REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS

Scope of Work

STRENGTHENING PIGGERY AND POULTRY VALUE CHAIN PLATFORMS ACROSS ORORA WIHAZE IN TARGETED DISTRICTS.

FIRMS / INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANTS: RPIA AND RFPA

STRENGTHENING PIGGERY AND POULTRY VALUE CHAIN PLATFORMS THROUGH

CAPACITY BUILDING AND STRENGTHENING DECENTRALIZED PLATFORMS AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL IN TARGETED DISTRICTS

Assignment Locations: Rwanda (Kigali and/or Orora Wihaze target districts: Kayonza, Ngoma, Gakenke and Burera, Nyamagabe, Nyamasheke, Ngororero and Rutsiro districts)

Assignment Period: November 2023-February 2024

Type of contract:  Fixed Price Contract                                              

1. PROJECT OVERVIEW

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) awarded the 5-year Feed the Future Orora Wihaze (Raise Animal for Self-Sufficiency) Activity in October 2019 to develop an inclusive, profitable market with the goal of sustainably increasing the availability of, access to, and consumption of Established platforms in Rwanda. Utilizing a market systems approach, this project will develop partnerships with ASF actors within the market system to pilot and scale innovations that address the constraints in Rwanda’s market for animal-sourced foods. Orora Wihaze will adaptively prioritize, and address interventions based on greatest opportunity for market impact.

2. MISSION OF LAND O LAKES V37

Land O’Lakes Venture 37 seeks to partner with all agricultural players to drive market development, reduce investment barriers and strengthen farmer-to-fork agricultural systems. An additional goal of Land O’Lakes Venture 37 is to facilitate innovative, customized solutions using established platforms, local insights, robust data, and innovative technology. In Rwanda and through the Orora Wihaze project focusing on production and consumption of animal-sourced foods, V37 will work to connect Platforms and businesses to the resources they need to create transformational products and services that fuel long-term growth and profitability.

3. ACTIVITY OVERVIEW

Land O’Lakes Venture 37 seeks to support to drive market development, reduce investment barriers, and strengthen farm-to-fork agricultural systems. An additional goal of Land O’Lakes Venture 37 is to facilitate innovative, customized solutions using established channels like platforms, local insights, and innovative technology. In Rwanda and through the Orora Wihaze project focusing on production and consumption of animal-sourced foods, V37 will work to strengthen established platforms, connect them to market and improve their businesses skills to create transformational produce/products and services that catalyze long-term growth and profitability.

4. BACKGROUND TO THIS CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

In partnership with relevant market actors and relevant stakeholders, Orora Wihaze facilitated the establishment of small livestock value chain and agro-dealer platforms at district and initiated business-to-business (B2B) linkage meetings between ASF market actors. The National Producer Associations, namely the Rwanda Poultry Industry Association (RPIA) and the Rwanda Pig Farmers Association (RPFA), are the two most important small livestock platforms (pork, poultry, Agro-dealers and small ruminants) channels for information sharing, mindset change, and adaptation of new technologies for low and medium income rural and urban small livestock value chain Actors. In line with this initiative, Orora Wihaze coordinated a series of events across 8 districts of Orora Wihaze in collaboration with and PSF /Cluster of Agriculture and Livestock, facilitated business linkages and engagements meetings for district-based platform member, service providers such as insurance providers, banks, microfinances, input transporters, livestock meat processors and aggregators. As a result of this support, RPIA and RFPA leadership expressed the need to strengthen further district-based committees by facilitating activities aimed at operationalization of committees and exchange on the latest innovation and technologies, available services, and facilities in place to access finance, inputs, and extension services.

Orora Wihaze is looking for a consultant to assist both platforms in structuring working procedures at decentralized levels (district levels) and the implementation of capacity strengthening interventions including development of procedure manual and tools, defining roles and responsibilities to help streamline platforms functionality and collaboration. This will entail upgrading tools for district-based procedures and practices that support small livestock value chain development.

5. PURPOSE OF THE CONSULTANCY AND TERMS OF REFERENCE 

Land O’Lakes Venture 37’ technical assistance seeks to offer Rwanda Poultry Industry Association (RPIA) and Rwanda Pig Farmers’ Association (RFPA) leadership committees an opportunity to develop and strengthen their leadership and fulfill their mandate by assessing and setting up coordination mechanisms as an important step towards supporting members to upscale their livestock production, access extension services and building stronger connections with other stakeholders – input suppliers, manufacturers, product aggregators, processors, and financial institutions leading to increasing trust and collaboration among relevant market actors.

It is expected therefore that through this support, Orora Wihaze will facilitate RPIA and RFPA to improve District and Sector level committees’ leadership by positioning them to undertake their mission of improving livestock value chain production.

6. KEY ACTIVITIES OF THE FIRM/CONSULTANT

The consultant’s responsibilities shall include the following: 

Priority area #1: Strengthening sector-level platforms.

1. Conduct a quick scan of key issues/challenges affecting platform and RPIA AND RFPA decentralization development in Orora Wihaze target zones and countrywide in general.
2. Facilitate districts leadership committee members to conduct mapping of key platform members/ poultry and pig producers.
3. Develop the organizational structure of platforms, including members subscription terms and conditions.
4. Support RPFA district committees to design plans for Pig Artificial insemination mobilization through CAHWs
5. Support RPIA district committees to design plans for Egg Zones and egg kiosks operationalization at district level
6. Design user-friendly tools and templates for reporting and information sharing.
7. Design membership and subscription guidelines, templates and forms for members registration and renewal of membership.
8. Develop training materials tailored to each category of actors in line with compliance to regulations and good practices.
9. Facilitate the capacity building for district platforms committees and mobilization as follows:

• RPIA 48 members/participants thus 6 committee members of 8 persons per District (all Sectors)
• RPFA 48 members/participants thus 6 committee members of 8 persons per District and 5 Sectors
• Agro-dealers 48: (6 committee members of 8 persons per District).
• Support and facilitate the development of soft systems to manage their membership and producer database

Priority area #2: RPIA and RPFA platforms engagement meetings and B2B facilitation

1. Facilitate national-level committees to roll out district-based committees’ engagement plans.
2. Mentorship and review of progress made in implementing their commitment.
3. Develop the monitoring plan for implementation of skills, procedures acquired RPIA and RFPA field outreach to District elected leaders for assessing streamlining the work plan.
4. Support national-level committees to organize stakeholders' engagement meetings on the status of linking with other available stakeholders, Pig Artificial insemination mobilization for RPFA members and on egg zones operationalization for RPIA district-based members.
5. Facilitate platforms to sensitize and mobilize their members on ASF consumption.

Priority area #3: Advocacy and Stakeholders’ engagement

1. Facilitate RPIA and RPFA leadership to participate in extension services CAHWs policy dialogue.
2. Support the organization of district platforms to participate in district seasonal planning and review agriculture meeting.
3. Support RPFA and RPIA members to engage district leaderships on the outcome from mobilization on AI and egg zones respectively.
4. Support Chairs RPIA/RFPA to conduct linkage meetings with input suppliers, insurance providers, feeds manufacturers and distributors agro-dealers, product off-takers, financiers etc.

 7. Deliverables

Payments for multiple Deliverables may be combined or sub-divided at the discretion of the procurement department. 

8. Required Expertise and Qualifications

8.1: Required Qualifications:   

• At least 4 years of relevant professional experience 
• Demonstrated knowledge of capacity building of platforms and linkage of Livestock value chain Actors with available local and international stakeholders preferably in the livestock sector 
• Experience in capacity building related to livestock sector group formations
• Should demonstrate the capacity, capability, and experience required to undertake the assigned tasks within the required timelines.
• Deep understanding of the Rwandan small livestock sector and regulations
• Experience in working and engaging with SMEs 

8.2:  Key Working Relationships:

The main contact person is Land O’Lakes Venture37 DCOP, Overall Supervisor for this assignment.

The Consultant will work in close collaboration with the following people:

• Orora Wihaze technical team (by Senior Policy Specialist)
•  RPIA/ RFPA management team (Chairpersons)

8.3: Calendar of activity:

This assignment will be done from November 2023 to April 2024, The Consultancy will be effective at the Country Representative’s approval and consultant’s acceptance date of the current contract. 

8.4: Travel Logistics:

Field work is planned for this consultancy and the transport facilitation will be provided under this contract by Orora Wihaze.

9. APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS FOR QUALIFIED CANDIDATES

Qualified Firms or Consultants are encouraged to send their applications to email;  ProcurementROW@landolakes.com not later than Wednesday, November 15^th,2023 at 17:00Hrs Kigali time to support them to decentralize their activities at the Sector level. The title of the email must include: Development of capacity building (Training) Manuals, working procedure, and Facilitating the implementation of capacity building manual of established platforms in Orora Wihaze targeted districts.

’’. The application email should attach a comprehensive 4-section technical proposal as one (1) document in PDF format: