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1. Introduction
The Restoring Landscapes and Livelihoods Program in Malawi with Climate Asset Management is a component of the large-scale Restoring Livelihoods and Landscapes in East and Southern Africa. In Malawi the program to restore 350,000 hectares of land and improve livelihoods of 380,000 small-scale farming households. While the restoration process is mainly about planting and conserving trees, associated activities that could support tree conservation are of utmost importance. These include livelihoods both in the short and long term. Participant engagement in livelihoods protects tree-related livelihoods that may negatively impact the sustenance of planted and conserved trees. Across the 7 districts, the technical support teams will work with farming communities to upgrade and improve existing agroforestry practices and integrate trees into various farming systems to improve soil and water management and contribute to improved livelihoods. Through the Restore Africa (RESAf) Program, CRS, and partners (World Vision, CARE, ICRAF, CADECOM, Total Land Care, Organization for Sustainable Socio-Economic Development Initiative (OSSEDI) and Self-Help Africa focus on increasing farmers’ participation in climate resilient value chains (VC) that support ever greening practices.
2. Purpose of the assessment
Specifically, identify and conduct value chain assessment for livelihoods within the project catchment areas across targeted project implementation districts. Underpinning this assessment is that fact that enhanced sustainable livelihoods1 will help the project participants pull away from relying on livelihoods that are environmentally unsustainable. It is estimated that over 80% of the households rely on forests and natural resources which make a substantial contribution to livelihoods and the economy in Malawi2. Research also indicates that unsustainable land use and land cover practices have negative implications on rural livelihoods and natural-resource management. Hence any promoted rural livelihoods should be those that will complement positive theories towards natural resource management including tree planting and management3. The assessment will therefore look at location specific livelihoods that project participants could engage in while protecting and taking care of the planted trees and forests and their other natural resources. The livelihood activities may include on-farm, off-farm and non-farm value chains and forestry-based value chains. Using assessment findings, the consultant shall analyze data collected from the field and prepare a report incorporating a value chain approach for linking RESAf participants to profitable livelihoods. The Consultant’s report shall recommend (in order of priority) location and context-based livelihoods within each catchment that CRS and consortium partners are implementing the project. The criteria for the prioritization would include the following: profitability of the value chain/livelihoods but also feasibility, economic and environmental sustainability, and participants preferences and readiness to take it up
This assessment will be multi-staged with decision gates between some of stages, to ensure that information collected from the previous stages influences the focus and depth of assessment or analysis in next stage. The main objectives of the assessment are as follows:
- Identify and prioritize options / value chains to be considered for promotion in the project areas or communities
- Recommend business- development and support model(s) appropriate for promoting the livelihood / value chain activities idented
3. Qualifications and Requirements
Lead Expert: A Lead expert must have at least a Master’s Degree or equivalent in Agribusiness, Economics or related field that is relevant for the assignment plus experience in conducting livelihoods and / or value chain assessments targeting smallholder farmers. The Lead expert must have a track record of delivering high-quality reports and recommendations.
Consultancy Team expertise: The consultancy team proposed by the lead consultant have to reflect the scope of services and demonstrate excellent technical and professional qualifications.
The team leader should ensure the team members have a mix of relevant expertise such as, but not limited to, Social, Biodiversity, Land Resource Conservation, communication, and stakeholder engagement, as well as In-depth knowledge on climate change, carbon sequestration and knowledge of local environmental & social conditions. CRS Malawi expects that proposed team members will include local experts who are nationals with (1) sound expertise of the country legal context and (2) personal knowledge of cultural and social dynamics of Malawi.
The Consultant shall provide a description of tasks to be performed by each team member as well as details on the selection and experience of the proposed members with regard to their tasks.
The Consultant shall provide updated curricula vitae (CV) of the proposed staff to be involved. Key staff should have adequate education, professional experience, language skills and experience in the region/ with similar tasks. Please note that key staff presented in the Consultant’s proposal may not be replaced without the prior approval of CRS Malawi.
4. Application Process
CRS Malawi invites interested bidders to request for complete Terms of Reference from Catherine Malunga using the following email address catherine.malunga@crs.org
Submission Address: Completed bids must be submitted electronically in PDF format to the following email address mw_bid@crs.org with “RESAf Value Chain Assessment ” in the subject line
Deadline: Bidders should submit proposals by Thursday, 8th August, 2024, 14:00 hrs. CAT.
1 AD. Kane, and J. Kachelmeyer, 2023. CRS Malawi Carbon Project Feasibility Assessment, Final report
2 World Bank (2020). Malawi Watershed Services Improvement Project (P167860) Project Information Document (PID), Appraisal Stage. Report No: PIDA27853
3 Sustainability | Free Full-Text | Local Perception of Drivers of Land-Use and Land-Cover Change Dynamics across Dedza District, Central Malawi Region (mdpi.com)
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