Country: South Sudan
Closing date: 21 Jul 2017
(1)Back Ground
The Lutheran World Federation / World Service (LWF/ WS), South Sudan Program has been operational in the country since 2004. LWF/WS has experience working in different localities in South Sudan. It has competence in responding to emergencies and development challenges with local, regional and international experience.
In South Sudan, LWF/WS works in three of the former ten States, namely Jonglei, Unity and Upper Nile. Ruweng State is newly curved out of former Unity state that has just come out of the localized famine declared in February 2017. In the State, LWF/WS largely supports Sudanese Refugees in AjuongThok and Pamir Camps. In all its operations, LWF/ WS works in collaboration with local authorities and community structures. In Ruweng State, LWF/WS is implementing an Appeal launched in response to the severe food insecurity situation in the state. This is a Cash Based Response and thus the urgent need to undertake the Rapid Assessment of Markets in the area with secured funding through the ACT Appeal SSD 171.
(2)The Project**
LWF is rolling out a humanitarian assistance to food insecure and most vulnerable households in Pariang County of Ruweng State through the provision of unconditional cash grants, dry ration school feeding, and support for food for teachers in seven primary schools in the county. With the current economic crisis in the country, there is concern that the dire food insecurity crisis could spread fast unless preventive actions are taken. The planned support for the schools (both for pupils and teachers) will help in fighting hunger and in keeping pupils and teachers in schools. The support for the most vulnerable households will also reduce the level of negative coping mechanisms.
The overall goal of the project is to save lives of food insecure and conflict affected populations and increase resilience to future disasters through two specific objectives: one – to improve access to food among vulnerable households, and two – improved retention of pupils and teachers in 7 schools in Pariang County.
LWF has wants to commission as rapid market assessment in the county in relation to the planned interventions.
(3)Rapid Assessment of Markets (RAM) Objectives**
The RAM will be conducted in three main markets of Pariang, Jamjang and Yida
The market assessment objectives are to:
Assess vendors’ capacity in the three markets to supply essential goods to the intended beneficiaries of the Cash Transfer Programme
Assess availability of key food commodities such as sorghum, lentils, vegetable etc
Assess the respective vendors’ capacities in the three markets including other service providers
Assess price fluctuation due to seasonality and purchasing power
Establish the transfer value per household
Advise on how to support/ work with vendors and other financial service providers
The need assessment in this area is needed to complement and inform the project about the urgent vulnerable household needs in Pariang County. This undertaking should be linked to the Appeal project SSD 171 objectives. This should include but not limited to;
Profiling target community emergency and recovery needs
Assessing the different household vulnerabilities and their related characteristics
Determine the implementation status of the EU teachers incentives support
Assessing teachers employment terms in the 7 pre-selected primary schools (paid or voluntary work etc)
Assessing school enrollment and retention status of children in pre-selected schools
(4)Methods of Data collection / methodology**
The assessment will be conducted in Pariang County of Ruweng State, targeting three main markets Jamjang, Pariang and Yida. The consultant will be expected to use the standard ICRC RAM assessment Tools 4, 8 and 9 in addition to other relevant needs assessment tools for the identification of priority beneficiaries’ needs. As expected the RAM and Needs assessment samples should include; Households, Key Informants, Focus Group participants, vendors, and other financial service providers etc.
3.1. Key questions to be considered
The information required for this assignment will include, but not limited to:
i. Regularity and utilization of markets by the population
How many clients on average are served by the market?
Where do clients come from (walking distance)?
ii. Access to markets
How do vulnerable groups access the markets?
How do they access the markets during rainy season?
How is access to markets affected by the conflict?
Who is going to the markets from among household members, preferred market days, market fairs?
iii. Number of traders per type (wholesalers and retailers)
iv. Document availability of key food and other essential Commodities
In open market stalls
In traders’ stocks, if any
v. Quality of identified key food commodities
Appreciation of the identified key commodities
Acceptability of by community
vi. Supply chain of Key food commodities
From where (sources) and How goods reach the each of the three markets (Truck, air charter, tractors, donkey transports, human porters)
How is the presence of key food commodities affected by seasonality and conflict? (This should also encompass - the market blockers from central to feeder markets within each of the three markets in Pariang
vii. The capacity of retailers and wholesalers to increase their supply to meet increasing demand for food and non-food commodities
viii. Monthly Cash Absorption Capacity of the markets
[Number of traders per market] x [Weekly financial turnover] x [ to reach monthly capacity] x [Increase in supply in %]
ix. Prices for identified key commodities
How does price fluctuation per commodity seasonally vary
How have prices developed during the last three months?
x. Major challenges and gaps of market actors (trade union, traders etc) and areas of support
xi. Conclusions (the following key questions should be addressed)
a) Is the current market functionality capacity able to support cash based intervention?
b) If prices are subject to abnormal fluctuation, recommend on how fluctuation can be addressed in the planned CBI?
c) What is the average price of a WFP Food Basket in the area and what is the cost of other Key Commodities in the market?
d) Recommend a monitoring pattern for prices and offer/Annex the tools recommended for this monitoring
e) Document the possible risk factors to be considered when implementing CBI in this project area, both unconditional and conditional.
f) Recommend support area for market actors (trader , trade union etc) in terms of boosting supply to the markets
g) Determine the daily casual wage rates used in the three markets
(5)Required Consultant Experience and Qualification**
The call for the planned assessment is open to qualified individuals and consultancy companies. The consultant should meet the following criteria:
- Master’s degree in Economics, Agriculture, Development Studies or relevant field from a recognized institution.
- Experience of having done emergency cash based intervention related market assessments
- At least 5 years of experience working on related activities with expertise in Cash Based Programming, Common Humanitarian Standard (CHS) and Principles of the Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and NGOS in Disaster Response Programmes and other humanitarian standards.
- Clear, effective writer in English.
- Experience of working with participatory methodologies
- Willingness to travel to Pariang County for the assignment, to finalize methodologies and approach, and undertaking fieldwork.
(6)Timeline**
- 14 Days will be required for this assignment
- At the completion of the assignment, presentation of findings in power point and a draft of the report is required
(7)Expressions of Interest
Details in the expression on the interest should include:
- Approach - information about how the consultants plans to team-up with enumerators from the field/ if there is need for local daily labour/ how the consultancy team looks like, tools to be used for data collection and analysis
- Attach a detailed proposed consultancy budget including work plan
- Sharing of previous report/s of similar assessment will be added advantage
- Referees – include at least three reference organisation where you have done similar assignments
How to apply:
Expressions of interest (technical and financial proposals) from competent applicants should be sent to lwfssd.consultancy@gmail.com
Applications will be reviewed on rolling basis
Child Safe Guarding
LWF is a child safe organization and is fully committed to promoting the realization of children’s rights including the right to protection from violence and abuse. We therefore, have particular responsibilities to children we work and come into contact with to keep them safe from any harm or risk. In line with LWF policy, any appointment is contingent on thorough criminal record checks.