Selection of a consultant for the caricature and drawing of the results of RAAF’s ten years of existence.

The objective of ECOWAP is 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 with the involvement of the private sector.

Through productivity and competitiveness in the intra-community and international markets, it should be able to ensure food security and provide decent incomes to its assets”.

Within the institutional framework of ECOWAP’s 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 operationalize ECOWAS agricultural policy, relying on regional institutions, organizations and actors with proven skills."

In this vein, 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 rather contracts with technical institutions and all other actors with proven skills.

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. This relates to technical supplementing of the Commission 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 rationalization, the activities and fields of intervention of specialized technical institutions in the agricultural and agri-food areas (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 and monitoring of projects.

From its launch until now, the Agency has been coordinating the implementation of several projects and programs with tangible results on the ground. It will have ten (10) years of operational life on 27 September 2023, and it is planned to organize its anniversary in order to share its successful experiences, the resources mobilized, the lessons learned and results achieved by way of contributions to the implementation of the agricultural policy via a study capitalizing its mandate implementation.

To this end, the Agency is considering the recruitment of an expert consultant in cartooning and drawing to produce user friendly summary briefs for West African populations, decision- makers, donors, etc.

Objectives of the study

The mission purports to make cartoon drawings that summarize the results achieved in RAAF’s ten years of life, using the capitalization report of the Agency’s mandate implementation.

Specifically, it will:

• Caricature the path to fulfilling RAAF's mandate over the ten years, its projection for the next 10 years, the impacts of its intervention through concise and user friendly summaries;
• Image the main messages, results for information sharing but also to encourage decision-making;
• Project RAAF into the next 10 years in terms of achieving its mandate and the vision of ECOWAS;
• Participate in RAAF anniversary celebration arrangements and finalize the document through the synthesis of the proceedings.

Expected results

The study will provide:

• a summary document (caricature, images and drawings) structured around the themes of the capitalization report:
  • Major trends, challenges and issues of the ASPH sector, RAAF’s contribution to the implementation of ECOWAP through the execution of projects and programs, main results obtained, lessons learned, gaps to be filled for the years to come and sustainability factors of results.
  • A summary of the terms, implementation and reporting conditions(CTS, CoPILs), projects and programs, in particular those relating to the interaction between RAAF, beneficiaries, implementing partner Organizations and Institutions ;
  • A summary of recommendations for improving RAAF’s performance;

Methodology

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

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

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

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

• Hold a scoping meeting with the study monitoring and orientation committee on the understanding of the ToRs;
• Examine the capitalization document of RAAF’s ten years of existence and make caricature and pictorial summaries;
• Facilitate a presentation session of the provisional report as well as the final document taking onboard the observations.

Profile of Consultant

The consultant must be a communication expert, journalist and caricature specialist, graphic designer, editor or any other equivalent expertise.

He/she must demonstrate the following experience and skills:

• at least 10 years of experience in the field of syntheses for the benefit of institutions preferably of an international dimension and in the support of policies, programs or development projects in the sector of agriculture and food security in West Africa;
• A track record of similar missions would be a great asset.
• Excellent command of one of the three ECOWAS languages, both written and spoken, and a 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);

Location and duration

The total execution time for the mission is 30 days.

The consultant will work from RAAF offices in Lomé in the Togolese Republic.

Deliverables

During the period of this 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 RAAF;
• A provisional report which will be presented for amendment and validation;
• A final and edited report which will be transmitted by electronic format with all the annexes to be transmitted to RAAF including 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 recent portfolio;
• 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. For equal skills, 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 "SCI031-ARAA- 10 Years results Caricature and drawings ".