EOI: Agribusiness Consultant

Job Description

A qualified and experienced Market or Agribusiness Consultant is being sought to assist with the technical assistance for the implementation of a pilot programme that addresses gaps or barriers faced by selected beneficiaries in applying climate-smart agriculture technologies and being able to embrace market opportunities and linkages.

Project Background

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in collaboration and partnership with other development agencies, public sector ministries and local groups in Guyana and Dominica is implementing a project titled “Strengthening Disaster Management Capacity of Women in the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and the Commonwealth of Dominica”. The objective of the project is to support hazard-prone communities, especially vulnerable groups, including women, in strengthening disaster and climate risk resilience towards enhancing sustainable livelihoods within such communities in Dominica and Guyana. There are three major outputs expected which include:

1. Output 1: Capacities of the target communities and government agencies strengthened for effective, gender-responsive and timely decision making for disaster preparedness
2. Output 2: Community resilience strengthened using gender-responsive disaster risk reduction (DRR) and alternative livelihood approaches; and
3. Output3: Knowledge networks strengthened to foster adoption of best practices in livelihoods for resilience

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has engaged the services of the Inter- American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) to oversee the implementation of Output 2 in the case of Dominica. This component is geared towards making targeted agricultural livelihoods more sustainable and less vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. This is in response to the major concerns expressed from the hazard-prone farming communities about the lack of sustainable livelihoods to build resilience to the loss of farming income, as recently witnessed in Dominica. Agro-processing is one aspect of the value chain that has generated strong interest but further emphasizes the need for resilience throughout the industry.

The assignment is expected to yield the following results:

1. Gender-responsive microfinance strategy for agricultural enterprises, particularly among vulnerable groups, which promotes strengthening the resilience of the sector, and an implementation plan for piloting gender-responsive microfinance in target regions.
2. Strengthened agricultural value chains and market opportunities.
3. Enhanced capacities among beneficiaries in climate-smart agriculture.

In keeping with the results, this EOI is to support the technical assistance for implementation that is intended to address gaps or barriers that cannot be overcome by the actors without additional specialised support. This should specifically include capacity building on applying climate-smart agriculture and sustainable land management approaches, as well as overcoming market hurdles.

The call for the Expression of Interest is specific towards the achievement of Results 2. There are two assignments linked to result #2 (above) , which involves the strengthening of agricultural value chains and market opportunities:

1. Assignment 1: Strengthening product market readiness - Direct assistance to the beneficiaries to meet market requirements through product enhancement and strengthening of producers and producer groups.
2. Assignment 2: E-Commerce Marketing Platform: supporting the development of an online platform to link producers to market.

Responsibility

• Use the Value Chain and Market Analysis, Barriers and Opportunities Reports to inform the recommended list of beneficiaries and possible needs.
• Liaise with the Market consultant, Agriculture Extension Service, DEXIA, IICA, and Beneficiaries to understand their perspectives on the needs and barriers to resilience, access to markets and strengthening of agribusinesses.
• Based on 1 and 2 above, prepare a recommended list of beneficiaries to receive assistance under the technical assistance component of Output 2.
• Prepare a list of equipment, materials and services needed by the targeted Beneficiaries. List must identify the beneficiaries, location and contact, description of equipment, materials, and services.
• Having achieved activity 4 and following the procurement rules of the Institute, identify potential suppliers/vendors of the equipment, materials, services, seek quotations from at least three suppliers for delivery of the goods and services (cost of the items, shipping, port and customs charges, cost of services).
• Advise and evaluate efficient installation; proper use, and a good understanding of the maintenance of equipment received.
• In close consultation with service providers assist beneficiaries with
  • improvement of their product brands through enhanced label and packaging, standards and quality assurance, promotion, and market testing
  • assist beneficiaries with laboratory testing and analysis of their products by a recognized authority
  • assist with the strengthening of focus groups following a needs assessment

Experience and Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Economics, Agribusiness Management/Rural Management/Rural Marketing.
• A minimum of 6 years’ experience in a livelihood development project at a middle-management level in either livelihoods promotion/value chain development/market linkage.
• The candidate should also have a minimum of 6 years of experience working in rural value chains;
• Excellent knowledge of value chains, marketing systems;
• Understanding of gender equality and gender equity; and private sector development
• Strong analytical, research and presentation skills
• Excellent report writing skills.

Benefits and Others

The Inter-American Institute for Corporation on Agriculture (IICA) through a Letter of Agreement (LoA) has been assigned responsibility for the implementation of Output 2 of the UNDP executed project, which will be coordinated by the IICA Delegation in Dominica. The LoA for this project component makes provisions for the hiring of Short-term Consultants within the active period (March 2020 June 2021).

Method of Application

Specific Requirement/Information

• Proposals must be written in Standard English
• The Proposal should provide the following information:
  • A description of the individual's experience on comparable assignments
  • Recent CV of the individual
  • A detailed description of the proposed methodology
• The following contact information must be provided:
  • Legal Name of Individual(s)
  • Full Address
  • Telephone and Fax numbers
  • Email Address
• IICA will be the Contracting Party
  IICA's policy requires that vendors provide professional, objective, impartial advice and always, hold IICA's interest paramount without any consideration for future work, and strictly avoid conflicts with other assignments or their own corporate interests. Vendors shall not be hired for any assignment that would conflict with their prior or current position of not being able to carry out the assignment in the best interest of IICA.

Applications should be submitted to the address below no later than 15^th October 2021, either:

• in hard copy by mail in sealed envelope containing the submissions to include the name and address of the applicant and should be clearly marked with the relevant position for which the application is submitted to:

  ATTN: Technical Specialist
  Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA)
  P.O Box 976
  Botanic Gardens,
  Roseau, Commonwealth of Dominica

OR

• by e-mail, to the address under subject caption: Application: UNDP Project to:
  kent.coipel@iica.int copied to iica.dm@iica.int