South Sudan: Terms of Reference for Agro-Value Chain Analysis -FESAP

Terms of Reference for Agro-Value Chain Analysis

Food Security Enhancing through Sustainable Agriculture Project

(FESAP)

Project location: Gogrial East and Gogrial West Counties

Warrap State

South Sudan

Project Contract Period: August 1^st 2014 to July 31^st 2017

Funded By: The European Union

Implemented By:Vétérinaires Sans Frontières - Germany (VSF-G)

Partner: Serve Education and Development Authority (SEDA)**

February 2016

Funded by the European Union Implemented by VSF Germany In partnership with SEDA

Glossary

These abbreviations will frequently appear during the analysis exercise

CAD County Agriculture Department

CAHW Community Animal Health Worker

CLD County Livestock Department

FFS Farmers Field School

FGD Focus Group Discussion

FS Food Security

GOSS Government of the Republic of South Sudan

HH Household

IDP Internally Displaced Person

INFRAID Indigenous Forest resources Awareness and Improvement of Diet

INGO International Non-Governmental Organization

KII Key Informant Interview

LRRD Linking Relief, Rehabilitation and Development

NFI Non Food Item

ROSS Republic of South Sudan

RRC Relief and Rehabilitation Commission

SEDA Serve Education and Development Authority

SMAF State Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry

SMARF State Ministry of Animal Resources and Fisheries

TOR Terms of Reference

VSF G Veterinaries San Frontiers

VCA Value Chain Actors

Table of Contents

1.Project Summary. 5

2.Background and context. 6

3.Purpose and target audience of the value chain analysis. 7

1. Objectives and scope of the value chain analysis. 7

5.Value chain analysis tasks. 8

6.Approach and methodology. 9

7.Timing and deliverables. 9

7.2.Draft VCA report. 9

7.3.VCA final report. 10

7.4.Roles and responsibilities. 10

7.5.Tentative itinerary. 12

8.VCA team composition and required competencies. 13

9.Management arrangements. 13

10.Budget and payment. 14

11.Proposal submission. 15

1.Project Summary

Contract Beneficiary

Vétérinaires Sans Frontieres Germany

European Union Programme

Food Security Thematic Programme (FSTP)

Project Title

Food Security Enhancing through Sustainable Agriculture Production (FESAP)

Location

Gogrial East and West Counties, Warrap State, South Sudan

Project Duration

8^th August 2014 to 7^th July 2017

Project Phase

Second Phase

Assessment Type

Value Chain Analysis

Assessment Objective

To carry out an analysis of the relevant value chains in respect of project activities and develop their implementation, monitoring and impact assessment plans.

Methodology

Review of available secondary data

Focus Group Discussion and key informant interviews

Household survey

Observation

Assessment Start and End dates

1^st to 15^th March 2016

Anticipated report release date

17^th March 2016

2.Background and context

a)Background

Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Germany (VSF-G) is an international Non Governmental Organization, providing humanitarian aid and development assistance to pastoralists and vulnerable communities in areas where livestock is of importance. VSF-G supports in animal health, livestock related agriculture, marketing, food safety, drought responses and mitigation, capacity development of communities and governmental institutions, peace and conflict resolution with the ultimate aim of food security and strengthened livelihoods of pastoralist communities.

In South Sudan VSF-G has been implementing a European Union (EU) funded project - Food Security through Enhancing Sustainable Agricultural Production (FESAP) – in partnership with its local nongovernmental organization partners, Serve Education and Development Authority (SEDA) as a co-implementing partner and Indigenous Forest Resources Awareness in the Improvement of Diet (INFRAID) as an associate partner. Implementation of the four year project started in August 2014 and is scheduled to end in July 2017. The project is being implemented in Gorial West and Gogrial East Counties of Warrap State of the Republic of South Sudan. The total population of the project catchment area is 717,331 (population census 2008) and is predominantly agro-pastoral.

FESAP is funded under the European Union’s Food Security Thematic Programme (FSTP) which supports activities aimed at improving food security for the world's poorest and most vulnerable populations. It addresses structural issues leading to hunger and under-nutrition in a bid to resolve these in the medium or long term, with an emphasis on developing sustainable solutions. FESAP aims to contribute to this global objective by building capacities of local farmers and cattle keepers (returnees, IDPs, and host communities) and other actors using market-oriented approaches to improve food production and household incomes.

b)The 4 key result areas of the Project

Result 1: Increased agriculture production and productivity through strengthened extension services and innovative farming.

This objective aims to support target populations improve their food security status access to training, essential production input supplies, quality seeds and extension services.

Result 2: Animal traction is adopted as a viable, cost-effective and sustainable technology and contributes to annual increase in cultivated farmed land, improved tillage and increased productivity per acreage.

Result 3: Increase in household income as a result of access to microfinance, local markets and linkages to value chain actors.

Result 4: Increased resilience to shocks in climatic/environmental changes and manmade disasters such as conflict.

This objective aims to increase food availability for project beneficiaries through increased own inputs – seeds.

A baseline (formative) evaluation was carried out and completed in February 2015 and EU project monitoring missions carried out in October 2014 and November 2015. The first year interim report covering the period 8h August 2014 to July 7^th 2015 has been submitted to the EU.

The FESAP project intends to carry out a Value Chain Analysis to guide implementation of second phase of the project. The analysis process will be participatory with valid inputs from all the relevant stakeholders such as beneficiaries, local and state agriculture and livestock officials**,** VSFG Staff, SEDA, INFRAID and other community stakeholders.

3.Purpose and target audience of the value chain analysis

3.1.Purpose of the VCA

The purpose of the value chain analysis assessment is to define the entire range of activities undertaken to bring agricultural products from the initial input-supply stage, through various phases of processing, to its final market destination, including the related socio-economic derivatives at each and global stage.

3.2.Target audience

a.The European Union

The VCA will provide the EU with learning on the use of VCA by projects to support achievement of project as well as EU programming objectives. It will also give an indication for future resource allocation and the use of funds for similar actions.

b.VSF Germany and partners

The VCA will act as an implementation tool for VSF G and partners in the process of achieving the project objectives as well as their programming objectives. It will provide lessons for future application of VCAs. It will define the values the various produces and their viability to consumption or market.

c.Beneficiaries and stakeholders

The VCA accord beneficiaries and stakeholders opportunity to participate in the analysis process, build the capacity for effective participation in analyses, and enhance ownership and accountability of the implementing partners. The exercise will enable improvement of the relevance of the project to the needs of the beneficiary and priorities of the stakeholders. At the end of the exercise the community will appreciate the importance of various produces (crop and livestock) and their net worth to various households.

1. Objectives and scope of the value chain analysis

4.1.VCA objective

The objective of the VCA is to carry out an analysis of the relevant value chains in respect of project activities and develop their implementation, monitoring and impact assessment plans.

4.2.Scope of the VCA

The VCA will target project areas of Gogrial West and Gogrial East Counties and their market catchments. It will confine within the project goals and objectives but accommodate all relevant parameters.

5.Value chain analysis tasks

The VCA tasks relate directly to the VCA objective and should be comprehensively addressed with reference to one another.

5.1. Carry out selection and prioritization of value project chains

This process will be carried-out to identify the value chains that offer the most promising prospects for realization of the main objective of the project. Consider the most feasible produce line and define its importance.

5.2. Carry out a rapid market analysis

This will not be a detailed market analysis but rather an assessment to determine critical market elements and variable that influences the performance of the value chain.

5.3. Carry out mapping of selected project related value chains

This particular exercise is meant to determine the sequence of activities and the key actors and relationships involved in the value chain.

5.4. Carry out analysis of the technical capacities of the selected value chains

This task will assess the value chains production system and tools and evaluate their technical performance; and determine the principal technical actions that are required for each value chain.

5.5. Carry out analysis economic performance and competitiveness of selected VCs

This activity will entail measuring of economic factors as well as competitiveness for comparison with alternatives value chains and competitors.

5.6. Develop an implementation plan for the selected VCs

Here the consultant will develop steps-wise activities that will ensure effective implementation of the value chains by all the targeted chain operators.

5.7. Develop a monitoring and impact assessment plan for the selected VC

This activity requires development of a monitoring and impact assessment plan for use by stakeholders as a means of immediate learning and improvement or amendments.

6.Approach and methodology

The assessment methodology proposed by the consultant(s) should include a mix of quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. The desired methodology is participatory and all the key stakeholders in the program including target beneficiaries, County Agriculture and County Livestock Department staff, will be considered to be part of the VCA process. The assessment will be based on the findings and factual statements identified from review of relevant documents including the project document, Annual Project Reports (APR), Project Implementation Reports (PIR), in addition to the technical reports produced by the project.

The anticipated benefit of a Participatory and stakeholder-centred approach is the empowering that the process will impart to those service providers and the beneficiaries/ stakeholders who will participate in the exercise. Focus group discussions, key informant interviews, site visits etc are proposed amongst the methods to be used for the review. The consultant will provide leadership and bear responsibility for the process, the findings, the comments and the content of the final document. VSFG will be responsible for organizing the locations for conducting the Key Informant interviews, household questionnaire and Focus Group discussions in the respective payams of operation whilst the consultant will review and finalize the tools in conjunction with VSFG Programming team. Participation of stakeholders in the analysis should be maintained at all the times, reflecting opinions, expectations and vision about the contribution of the project towards the achievement of its objectives.

The general rule related to acceptable margins of error (5%) in social research will apply to the study. Sampling criteria should be agreed upon with VSFG National office, a 30 x 30 cluster sampling is recommended, however, the Consultant may have the discretion to employ any other sampling methodology upon giving appropriate justification which will then be reviewed by VSF Germany programme team before being adopted.

7.Timing and deliverables

7.1.Inception report

The inception report shall provide a detailed description of the methodology elaborating the VCA tasks as well as the proposed source of information and data collection procedure. The inception report shall outline the contents of all the deliverables.

7.2.Draft VCA report

The consultancy team will develop draft VCA report for review by the FESAP project personnel and partners. The report shall be validated by stakeholders in a workshop setting and feedback incorporated into the report. The draft report will adopt the format of the final report as presented below under the final report. The annexes will include the development plans for the selected VCAs and their monitoring and impact assessment plans.

7.3.VCA final report

The consultancy team shall endeavor to develop the final report and present the output in an electronic format to VSF Germany for final approval and adoption. The final report (Word, Excel files to be put in PDF as well) will be submitted according to the analysis timeline. The report will have the following structure:

1. Cover page (1 page)

2. Table of Contents (1 page)

3. Acknowledgements (1 page)

4. Glossary (1 page)

5. Introduction (max 1 page)

6. Project background (max 1 page)

7. Executive summary (2 Pages)

8. The VCA background (max 1 pages)

9. Methodology (max 1 pages)

10. Findings (max 20 pages)

11. Conclusion and recommendations (max 2 pages)

12. Lessons learnt from the analysis process (max 1 pages)

13. Appendices

· The annexes will include the development plans for the selected VCAs and their monitoring and impact assessment plans.

· In a separate document will be included copies of all tools, list of enumerators, survey timeline including all KII and FGD participants and discussion transcripts, (as many pages as necessary. These will be referenced in the report, but included in a zip file as separate documents.

The final report will be accompanied by the following deliverables:

· A 2 page VCA fact sheet and soft copy of dataset. This is to include relevant findings from the analysis, key points and recommendations.

· Learning dossier - Lessons learnt by the entire VCA team shall be documented and shared with the project team and Programs Office in Juba so that they may be taken into consideration for future studies. The documentation of these lessons will be vital for reflection, growth and continued improvement. The lessons will be drawn from the process and the actual house hold surveys, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, study observations and secondary data reviews.

7.4.Roles and responsibilities

Each member of the VCA team shall have designated roles and responsibilities for the delivery of the analysis.

Scope of Work and responsible parties

a)Assessment tools are properly developed and in line with international VCA standards

· Review of the available relevant project documents i.e. project proposal, log frames.

· Coordinate HH Interviews for selected respondents during the analysis.

· Training of enumerators.

· Conduct interviews with selected partners, staff and other

· Visit selected project sites.

Responsible: Consultant, Program Manager

b)Coordination of the household interviews and well us providing guidance to the focus groups discussions

· Household interview and FGD participants are properly selected

· Guide the FGD and interviewers on proper data entry and documentation/filing

· Prepare the summary reports of each FGD as per agreed upon format.

· Ensure completeness of the survey instruments questionnaires

Responsible: Consultant, Project Manager

c)Apply effectively the quantitative and qualitative tools

· Obtain consent from the household or FGD members to conduct the analysis.

· Record household data on questionnaire as per training instructions.

· Record all key notes related to issues arising while interviewing.

· Review and submit the survey data to survey team leader in accordance with the schedule

Responsible: Consultant

d)Provide overall coordination, logistics, and technical oversight in the analysis process.

· Brief stakeholders about the purpose of the VCA.

· Brief stakeholders about the purpose of the VCA.

· Provide technical oversight and monitoring of the study and ensure timely completion and compliance with international VCA standards.

· Avail all project related secondary data.

· Avail all the required logistics including vehicles for the VCA.

· Assist in organizing meetings with stakeholders.

· Avail all the required logistics including vehicles for the VCA.

· Recruit and pay the enumerators.

· Supervise adequate utilization of the resources allocated for the study.

· Budget preparation and management during the analysis period/ensuring that all expenses are properly documented.

· Budget preparation and management during the analysis period/ensuring that all expenses are properly documented.

· Oversee accommodation and meals for data collection teams.

Responsible: Project Manager and Consultant

7.5.Tentative itinerary

Event

Responsible Persons

Timelines

Preparation phase

Desk phase – secondary data review, tools development

Review – secondary data, information

Consultant

1

Data Collection tools Development

Consultant

2

Field phase – data collection

Enumerators selection and Training

Consultant

3

Pretesting, refining and printing of analysis tools

Consultant,& project staff

1

Data collection and interviews

Consultant and team

6

Synthesis phase

Data Analysis and validation

Consultant

2

Draft Report of VCA

Consultant

1

Final Report with Feed back

Consultant

1

Total Number of days excluding preparation and planning days

17 Days

8.VCA team composition and required competencies

The VCA team shall compose of members with a comprehensive mix of competencies in agro-pastoral production and market systems and social research methodologies. These will be complemented with at least five years’ experience in related programming and programme research. Extensive experience in the specific fields in the horn of Africa and South Sudan in particular will be required. Excellent communication skills and well as demonstrated writing and presentation skills are requisite.

9.Management arrangements

The consultant should be informed of some issues, situation and conditions as they are or may arise during the exercise.

a. *Travel:* All international flights land in Juba, it is not possible to fly to Warrap on the same day. Warrap flights are only during week days. The international airport of Juba is closed on Saturdays and Sundays. The consultant should take in to consideration this challenge that should not lead to cancellation of the exercise. VSFG will cover the cost of all internal flights and transport.

b. Accommodation: Consultants will be housed in hotels in Juba and Warrap whilst in Luonyaker they will be housed at the organizations compound lodgings. However, electricity for powering laptops is not guaranteed at all times. Internet access will be available at VSF Germany offices, but may not be available in the hotels.

c. Data entry may not be possible in the field. VSF G will not supply data entry clerks or equipment for data entry. Consultants are responsible for all data entry and management. All hard copies of tools will need to be transported by consultants to the place where data entry will be done. All data sets must be provided to VSF G in soft copy at the time of submission. They are the property of VSFG and the communities from which the data will be collected and may be used for future analysis.

Data will in most instances be collected from non-English speakers. However, tools will not be translated into the local language. A way around this matter will be developed in discussion with project staff, VSF G program staff and the consultant.

d. Poor documentation- in terms of secondary data: Updated information has been noted to be a challenge during literature review exercises especially from government departments and other community based organization. Therefore, there may be a level of inconsistency in the information provided and/or collected.

In addition, with the frequent relapse of inter-ethnic conflict in the region, the security situation might be a hindrance to the analysis process as this could limit meetings and travelling within the region. This may also delay the timely delivery of final product.

e.Operation arrangement

· Accommodation and transport will be provided by VSF Germany;

· Translators, drivers, facilitators, office space, printing of questionnaires etc will be provided by VSF Germany;

· The contact person in South Sudan will be the Country Programme Manager;

· The focal person in the field will be the Project Manager;

· Security advisory issues will be provided by VSF Germany;

· VSF Germany will take care of internal travels but in case of international flights, the consultant will organize and VSF Germany will pay reasonable prices incurred only.

f.Reference materials

Relevant documents will be availed for the consultant to support during the secondary information desk reviews. The consultant will be encouraged to identify any other sources for appropriate additional information that may be required to supplement what is provided by the project.

The Project Team will share the following documents with the Consultants for reference.

1. Full project proposal

2. Project agreement contract

3. Baseline report

4. Project log frame

5. Project activity reports

6. Project first year report

7. Sudan Population and Housing Census report 2008

8. National Baseline Household Survey 2009

9. FAO/WFP food security assessment/survey reports

10. South Sudan Development Plan 2011-17

11. South Sudan Infrastructure Action Plan, Chapter 6

12. Investing in Agriculture for Food Security & Economic Transformation – UNDP

10.Budget and payment

The VCA budget will take care of the expenses such as the consultant’s charges, international travel, in country travel, accommodation full board, and fuel for vehicles to be used during the survey period, enumerators’ fees and lunches, stationery and communication costs. VSF Germany will take care of the following

a) Flights (internal and international for the consultant)

b) Accommodation in South Sudan

c) Field transport (fuel and car rentals)

d) Enumerators fees

e) Stationeries

The following costs will not be covered by the organization:

· Costs for data handling, entry and processing

· Communication cost.

· Report writing and printing.

· Any medical expenses by the consultant during the assignment

1.Proposal submission

The proposals will be evaluated according to the following criteria;

a) Technical and financial proposal

b) Proposed personnel for the assignment

c) Profile of the applicant - corporate or individual

Proposals should be submitted electronically to the following Email addresses: admin_hr@vsfg.org and juba@vsfg.org indicating on the subject line thus “**Consultancy VCA FESAP**”. The closing date for receiving proposals is 7th March 2016. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interviews. The assessment of the proposals received will be on a continuous basis due to urgency of the assignment.