Alternative Contracting Officer’s Representative-COR of USAID Green Annamites Activity
Recently, Teo served as the Deputy Chief of Party for the USAID Climate Resilient Agriculture in the Mekong Delta (CRM). This is a five-year project working to advance low-emissions, climate-resilient, agricultural livelihoods combined with biodiversity conservation to support carbon sequestration, healthy ecosystems, and resilience of vulnerable communities in the Mekong Delta. The DCOP (i) co-led overall project management, administration, and implementation of the project; (ii) provided critical technical leadership for the project by overseeing 32 staff and providing technical expertise in project planning and implementation, and serving as a key focal point for strengthening strategic partnerships with government and private sector actors related to project implementation.
Prior to CRM, Teo was the Deputy Chief of Party cum Enterprise Development Director, a senior management team for the USAID Sustainable Forest Management Project. He is supervising a team of technical experts and working collaboratively with them to design and implement technical activities for the Project. The USAID Sustainable Forest Management Project (the Project) is linking communities, local authorities, the national government, and the private sector to jointly address the drivers of forest conversion and degradation in targeted areas. The Project aims to avoid carbon emissions from natural forest conversion through improved livelihoods of and/or increased climate resilience for local forest dependent people; increase carbon sequestration through better management of plantation forests; and improve the quality, diversity, and productivity of natural production forests– all to protect Vietnam’s threatened forest resources. the Project has not only leveraged US$108 million from public and private investment, contributing to improving the livelihoods of over 60,000 forest dwellers; but also led to reducing least 7,8 million tons of carbon from the direct project interventions, and 45,6 million tons of carbon emissions through formulating 74 policies and technical support activities.
Teo also used to serve as the Deputy Chief of Party-DCOP (with 4 months Acting COP) for the US$ 24M IDIQ USAID Green Annamites (GA) Program in Vietnam. The Program aimed to assist Vietnam’s transition to climate-smart, low emission, and resilient development that protects people, landscapes, and biodiversity in Vietnam’s priority forested provinces. The GA has reduced, sequestered and/or avoided 7.48 MT CO2 (targeted 6 MT); established 21 CFM Plans, improved natural resource management of 442,000 ha (targeted 400,000 ha); mobilized US$ 59.7 million (targeted US$ 20 million) from public, private and community sources for scaling up sustainable livelihoods and forest conservation interventions; and improved livelihoods of 25,000 people (targeted 20,000 people).
Prior the GA Program, I served as the Task Leader/ Coordinator on Biodiversity Landscapes and Livelihoods for the $22M Greater Mekong Sub-region Core Environment Program (GMS-CEP) administered by Asian Development Bank (ADB) Environment Operations Center in Bangkok, and implemented in six GMS countries, including Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. The regional Program aimed to achieve its environmentally friendly and climate resilient goals. Previously, I worked as a Sustainable Livelihood/Village Development Adviser for the $23.5 M Sustainable Forest and Rural Development (SUFORD) Project co-funded by the World Bank and the Government of Finland in Lao PDR. The project was implemented in nine provinces (included 16 Production Forest Areas with 1.3 million hectares), 36 districts, 723 villages and over 30,000 beneficiaries. The project was rated successfully and broadly acknowledged due to its long-term economic, social and environmental benefits for local communities and government bodies. My contribution had been greatly recognized and the MARD of Lao PDR awarded a Certificate of Appreciation for Outstanding Performance on February 18, 2013. I also served as Executive Director of Consultative and Research Center for Natural Resources Management in Vietnam. This position enabled me to gain empirical and hands-on experience on strategic planning, institutional development, personnel supervision, technical guidance and financial management.
