Job Description

Posted on June 7, 2021

SNV Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV) is a not-for-profit international development organisation founded in the Netherlands in 1965, with local presence in over 25 developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. SNV provides advisory services, knowledge networking and supporting advocacy in the agriculture, water, sanitation and hygiene and renewable energy sectors. Driven by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), SNV makes a lasting difference in the lives of people living in poverty by helping them raise incomes and access basic services.
SNV is implementing the Increasing Climate Resilience in Energy & Agriculture Systems and Entrepreneurship (INCREASE) project. The project aims to address the major challenge of climate change that farmers, agribusinesses and SMEs are facing. To achieve this the project will strengthen the adaptive capacity of agricutural and energy systems as well as the promotion of climate smart (CS) diversification practices and productive use of renewable energy (RE). While doing this the project will also ensure that women and youths are targeted in all activities. The INCREASE project will be working in following value chains:
Horticulture
Cotton
Dairy
While working in these value chains the project will also promote integration of renewable sources of energy such as Solar and Biogas energy both for household use and productive use (example for irrigation and cooling).
As the project aims to address the major challenge of climate change that farmers, agribusinesses and SMEs are facing using a value chain approach, the project intends to get indepth understanding of how the markets of the three value chain operate in a wider context through conducting a market system analysis.
Besides climate change, other external factors are impacting the market system of each individual value chain. The most notable one is the Covid 19 pandemic, which in turn is likely affecting the international markets of cotton and dairy as well as the regional (mainly South African) market for horticulture.
While identification of challenges is an important part of this assignment, SNV is particularly keen to identify opportunities to turn these challenges around, stabilize supply chains and increase profits and incomes.
The market system analysis will be conducted in Copperbelt, Eastern and Southern provinces to inform the implementation of activities that will enhance entrepreneurship among the various actors the project will be working with.
This assignment has been published before but the procurement result was not successful. It was then decided to partially conduct the assignment in-house with backstopping support from SNV’s global “Climate & Business” pool of experts. One expert has been identified but does not have sufficient time to allocate to Zambia. It was suggested to identify a support consultant with excellent climate related knowledge as well as an intimate knowledge of the Zambian context. This support consultant will be collaborating closely with the third member of the team: a Zambian value chain expert.
The Terms of Reference spelled out below reflects the overall assignment. Specific deliverables for the supporting consultant are distinguished explicitly.
Aims and Objectives
Aim: The market system analysis seeks to deepen the understanding of the dynamics impacting markets for Horticulture, Cotton and Dairy in the selected locations and identify opportunities to turn these challenges around, stabilize supply chains and increase profits and incomes.
Market System Analysis Specific Objectives:
To review existing research and literature on the markets of selected value chains in the selected locations, focusing on enhancing climate resilience
Analysis of current market models for each value chain and recommend more climate resilient marketing models that the respective agribusinesses or producer organizations can adopt under the project
Analysis of both the formal and informal factors affecting markets
Analysis of access and distance factors affecting the respective value chains. This includes new barriers such as the closure of the South African border, leading to shortages of imported dairy and horticulture products (and possibly opportunities for the Zambian market to jump in)
Analysis of market information and communication factors, including access to farming and energy knowledge by farm households
Analysis of financial factors and opportunities, including for example crop insurance
Analysis of the current market trends in terms of market demand and supply, price-scheduling mechanisms, market determinant factors and opportunities for climate resilient products and services that can help increase benefits for the poor and promote inclusive, climate resilient growth and competitiveness
Analysis of policies that affect market access including relevant Government policies and identify gaps in policy to enhance markets access for the selected value chains
Analysis of possible potential risks the project beneficiaries may face in accessing markets and suggest possible mitigation measures
Identification of market opportunities for climate resilient practices.
Determine the capacity of producers to adjust to more climate resilient practices and give estimates on the supply of volumes required by the market, access to support services, financing and market information.
Suggest practical improvements in the value chain system to ensure direct linkages of the farmers with the major markets and increased incomes from their crops, products and services
Estimation of the market segment for climate smart products and services for the three the value chains
Tasks for Consultant(s)
The consultants -including the support consultant whose focus is mainly on climate change specific factors affecting the respective market systems for cotton, dairy and horticulture – shall jointly undertake a desk review and field study to include but not limited to the following:
Literature Review – The consultants will have to review the existing market analysis/assessments in the target areas and value chains.
Field study – to collect data to enable the consultants to achieve the above-mentioned market analysis objectives.
At all times use a gender and youth lens in their work.
Methodology
In undertaking this assignment, the Zambia based consultants will operate within the prevailing government restrictions on travel and gatherings due to Covid 19 and adapt the approach below:
Interviews – the consultants will arrange interviews with key informants (beneficiaries, producers, input suppliers, major buyers, vendors and consumers etc)
Focus Group Discussions – the consultants will have to conduct at least one FGD per value chain per district with the targeted beneficiaries
Ensure that women and youth are adequately represented at all times
The consultants will be required to conduct a SWOT analysis for all the value chains
SNV will provide the means to enable virtual interviews.
As a general rule, the division of labour between the two Zambian based consultants will be that climate change related aspects will be led by the supporting consultant, while the value chain related aspects are led by the main consultant. Overall oversight as well as final review and quality control and coherence of the study with the global SNV Climate & Business “product” will be provided by the SNV climate change expert based in Vietnam.
Location
The Consultants shall undertake field work within the Covid 19 conditions laid out above in the following areas:
Greater Solwezi area for horticulture
Greater Mazabuka/Choma area for dairy and women
Petauke, Nyimba for cotton
Lundazi for women and youth
Activities and indicative timeframe
Inception report presentation 1 day
Develop repository for documents to be analysed 2days
Review and analyse relevant documents in context of identified areas 7 days
Preliminary report on desk study conclusions 3 days
Development of data collection tools to be used for the field study 2 days
Review of developed data collection tools for the field study 2 days
Design data collection plan 1 Data collection plan and budget 1 day
Conduct Field study through focus groups and KIIs 19 days
Prepare and submit report on Desk and field study using the provided report template 3 days
TOTAL (days) 40
Expected level of Effort
The assignment is expected to be completed over a period of 6 weeks of which the consultants are to work a total of 40 full days. This is expected to be divided amongst the three experts as follows:
25 days: value chain expert
10 days: support expert climate change
5 days: backstopping, quality control and coherence with SNV C&B Product.
The Assignment is planned to start in June 2020 and end latest in August 2020
Deliverables
The three experts will agree at the outset of the assignment on how exactly to divide the work. This will be discussed with SNV and requires SNV approval.
Deliverable 1: Inception report
Deliverable 2: Preliminary report on desk study
Deliverable 3: Draft data collection tools for FGDs and for KII
Deliverable 4: Feedback workshop
Deliverable 5: Final report on the desk study and field study including KIIs and Focus group discussion outcomes using the provided report template.
Profile
Proven track record in conducting market system analysis in agriculture value chains, experience or working knowledge in the renewable energy sector desirable
Proven track record in climate change in a Zambian and international context
Solid experience in designing and carrying out key informant interviews and Focus Group Discussions
Good understanding of the agribusiness sector in Zambia
Experience in data collection and data analysis
Experience in financial projections
Proficiency in English and any relevant local languages
Self-motivated and able to work closely as a team.
Mandatory requirements
Detailed Technical Proposal
Detailed Financial Proposal
CVs of the proposed team
Company profile
Certificate of incorporation
Valid tax clearance certificate
Valid ZPPA certificate
TPIN Certificate
Annual report (incl. financial report) of last 2 financial years
Physical and official email address
Provide three (3) business client referees within the past five (5) years.
Application Criteria
Only electronic submissions will be accepted.
Submission should be made through zambiaprocurement@snv.org not later than 17:30hrs, 15th June, 2021.
For any clarifications, contact zambiaprocurement@snv.org.
Note
SNV Zambia may requests for further necessary information during the evaluation.
SNV will only contact the successful bidder (s) within the period of 2 weeks from the closing date of submission.