UNDP Jobs - 66192- Agriculture and Food Value Chain Analysis Consulta

Agriculture and Food Value Chain Analysis Consultant

Location :

Sarajevo, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

20-May-16 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

National Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

Up to 100 days in the period of June - October 2016.

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

The Local Integrated Development (LID) project is primarily funded by the European Union and co-funded and implemented by UNDP BiH. As part of the UNDP BiH’s Rural and Regional Development Sector’s portfolio, the LID Project has an overall objective to raise the standards of living, and improve social cohesion in Bosnia and Herzegovina through inclusive sustainable socio-economic development. LID interventions are streamlined along two main pillars: governance, and economic development and job creation. LID will work with 21 selected local governments, grouped together in 4 geographic clusters in the areas primarily affected by floods and areas with a large percentage of returnees/internally displaced persons. The main beneficiaries of the project are 21 local governments, 30 MSMEs and 300 rural households, 50 civil society organizations and grass-root citizens’ groups in target communities, 5,000 members of socially excluded and vulnerable groups, and 3 relevant higher government level institutions. The main national partners are the BiH Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees, the RS Ministry of Administration and Local Self-Government, the FBiH Ministry of Development, Entrepreneurship and Crafts and both entity Associations of Municipalities and Cities.
Within its second pillar, LID Project will support identification, mapping and performance appraisal of high value, promising value chains, SMEs and their supply chain environment specifically in the food and agriculture sectors, and result in actionable recommendations for improvement.

Documents to be included when submitting the proposals:

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:

Letter of Interest with brief description of the previous related experience
Financial proposal - The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount (in BAM) and would include a breakdown of this lump sum amount (including daily fee, travel, per diems, etc.).
Completed and signed UNDP Personal History Form (downloadable from http://www.ba.undp.org/content/bosnia_and_herzegovina/en/home/operations/jobs.html) including past experience in similar projects and at least 3 references.

Evaluation

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the Cumulative analysis. The award of the contract will be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

Responsive/compliant/acceptable, and
Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical (70%) and financial (30%) criteria specific to the solicitation.

Note:

For an assignment requiring travel, consultants of 62 years or more require full medical examination and statement of fitness to work to engage in the consultancy.
Due to large number of potential applicants, only competitively selected candidates will be contacted for remaining steps of the service procurement process.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Consultant will closely work with other four consultants and the LID Value Chains Analysis Coordinator to conduct the value chains analyses in 21 localities. Although the value chains analyses will be conducted in each of 21 selected localities, the purpose of this assignment is to analyze priority value chains that could be further developed in the selected localities. This means that the primary focus is on relevant value chains and not on locality, whereas local resources (economic, social, natural, human etc.) will be utilized to value chains advancement, thus, contributing to the inclusion of particular locality into the existing value chain. By conducting the value chains analyses, the Consultant will create one report per sector including all priority value chains identified through the analysis.
The LID Value Chains Analysis Coordinator will lead the team for the entire consultancy and will actively coordinate activities among all sectoral experts. The LID Value Chains Analysis Coordinator will also provide methodological guidance to all sectoral experts for conducting of value chains analyses. All five consultants and LID Value Chains Analysis Coordinator will use provided methodological guidance but will also propose any changes or adjustments that could benefit the analysis. Furthermore, the tools (data collection and analysis) and reports to be used during the assignment are also described in the Tasks descriptions below. The proposed adjustments by the Consultant, if any, for methodology, tools and reports need to be approved by UNDP and the LID Project Team prior to the start of analysis.

Scope of work
The consultancy will consist of the following key tasks:

Identification of most promising value chains within the food and agriculture sectors;
Mapping of value chains within the food and agriculture sectors;
Analyzing value chain activities and performance;
Identifying value chain performance constraints and development opportunities;
Defining economic development interventions based on the value chains analysis

Task 1: Identification of most promising value chains within the food and agriculture sectors:
The Consultant will propose the selection of the value chains for mapping by:

Performing a desk review of available data to identify the value chains within the food and agriculture sectors in the here-above named localities, which offer prospects for growth and development. In addition, the consultant will use available social-economic data and analysis conducted as part of the LID Project’s local strategic planning process in 7 selected target localities (Foca, Goražde, Konjic, Vareš, Živinice, Celinac, Novi Grad), specifically from their detailed situation analyses in the economic sector. Proposed value chains development recommendations will be submitted as priority actions within the local development strategies of 7 partner local governments. In those localities where development strategies have been already adopted, the value chain development recommendations could be used in strategy revision process.
Undertaking a brief market assessment to identify local, national and regional trends, market size, supply and demand gaps, imports and exports, distribution networks, etc. The market assessment will be conducted by desk review, interviews, questionnaires and other relevant means.
Verifying drivers and constraints of the identified value chains, namely market competition, available performance data, as well as the production, trade, and main competitiveness factors that impact the performance of the sector under study (including potential poverty reduction impact).
Reviewing the legal and regulatory environment in which the value chain operates. This review will focus on policies, incentives, available export promotion tools, financing of tangible and intangible capital outlays, training, employment, quality promotion, certification, standardization, competition, research and development, and partnerships.
Holding consultations with the stakeholders to determine specific value chains appropriate for further analysis. The Consultant needs to hold consultation with at least 5 lead companies within analyzed sector, and at least 2 non-private sector stakeholders (government, associations, development agencies etc.) per locality.
Wherever possible and available, using data from the local development strategy as the basis for the analysis.
Wherever possible and available, using already conducted value chains analyses in the past through local governments and/or other development agencies .
Using a ranking score of potential value chains, if applicable, to facilitate the selection process.

Expected outputs for Task 1:

Prepare an interim report, as a part of the Task 1, that will serve to the LID Project Team to decide which value chains within food and agriculture sectors should be included in the further tasks required by this consultancy. The report should not be longer than 10 pages. The general structure of report is provided below.
Identify up to 3 most promising value chains per targeted sector including
Section on drivers and constraints
Section on market assessment
Ranking of most promising value chains

The Interim Report structure mimics the Final Report the Consultant needs to produce but it does not contain as detailed analysis and data presentation. The purpose of this report is to provide guidance for focused analytical work that will follow in the Tasks 2-6.

Interim Report structure:

1. Introduction

General features and trends of the selected sector in 21 localities.

2. Executive summary

3. Value chain mapping

Analysis of the relations between actors and stakeholders:
Geographical positioning of value chain
Localities and communities involved in particular value chain
Resources localities provide/feed into the value chain
Chain stakeholders
Actors and their functions
Supporters and their functions
Influencers and their functions
Flow of products along the chain (types and volumes)

4. Baseline information, covering at least:

Number of enterprises active in the chain/product groups (if not exact, then estimate)
Value addition at each step of the value chain (if not exact, then estimate)
Currently exported volumes and amounts for the selected value chain (Volume and domestic sales and exports EU/Regional in EUR)

5. Opportunities, bottlenecks and constraints along the value chain, covering at least:

Market opportunities
Key bottlenecks preventing domestic sales and exports
Summary: What are the main constraints (cluster constraints to max 8 key issues)?

Task 2: Mapping the value chains in the food and agriculture sectors
The Consultant will carry out the value chain mapping exercise, which includes:

Describing the structure and flow of the chain in logical clusters – the various actors of the chain, the links among them, and the whole range of chain operations from pre-production (supply of inputs) to industrial processing and marketing. Since the value chains will most likely be operational beyond the geographic area of one locality, the Consultant should, whenever possible, use the opportunity to link the value chains across different localities and/or regions.
Quantifying the value chain, which involves adding detail to the basic data collected under the task 1 (structure and flow). Depending on the level of detail needed for the research entry point, this exercise will focus, but will not be limited to, the elements such as: size and scale of main actors, production volume, number of jobs, sales and export destinations and concentration, policy and regulatory framework, etc. The Consultant will also perform the field spot check of data received through secondary data collection to verify the accuracy and relevance of data. The spot check of data should be done for each locality but with different data sets.
Holding meetings with stakeholders, including various actors from the entire chain, and gathering information for the mapping exercise prior to moving on to analyze the value chain performance.

Expected outputs for Task 2:

Presentation of structure, flow and quantifiable data for each value chain. The conclusions should be presented in short written report, either in word or excel format with maximum of 1 page length per value chain.

Task 3: Analyzing value chains’ activities and performance
Under this task, the Consultant will analyze the performance and the state of competitiveness of the selected value chains, in the context of national and global trends in the targeted industry. Thus, the Consultant will:

Identify key quantitative and qualitative indicators (time, cost, value added and productivity at each stage etc.) for the selected value chains.
Analyze the value chains’ external factors of competitiveness, including their economic and social environment, as well as their industrial and technological environment.
Analyze the value chains’ technological capacities, including utilization of inputs, the production system and the products manufactured.
Carry out an economic performance analysis and benchmarking against potential competitors.

Expected outputs for Task 3:

Presentation of the key performance indicators for each value chain. The key performance indicators should be presented in an excel table.

Task 4: Identifying value chain performance constraints and development opportunities
The Consultant is expected to define lacking competitiveness drivers (chain constraints) and analyze opportunities for further value chains’ development. This will entail:

Facilitating the definition of the value chains’ development prospects and objectives by taking into consideration the findings of the mapping exercise and of the overall techno-economic assessment.
Identifying constraints and ranking them in accordance to their impact on backward and forward linkages.
Identifying development opportunities in the value chains and their ranking in terms of impact, short, mid or long term feasibility, etc.
Identifying the value chains which can have particularly positive impact on the livelihoods of the poor, returnees, IDPs or other vulnerable groups, including flood affected population. In addition, the Consultant should identify the impact the inclusion of poor, returnees, IDPs or other vulnerable groups in identified value chains can have on their livelihoods.

In consultation with the stakeholders, the Consultant will perform the SWOT analysis in order to identify value chains’ performance constraints and development opportunities.

Expected outputs for Task 4:

Preparation of a draft analysis report, containing findings from the Tasks 2-4.

Task 5: Defining economic development interventions based on the value chains analysis
Under this task, the Consultant will formulate development initiatives for the value chains, entailing:

Formulation of scaling up strategy for each value chain, including a list of concrete interventions required, and the related investment gaps.
Recommendations on the policies and measures geared towards enhancing the competitiveness of each value chain for each locality and/or cluster. The aforementioned should also encompass the support services, namely technology, financing, investment and export promotion, etc. These recommendations should take form of 1 to 2 page documents.
The clarification of roles and responsibilities for the implementation of the scaling up activities, as well as recommended policies and measures for improved competitiveness.
Conduct synergy mapping where the Consultant will create an intervention matrix including similar measure suggested and implemented by other UNDP-implemented projects (e.g. ILDP, M&D, MEG, etc.) or by other agencies (USAID, GIZ, SDC, Sida, IFC, etc.) to avoid overlap, and to create synergies where possible.

Expected outputs for Task 5:

Provide recommendations for possible economic development interventions and scaling up strategies for each value chain in written format. The recommendations should be 1 to 2 pages long. Each value chain should have at least 4 recommendations that can influence future value chain growth.
Prepare a final report that will include the findings gathered as part of tasks 1-5. The report structure is provided below.
Present the most important findings and recommendations as noted in the final report to the LID Project Team. This presentation will be conducted by LID Value Chains Analysis Coordinator whereas LID Value Chain Expert Food and Agriculture will provide an expert analytical inputs and advice.

Value Chain Analysis Report Structure
Table of contents Value Chain Analysis Report

1. Introduction

General features and trends of the selected sectors in the region.

2. Executive summary

3. Value chain mapping
Visualize the relations between actors and stakeholders:

Geographical positioning of value chain
Localities and communities involved in particular value chain
Resources localities provide/feed into the value chain
Chain stakeholders
Actors and their functions
Supporters and their functions
Influencers and their functions
Flow of products along the chain (types and volumes)

4. Baseline information, covering at least:

Number of enterprises active in the chain/product groups (if not exact, than estimate)
Value addition at each step of the value chain (if not exact, than estimate)
Currently exported volumes and amounts for the selected value chain (Volume and domestic sales and exports EU/Regional in EUR)
Trends in supply and demand

5. Opportunities, bottlenecks and constraints along the value chain, covering at least:

What are the market opportunities? What is the demand in the local market? For which sub-sectors/products and from which EU markets is there a demand?
What are the key bottlenecks/constraints preventing growth along the value chain domestic sales and exports?
Are these bottlenecks/constraints critical? Are they solvable?
Donor scan: which bottlenecks/constraints are solved by other donors/projects?
What bottlenecks/constraints can be solved by UNDP?
Visual representation

6. Recommendations for the UNDP economic development efforts, with a focus on interventions needed to ensure that the value chain performs well

Recommended activities (type and number of interventions): a) to enhance capacity to serve customers in the domestic market and in the import-export link, b) to achieve sustainable income generation with the focus on returnees and IDPs, c) to ensure effective business support, d) to inform local policy makers (or combinations of these).
How much increase in sales and exports is expected to result from the recommended interventions (target and attribution estimation)?
What are opportunities for synergies due to integrated approach/alliances with other organisations actively supporting that value chain?
Risk analysis (overview of issues related to Corporate Social Responsibility, human rights, political stability, other donor activities etc. to be considered when planning activities for the short, medium and long term).
Result chains (see Section c. Research and analytical methodologies, Value chains mapping and Constraints).
Draft Result chains for the chosen export value chain(s) (see Section c. Research and analytical methodologies, Value chains mapping).

Competencies

Core values

Demonstrates integrity and fairness by modeling UN values and ethical standards
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability

Results-Orientation:

Plans and produces quality results to meet established goals, generates innovative, practical solutions to challenging situations.
Demonstrates professional competence and is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results.

Communication:

Excellent communication skills, including the ability to convey complex concepts and recommendations, both orally and in writing, in a clear and persuasive style tailored to match different audiences.

Team work:

Ability to interact, establish and maintain effective working relations with a culturally diverse team.

Client orientation:

Ability to establish and maintain productive partnerships with national partners and stakeholders and pro-activeness in identifying of beneficiaries and partners’ needs, and matching them to appropriate solutions.

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualifications:

University degree in agriculture, food technologies, food production, or other relevant area. Advanced university degree is an asset.

Experience:

At least 5 years of direct experience in the field of business development in food and agriculture sectors;
Practical experience in conducting value chain analyses in food and agriculture sectors;
Experience in poverty reduction initiatives through livelihood development for rural communities;
Demonstrable knowledge on pro-poor value chain development and participatory methods.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in both written and spoken BiH languages and English language is required.