Terms of Reference – Consultancy to Develop a Position Paper on Food Systems

Consultancies

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1. Background information

Self-Help Africa (SHA) Malawi is an international non-governmental organisation working to create opportunities for lasting improvement in peoples’ lives. We work in partnership with others to support a range of livelihoods and food security, WASH and health, sustainable energy and gender equality programmes reaching over 1 million people a year across Malawi. Globally, we work in 16 countries across Africa, Asia, and South America. In Malawi, SHA currently operates in 14 districts, supporting 23 on-going projects, and comprising 180 team members. We remain committed to our ambition to move ‘Beyond Aid’ in line with The Government of Malawi’s efforts to progress towards a self-reliant Malawi.

The SHA Malawi Strategy (2023-2027) sets out a five-year plan to support the Government of Malawi’s ‘Vision 2063’ and pursue our vision of sustainable livelihoods and healthy lives for all in a changing climate and is set within the overall ambition of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. To achieve our mission, SHA Malawi sets out four Strategic Objectives namely, 1] Sustainable landscapes, resilient food systems and healthy communities; 2] Sustainable businesses, decent employment, and a thriving economy; 3] Crisis response and Resilience, and 4] System strengthening and an enabling policy environment. To achieve these strategic objectives, the SHA Malawi delivers through the agriculture and food systems as one of its seven areas of expertise in Malawi. In this strategy, we commit to refine our approach to food systems based on sector best practice and that all our programmes will be designed with reference to climate trends and predictions. This work also builds on existing knowledge and IA investment, including through the independent food systems dialogue in Malawi supported by the Irish Fund for International Agriculture Development (IFIAD). Besides, it augments collaborative food systems platforms such as TABLE Debates that set out the evidence, assumptions, and values that people bring to debates about resilient and sustainable food futures. This paper further intends to promote speaking to power to create opportunities for reflection and engagement and feeding better dialogue to enable more constructive, collaborative problem-solving. The paper will also provide a gendered dimension of SHA’s food systems. It is against this background that the SHA Malawi is inviting applications for a consultancy to develop a position paper to articulate and refine its approach to food systems.

2. Objective of the assignment

SHA seeks to engage the services of a consultant to undertake a study leading to the production of a position paper to guide its implementation and policy engagements using and adapting the FAO Sustainable Food Systems Concept and Framework model.

The objective of the study is to develop a position paper to articulate what we do to transform the food systems for nutrition and food security and poverty reduction in Malawi tailored to both internal and external audiences. The consultant is expected to:

  1. Document SHA’s core expertise areas around the food systems (what the organisation is good at) and isolate areas where it can add the most value.
  2. Document how the SHA’s food systems approach could be more climate-resilient with a focus on five key areas of ensuring access to safe and nutritious food, shifting to sustainable consumption, nature-positive production, supporting rural livelihoods, and building resilience. This will also involve an assessment of our current Functional Landscape Approach (FLA) whether it fits into this work and provide recommendations on next steps.
  3. Provide the evidence of what works to continue strengthening our food systems approach and adapt to climate resilience.
  4. Recommend step-based approach for effective implementation and policy engagements.

Specifically, the study seeks to:

  1. Provide a clear outline of the drivers of vulnerability around the food systems and link this to SHA Malawi strategy.
  2. Document how SHA can bring together and strengthen synergies across sector areas including WASH and energy and how the organisation can make these sector areas more nutrition focused.
  3. Document the successes of SHA’s work strengthening different aspects of the food systems to date.
  4. Understand the interplay between food crops for consumption and for sale to generate income to support living costs.
  5. Determine the role that the private sector can play in improving food security using market mechanisms, for example through improved access to productivity and quality enhancing farm inputs.
  6. Articulate locally led development and how SHA might work with financial service providers including CUMO to promote access to financial services, loan products and insurance schemes.
  7. Refine the food systems wheel through embedding the SHA’s vision at the centre and strongly reflect our work around the social elements (adapting the FAO framework).
  8. To identify and isolate key areas to strengthen women’s voice, choice, and control over resources, inclusion of young people as well as persons with disability in line with the pledge of ‘leave no one behind’ to ensure a gendered dimension of SHA’s food systems.
  9. Provide a clear assessment of how SHA can strengthen synergies with other actors.
  10. Develop systematically, a clear process or steps of SHA’s approach to food systems to guide staff and partners to foster consistent and effective implementation and policy engagements.

3. Methodology

The assignment is expected to be a desk review of recent literature including reports, studies or frameworks and research on food and nutrition security, agroecology including our FLA with a bias on food systems looking into production, consumption, processing, food environment or access and policy; private sector role in nutrition security and food systems. SHA recommends that programme and project documents including similar/related literature in reports, research, learning papers and publications are prioritised for this assignment in addition to the wealth of available literature. The consultant will also undertake selective interviews with private sector input suppliers, government officers, SHA staff, development partners, other NGOs specialists and a few farmer FGDs. The literature review and interviews will represent 60% of the assignment effort.

The assignment will also involve convening workshops (40%) with the private sector, CSO and government stakeholders, development partners, and SHA staff to develop this further and discuss our strengths, the gaps, synergies across sector areas, our achievements, our vision, among others. The consultant will facilitate the workshops and strengthen SHA staff capacity as a result. This will be followed by another workshop to present a draft position paper with the team before putting it down on paper.

4.1 Key deliverables

  • An inception write-up/report details of which shall include clear design, methodology, tools, action plan and timelines for data collection and analysis.
  • Selective data collection and analysis
  • Submit a draft document for review and consideration. This shall be presented in a meeting attended by key SHA staff and partners for validation prior to finalisation, sharing, and adoption for use.
  • Submit final version of the document with recommendations for implementation and policy engagements.
  • District level workshop to present draft findings and discuss, refine, and own actions / next steps.
  • National-level half-day workshop for national level stakeholders, sharing findings and recommendations.
  • Training workshop with SHA Malawi, to build knowledge and capacity on food systems, train on approach, and review the climate resilience actions in the report, and how it links with wider strategy and approaches in-country.

SHA will share the position paper with funders, relevant stakeholders, staff, private sector, and other implementing partners upon approval.

4.2 Roles and Responsibilities

a. The Consultant:

  1. Develop an inception report with a clear methodological approach, a work plan, budget, and tools.
  2. Conduct selective data collection.
  3. Conduct workshops with SHA staff and stakeholders.
  4. Produce draft report, receive, and incorporate feedback from SHA.
  5. Conduct debrief/validation meetings with relevant stakeholders.
  6. Produce final paper to be approved by SHA.

b. Self Help Africa:

  1. Schedule and manage appointments for the interviews including community mobilisation.
  2. Provide resources for the assignment including other logistical support such as transport.
  3. Provide relevant project documents.
  4. SHA will also provide feedback on the draft position paper prior to the completion of the paper.
  5. Develop a systematic capacity building plan for staff and partners for effective implementation and policy engagements.

All activities for the assignment will be done in consultation with the Livelihoods Programme Manager and the Deputy Country Director- Programmes with support from the Global Agriculture Advisor. These will be available to offer the necessary support during the assignment.

4. Duration of the assignment

The assignment is expected to be carried out for a continuous period of 30 working days (6 weeks) from the time of signing of the contract. The days cover time that shall be spent to provide feedback on the inception report, draft position paper prior to finalisation, meetings with staff, partners, and validation meeting and workshops. The applicants MUST be available and willing to work within the stated timeframe for the assignment.

4b. Annex 1: Proposed Paper Outline/Structure (May include these headings)

  1. Background information
  2. Clear outline of food systems vulnerabilities and their linkage to SHA Malawi’s strategy.
  3. Recommendations for strengthening sector synergies and nutrition focus.
  4. Documentation of past successes in food systems work.
  5. Document the role that the private sector can play in improving food security using market mechanisms
  6. Strategies for collaborating with financial service providers.
  7. Refined food systems wheel reflecting SHA’s vision and social elements.
  8. Strategies for empowering marginalized groups and promoting inclusivity.
  9. Assessment of opportunities for collaboration with other stakeholders.
  10. A systematic process or steps for SHA’s food systems approach implementation and policy engagements.

5. Competencies of the consultant

The consultant is expected to have the following attributes to be considered:

  1. A recognised postgraduate degree in Agriculture, Social Sciences, Development Studies, Food Sciences, Environment Sciences, Agriculture nutrition, or any related field or considerable relevant work experience.
  2. Experience in development work particularly in the fields of food and nutrition security,
    • including agriculture related programming and implementation, lobby, and advocacy.
    • working knowledge and experience in gender analysis will equally be of an added advantage.
  3. Demonstrable experience of producing high quality, synthesised, analysed reports and policy briefs, position papers or food systems guides or approach in development work.
  4. A proven experience in participatory approaches for gathering data and case studies in the field.
  5. At least 5 years of consultancy experience in related work.
  6. A demonstrated high level of professionalism and an ability to work independently under tight deadlines.
  7. Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
  8. High proficiency in written and spoken English (with Chichewa for field work).

6. Application process

Interested Consultants will be expected to provide the following documentation:

  1. Detailed response to TOR, with specific focus on addressing the purpose and objectives of the assignment and methodology.
  2. Initial Work plan based on methodology outlined.
  3. Individual profile or CV including a minimum of 3 references.
  4. Detailed budget breakdown based on expected daily rates and initial work plan.

7. How to apply:

  1. All eligible Consultants who have valid business license with traceable offices and fulfills the requirements can send the bid documents by uploading the electronic documents in a link provided below.
  2. Bidders should submit their offers which should include delivery terms and bid validity.
  3. The TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR CONTRACTS FOR PROCUREMENT OF SERVICES SELF HELP AFRICA (SHA)_JAN 2023 will be applicable. These terms and conditions will be shared with the successful bidder for their review and signature.
  4. Kindly utilize this provided box link to upload electronic copies of your bid application. https://gsha.app.box.com/f/f9e8913238e8440a8071307a0982e496
  5. If you have any questions or need further clarification, please feel free to send an email to mw@selfhelpafrica.org

Closing date of receiving bid submission is 12th July, 2024 at 5:00pm.

Note: Self Help Africa is not bound to accept the lowest or any other bid. All bids will be evaluated in accordance with SHA Procurement guidelines as well as the requirements for this Invitation to bids. Bids will be evaluated on the basis of compliance with technical specifications, delivery period, price and discounts offered (if any). Self Help Africa takes the safety and well-being of all those we work with, very seriously. We have a zero-tolerance policy on abuse. Our recruitment is safe, meaning that we recruit contractors with the highest values and standards of ethical behavior.

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