Selection of a consultant for the development of a capitalization report of RAAF’s ten years of existence

The Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS adopted, in January 2005 in Accra, the agricultural policy of the community, the ECOWAP which constitutes the regional variation of the Detailed Program for the Development of African Agriculture (CAADP), the agricultural component of NEPAD.

ECOWAP aims to "contribute in a sustainable manner to meeting the food needs of the population, to economic and social development and to the reduction of poverty in the Member States, as well as inequalities between territories, areas and countries.” It is based on a vision, which takes into account the major trends in the regional agricultural sector, still characterized by low productivity and which requires transformation into "a modern and sustainable agriculture, based on the effectiveness and efficiency of family farms  and the promotion of agricultural enterprises through the involvement of the private sector. Productive and competitive on the intra-community and international markets, it must make it possible to ensure food security and provide decent incomes to its assets”.

Within the institutional framework of ECOWAP implementation, the Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food (RAAF) was created by regulation C/REG.1/08/11 and officially launched on 27 September 2013.  Its mandate is to "ensure the technical execution of regional investment programs and plans contributing to the operationalization of ECOWAS agricultural policy, relying on regional institutions, organizations and actors with proven skills".

In this perspective, the agency appears as the technical institution through which ECOWAS fully plays its sovereign role in supporting actors and regional cooperation institutions in the implementation of investment plans. As such, the Agency does not directly execute actions in the field, but contracts with technical institutions and all other actors whose skills are proven. Specifically, RAAF has the following mandates:

• Strengthen the technical intervention and action capacities of the ECOWAS Commission, particularly the Department of Economic Affairs and Agriculture. It is a question of supplementing the Commission from a technical point of view, in the implementation of investment programs to enable the latter to fully play its sovereign role (strategic orientation, regulation, steering, monitoring and evaluation, strategic watch.
• Coordinate, with a view to streamlining, the activities and fields of intervention of specialized technical institutions in the agricultural and agri-food fields (agriculture, livestock, fishing, forestry).
• Contribute to building the capacities of regional actors in the preparation of files, the implementation and monitoring of activities. The Agency must contribute to improving the services of the various technical cooperation institutions and other regional actors involved in the agricultural sector (private sector, professional agricultural organizations, and civil society). This support involves thematic training, and support for the implementation of projects and their monitoring.

From its launch to the present day, the Agency has coordinated the implementation of several projects and programs with tangible results on the ground.

On 27 September 2023, the Agency will be ten (10) years old, and it is planned to organize its anniversary in order to share its successful experiences, lessons learned and results achieved in terms of contributions to the implementation of agricultural policy.

To this end, RAAF undertakes to mobilize an individual consultant to conduct a capitalization study of the results obtained over the ten years, the lessons learned and the formulation of recommendations for the next 10 years.

Objectives of the study  

The objective of the mission is to capitalize on the results obtained during the ten years of RAAF’s life, to draw lessons from the implementation of its mandate and to formulate, if necessary, recommendations to improve its operation.

Specifically, it will be:

• To introduce the major trends, challenges and issues of the agri-forestry-pastoral and fisheries sectors and the trajectory of their structuring around the 9 themes;
• To highlight in each theme RAAF’s contribution of ARAA in terms of projects and programs implementation, main results obtained, lessons learned, gaps to be filled for the years to come, and sustainability factors of results.
• To assess the terms and conditions of implementation and accountability for the results of projects and programs, in particular those relating to interactions between RAAF,  beneficiaries, and implementing partner Organizations and Institutions;
• To make recommendations for improving RAAF’s performance;
• To edit documents with pictorial illustrations to better ensure extensive communication and visibility of RAAF.

Expected results

The study will provide:

• a capitalization document structured in 9 themes which presents:

• Major trends, challenges and issues of the ASPH sector, RAAF’s contribution to the implementation of ECOWAP through the execution of projects and programs, the main results obtained, lessons learned, gaps to be filled for the years to come, sustainability factors of the results.
• An analysis of the terms, conditions of implementation and reporting (CTS, CoPILs) of projects and programs, in particular those relating to interactions between RAAF, beneficiaries, and implementing partner Organizations and Institutions ;
• Recommendations for improving RAAF’s performance ;
• Editing documents with graphic illustrations to better ensure greater communication and visibility of RAAF.

       o The consultant must possess a synthesis capacity by presenting a report of maximum 60 pages along the format presented

Methodology

RAAF will set up a study monitoring and orientation committee composed of the following members:

• The Director of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chairman,
• The leading member of the ECOWAP donors Group
• The Executive Director of RAAF,
• Project and program coordinators
• The Executive Director of the Rural Hub

The role of the orientation committee is to ensure the validation of the consultant’s methodological approach, the study follow-up and the orientation.

The approach to be proposed by the consultant should include the following steps:

• To hold a scoping meeting with the study monitoring and orientation committee on the understanding of the ToRs;
• To consult ECOWAP stakeholders, in particular donors, RAAF coordinators and program officers, IGOs, technical cooperation institutions, RPOs as well as countries, beneficiaries in the field;
• To use the annual activity reports of the various programs, project documents, project and program evaluation reports, project and program capitalization documents, strategic studies, photos of achievements in the field and other tools;
• To draw up on this basis the capitalization report of the 10 years of life of RAAF;
• To facilitate a presentation session of the provisional report as well as the final document taking into account the observations;
• To edit the document with pictorial illustrations.

Profile of the consultant

The consultant must be a specialist in monitoring and evaluation, capitalization, editor, have at least an academic level of BAC + 5 years in agronomy, agro economics, economics, statistics, sociology, or any other equivalent diploma.

He must demonstrate the following experience and skills:

• At least 10 years of experience in the field of monitoring and evaluation with institutions preferably of international dimension, and in support of policies, programs or development projects in the sector of agriculture and food security in west Africa ;
• Track record of evaluations, external capitalization of regional or national multi-donor projects preferably;
•  An excellent command of one of the three ECOWAS languages, both written and spoken; command of a second language would be an asset;
• A good knowledge of projects and programs in the fields of agriculture and food in West Africa and a good knowledge of ECOWAS agricultural policy (ECOWAP / CAADP);
• Track record of work for at least ten years in one or more West African countries;
• Similar past missions would be a great asset.

Location and duration

The total execution time of the mission is 60 man/days.

The consultant will be working from RAAF office, in Lomé in the Togolese Republic.

Deliverables

During the period of his assignment, the expert must produce the following documents:

A roadmap including the mission program and the proposed methodology. The roadmap will be submitted the day before the scoping meeting with ARAA;

A provisional capitalization report of the 10 years of life of the ARAA which will be presented for amendment and validation;

A final and edited report which will be transmitted by electronic version with all the annexes which will be transmitted to the ARAA after taking onboard all amendments.

Selection procedures

Eligibility and qualifications

The ECOWAS Commission, through the Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food (RAAF) hereby invites natural persons to express their interest in providing the required services by providing information demonstrating that they possess the required qualifications and relevant experience to carry out the mission.

The attention of interested individual consultants is particularly drawn to Article 117 of the revised ECOWAS Public Procurement Code ("Offences by Candidates, Bidders and Winners"), which provides information on corrupt or fraudulent practices in competition or contract performance. In addition, please refer to the following specific information on conflicts of interest related to this assignment in accordance with Article 118 of the revised ECOWAS Public Procurement Code.

Application file

The application file consists of:

• An expression of interest letter;
• A recent curriculum vitae detailing professional experience and similar assignments;
• A technical proposal containing the proposal of methodological approach ;
• Three professional references (first and last names, current functions, functions at the time of collaboration with the Consultant, email and telephone contacts);
• Copy of the highest degree in in agronomy, agro economics, economics, statistics, sociology, or any other equivalent diploma;
• Copy of the certificates of work or service rendered, listed in the curriculum vitae.

Selection method

A consultant will be selected according to the individual consultant selection method described in the ECOWAS "Procurement Regulations". An interview to assess knowledge, skills and abilities may be arranged with the best candidates. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.. RAAF reserves the right not to act on this advice.

 Request for additional information

Interested consultants can obtain further information by writing to the following e-mail addresses: procurement@araa.org cc: ctienon@araa.org, mnakorba@araa.org, bkpessiglo@araa.org   with the subject "SCI030-ARAA- 10 Years Capitalization Report ".