SAIOMA Consultancy to Conduct a Gender and Social Diversity Analysis

SAIOMA: Consultancy to conduct a gender and social diversity analysis

The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) mission is to trigger a uniquely African Green Revolution that transforms agriculture into a highly productive, efficient, competitive and sustainable system to assure food security and lift millions out of poverty. 

AGRA’s main goals by 2020 are to: 

i) Reduce food insecurity by 50 percent in at least 20 countries 

ii) Double the incomes of 20 million smallholder families and
 

iii) Put at least 15 countries on track towards attaining and sustaining a uniquely African Green Revolution.
 

Project Purpose
 

Strengthening Agricultural Input and Output Markets in Africa (SAIOMA) is a Global Development Alliance (GDA) between AGRA, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation designed to reduce poverty and hunger. 

The ultimate goal of SAIOMA is to promote inclusive agriculture sector growth in Kenya, Malawi and Zambia by the end of 2015. The primary beneficiaries for this program are rural smallholder farmers, most of whom are women.

Objectives of the study
 

AGRA presently invites proposals from firms or individuals (“the consultant”) to conduct a Gender and Social Diversity Analysis in Kenya, Zambia, and Malawi. 

The objective of this study is to understand the gender roles and relations involved in selected value chains in project countries. 

Results of the assessments will contribute to strategy development, gender and diversity responsive programming, and practical implementation of the project for improved incomes and food security in the project countries. 

The study is expected to maximize the participation and benefits for women farmers/members of  farmer organizations (FOs) in project countries. It will also guide the identification of appropriate entry points for training, information sharing activities and for monitoring and evaluation of the project.

Scope of Work

• Investigate gender and social diversity dynamics as a key cross-cutting issue in the project countries
• Undertake a needs assessment of FOs in providing technical services to their members, and identify FOs’ limitations in reaching women farmers within specified project locations.
• Analyse gender and social diversity dynamics within production, processing and marketing and representations in farmer groups. The analysis will illuminate patterns of access to assets for particular social groups, examine national and country/district agricultural data with particular focus on selected value chains and make recommendations for gender and diversity responsive programing of the SAIOMA project.
• Analyse factors affecting FOs and women in accessing structured markets such as pre and post-harvest losses and transaction costs.
• Analyse available sources of agro-inputs to women farmers, FOs and propose ways of developing inclusive agro-dealer networks/ enterprises and effective channels for broad adoption of improved inputs and agronomic practices.

Duration of assignment
 

The exact timeframe for this assignment will be negotiated in line with the proposal submitted by the successful consultant firm/individual. 

The methodology proposed by the consultant for this assignment will to some extent influence the duration of the assignment. It is envisaged that the analysis could be completed within a period of not more than 30 consulting days.

Submission of proposal
 

Proposals shall be submitted in two parts, i.e. Technical and Financial. 

The technical proposal should include the firm’s profile detailing the relevant experiences, CVs of the proposed team members and the methodology to be used. 

The financial proposal should indicate a detailed budget and the total cost of the study including taxes.