Background

Poverty reduction and growth are the highest priorities of the Government. The Rectangular Strategy Phase III reaffirms government’s commitment to prioritize policies and investment in support of agriculture; infrastructure; private sector development and employment; and human resources development. The global economic crisis and the rise in food and fuel prices have led the RGC to adopt a dual approach. This aims to increase national competitiveness and diversify the economy; and to expand the social protection and safety nets

The government has identified agriculture as the top priority for Cambodia’s socio-economic development, focusing on increasing productivity and diversifying within this sector. This is clearly reflected in the Rectangular Strategy III and the NSDP IV both covering the period 2014-2018. Similarly, the Cambodia Trade Integration Strategy 2014-2018 (CTIS 2014-2018) stresses the need for Cambodia to strengthen and accelerate the diversification of its export base above and beyond its original, two core export sectors – garments and tourism.  To support this, major strategic orientation, CTIS identifies: (1) 10 product and service export potentials for export development focus (including cassava) (2) “cross-cutting” reforms and institutional developments required to unleash growth in those potential exports; and, (3) capacity developments in areas of trade policy and Aid for Trade management. The strategy was endorsed by the Sub-Steering Committee on Trade and Trade-Related Investment in December 2013 (the Committee serves as National Steering Committee for all Aid for Trade in Cambodia) and launched officially by H.E. Prime Minister Hun Sen in February 2014
This is also in line with the results of the country’s Trade Policy Review undertaken in 2011 in partnership with the World Trade Organization (WTO) that calls for Cambodia to move away from its dependency on garment and rice and urges to diversify and expand the country’s export basis.

Cassava is the second largest agricultural crop in Cambodia and growing rapidly.  Statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) indicates production of nearly 4.250 million MT in 2010, up from 3.5 million MT in 2009.  MAFF sources estimate that 2013 production reached almost 8 million MT. The fast-growing importance of the sector for export diversification and export revenues cannot be underestimated.  Additionally, the sector might have been generating anywhere between $300 to $400 million worth of “informal” export revenues in 2013.  Even though Cassava has become the second largest agricultural crop in term or income, employment, hectares cultivated, and exports (more on this in the next section), there is very little technical assistance support provided to the sector.

This lack of technical support is potentially serious considering cassava cultivation could have ecological consequences. Research has shown that continuous cassava cultivation on small plots could contribute to serious nutrient depletion and deterioration of chemical and physical conditions of the soil. When grown on even gentle slopes, continuous cassava cultivation could even contribute to soil erosion. But it need not be the case: cassava cultivation can be made sustainable using proper methodologies or when part of a sustainable integrated system.

The Ministry of Commerce and UNDP Cambodia have partnered since 2008 to tackle the above challenges and provide know-how and best practices to Cambodia’s cassava sector. One key instrument developed under this cooperation was a Value Chain Analysis of the cassava sector carried out in 2009. Five year later, increased investment in the sector coupled with interests from new buyers (from China) for raw and processed cassava products meant that Cambodia’s cassava value chain is changing deeply. Thus, UNDP wishes to update the existing Value Chain study as a tool to assess where support provided through the CEDEP II project could be best used.

UNDP, in its CPAP, has vowed to support the above goals of economic diversification and poverty reduction and the human capital development and competitiveness issues. Similarly, at the request of the Government, UNDP has decided to re-engage deeply in the trade sector, trade being an engine for economic growth, through the creation of a dedicated project within UNDP

The Cassava component will contribute directly to:

• UNDAF outcome on “promotion of equitable, green, diversified economic growth”
• CPAP Outcome #1 on Poverty Reduction: strengthening national and sub-national capacities to develop a more diversified, sustainable and equitable economy.
• CPAP Output #1.1: supporting human capital development and institutional capacity for selected sectors of importance for the diversification of the economy
• CPAP Outcome #2: enabling national and local authorities, communities and the private sector to sustainably manage eco-system goods and services and respond to climate change

The Cambodian Cassava sector still focuses much on planting and export of fresh roots and dry chips. Such production and trading system hinders the sector not to create more values and distribute much back to its chains. Especially, when the price drop during the last two years, the system could not respond well to maintain the sector since it depends on neighboring countries to export dry chips to a single market. China’s corn reservation policy and its stock release, has affected cassava price in the region and make most farmers in Cambodia and the region lose some portion of their profits.

Amidst of this circumstance, there is an opportunity for the project to implement its new approaches addressing the facing situation while strengthening the cassava value chains. Rather than focusing much on dry chips, the project supports the export of high quality, possibly organic, cassava starch to markets.

Starch is better than dry chip as it provides more values to local economies and its markets are diverse and growing year on year so less risky than dry chip market which is monopolistic. Most values therefore can create locally, retain and distribute to different levels in rural economies. Essentially, there are a couple of starch processing plants building credit in starch markets and are putting concerted efforts to expand their business by improving themselves to be competitive starch exporters.

Since SPS is a main Non-Tariff Barrier for Cambodia, the project will work with the government’s related ministries to address issues and assist and exporters to comply with standards and practice requirements. In line with this, the project is looking for a Consultant to support in this area - SPS Consultant- Cassava Based Products.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under this assignment, the consultant will work in close collaboration with the Consultant to Support Cassava Policy Formulation and Access to Markets.

Through this assignment, the consultant will deliver the following outputs:

1. Technical report on SPS produced with the level of quality required. The report shall provide the overall understanding about SPS situation in Cambodia, brief analysis about the challenges and areas need further support, and for cassava sector context (for different types of Cambodia cassava product). The report shall highlight the case studies for India market, market in Asia, and EU as well, with the analysis on the specific challenges to reach out to those markets, analysis on the different options to response to the relevant requirement putting in the context of Cambodia cassava sector currently. The report shall end with practical recommendations to response to SPS requirements of those markets in the short, medium, and longer term. Since the project will organize trade mission to India, and potentially Malaysia and Indonesia markets, the consultant will need to update the case studies on those markets and the relevant sections in the report accordingly following the trade mission;
2. Present the report finding during the capacity building workshop for the project beneficiaries prior to the relevant trade mission(s) to India market and potentially to Malaysia and Indonesia markets respectively (expectedly 2 capacity building workshops will be organized before the trade missions);
3. Documented the progress made, challenges, lesson learnt, and suggested way forward on responding to SPS requirement on the potential markets based on the experience generated from the project interventions. This brief documentation report will be submitted to the relevant stakeholders for their follow up, to either relevant government agencies or other development agencies as deems useful for cassava sector;
4. Present the update finding from the report during the capacity building workshop to the project beneficiaries following the trade missions to India market and potentially Malaysia and Indonesia markets (expectedly 2 workshops are going to be organized as the follow up action after the trade mission);
5. Based on the knowledge generated on SPS either from the consultant technical expertise, knowledge of best practices from other countries that can be applied to Cambodia, and as well from the practical support through the project, produce brief paper on SPS. This paper will be used as part of the support to the overall cassava policy development.

The consultants should carry out function as below:

• Develop the work plan to deliver the assignment by closely consultant with the Consultant to Support Cassava Policy Formulation and Access to Markets and project focal person;
• With support from project focal person, in close consultation with the Consultant to Support Cassava Policy Formulation and Access to Markets, produce the stakeholder consultations in Cambodia;
• Conduct stakeholder consultations in Cambodia with logistic support from the project team;
• Review the secondary data about the relevant SPS study/analysis work in Cambodia and other relevant piece of work in other countries that can bring in and customize in Cambodia context;
• Work closely with the Consultant to Support Cassava Policy Formulation and Access to Markets to produce the outline of the technical report on SPS, presentation for the stakeholder’s capacity building workshop, outline of the SPS knowledge documentation, and as well on the brief note for the overall cassava policy development;
• Based on the secondary data and as well stakeholder consultation, conduct analysis and produce the draft report in line with the agreed outline of the report;
• Present the draft report to the stakeholder and produce the final report with all comment incorporated with the level of quality required;
• Present his/her work during the stakeholder capacity building workshop both pre-trade mission and post-trade missions;
• Produce the draft of the lesson learnt documentation on the SPS, present to stakeholder, and produce the final version with all the comments incorporated at the level of quality required;
• Produce the draft of the brief on SPS to support the overall work on cassava policy development, present the draft to stakeholders, and produce the the final version with all the comment incorporated at the level of quality required;
• Work closely to keep update on the progress of his/her assignment to the assigned project focal person as required.

Interested Offerors must visit this link http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=39066  to download Individual Consultant Procurement Notice, Terms of Reference, and Document Templates to be included when submitting this online application.

Competencies

• Time management (in managing deliverables);
• Team management;
• Professionalism, courtesy, patience;
• Outstanding inter-cultural communication, networking and coordination skills.
   

Required Skills and Experience

Education: 

• At least Master Degree in Agricultural Safety and Health, International Business and relevant disciplines, preferable with SPS expertise

Experience:

• Substantial knowledge on Trade analysis, SPS regulations and measures, product standards, and accreditation system;
• Specific knowledge on SPS on India, EU, and Asian market with on Indonesia and Malaysia is a strong asset;
• More than 5 years of working experience on SPS related to agricultural commodities, preferable with cassava-based products such as dry chip and starch;
• More than 5 years of working experience with international agencies and programs, preferably with UN agencies;
• Record of conducting analysis of Non-Tariff measures/ SPS survey and having at least one or more assignment (s) done before as lead consultant/researcher.

Language Requirement:

• Excellent written and oral English