Marketing and Branding Tools Expert – NS4Y

  • Consultancy
  • Malawi
  • Applications have closed

CASA

TERMS OF REFERENCE
Title: Marketing and Branding Tools Expert – NS4Y
Locations: Nkhotakota
Expected Period: November 2024 to December 2024

 

  1. CASA PROGRAMME OVERVIEW

CASA is an FCDO-International Climate Finance (ICF) funded programme driving global investment for inclusive climate-resilient agri-food systems that increase smallholder incomes. CASA makes the case to impact and return-oriented investors for increased investment in agribusinesses that work with smallholder supply chains. The programme achieves this goal by:

  • Demonstrating the commercial viability and investment-readiness of small and medium-sized (SME) agribusinesses with significant smallholder supply chains
  • Helping investors to increase the impact of their investments through the provision of inclusive technical assistance
  • Strengthening the socio-legal empowerment of smallholders within value chains
  • Tackling the information and evidence gaps holding back investment

For demonstrating the commercial and development potential of smallholder sourcing models, CASA focuses on catalytic interventions in the agriculture sectors of Ethiopia, Malawi, Nepal, and Rwanda that support agri-SMEs prepare for and secure investment while connecting smallholders to commercial markets.

 

CASA’s work on research and communications is structured around identifying constraints, opportunities and addressing evidence gaps through research; shaping the debate on smallholder agriculture to influence actions of investors, governments, and donors; and creating networking opportunities through events and stakeholder engagement.

 

  1. ASSIGNMENT BACKGROUND

CASA has partnered with Nkhotakota Steadfast Cooperations for Youth (NS4Y) to implement a project titled ‘Commercialising Aquaculture for Better Market Access by Smallholder Farmers’. The partnership aims to leverage NS4Y’s existing fish processing capacity and market for fish products by ensuring a reliable and volume supply of fish produced by smallholder farmers through the expansion of their fish purchase scheme to include contract farming and input credit financing for smallholder farmers. At the same time, the partnership aims to empower smallholder farmers to increase their production and income by linking them to NS4Y’s purchase scheme, which will facilitate smallholder farmers’ access to technical aquaculture production expertise, quality inputs, input credit financing and more profitable and reliable markets for their production.

Through the project, CASA will provide technical assistance to NS4Y to expand the procurement and marketing of tilapia and catfish to supply the targeted urban market in Lilongwe City and the towns of Nkhotakota and Salima. Through the establishment of a contract farming model, NS4Y will source fresh table size tilapia and catfish from smallholder farmers organised into Commercial Producer Groups (CPGs) of 25 farmers each. To successfully support the partner in this regard, CASA Malawi is now seeking the services of a Short-Term Technical Assistant (STTA) as a Farmer Mobilisation Expert to assist NS4Y in identifying, assessing, mobilising and organising smallholder fish farmers.

About Nkhotakota Steadfast Cooperations for Youth

Nkhotakota Steadfast Cooperations for Youth is a local agricultural enterprise based in Nkhotakota district in the Central region of Malawi. The company was established in 2019 but was formally registered as an unlimited liability partnership on 29 May 2021. NS4Y is owned by four partners, namely James Chimbiya, Edith Mpoto, Thokozani Fickson and Naomie Phiri.

 

NS4Y’s main activities revolve around the processing of various agricultural products sourced from smallholder farmers in Nkhotakota and surrounding districts. Their product range, which is distributed in Lilongwe city, Nkhotakota and Salima towns, includes milled and packaged rice, smoked fish, dried fish, and fresh packaged fish.

 

  1. ASSIGNMENT OBJECTIVES

Under Activity 4.2.1 (ii) (and budget line 2) in the NS4Y’s project business plan, the primary objective of this assignment is to provide technical support to NS4Y in developing various tools which will be used to promote finished fish products, and to facilitate the recruitment of smallholder farmers into the off-taker scheme, particularly during the scale-up phase. The tools will include posters for print and electronic media, audio-visual materials, social media pages and a website, among others.

 

The STTA will be required to adopt a practical and participatory approach to the task. The STTA is expected to develop branding tools to be used by NS4Y in the packaging and marketing of their fish products, as well as related marketing tools and a short but concise marketing plan.

 

  1. SCOPE OF ASSIGNMENT

Under the guidance of the NS4Y management team and the supervision of CASA’s aquaculture market manager, the expert will support NS4Y in its quest to build a strong brand as a fish processing and marketing company.

 

The specific duties of the Fish Branding and Marketing Tools Expert will include the following:

  • Conduct a rapid needs assessment to recommend suitable branding and marketing tools to NS4Y management that align with the enterprise’s marketing objectives. This will involve evaluating NS4Y’s marketing goals in line with their strategic and business plans, as well as reviewing existing branding and marketing materials for their fish products to ensure a customized approach.
  • Develop and design an agreed set of branding and marketing tools to address the identified gaps in NS4Y’s fish product branding. The materials will be based on the needs assessment, and may include fish packaging, promotional materials for various media, social media pages, and branded apparel.
  • Produce a final report detailing the execution of the assignment and providing recommendations for future marketing and branding strategies for NS4Y.

 

  1. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the overall management of the CASA Market Manager for aquaculture, the Branding and Marketing Tools Expert will support NS4Y by providing support to the company to establish a brand and market its fish products to its existing and new customers.

 

The specific duties of the Expert will include the preparation of the following:

  1. Inception report to be produced after an inception meeting for the assignment. The inception meeting will outline the assignment delivery methodology and approach to for the assignment, including an outline of the results of the rapid needs assessment to be carried out as part of the inception process of the assignment. The inception report will also have to detail the delivery schedule for all tasks planned under the assignment;
  2. Branding and marketing tools as agreed at the inception stage. From NS4Y’s understanding of their needs, the tools will include posters for both print and electronic media, audio-visual materials, social media pages and potentially a website; and
  3. Assignment completion report, including recommendations for NS4Y to incorporate in its marketing strategies.

 

Deliverable Timelines

 

# Deliverable Work-Days
1 Inception Report 0.5
2 Branding and marketing tools 9
3 Assignment Completion Report 0.5

 

  1. ASSIGNMENT MANAGEMENT and DURATION

a. Duration

Expected Start Date: November 2024

Expected End Date: December 2024

 

b. Assignment Days

Up to 10 Workdays.

 

c. Reporting Lines

The consultant will primarily report to the NS4Y’s management team, with oversight from CASA Malawi’s Aquaculture Market Manager.

  1. REQUIREMENTS and EXPERTISE

Key qualification and field of expertise for the ideal expert are:

  • A bachelor’s degree in marketing or in other closely relevant fields. Those with a master’s degree and/or professional marketing qualifications will have an added advantage;
  • In-depth knowledge of current branding and marketing trends and best practices.
  • Practical experience in development of branding strategies, marketing of Fast-Moving Consumer Goods and marketing communications including graphic design
  • Excellent organizational and time management skills.
  • Ability to make decisions regarding own work, often in ambiguous situations and suggest recommendations regarding own function/discipline;
  • Excellent written and oral communication, listening and interpersonal skills with the ability to deal tactfully and diplomatically with a wide range of people combined with an appreciation of the importance of confidentiality;
  • Willingness to take on new assignments at short notice and travel to remote places if need be;
  • Ability to function with minimum guidance and under pre-set procedures with attention to detail; and
  • Able to exercise independent judgment within defined policies and practices.
  1. MODE OF APPLICATION

Applicants should send an EOI comprising the following:

  1. An EOI submission letter outlining your suitability for the role and stating your preferred daily rate in GBP (maximum two pages)
  2. A proposed methodology for the assignment (Maximum 4 pages)
  3. Up to date CV suitably tailored to the TORs concentrating only on relevant experience. Emphasis will be placed on consultancy experience in the last 10 years (Maximum 3 pages)

 

Applications will be evaluated on a rolling basis and we will settle for the first suitable candidate we get even before the deadline.

 

Applications should be received by Thursday, 31st October 2024. Send applications to rhch@niras.com Indicate the position being applied for in the subject line.

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