Biovision Africa Trust Hiring

1.Introduction.

Biovision Africa Trust (BvAT) and PELUM Uganda wish to recruit a consultant to undertake organic sector analysis in Burundi, Ethiopia and Madagascar to explore the potential of bringing these countries aboard the Knowledge Center for Organic Agriculture (KCOA) in Eastern Africa project. Biovision Africa Trust is the Lead coordinating agency with cohosting arrangement with Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM) Uganda. The overall goal of KCOA is to ensure that Ecological Organic Agriculture is integrated into the Eastern Africa agricultural systems. The project is coordinated in Africa by GIZ with funding from BMZ Special Initiative One-World-No-Hunger (SEWOH). The project has the Continental Digital Knowledge Platform to introduce knowledge hubs successfully as an innovative strategy for promoting organic agriculture with actors in the regions of Western, Eastern, Southern, and Northern Africa while the fifth regional knowledge hub in Central Africa is undergoing partner selection. The project is aligned with the Ecological Organic Agriculture Initiative (EOA-I), an African Union-led continental undertaking currently rolled out in 9 African countries with the oversight of the African Union Commission (AUC) Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture. The oversight is provided through the Continental Steering Committee (CSC) of the EOA-I.

The KCOA Project aims to stimulate adoption of sustainable farming systems supported by an integrated knowledge management system that embraces knowledge generation, extension and application. The following strategies form the project implementation:

Integrated Knowledge Management Systems Strategy

Avail authenticated knowledge on organic farming practices and technologies, in appropriate formats to various actors along the value chain (farmers, input suppliers, processors, marketers, transporters and traders, consumers, etc.).

Dissemination and Capacity Building Strategy

Provide a suite of tools and approaches of disseminating information and knowledge in (a) above for use by various multipliers (model farms, individual farmers, members of organizations, trainers, trainers of trainers, leaders within farmer associations / processing / marketing units, nutritionists, etc.). Build and strengthen capacity of multipliers including community change agents, Rural Service Providers (RSPs) to provide and disseminate knowledge and various services including trainings to farmers and other target groups.

Market Systems Development and Networking Strategy

Strengthen local markets through business support services and promote affordable alternative certification processes particularly Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) and Internal Control Systems (ICS)

2. Scope of the Consultancy

The Eastern Africa knowledge hub aims to support most of the countries in the region. This study therefore aims to explore the possibility of bringing onboard three more countries in the region namely, Ethiopia, Burundi and Madagascar. To prepare for this possibility, a scoping mission with support of local consultants will be undertaken between October and December 2020, and initial findings reported to GIZ and the EOA CSC in December 2020. The purpose of the scoping mission will be to provide the needed background information to explore potential for effectively integrating the three countries in the development of interventions for creation, utilization, and transfer of knowledge and enhance access to markets for organic produce on local, domestic, and international level under the KCOA project.

Specific tasks of the Consultant:

The organic sector analysis will specifically be undertaken through the following tasks:

  1. Assess status of the organic sector in the three countries – size of land under organic agriculture, number of organic farmers (certified or non-certified), types and annual volumes of organic products (certified and non-certified).
  2. Identify main information sources for agriculture in general and organic agriculture in particular, and who manages such sources.
  3. Identify types of institutions, organizations and programmes supporting farmers’ knowledge, attitudes and uptake of organic practices and/or technologies.
  4. Identify the major organic value chains and actors involved in these value chains, and which possible actors (organizations and groups of individuals) can be engaged as partners in a regional knowledge hub.
  5. Identify types of information, knowledge and training needs for the various actors involved in the main value chains of organic products
  6. Describe what conducive environment is available for the development of the organic sector and the opportunities and challenges (technical, social and economic, etc.)

Expected Deliverables/Outputs:

We expect the study to be closely linked with the project implementation monitoring and evaluation framework to allow data collected to be replicated if necessary during ongoing activity monitoring, mid-term review and for any subsequent evaluations. We expect the scoping mission to provide the minimum information required to assess the potential of successfully introducing this project in the three countries.

Specifically, the expected key outputs of the assessment are:

  1. Inception Report: to include the understanding of the assignment, initial work plan and proposal for the rapid organic sector analysis outlining the proposed methodology, sampling, data collection tools, process of data collection and analysis.
  2. Draft survey report which will be submitted for feedback from BvAT and PELUM Uganda.
  3. Final Report (To include; Executive Summary; Introduction; Methodology; Findings of the organic sector analysis; Conclusions and Recommendations as per objectives of the assignment)
  4. Electronic annexes with the site-by-site raw data used for the analysis.

Time frame

The successful consultant will be required to execute the assignment within 8 weeks from the date of signing the contract.

Requirements /Qualifications

The evaluation will be conducted by a team of consultants with the team leader having the following main qualifications:

  • At least a master’s degree or equivalent in agriculture, sociology, development studies, economics or related social sciences.
  • At least 5 years of experience in conducting baseline studies, mid-term and end-term assessment/evaluations, impact assessments or similar assignments in agricultural development programmes and projects and in evaluation of governance systems.
  • Demonstrated ability to assess complex situations to analyze critical issues succinctly and clearly and draw conclusions and recommendations.
  • Proven in-depth understanding and consulting experiences on institutional set-up of complex development programmes.
  • Consultants with base or partners in Eastern Africa will be preferred.
  • Previous work experience in Africa is essential.
  • Excellent communication and writing skills in English. French will be an added advantage.

Background Materials

Interested candidates should submit the following:

  1. Technical proposal covering the following components:
    1. Their understanding of the assignment based on the terms of reference.
    2. Proposed methodology with appropriate data collection tools and data analysis techniques and sample size determination for conducting the assignment.
    3. Proposed timeframe detailing activities and a work plan.
    4. Addressing the selection criteria including how the candidate’s previous experience matches the consultancy objectives and their interest for the assignment.
    5. Team composition and level of effort of each proposed team member
  2. Financial proposal showing the total cost of conducting the sector analysis study, breakdown of consultancy costs (including costing of each member of the team, man-days for each team member), travel and other costs linked to this assignment.
  3. At least one sample report of a similar assignment conducted in the past three years.
  4. Detailed curriculum vitae of the consultant(s) to be involved in the assignment, with relevant supporting documents (including detailed work experience, education/degrees, and details of similar assignments)
  5. Names and contacts of three professional references (phone numbers and email).
  6. A one-page write-up showing why you are most suitable for undertaking the consultancy.

If you believe you are the right candidate for the above consultancy and can clearly demonstrate your ability to meet the indicated qualifications, then submit the above mentioned documents to [email protected] with the subject heading: Consultancy for Conducting Organic Sector Analysis under the Knowledge Center for Organic Agriculture in Eastern Africa.

Deadline for applications is on October 30, 2020. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for further reviews

Press ESC to close