NOTICE OF OPPORTUNITY AND CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (EOIS)

FOR ANTICIPATED SEED SECTOR DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

IFDC SOUTH SUDAN

The International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) anticipates starting a seed sector development program in January 2021 that will provide market-oriented interventions to support the establishment of a commercial, sustainable, and adaptive agriculture sector in South Sudan. The project will ensure the availability of improved seed down to the last-mile through agri-entrepreneurship and support existing private sector seed companies to improve seed and input marketing, distribution and production practices. The project will support the emergence of individual commercial seed producers, who produce for the local market, as out grower for a seed company, or both. The anticipated project will be implemented in collaboration with KIT, Royal Tropical Institute with funding from the Netherlands Embassy.

The project will support commercialization of the seed sector through the following four Result Areas (RAs):

1. Commercial Quality Seed Production focuses on ensuring efficient, high quality and economically viable seed production, sales and distribution tailored for market-oriented smallholder farmers;
2. Quality Seed Use, Good Agricultural Practices and climate resilient farming practices among smallholder farmers results from tailored sales and distribution strategies provided by seed companies and commercial seed producers;
3. Quality Seed, Input and Output Marketing and Distribution through the establishment of last-mile input distribution and effective seed, input and output market relationships which improve local competitiveness through agribusiness development, women empowerment, and youth employment;
4. Learning and Capacity Development supports the above result areas together with targeted research to address bottlenecks, support adaptive project management and advance knowledge on seed sector development.

During a six-month inception phase starting in January 2021, the project will fine-tune its programmatic approach, key interventions and partnerships, based on project design elements’ ability to build synergies with existing Dutch Government-funded projects, as well as the possibility for collaboration with public sector actors, local, county- and national-level government bodies supporting the seed sector and agricultural development. The inception phase will “ground-truth” the design of the project and will allow the project team to assess key constraints and opportunities, as well to identify key supports, competing interests, or threats from stakeholders and actors in each targeted locality, and from restrictions due to COVID-19.

IFDC IS SEEKING HIGHLY QUALIFIED APPLICANTS, INDIVIDUAL CANDIDATES OR FIRMS, TO CONDUCT DETAILED MARKET ASSESSMENTS AND ANALYSES AS WELL AS A STRUCTURED VALIDATION OF ASSESSMENT FINDINGS FOR EACH OF THE FIVE (5) “HUBS OF STABILITY” (YAMBIO, TORIT, BOR, RUMBEK, AND THE JUBA OUTSKIRTS), DRAWING UPON AND NOT REPLICATING INFORMATION ALREADY AVAILABLE IN-COUNTRY. PROJECT INCEPTION PHASE ASSESSMENTS ARE ANTICIPATED TO INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING; INDIVIDUAL TERMS OF REFERENCE (TORS) WILL BE DEVELOPED FOR EACH OPPORTUNITY AND SEND TO SHORT-LISTED CANDIDATES:

• Seed Sector Resilience Assessments (in coordination with project partners, notably FNS-REPRO implemented by FAO).
• Crop/commodity market systems and value chain assessments (commodities TBD)
• Stakeholder analysis assessment (in tandem with seed sector resilience/market systems/value chain assessments)
• Women’s Economic and Opportunities for Youth Empowerment assessments (WEE/OYE differentiated yet synergetic methodological approaches)
• Security/conflict-sensitivity and political economy assessment
• Presentation of detailed reports for assessment findings and recommendations, in oral and written form (MS PowerPoint and MS Word)
• Stakeholder validation events/workshops for review of assessment findings

IFDC IS LOOKING FOR EXPERIENCED FIRMS AND/OR INDIVIDUAL CANDIDATES WHO HAVE DEMONSTRATED CAPACITY AND QUALIFICATIONS IN ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING AREAS RELATED TO THE SPECIFIC ASSESSMENTS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROJECT. SOUTH SUDANESE INDIVIDUALS AND COMPANIES ARE PREFERRED, BUT EXTERNAL COMPANIES/CONSULTANTS WITH EXPERIENCE IN SOUTH SUDAN AND/OR THE REGION WILL ALSO BE CONSIDERED:

• Expertise in seed sector, value chain and market systems analysis, particularly for fragile and conflict-sensitive contexts
• Expertise in mixed-methods information gathering, qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis
• Experience in developing rapid rollout of tailored evaluative and research methodologies for assessment activities, identifying points of contact and resources at the field level who can facilitate access to potential assessment participants and key informants
• Extensive experience leading field research activities with detailed and comprehensive methodological approach relevant to the context of South Sudan and the Hubs of Stability
• Expertise in gender analysis and gender-sensitive/gender-specific research methodologies
• Expertise in carrying out market-based assessments that can contextualize and identify opportunities for youth development, employment, entrepreneurship and empowerment
• Expertise in conducting intricate and detailed security, political economy and conflict-sensitivity analyses in fragile states
• Experience with monitoring and evaluation, baseline assessments, analysis and project evaluations
• Ability to travel to and work within South Sudan with trips to remote locations

Key assumptions for intervention risks and mitigation measures identified during each of the assessments will also undergo a process of validation with key stakeholders and development partners. Assessment and validation findings during the inception phase will be used to finalize intervention logics (i.e., “results chains” for each targeted seed value chain) that inform revisions for the project’s Theory of Change, Results Framework. Assessments will gauge the potential approach in and around the Hubs of Stability, conducting detailed analyses in order to validate crops’ and commodities’ selection and targeting in each of the Hubs. Assessments will consider technical and programmatic feasibility, seed and input sector relevance, market potential, political economy, conflict sensitivity and complementarity with Netherlands’ priorities and programming investments including the potential to build synergies between Dutch Government-funded projects, as well as other donor activities in South Sudan.

AT THIS STAGE INDIVIDUAL CANDIDATES AND FIRMS ARE REQUESTED TO SUPPLY THEIR CVS, PROFILES AND EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST.

TORs for each assessment will be finalized at the start of the project and TORs will be sent to the short-listed candidates or firms. Subsequently those short-listed candidates/firms can apply to conduct one individual assessment, or more than one in a configuration of assessments, based on an effective presentation of criteria listed in the TORs, including methodological approach(es), relevance to the context of South Sudan—as well as individual/firm qualifications/experience, expertise, work-history in South Sudan and the East Africa Region, and areas of interest and timelines requested in the TORs.

Applicants should submit (1) their CV(s) and (2) their consultant/organizational profile 

Required Skills Required Experience

MINIMUM APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:

• Four year college degree in accounting/finance
• 3+ years of relevant experience; including SEC reporting experience
• Understanding of U.S. GAAP financial statements, and SEC reporting requirements
• Superior critical thinking, analytical, and problem-solving skills
• Excellent organizational and multitasking abilities, ensuring deadlines are met
• Proven ability to work both independently and collaboratively with different levels of individuals
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Intermediate to advanced Microsoft Office competency
• Able to work additional hours as required particularly during quarter-ends and annual audit