Analysis and Mapping - Consultant

Work Arrangement:

Job Description

1. Background and justification

The Republic of Burundi is a landlocked country at the heart of the Great Lakes region. Located in east-central Africa, it has no access to the sea, but does have a large lake, Lake Tanganyika. With its mountainous terrain, Burundi covers an area of 27,834 km2, with an estimated population density of 310 inhabitants per km2, rising to 400 in some provinces. The proportion of women of childbearing age (12 - 49) is 54.1%, revealing an early fertility rate. This very high density generates strong land pressure on arable land, inevitably leading to the fragmentation of farms and a reduction in grazing land, with the major consequences of worsening the already difficult access to arable land, the lack of organic and mineral fertilizers, and poor policy dissemination in relation to modern farming methods. These factors are reinforced by a growing demography in all areas, especially in rural areas.

Burundi is a predominantly rural country, with 87% of its population living in rural areas, which explains why its economy is essentially agricultural. The primary sector (agriculture, livestock breeding and fishing) employs a large proportion of the working population (90%), particularly women (55.2%), compared with 8% for the tertiary sector and only 2% for the secondary sector.

To improve the economic situation of producers from vulnerable groups, the AVSI, IRC, BBIN and DSIK consortium has developed a flagship project on : "Support for entrepreneurship in the agricultural sector (SESA)". The SESA project will be implemented over a 42-month period from October 2023 to September 2027, covering the provinces of Ngozi, Kayanza and Bujumbura, with the potential to extend to other areas.

The general objective is to "Contribute to the strengthening of rural entrepreneurship, and to the creation of added value and employment in rural areas of Burundi; more specifically in the provinces of Kayanza, Ngozi and Bujumbura".

Specifically, this project aims to overcome the constraints faced by producers in their quest for individual and collective fulfillment, through four key components or specific objectives:

(1) Technical aspects of the production, processing and marketing of agricultural products from selected value chains are improved, promoting the development of a circular green economy;

(2) A comprehensive training and coaching service for the empowerment and capacity-building of entrepreneurs is developed;

(3) Conditional subsidies for rural businesses and financial inclusion are accessible and functional;

(4) Knowledge levels and adoption of good nutritional practices are increased.

To achieve the objective, the action is based on the assumption that strengthening rural entrepreneurship in the main banana value chain (and its sub-sectors: wine banana; leather banana; dessert banana) and the secondary honey (in correlation with the wine banana chain) and mushroom (above-ground cultivation) chains, could be strategic in Burundi for the creation of added value and employment. Other targeted actions are envisaged with government partners, notably the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development, Environment and Livestock.

Indeed, based on our observations, it is clear that all the areas targeted for SESA interventions share a common characteristic: they are rural areas where the economy and the livelihood of the population are based mainly on agricultural production and the direct exploitation of natural resources.

2. Study objectives

The general objective of this study is to analyze the value chains (CdV) of wine banana, flour and dessert bananas; honey and mushrooms in order to locate each player actively involved in the various banana, honey and mushroom value chains, while determining their capacity to promote the economic growth of the target populations and producing a schematization of each CoV for the provinces of Ngozi, Kayanza and Bujumbura. This map will be based on economic opportunities.

Among the information to be gathered on businesses, we need to focus on :

- Describe the type of business, small, medium or large, highlighting the classification criteria. Number of employees, sales, etc. - Identify the sub-sector(s) affected by the players/companies/entrepreneurs. Eg. Flour banana; Wine banana; Cultivated mushrooms; Natural mushrooms; Forest honey; Eucalyptus honey, etc. - Main activities and innovations developed by players (Producer, processor, trader, but also service, etc.). Eg. Woodworker producing beehives; Banana transporter; Mushroom seed producer; Banana waste processing, etc. - Gather useful information to identify the most promising links in thermes of development, economic growth, value-added creation, employment and stimulation of satellite businesses, fostering growth, including the blue, green and circular economy, in order to diversify economic opportunities. - Identify internal and external product marketing channels and marketing opportunities not yet exploited. - Identify research institutes on the 3 CoVs, their characteristics, current activities and potential. - Level of networking between and within companies. Suggestions for improvement. - Other information on the institutional players who play a relevant role in the sectors, sub-sectors and value chains.

The information gathered will also be used to better define the pre-selection criteria for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (PME) during the definition of the Terms of Reference (ToR) governing the award of cost-sharing subsidies for PME.

Qualifications

1. Duties and responsibilities :

a. Duties :

Under the coordination of IRC's Economic Recovery and Development (ERD) Technical Coordinator, the consultant's general mandate will be to conduct a mapping of the banana, honey and mushroom value chains.

More specifically, the consultant will have to carry out the following tasks:

- Review the ToR of the activity, the available documentation on the main and secondary value chains for bananas, honey and mushrooms, and the services orbiting around each value chain, in relation to sustainable economic recovery. - Draw up a methodological note clearly presenting the different stages of the mandate, and the instruments and tools used; - Organize a multi-stakeholder session to validate the methodological approach; - Carry out a study on the functioning of value chains, after having mapped the players operating in the sector and measured their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in setting up such a project; - present a clear, detailed map showing the location of all players and stakeholders; - Provide information on link-level coordination, current skills and opportunities, resources or capacities, and gaps; - Help identify priority links in the development of value chains. - The consultant will benefit from the collaboration of the entire AVSI, IRC, DSIK, BBIN and MINAGRI consortium technical team.

b. Responsabilities :

The consultant must have his/her own computer equipment. If necessary, he/she will be able to access the IRC Internet network via Wi-Fi. - The consultant will be responsible for his/her own insurance and means of travel - The consultant is required to comply strictly with IRC Burundi's ethical procedures.

The consultant must:

- Assume responsibilities and honor commitments. - Render deliverables within prescribed standards of quality, cost and timeframe. - Operate in accordance with International Rescue Committee rules and regulations. - Takes responsibility for its shortcomings.

2. Results and deliverables expected from the consultant

a. Operationally, the consultant must produce:

1)a summary, a detailed methodological section, a brief summary of the results of the consortium's previous studies, etc.; 2) what general information (e.g. the most important criteria to be taken into account when evaluating companies, the most critical institutions to be mobilized during the project, etc.); 3) what specific data should be obtained at the end of the study (e.g. is the name of the most important players sufficient? or may we even need their location, contact details, etc.). 4) a relational line of value chain operators and supporterss

The consultancy shall cover and present for each value chain the results listed below:

I. Mapping of each value chain:

1) Actors and their interrelationships: The economic actors who own and trade the product as it moves along the trade chain.

2) Business support services: Services that support or could support the overall efficiency of the value chain.

3) Business environment: Factors and trends that determine the value chain environment and operating conditions.

4) Horizontal links that connect players performing the same function.

5) Vertical links between players performing different functions.

6) The schematization (a map) of each mapping.

II. An analysis of each value chain

1) The supply of inputs

2) The transformation of these inputs into a product or service

3) The sale of this product to a buyer (such as a large retailer) or directly to the end consumer

4) Priority strengths and constraints, taking environmental impact into account

III. Recommendations for action to improve each value chain.

1) Product improvement

2) Process improvement

3) Small business improvement

4) Market improvement

5) Supply chain improvement

6) Inter-chain improvement

7) Intra-chain improvement

Expected deliverables:

1) A final report of the consultation with clear recommendations for the establishment of a permanent economic framework involving all stakeholders (value chain operators, value chain supporters, value chain support institutions, etc.).

2) An executive summary of this report.

3) A PowerPoint presentation of the main findings of this study.

3. Methodological approach

The consultant should produce his technical approach when submitting his bids (technical bid and financial bid). The technical bid should present the data collection techniques (documentary research + qualitative and quantitative data collection in the field), the detailed targets and the tools to be used.

The working methodology will be based on the guidelines set out in the Cartography Consultant Recruitment Guide, and on the following points:

- Preparatory work and fine-tuning sessions with the project monitoring team in Burundi

- Interviews with project managers;

- Use of existing documents and reports

- Meetings with partners, including state partners;

4. Consultancy profile

c. Professional skills :

- Researcher, consultancy firm, independent consultant in economics, social sciences or other related fields - Experience in conducting studies and sectoral evaluations. - Knowledge and understanding of the European Union's operational approach to development cooperation in the country. - Ability to understand problems, identify information needs, conduct data collection, analyze data and lead technical discussions with decision-makers to propose solutions to the problem. - Experience in quantitative and qualitative research; knowledge of research protocols and ethical procedures. - Experience in database design, quantitative and qualitative analysis. - Excellent writing skills in French. - Good knowledge of the study area and security situation.

CONSULTANCY TIMETABLE

Submission of bids: January 13 to 05, 2024

Bid opening and selection: January 08 to 09, 2024

Signing of consultancy contract: Friday, January 12, 2024

Consultancy period: January 12 to February 20, 2024

Submission of draft report and PowerPoint presentation: February 23, 2024

Final submission of deliverables: February 28, 2024.

SUBMISSION PROCEDURE

Interested candidates must submit their technical and financial proposals no later than January 05, 2024.

In hard copy under closed fold in 1 envelope marked "Consultance Analyse/Cartographie chaînes de valeurs agricoles" containing 2 envelopes marked "offre financière pour l'une et l'offre technique de consultance pour l'autre. Bids can be submitted to the IRC Burundi offices in Bujumbura, Muyinga and Ruyigi or to the SESA consortium offices in Ngozi and Kayanza.

- In electronic copy to the following addresses [email protected] and [email protected], in two separate files with the following names "financial offer" and "technical offer".

The technical offer (no more than 7 pages) must include:

- The interpretation of the Terms of Reference; (b) the suggested methodology to answer all these questions. (c) the approach that will be used to involve the communities in the study; (d) a provisional work plan, and (e) the bidder's experience in providing similar services (date, nature, amount, financing and attestations/recommendations). - The consultant's CV in French (no more than 3 pages).

The financial offer (no more than 2 pages) must include:

- The overall consultancy price in Burundian francs. - The lump-sum breakdown of the overall price in Burundian francs. - Terms of payment for the consultancy.

IMPORTANT :

All offers that do not comply with the criteria of composition, form and page limits will be systematically excluded from the selection process, as they indicate that the consultant may not respect IRC guidelines in carrying out the responsibilities that will be defined for him if he is selected. Only the winning bid will be contacted.

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Added 6 months ago - Updated 11 days ago - Source: rescue.org