Country: Somalia
Closing date: 10 Dec 2018
TERMS OF REFERENCETO CONDUCT VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS ON LOCAL & EXPORT MARKETABLE CROPS AND CROP PRODUCTS IN GEDO, BAY AND LOWER SHEBELLE REGIONS OF SOUTHERN SOMALIA.
Somalia Resilience Program (SomRep) – Nairobi, Kenya.
1.0Background
The Somalia Resilience Program (SomReP) is an ambitious approach to tackle the challenge of recurrent droughts—and the chronic vulnerability among pastoralists, agro-pastoralists, and peri-urban households in Somalia. SomRep is being implemented through a consortium of 7 INGOs (ACF, ADRA, CARE, COOPI, DRC, Oxfam and WVI) with the Technical Unit housed under World Vision Somalia for coordination and provision of technical support/direction to the program. This approach was adopted to foster synergies on approaches and best practices by different members to better support the communities.
The Need for Crop Value Chain Analysis
From some of the assessments done by other stakeholders, it’s evident that both local and regional demand for some crops does exist. However, people’s ability to access and use market systems to increase HH income and food security remains ineffective which arise from multiple factors. Hence the need for detailed value chain analysis to guide investment decisions that would spur production and marketing for crops/crop products for local and export market.
The consultancy will review and map the value chain to identify factors/weaknesses that hinder and opportunities at several levels including but not limited to production, product, process, technological, institutional and markets. The consultancy will assess opportunities and recommend specific crop production solutions, value chain businesses with potential benefits to actors especially women and youth and people with disabilities along the chain in this fragile context.
Major study audience include; beneficiary farmers, Agricultural crops VC actors and potential investors, since the study will help them to understand the market dynamics. In addition, to be fully inclusive, this study will also target people with disability in the value chains to be assessed. This is because there both barriers and enablers which determines the extent to which they would be involved in the value chain. This activity will be carried out in all three target regions Bay, Gedo and Lower Shebelle regions of Somalia in collaboration with relevant national and local government ministries and other stakeholder
Objective
To analyze/assess systematically 3 -4 crop value chains from production to marketing (local/regional and international) with the aim to enhance competitiveness, profitability and sustainability in the crop sub-sector, increase incomes, generate employment and support activities that increase households and communities resilience to recurrent shocks. To achieve this, SomRep proposes a detailed market mapping and value chain analysis of the Crop-sub sector by identifying:
The primary actors, numbers (women and youth), volumes/quantities, key functions; the supply chain, operational challenges and potential interventions. The analysis will indicate price changes along the VCs together with the margins, market share, sub products and transactions along the VC. The consultant(s) will also evaluate the social aspects, such as participation and governance to transform the sub sector into a robust market oriented VC. The goal is to make the VC work for the poor or include them in them in the CV in this fragile context. Specifically, the consultants will focus on the following key areas.
· To understand the strategies currently deployed by the poor to make these markets work for them to help develop actions/steps that would expand space for participation of the poor.
· Identify capacity gaps limiting competiveness of key actors- traders, LMA’s and Women engaged in crop Marketing enterprises and other service providers.
· Establish gaps of actors such as community based CBOs & other community development agents engaged in crop trading arrangements.
· Analysing the overall business environment including extension services (input supplies, market information, financial, transport, quality assurance services) that facilitates/limits regional/local, national cross-border (Kenya/Ethiopia/Middle East) markets and market linkages (local market structure and enabling environment).
· Identifying and documenting successful crop marketing models and enterprises for replication and scaling up
· Recommending potential business opportunities for entrepreneurs to invest in viable businesses, including crop marketing associations, women and youth.
· Document/Recommend existing mechanisms/models that provide opportunity for Business coaching and mentoring for women and youth businesses in the crop value chains
· Recommend interventions which will enable the crop producers to engage more with markets and other key actors
· Identify areas where private sector can catalyse the VC or reduce inefficiencies instead of having NGOs leading the process.
· Recommending upgrading strategies for the selected value chains including how to grow the crop enterprises into business hubs which will increase farmers’ bargain power , market access and demand for services
· Inclusion of People with Disabilities in the targeted Crop Value Chains::
o Map disabled persons organizations (DPO) – contact list and describe their area of focus
o Identify people with disabilities participating in the target value chains to be assessed to understand barrier for market access,
o Map ongoing stakeholders (government, NGOs, private sector etc ) efforts to improve disable persons access to markets and capacity development efforts to increase their participation in governance related to the target crop value chains.
o Consult people with disabilities and DPOs in targeted Value Chains to identify approaches to disability inclusion that can be included in Value chain development or improvement.
Expected Output– to cover the following:
a) An inception report (maximum five pages) outlining the approach/methodology and execution programme/timetable.
b) Data collection tools shall be submitted with the inception report, for review and approval by SomReP TU;
c) A detailed analysis of the overall market opportunities for the various sub sector products that can potentially be explored: locations, quantities, quality and other product requirements.
d) Analyse basic business support services needed to strengthen the market systems for very poor producers. Identify existing service gaps that need to be filled and by whom?
e) Analysis the competitors in target districts in Bay, Gedo and Lower Shebelle agricultural crops sub sector, identify the basis of the competition and outline the existence of any unique selling points of the competitors.
f) Based on observed market conditions and opportunities, outline key future strategic interventions and development required to trigger and stimulate the development of the agricultural crops sub sector in the next 5 years.
g) Recommend the most practical and feasible crop VC development approach in line with fragile context of target district locations.
h) Oral presentations of top line findings from diagnostic, mapping and recommendations in English at field and Nairobi level;
i) The final report incorporating comments / feedback from the Contracting Authority. The report will include detailed results from the diagnostic and key recommendations and include the following chapters: Executive Summary, Background, Research Objectives and Questions, Methods, Possible Limitation to Interpretation of Data, Main Results/Findings, Lessons’ learned, Emerging policy and research initiatives, Conclusions and Recommendations, References.
Proposed Schedule: The assignment has to be completed in 40 days
Consultant/Team Qualifications
The Consultancy team must be multidisciplinary (one of the key consultant should have Agribusiness background). At the minimum, the consultant(s) must possess the following:
a. At least Masters Degree in Agriculture, Economics, and Business related disciplines, Development Studies, with a minimum of five (5) years demonstrated experience in agribusiness research and/or practice with good understanding of local value chain development.
b) Demonstrate a good understanding of Somalia with practical working experience or research/surveys in such environments.
c) Experience of effective interaction with local and national institutions, government departments, and business service providers.
d) Be conversant with current business models and practice around the agricultural sub-sector.
e) Practical application of cross cutting themes like gender mainstreaming, and gender competence, M&E, advocacy.
f) Good spoken and written communication skills in English and Somali.
g) Proven experience of using participatory tools and methodology.
h) Past experiences working on crop value chain development will be an added advantage.
How to apply:
All interested in providing this consultancy service are required to submit a Technical proposal and a Financial Proposal by email to somo_supplychain@wvi.org on or before 1600Hrs Monday 10th December 2018