Alliance For A Green Revolution In Africa (AGRA)- Request For Proposal For ECOWAS Rice Observatory Studies In West Africa

DEADLINE: 14TH APRIL, 2021
ALLIANCE FOR A GREEN REVOLUTION IN AFRICA (AGRA)
RFP: ECOWAS RICE OBSERVATORY STUDIES IN WEST AFRICA
SYNOPSIS OF THE REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (CONSULTANT FIRM)

TERMS OF REFERENCE
CONSULTANCY TO SUPPORT REGIONAL ECOWAS RICE OBSERVATORY STUDIES IN WEST AFRICA AND ESTABLISH A NATIONAL SRP RICE CHAPTER IN GHANA

(1) BACKGROUND
Established in 2006, the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) is an African-led and Africa-based institution that puts smallholder farmers at the centre of the continent’s growing economy by transforming agriculture from a solitary struggle to survive into farming as a business that thrives.

In West Africa, AGRA is working with partners to address the needs in the rice sector with the goal of achieving self-sufficiency by 2025. The consumption of high-quality rice across ECOWAS countries continues to outstrip local supply, leading to the continued growth of imported rice from Thailand, India, Vietnam and elsewhere in Asia. No country in West Africa has achieved self-sufficiency despite having the right agro-climatic conditions and water availability to meet local demand.

In 2020, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) commissioned field research to better understand market dynamics, supply chains, and farmer and miller economics across six West African countries: Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Senegal, Nigeria, Benin, and Burkina Faso.  The research findings were shared and validated by participants during a three-day virtual workshop in November 2020. Workshop recommendations included creating a “West Africa Rice Observatory” (WARO), a multi-stakeholder coordinating forum for private sector input, collaboration, and decision-making regarding national and regional level priorities and investments.  Workshop participants also agreed on the need for national rice chapters comprised of stakeholders across the value chain, research, government, and civil society to ensure a focus on national priorities and alignment to global Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) standards.

Working in collaboration with our partners including African governments, researchers, development partners, the private sector and civil society; AGRA is now focused on implementing the recommendations made during the workshop and through additional consultations with key actors in the rice sector.

Pursuant to the highlighted brief above, AGRA seeks to engage a qualified consulting firm to support technical committees at the regional level and establish a national SRP chapter in Ghana. Other partners will concurrently establish SRP chapters in other West African countries.  The consultant firm shall deliver the interventions that are detailed in section 3.

(2) OBJECTIVES
The assignment’s overall objectives are to launch 2-3 research projects at the West Africa Rice Observatory (WARO) in Abuja, Nigeria and to establish a Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) chapter in Ghana. The Rice Observatory will address regional policy issues and coordinate donor efforts, while the national SRP chapter in Ghana, governed by multi-stakeholder representatives, will address priority needs in the national rice sector.

(3) SCOPE OF WORK
The consultancy firm will assist AGRA and its partners in establishing the West Africa Rice Observatory in Abuja, Nigeria and one SRP National Chapter in Accra, Ghana, for two years.  Specifically, the consultant firm will undertake the following tasks over two years:

ECOWAS Rice Observatory Support

1. Assist in the identification, vetting, and recruitment of the Secretariat staff.
2. Recruit and assist 5-8 volunteer technical experts for each of the four WARO committees (1. markets, trade and standards; 2. finance, mechanization, donor alignment; 3. seed, soil and water management; 4. equity, resilience and MLE) to define priorities and develop action plans, including timelines and deliverables.
3. Organize technical committee virtual meetings, draft agendas, and take meeting minutes outlining clear action items and recommendations to the Board.
4. Work with committees to prioritize key research studies based on available budget, to be conducted over the first two years.
5. Conduct or sub-contract the priority research and report findings and recommendation to committee members.
6. Document the knowledge management process/approach, including best practices as a result of the research work.

SRP National Chapter -Ghana Support

1. Organize the registration and administrative needs of establishing the ECOWAS Rice Observatory – SRP National Chapter in Ghana as a legal entity, including a financial structure to pay for local salaries and other expenses.
2. Locate suitable office space in Accra for the secretariat, based on budget and relationships with local partners.
3. Using guidelines developed by AGRA and partners, the SRP, and its partners, establish a local governance structure, technical committee structures and secretariat in Ghana.
4. Work with AGRA and partners to recruit volunteer Board members from the public and private sectors according to the established governance structure.
5. Organize quarterly Board meetings in Accra, draft agendas, and take meeting minutes outlining clear action items.
6. Recruit 5-8 volunteer technical experts for each of the four technical committees (1. markets, trade and standards; 2. finance, mechanization, donor alignment; 3. seed, soil and water management; 4. equity, resilience and MLE), based on input from Board members and the AGRA team.
7. Organize monthly meetings with Technical Committees to prioritize key research studies, discuss issues, create action plans, timelines, deliverables, and recommendations to the Board.
8. Recruit Executive Director and Assistant, based on a transparent process which includes input from Ghana SRP board members.
9. Mentor new staff, assisting them with the responsibilities and understanding of the overall national and regional organizational structures and partners.
10. Develop and operationalize a communication plan.
11. Organize an annual conference/trade show on rice in Ghana.
12. Provide timely, technical input and coordination with other national SRP chapters and with WARO in Abuja.

(4) DELIVERABLES AND TIMING
The Consultancy firm will be required to deliver the following:

(a) Establish Technical Committees West Africa Rice Observatory

• Organize and facilitate monthly virtual meetings for four Technical Committees (starting by September 2021 through December 2022)
• Assist, as needed, in WARO secretariat staff recruitment (by December 2021)

(b) Establish SRP National Chapter in Ghana

• Registration and administrative structures (by September 2021)
• Recruit volunteer Board and Technical Committee members (by September 2021)
• Organize quarterly Board meetings – establishing priorities, timelines, and deliverables (starting by October 2021 through December 2022)
• Organize and facilitate monthly virtual meetings for four Technical Committees (starting by November 2021 through December 2022)
• Recruit SRP National Chapter Ghana secretariat staff (by January 2022)
• Organizing one conference/trade show for the Ghanaian rice industry in Accra, Ghana (by December 2022).

(c) Quarterly Progress Reports: These will include action items from WARO committee meetings and progress at the SRP National Chapter to set up a governance structure, technical committees and secretariat.  These reports can outline targets met and any challenges or recommendations made.

(d) 2-3 WARO Research Reports:  The reports will be based on the priority areas identified by technical committees at the West Africa Rice Observatory.  The consultancy firm will submit these reports based on the timeline established by the technical committees.  Research reports will be reviewed by the technical committee first before sharing them with the WARO Board.   

(5) REPORTING
The consultant firm will report directly to AGRA but also take direction from the WARO and Ghana Board of Directors and technical committees.

(6) QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES
AGRA is looking for a reputable consultancy firm with:

1. Expertise in management consulting, Board-level facilitation, and agricultural development.  Targeted expertise in agricultural economics and marketing, soil science, agricultural crop science, gender and inclusion is a plus.
2. The lead consultant must have significant experience in establishing and building African-based multi-stakeholder organizations as well as building alliances and working with diverse government and/or funding partners.
3. Experience undertaking similar assignments in West Africa will be an added advantage.

(7) ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
Eligibility criteria and requirements
AGRA now invites eligible consultants (firms) to indicate their interest in providing these services. Interested consultants must provide information indicating that they are qualified to perform the services including description of similar assignments carried out, experience in similar conditions, general qualifications of key staff, and so forth). A maximum of six (6) qualified firms shall be shortlisted to provide detailed technical and financial proposals.

The expression of interest shall not exceed 20 pages.

Documents to be submitted
Interested firms shall provide specific information as indicated below:

1. Bidders must provide their company profile including a description of management/organization structure;
2. Provide a Certificate of Registration/Incorporation;
3. A copy of the latest audited financial statements for the financial year 2019 or later to demonstrate a positive cash and cash equivalent position at the end of the year;
4. List and description of similar assignments carried out including the list of clients;
5. Provide a summary profile of the key staff relevant to the assignment;
6. Firms that bid jointly should submit a joint venture agreement between the parties, with the roles of each party clearly defined. (Not more than one consortium agreement of the same firms will be accepted).

(8) Evaluation Criteria
Only those companies, that will meet the eligibility criteria, will be pre-qualified to proceed to request for proposal stage

Mandatory Documents
The Consulting firm shall submit the following documents to establish its eligibility to be considered for technical evaluation. Failure to submit any of the listed documents shall lead to automatic disqualification at this prescreening stage.

Shortlisting Criteria
The consulting firm that passes the prescreening stage, shall be assessed using the following evaluation criteria. The best six (6) firms above 75% shall be shortlisted to provide a detailed technical and financial proposal. Below is the evaluation criteria that shall be used:

Clarification of Expression of Interest
The interested parties may request for clarifications on this expression of interest up to seven (7) days before the EOI submission date. Any request for clarification must be sent in writing by electronic mail to procurement@agra.org

Submission of SUBMISSION OF THE EOI
All interested eligible companies are requested to submit their expressions of interest by close of business on 14 April 2021 at 1700 Hours East Africa Time (GMT +3) to the following email address: procurement@agra.org

Download full RFP:
https://agra.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/EOI-ECOWAS-RICE-OBSERVATORY-STUDIES-IN-WEST-AFRICA.docx