Terms of Reference (TOR) for livestock Value Chain Assessment on opportunities and challenges for women and youth in (pastoralist and agri-) value chains are identified through Gender-and socially inclusive Value Chain Mapping.
Job Description
Job description
Terms of Reference (TOR) for livestock Value Chain Assessment on opportunities and challenges for women and youth in (pastoralist and agri-) value chains are identified through Gender-and socially inclusive Value Chain Mapping.
1- Background
CARE has worked in Somalia since 1981 to reduce poverty and vulnerabilities to natural disasters, climate change and shocks, promote learning and address gender inequality. CARE International has recognized expertise in implementing successful resilience programmes, working with the most vulnerable and ultra- marginalized populations in Somalia., CARE projects reached more than two million people, more than half of which were women and girls. We achieve this through three programs, designed along the development-humanitarian Nexus and contributing to improving governance and the social, economic and environmental resilience of vulnerable and excluded populations in Somalia.
Under the Climate Justice, Food, Water and Nutrition CARE is implementing a range of programs. Among these, is the Anticipatory Action & Climate Resilience along Transhumance Corridors in Somalia’(AART) project being implementing in Southwest state Somalia by a Consortium consisting of CARE international, World vision, WARDI and Shaqadoon. To inform and refine our approach on improving the pastoralist value chains along the trans human corridor, CARE International is inviting consultant(s) to conduct a value-chain assessment. This assessment aims to establish the current conditions in the targeted communities and assess the feasibility of the proposed approaches.
2- AART Project Summary
Somalia faces a multifaceted humanitarian crisis due to climate events, inter-clan disputes, and governance issues. This has severely impacted on the pastoral and agropastoral communities, jeopardizing their food security and livelihoods. Over 65% of Somalia’s workforce relies on pastoralism, underpinning 80% of the country’s annual exports. While pastoralists have traditionally navigated extreme climates through long-distance livestock migrations, this crucial resilience is now under threat, as climate change, over-grazing, unsustainable habits, and conflict disrupt seasonal routines of livestock corridors.
Employing a ‘corridor approach’, the AART project aims to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable groups within Southwest Somalia’s transhumance corridors through a two-fold strategy. Firstly, it focuses on rehabilitating and restoring crucial infrastructure along the corridors, including water stations, pasture zones, and fodder banks, thereby reviving the disrupted seasonal movements within the livestock corridors, supplemented by direct support to the farming communities within the corridors. Secondly, the project aims to establish aneffective early warning system specifically designed to cater to pastoralists’ needs, enabling them to make informed decisions about their movement.
➢ Result Area 1: Pastoral and agropastoral communities and IDPs, along transhumance corridors in the conflict-prone region of Lower Shabelle, Bay and Bakool regions, have improved their capacity to anticipate and manage risks, through enhanced access to timely and relevant early warning information and anticipatory action plans tailored to their needs.
➢ Result Area 2: The climate resilience and social cohesion of vulnerable pastoralist and agro-pastoralist communities and IDPs, along the pastoral transhumance corridors, is strengthened, with a focus on women, youth and people with disabilities.
➢ Result Area 3: Institutional capacity for early warning and anticipatory action
3- About the Assignment
Pastoralist communities represent a vital part of the nation’s economy and cultural identity. With a long-standing tradition of herding livestock, pastoralism is not just a livelihood but a way of life that has adapted to the harsh conditions of the Horn of Africa. Central to this practice are livestock such as camels, goats, and sheep, which provide essential resources like meat, milk, and hides, both for local consumption and export. The value chains linked to pastoralism are intricate, encompassing various activities—from animal rearing and health management to marketing and processing. These chains are crucial not only for the sustenance of pastoralist communities but also for Somalia’s economy, particularly through foreign currency earnings from livestock exports to markets in the Arabian Peninsula.
However, these value chains face significant challenges, predominantly due to climate-related shocks, particularly droughts. Such events can lead to devastating losses in livestock, exacerbating poverty and hindering the economic potential of pastoralists. Additionally, the isolation of pastoralist communities complicates their integration into the broader economy, further limiting their opportunities. Recognizing the critical role of pastoralism in Somalia’s socio-economic fabric, CARE led consortium program, with funding from DANIDA, has initiated the Anticipatory Action and Climate Resilience Project (AART) to support pastoral communities along their migration routes. This project focuses on enhancing resources and infrastructure, including access to animal health services and water sources, particularly during crisis periods.
4- Assignment Objectives
The objective of the consultancy outlined in this ToR is to conduct a pastoralist value chain assessment on opportunities and challenges for women and youth in (pastoralist and agri-) value chains identified through Gender-and socially inclusive Value Chain Mapping and analysis. with a focus on understanding and mapping the value chains that are most relevant during droughts and shocks, in particular along the trans-human corridor in Southwest state. This assessment will analyze alternative and sustainable value chains, stages of pastoral production, and value addition and identify key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats within these value chains
5- Methodology
This assessment will deploy a mix of quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. The desired methodology is participatory and all the key stakeholders including target beneficiaries, value chain actors, government stakeholders, business actors will be considered to be part of the pastoralist VCA process.
The anticipated benefit of a Participatory and stakeholder-centred approach is the empowering that the process will impart to those service providers and the beneficiaries/ stakeholders who will participate in the exercise. Focus group discussions, key informant interviews, site visits etc, are proposed amongst the methods to be used for the review. The consultant will provide leadership and bear responsibility for the process, the findings, the comments and the content of the final document
6- Scope of Work for Pastoralist/livestock Value Chain Assessment
The Pastoralist Value Chain Assessment will target Transhuman corridor project Target areas and it will confine with in the assignment objectives and capture all the relevant parameters. The scope of the value chain will mainly focus on the project’s target districts with in the Southwest state.
6-Value Chain Analysis Tasks
➢ The objective of the consultancy outlined in this ToR is to conduct a pastoralist value chain assessment on opportunities and challenges for women and youth in (pastoralist and agri-) value chains identified through Gender-and socially inclusive Value Chain Mapping and analysis.
➢ Map and Identify Value Chains: Focus on value chains that are particularly significant for pastoralists, agro-pastoralists especially during drought periods. Likewise, identify gender transformative value chains along the corridor.
➢ Identify Key Value Chains: Pinpoint the specific value chain that pastoralists rely on during droughts along the trans-human corridor, identify all stakeholders involved in the pastoralist, and agro-pastoralist value chains, and their respective roles.
➢ Assess Constraints: Analyze barriers that limit the productivity of the value chain for pastoralists in particular women, youth and marginalized communities.
➢ Conduct In-Depth Assessment: Identify gaps, challenges, and opportunities for improvement within the pastoral value chain.
7- Schedule/Timeline
The Consultant must submit a timeline of activities as part of its proposals
The expected timeframe of this Value Chain assessment is 27 working days. This timeframe will be possible if data collection is conducted simultaneously in all three project areas.
Skills and qualifications
Consultant profile and qualifications
➢ The consultant is expected to have the qualifications and experiences as follows.
➢ The Specialist must have at least a degree in livestock value chains, pastoralism, or Master’s degree in Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Development or Development Economics with a specialization in Agriculture.
➢ At least 10 years of practical experience in the field of agriculture and rural development, especially related to agricultural enterprise development.
➢ Past relevant work experience in Somalia would be considered a significant advantage.
➢ The Specialist must also have experience with value chain analysis, having conducted at least two value chain assessments as the lead consultant.
➢ Extensive experience in data management and analysis, including data collection tools design, database design, management, and data quality checks.
➢ Robust experience in applying participatory methods of data collection and validation and in recommending solutions that are context-specific and community-adaptive.
➢ Strong skills in coordination, intercultural communication and networking; and
excellent skills in spoken and written English.
10- Budget
The budget prepared by the bidder should cover all the activities outlined above, including value chain assessment training, data collection, data cleaning, transcription and translation. This budget is inclusive of research costs. The organization will cover any other cost like enumerators, travel and other logistics related. Bidders are required to organize and fund their own duty of care arrangements as required.
Bidders are required to provide a fully costed proposal in the form of a price schedule that as a minimum should include:
Attachments
TOR_Value chain Assessment (VCA) TOR
.pdf
How to apply
Any person/firm interested in carrying out this evaluation should send the following-
• Technical proposal including the methodology and work plan to comply with the requirements of the evaluation
• Financial proposal: consultants’ expenses and fees only. We will cover the cost of enumerators and Logistics
• CVs of the people to carry out the evaluation.
• Past experience in similar assignment
• Registration certificate from FGS ministry Commerce and Industry.
Technical and Financial proposals are due no later than November 13, 2024, to the email below-
SOM.Consultant@care.org
