International Consultant for Technical Assistance for Laboratory Management and Lab SOPs.

Request for Express of Interest (REOI) International Consultant for Technical Assistance on Laboratory Management and SOP Development to Support Component 3.1 the Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment REFERENCE No. DOA – ICS – 091   The Government of Lao PDR, through Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MPWT), Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE), Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MOIC), Ministry of Public Security (MOPS), Ministry of Health (MOH), and Ministry of Finance (MOF), is implementing the Southeast Asia Regional Economic Corridor and Connectivity Project with World Bank IDA financing (2022–2028). The project enhances transport connectivity and logistics along National Road 2 and its catchment provinces (Phongsaly, Luangnamtha, Oudomxay, Xayabouli, Luangprabang), linking Lao PDR to Vietnam, Thailand, and China. Sub-component 3.1 strengthens the SPS management system and agricultural trade. Reliable laboratory testing is essential for credible SPS certification and risk-based border controls, particularly for pesticide residues, aflatoxin, and heavy metals. The ATC Plant Protection Regional Laboratory (Oudomxay) and PPC Central Laboratory (Vientiane) require specialized technical support to align operations with ISO/IEC 17025, implement Good Laboratory Practice (GLP), standardize SOPs, and strengthen method validation, quality control, metrological traceability, and proficiency testing. An International Laboratory Specialist is required to provide handson technical leadership and mentoring to achieve consistent, defensible results and readiness for accreditation, thereby increasing acceptance of Lao PDR laboratory outputs by trading partners. The Department Planning and Finance, Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MPWT) now intends to engage a qualified and experienced International Consultant for Technical Assistance on Laboratory Management and SOP Development to support Department of...