietnamese institutions, international organizations,
and mass media.
Expansion of Community Support for Children with Disabilities
Provides Support for Orphans, Unaccompanied Minors, and War-Affected Children
Project Title in Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh City Assistance to Children with Disability World Vision (WV) Displaced Children & Orphans Fund
Cooperating Agency in Vietnam: World Vision (WV)
Project Description in Vietnam:
The objective is to establish a community-based rehabilitation service system that,
during the course of the project, enables children with disabilities to function more independently in their
environment. The service system will be defined and assessed by the World Health Organization Functional Assessment
Scale in eight wards of District 8 in Ho Chi Minh City. It is expected to serve as a model for training people with
disabilities implemented in the community. Prevalence of malnutrition is also expected to be decreased among children
with disabilities.
Ho Chi Minh City Assistance to Children with Disability
Provides Support for Orphans, Unaccompanied Minors, and War-Affected Children
Contract Activity:
Patrick J. Leahy War Victims Fund (WVF) Patrick J. Leahy War Victims Fund Helping Land Mine Victims, Child Soldiers/Combatants, and Victims of Human Trafficking
Background:
The War Victims Fund supports programs that provide for the improved mobility of
people with disabilities by providing accessible, appropriate prosthetic services. With a renewed focus on quality of
service, the fund added patient follow-up and monitoring as part of its projects. Special programs that
upgrades medical and surgical services for victims of accidental detonations of unexploded ordnance has been
successful in some countries (like Laos) and is being replicated in other countries.
Provides Accessible and Appropriate Prosthetic Services
Historically, war victims and other people living with disabilities face daunting obstacles in gaining access to education,
training, and employment opportunities. Appropriate policies and construction codes for barrier-free accessibility
for people living with disabilities can help overcome these obstacles. Toward this end, an innovative program of
assistance in Vietnam that began with a focus on barrier-free accessibility has resulted in passage of a comprehensive
national disabilities law. This legislation was drafted with the assistance of Americans who participated in efforts to
pass and implement the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Patrick J. Leahy War Victims Fund was Active in 20 Countries
1. Afghanistan |
6. El Salvador |
11. Laos |
16. Philippines |
2. Cambodia |
7. Ethiopia |
12. Lebanon |
17. Sri Lanka |
3. Colombia |
8. Guatemala |
13. Nepal |
18. Sudan |
4. Costa Rica |
9. Honduras |
14. Nicaragua |
19. Uganda |
5. Congo* |
10. Kenya |
15. Panama |
20. Vietnam |
____________________
*Democratic Republic of the Congo-Kinshasa
Improved economic conditions and the ability to increase earned income are essential to the health and welfare of all
individuals, including those living with disabilities. The fund has supported a variety of innovative approaches to
increase income-generating opportunities for war victims and their families. Lessons learned from these approaches
can be used to develop similar programs in other countries.
Project Title in Vietnam: Vietnam Rehabilitation Project Health Volunteers Overseas (HVO) Patrick J. Leahy War Victims Fund
Cooperating Agency in Vietnam: Health Volunteers Overseas (HVO)
Background:
Vietnam suffered the effects of war for more than half a century and has been left
with perhaps the world's highest proportion of amputees at 1 amputee per 250 people, including many children who
suffer from a variety of disabling causes and diseases. The countryside is still littered with mines and other
unexploded ordinance (UXO). Furthermore, an ensuing 20 years of international isolation has impoverished a high
percentage of the Vietnamese people and left the country with critical gaps in its public health infrastructure.
Vietnam Rehabilitation Project
Helping Land Mine Victims, Child Soldiers/Combatants, and Victims of Human Trafficking
Project Description in Vietnam:
This project is focused on strengthening the health care sector's capacity to provide
rehabilitation services that adequately care for people with disabilities; promote the professional development of
rehabilitation health care providers, including facilitating the formation of national associations and expanding
technical knowledge and skills; disseminate educational innovations and technical concepts among Vietnamese
institutions; and promote increased visibility of local disabled groups and improved services through coordination
and communication among NGOs, disabled people's organizations, professional associations, and government agencies. Prosthetic Outreach Foundation (POF) Patrick J. Leahy War Victims Fund
A new undergraduate-level physical therapy curriculum has been developed and integrated into the national
physical therapy school. Numerous professional clinical rehabilitation workshops have been conducted through the use
of volunteer U.S. medical professionals. Technical linkages and instructor exchange programs have also been
established between three U.S. university nursing programs and Vietnamese counterparts. And a new forum for
collaboration, cooperation, and discussion among nongovernmental, governmental, and indigenous groups working on
issues relating to people with disabilities has been established.
Project Title in Vietnam: Outreach Prosthetic Services and Prosthetic Component Development Program
Cooperating Agency in Vietnam: Prosthetic Outreach Foundation (POF)
Project Description in Vietnam:
Purpose of this program is to advance the standards of clinical care and prosthetic
component technology, in collaboration with the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA); train
local staff to design and produce prosthetic feet and components for adults and children with a minimum service
life of three months; design, produce, and test the durability of an affordable monolithic transtibial prosthesis
made from locally available materials; integrate and facilitate Automated Fabrication of Mobility Aids (AFMA)
into the Vietnamese National School of Orthopedic Rehabilitation (VIETCOT); provide mobile outreach prosthetic
services to the northern rural provinces of Vietnam; and coordinate health and rehabilitation ministry
functions and encourage appropriate levels of government funding to serve the most needy levels of society.
Under this program a national manufacturing center for molding the vulcanized rubber EB1 foot has opened and adult
and children's foot molds are being made locally in collaboration with the Ba Vi Orthopedic Technology Center.
There has been an 85 percent acceptance rate established for POF's AFMA prostheses patient fit and function
indicator with more than 9,000 prosthesis delivered.
Outreach Prosthetic Services and Prosthetic Component Development Program
Helping Land Mine Victims, Child Soldiers/Combatants, and Victims of Human Trafficking
Project Title in Vietnam: Can Tho and Thu Duc Prosthetic and Rehabilitation Project, Office of Viet-Nam Assistance for the Handicapped (VNAH) Patrick J. Leahy War Victims Fund
Disability Technical Assistance (DTA)
Cooperating Agency in Vietnam: Viet-Nam Assistance for the Handicapped (VNAH)
Project Description in Vietnam:
In this effort we provide the Technical, Managerial, and Logistical support to
strengthen the institutional and human resources capacity of the Thu Duc and Can Tho Centers to help meet the needs
of people living with disabilities for prosthetic and orthotics devices and wheelchairs. The program works in
partnership with the U.S. President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, with officials from
the National Assembly of the Government of Vietnam to advance employment and integration opportunities for people
with disabilities.
So far 2,000 new prostheses have been provided.
The barrier-free access initiative is now providing direct technical assistance and guidance to ministry-level
offices and officials. Under this initiative, the first of several planned practical workshops brought numerous
U.S. barrier-free design experts to Vietnam to assess and then advise how open and equal access for persons with
disabilities could be incorporated into traditional Vietnamese construction techniques and models.
Construction plans for the new Hanoi international airport changed to incorporate barrier-free design standards
for people with disabilities. The government of Vietnam mandated this change largely as a result of the barrier-free
access initiative.
Can Tho and Thu Duc Prosthetic and Rehabilitation Project, Office of DTA
Helping Land Mine Victims, Child Soldiers/Combatants, and Victims of Human Trafficking
Project Title in Vietnam: Prosthetics/Orthotics Rehabilitation Project World Vision (WV) Patrick J. Leahy War Victims Fund
Cooperating Agency in Vietnam: World Vision (WV)
Project Description in Vietnam:
Upgrade the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) health care delivery
system by enhancing the centers, training personnel, and developing and supplementing outreach programs that
can meet the ongoing needs of people whose prostheses and orthoses are inadequate due to disrepair or physical changes:
Enhance appropriate technology transfer enabling prosthetic and orthotic service providers to deliver quality
devices and services to war victims, amputees, and other handicapped individuals; deliver 6,700 devices with optimal
function and fit to those who require mobility assistance; meet production standards established by the quality
control rehabilitation team; and manufacture and deliver 4,020 devices to amputees who live in remote areas of
the country.
Production rates and outreach services to beneficiaries has increased and operation of Thanh Hoa, Vinh, Da Nang,
and Quy Nhon Rehabilitation Centers has been handed over to MOLISA with continued high-quality production and service
delivery.
Prosthetics/Orthotics Rehabilitation Project
Helping Land Mine Victims, Child Soldiers/Combatants, and Victims of Human Trafficking
Project Title in Vietnam: Thermoplastic Orthotics Rehabilitation Program for Vietnam Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF) Patrick J. Leahy War Victims Fund
Cooperating Agency in Vietnam: Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF)
Project Description in Vietnam:
In close collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the program aims to continue
production of thermoplastic orthoses at the National Institute of Pediatrics (NIP); establish a second
thermoplastic orthotics workshop and clinic at the Bach Mai Hospital; extend rehabilitation services to the
disabled, particularly children, living in rural areas around Hanoi through the creation of a Mobile Outreach
Service in cooperation with the Ford Motor Company; establish a monitoring and evaluation unit to track the
program's successes and failures in delivering rehabilitation services to both urban and rural dwellers; and continue
to move both workshops toward sustainability.
More than 3,000 orthoses have been prescribed, fabricated, and fitted to provide opportunities for children to
become mobile, return to school, and function more independently. A second new thermoplastic orthotics workshop and
clinic at Bach Mai Hospital has been constructed and equipped. Recruited and trained a 3-person monitoring and
evaluation unit, and a survey instrument has been field-tested to track the progress of those treated.
First truck for the Mobile Outreach Program modified and equipped. Private sector has been involved in providing
services to disabled children through the involvement of Ford Motor Company, Polaroid, World T.E.A.M. Sports,
and Citibank.
Thermoplastic Orthotics Rehabilitation Program for Vietnam
Helping Land Mine Victims, Child Soldiers/Combatants, and Victims of Human Trafficking
Project Profile:
Professional Resource Group International, Inc. (PRGI)
was contracted by USAID to administer these funds and provide Technical, Logistical, and Administrative Support
Services for civilian victims of war in more than 20 countries, including Vietnam. The Patrick J. Leahy War
Victims Fund (WVF) compliments the Displaced Children and Orphans Fund (DCOF), both were under the administration
of PRGI. Each year, through the efforts of its collaborating partners and the dedicated and professional
commitment of their local and international staff, the U.S. Agency for International Development's Patrick J. Leahy
War Victims Fund provides assistance to thousands of war victims, their families, and other people living with
disabilities.
Since 1989, the Patrick J. Leahy War Victims Fund has worked in war-affected developing countries to provide a
dedicated source of financial and technical assistance for civilian victims of war. The fund has now provided over
$60 million in more than 16 countries, including Vietnam. The fund serves people who suffer from mobility-related injuries, including
those with land-mine injuries, and those who suffer from polio as a result of interrupted immunization services.
BACK TO TOP