The Chief of Party (COP) reports to the Principal Investigator (PI) and works with the PHER Leadership (co-Principal Investigator, and Academic Director) to help them establish and execute the program strategy. The COP for PHER Activity has overall responsibility for the management and coordination of all project activities and staff to ensure timely and high-quality completion of workplan activities and deliverables.
All Personnel based in Vietnam reports to the COP, including the Sang Kien staff. The COP will cultivate open and collaborative management relationships with the project team at USAID and PHER leadership and staff. The COP will have principal responsibility for representing PHER to USAID and works closely with the USAID Agreement Officer Representative (AOR). The COP plays the lead role in working with the Vietnam National University-Hanoi, Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh City, and the University of Danang, as well as USAID AOR in effectively implementing planned activities of PHER. The COP, working closely with the PHER leadership and staff, develops annual workplans and activities in a collaborative manner; ensures that program activities comply with agreement requirements, applicable USG regulations, and appropriate standards and procedures; and supervises the communications specialist to ensure high quality and frequently updated PHER communications.
The Partnership for Higher Education Reform (PHER) Activity is a five-year initiative funded by USAID and implemented by Indiana University, aiming to modernize Vietnam's leading universities and strengthen Vietnam’s higher education system in alignment with USAID's Higher Education Program Framework. PHER implements activities towards institutional reform in Vietnamese higher education institutions through developing effective and innovative models and approaches in governance, teaching and learning, research, and university-industry linkages, and enhancing new partnerships and collaborations. Its goals centers around four key pillars – Governance and Policy, Improvement of Teaching and Learning, Research, and University-Industry Linkages – and targets three major Vietnamese universities: Vietnam National University-Hanoi, Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh City, and the University of Danang. Higher-education policy advocacy and reform, technology and digitization, and gender empowerment are critical, cross-cutting strategies for success across these four pillars and support the long-term sustainability of PHER outcomes. Vien Sang Kien Vietnam (SKI) is a sub-awardee to Indiana University supporting and implementing the PHER Activity in Vietnam.
