Consultancy Service to Develop Guidelines for Implementation of Farmer Challenge Fund

Consultancies

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REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
(CONSULTING SERVICES-INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANTS)
Assignment title: CONSULTANCY SERVICE TO DEVELOP GUIDELINES FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF FARMER CHALLENGE FUND
Reference no.  019/SAPP 11/GFCF/INDCO_3/2024/25

1.0 Background

The Malawi Government has received financing from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) towards the cost of Sustainable Agriculture Production Programme Phase 11 (SAPP 11) and intends to apply part of the proceeds for the recruitment of consulting services provided by an individual.

The use of any IFAD financing shall be subject to IFAD’s approval, pursuant to the terms and conditions of the financing agreement, as well as IFAD’s rules, policies and procedures. IFAD and its officials, agents and employees shall be held harmless from and against all suits, proceedings, claims, demands, losses and liability of any kind or nature brought by any party in connection with Sustainable Agriculture Production Programme 11

The consulting services (“the services”) include development of Guidelines for Implementation of Farmer Challenge Fund

The attention of interested consultants is drawn to IFAD’s Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Policy and the Revised IFAD

Policy on Preventing Fraud and Corruption its Activities and Operations. The latter sets forth IFAD’s provisions on prohibited practices. IFAD further strives to ensure a safe working environment free of harassment, including sexual harassment, and free of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) in its activities and operations as detailed in its IFAD Policy to Preventing and Responding to Sexual Harassment, Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.

Interested consultants shall not have any actual, potential or reasonably perceived conflict of interest.

Consultants with an actual, potential or reasonably perceived conflict of interest shall be disqualified unless otherwise explicitly approved by the Fund.

Consultants are considered to have a conflict of interest if they a) have a relationship that provides them with undue or undisclosed information about or influence over the selection process and the execution of the contract, or b) have a business or family relationship with a member of the client’s board of directors or its personnel, the Fund or its personnel, or any other individual that was, has been or might reasonably be directly or indirectly involved in any part of (i) the preparation of the REOl, (ii) the selection process for this procurement, or (iii) execution of the contract.

Consultants have an ongoing obligation to disclose any situation of actual, potential or reasonably perceived conflict of interest during preparation of the EOl, the selection process or the contract execution. Failure to properly disclose any of said situations may lead to appropriate actions, including the disqualification of the consultant, the termination of the contract and any other as appropriate under the IFAD Policy on Preventing Fraud and Corruption in its Projects and Operations.

2. SCOPE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The Consultant will work in close collaboration with all relevant Subject Matter Specialists and other consultants under the project to develop the guidelines for the matching grants to smallholder farmers.

To achieve the objective of this assignment the consultant will be required to:

  1. Review and have an in-depth understanding of the Project Appraisal Document and the Project Implementation Manual;
  2. Review other agricultural-related grant management manuals previously and/or currently in use in the agricultural sector in Malawi and Africa;
  3. Conduct stakeholder consultative meetings with potential grant beneficiaries on the development of the manual to ensure that the proposed guidelines are in line with realities on the ground and the general capacity of the potential beneficiaries to tap into the grant program that should include FGDs with women, youth and persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups to understand their challenges and proposes needed interventions
  4. Work closely with relevant project staff in the development of the guidelines, including inter alia, the issues related to eligibility criteria for grant support, preparation, approval and funding processes, management of procurement of goods and services, management arrangement of the grant, different categories, women, youth – as listed in the PDR and PIM and to safeguard that the funds will be used in line with the project objectives and rules.
  5. Propose as applicable, differentiated approaches and requirements, responding to the two financing windows (Production Window and Agro-processing and Value Addition Window);
  6. Develop the necessary templates for the grant applicants which should be simplified to attract smallholders e.g. those with literacy challenges and for the project to ensure the implementation of the matching grant processes described in the manual (for example, templates for business plans, scorecard for evaluation, template for reporting, etc.).
  7. In collaboration with the relevant Subject Matter Specialists (SMS) at SAPP, develop message briefs on grants management for sensitization and awareness purposes to the general public; and viii. Conduct a validation workshop of the draft of guidelines.

3. QUALIFICATION AND EXPERIENCE

The interested individuals must meet the following minimum requirements:

  1. A minimum Master’s Degree in Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness Management or any related field.
  2. A minimum eight years of relevant general professional work experience.
  3. A minimum of 5-year professional experience in grants management preferably on large donor funded programmes.
  4. Strong interpersonal, writing, communication and collaboration skills with professionals from all backgrounds; and fluency in English.

4. ELIGIBILITY
The Malawi Government through the Ministry of Agriculture now invites eligible and qualified Individual consultants (“consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the services. Interested consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the services in the form of a curriculum vitae (CV).

5. SELECTION METHOD
A consultant will be selected in accordance with the individual consultant selection (ICS) method set out in IFAD’ Project Procurement Handbook that can be accessed via the IFAD website at www.ifad.org/project-procurement.

Any request for clarification on this REOI should be sent via e-mail to the address below simas@sapp.mw/rexbaluwa@sapp.mw no later than 26th September 2024.

The client will provide responses to all clarification requests by 27th September 2024

SUBMISSION

Expressions of interest in the form of Curriculum Vitae (CV) and certified copies of certificates must be submitted to the address below by 2nd October 2024 at 10:00 a.m. local time and clearly marked Expression of Interest for Consultancy to develop Guidelines for Implementation of Farmer Challenge Fund. For those wishing to submit electronically, the address is rexbaluwa@sapp.mw/sdimas@sapp.mw

The Chairperson
Internal Procurement and Disposal Committee
Ministry Of Agriculture
Room Number 76
Capital Hill
Box 30134
LILONGWE

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