AMEA / FAO / IFPRI Case Study: West Africa Short-term Consultancy Term of Reference

Background

AMEA / FAO / IFPRI Case Study: West Africa Short-term Consultancy
Terms of Reference

A collaboration between the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), and the CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions and Markets (PIM) will look at “Strategies to invest in human capital in agriculture” to address challenges of how to invest in this area. The one-year project in 2020 will review existing initiatives, develop a typology of AHCI, hold a global dialogue on good practices, conduct 6-10 case studies on promising approaches, hold global meetings and a high-level policy dialogue, and produce a report, policy brief, and journal articles to share the findings.

The Agribusiness Market Ecosystem Alliance (AMEA) is a member driven network which is dedicated to accelerating the development of professional farmer organizations. AMEA supports this acceleration by promoting a system approach called the AMEA Framework where continuous improvement to accredited tools is promoted. This improvement is driven by feedback loops from users to tool owners and investing in case studies is one of AMEA’s approaches to strengthen these feedback loops.

IFC is a founding member of AMEA and has supported its development since 2015. IFC’s Agribusiness Leadership Programme is included in AMEA’s peer reviewed Toolkit.

Overview and Objectives

AMEA sees an opportunity to deepen and strengthen its’ planned case studies by collaborating with the FAO/IPRI initiative.

The Objective of this Terms of Reference (ToR) is therefore to develop one case study report which draws learning from three IFC projects in West Africa

  • Cargill Coop Academy, Cote D’Ivoire

  • Telcar, Coop Academy, Cameroon

  • Olam Cocoa/Cotton capacity building program, Cote D’Ivoire

    The process the consultant(s) will be expected to follow are:

  • Conduct a document and literature review regarding the method and case in question

  • Collect data virtually through key informant interviews with IFC project partners, bene,

    focus group discussions, phone or online surveys, etc.

  • Complete one Case Study Report, following guidelines set in the ACHI Case Study Report

    Template (refer Annex 1)

  • Contribute to a final learning event, expected in November or December 2020

  • Participation in various meetings as required

    The consultant will be expected to follow FAO/IFPRI guidelines and will receive FAO/IFPRI backstopping support.


    Deliverables and Timelines

    Deliverable

    ¬ A high quality Case Study Report (20-25 pages) in English with the following content: 

    ¬ Background

    ¬ Case study methodology

    ¬ Overview of case

    ¬ Details of case

    ¬ Evidence base for success of case 

    ¬ Analysis of case and recommendations 

    ¬ References

    Timeline

    • Data collection and analysis: July/August 2020

    • Draft Case Study Report: 31st August 2020

    • Finalized Case Study Report: 30th September 2020

    • Learning event 1: IFPRI meeting in Rome (November/December 2020 subject to

      COVID-19 restrictions)

    • Learning event 2: AMEA Convening (to be confirmed)

      Selection Criteria - Consultant

      Overall

    • Strong background (10+ years of experience) working with agricultural supply chains

    • Strong background in research and case study design

    • Deep familiarity with IFC Agribusiness Leadership Program and course content

      (familiarity with SCOPEinsight’s assessment tools is a plus)

    • Strong written and oral communications skills in French and English

      Expertise/experience

    • Deep knowledge of the cases or models described in the Overview of this ToR

    • Deep knowledge of agricultural producer organizations in emerging markets

    • Good knowledge of human capital, training, and adult education

    • Good knowledge of the countries (Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire) or West Africa

    • Experience in data collection, analysis, and report writing

    • Experience with the case study methodology in particular is preferred

    • Some knowledge/experience in using virtual methods for data collection, stakeholder

      meetings, etc. along with decent connectivity

      Characteristics

    • Well-connected – knows whom to talk to and where to get information

    • Non-biased and objective about the case

    • Responsive, organized, and timely

      Collaborative, participatory, and a team player

      Logistics

      • Available to commit up to 10-15 days per month between July - September 2020 for data collection, analysis, and report writing

      • Connect regularly with Case Study lead for AMEA to coordinate data gathering and analysis

      • Have sufficient resources or institutional support for reliable internet connectivity, equipment, software, etc. to conduct the necessary research

      • Reliable internet connectivity able to support participation in occasional video calls and virtual presentations

      • Somewhat flexible schedule to be able to participate in trainings, calls, meetings

      • Willing to work with IFPRI staff to complete the necessary paperwork for case study

        contracts to be issued in a timely fashion

      • Consultants who are already located in West Africa will be preferred

        How to apply

        The consultant should submit a proposal which addresses the needs of this ToR. The proposal must include a detailed workplan and budget.

        Applications must be made by 12th July to: info@ameaglobal.org

        A round of interviews will be conducted on the week of 13th July. 

Comments