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Background:
Start date: 15.06.2022 End date: 30.04.2023
BACKGROUND Business development in rural Sudan is often limited by the very low purchasing power of community members, and the lack of sufficient transportation services linking the local communities to wider market networks. Moreover, the lack of adequate storage facilities means that farmers have to sell their produce as soon as it is harvested, when it is the cheapest. As a result, community members and businesses rely largely on networks of traders and brokers to bring products and inputs from outside the community and to access wider market networks. Such trading and brokering services significantly drive up the price levels at local markets and reduce farmers’ share of profits vis à vis middlemen in the value chain. Traders not only provide essential transport services, they are often also the main source of finance for the farmers, with the relationship largely depending on trust - where guarantees or collateral requirements from borrowers are not possible. The amount borrowed comes in the form of cash and must be repaid after harvest in an amount equivalent to the cost of the produce at the time of receiving the loan. This leads to challenges, for instance when the price of the crop at the time of repayment is lower than that at the time when the loan was received. Despite the fact that they fulfill a critical role in the Sudanese market for agricultural commodities, these middlemen are often seen acting predatory, with Woman and Forcibly Displaced individuals being twice as vulnerable to their price-setting power, predatory lending, and other forms of discrimination in the market. In addition, with crops being bought and sold several times along the value chain; quality assurance is impossible. Exporting buyers have no means to communicate quality issues to producer groups and hence there is little room for improvement. Groundnuts for example, are often stored in inadequate facilities or storage units throughout all stages in the value chain. This increases the level of Aflatoxin contamination, which lowers the quality and grade of the crop for processing and/or export. Leading processors of groundnuts in Sudan state that the poor storage and transport of groundnuts results in their manufacturing facilities running below total capacity. Crop quality is of particular importance for agricultural value chains in which competition is steep and value addition low, such as with the Hibiscus Value Chain where Sudan is facing intense competition from countries like Egypt and Nigeria.
PROSPECTS SUDAN To that end, PROSPECTS Partnership, that is implemented by ILO, UNICEF, UNHCR and IFC and funded by the Government of the Netherlands, aims to enhance the enabling environment, enhance access to decent work, education, training, protection and strengthen the resilience and develop the socio- economic status of Host Communities and Forcibly Displaced People. To address the issue of infrastructure that prevents communities from connecting to larger markets, education, and service networks, the ILO aims to make the development of trading and transportation networks an integral part of its programming. As part of the project, assessments have been undertaken to investigate the market systems and actors across the groundnuts and hibiscus value chains in East Darfur and West Kordofan, Sudan. More specifically, the Integrated Enterprise and Market Systems Assessment on Livelihoods in Sudan and the Socio-Economic Assessment have found that traders are the link between markets at locality, state and federal levels. However, it was found that better linkages between traders, productive cooperatives and larger market networks is needed as well ascoaching to the demand side of the market to build its confidence to extend its operations and investments to the targeted locations of Assalaya, El-Nimir, Keilak/Kharasana and Al-Meiram.
OVERALL OBJECTIVES Under the direct leadership of the ILO selected implementing partner, the national consultant will be expected to contribute to a 5-day Workshop to 200 traders, a Crop Fair and a Networking Event for the groundnuts and hibiscus value chains actorsin El-Obaied, North Kordofan.This to further include:
All of this is to include, any other tasks requested by the Implementing Partner This is to be achieved under the direct supervision of the implementing partner and the through consultations with PROSPECTS project team by using a results-based approach, as detailed below. |
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Duties and responsibilities: KEY DELIVERABLES
REPORTING LINES The selected national business development consultant will work under the direct supervision of the Implementing Partner’s management and PROSPECTS team in Sudan. This includes regular planning and progress meetings, joint discussions, agreement on best approaches and logistical preparations. |
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Minimum Qualification, Skills and Experience Required: SELECTION CRITERIA The selected National Consultant will have a mix of expertise and qualifications in the focus areas related to this ToR. Evaluation of the suitability of the consultant to work on this assignment will be made against the following selection criteria:
Please note that the Minimum Acceptable Score for the Proposal to be financially reviewed is 60 points.
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SUBMISSION To be considered in the selection process thecandidate must submit the following documents to ADDIS_PROCUREMENT@ilo.org no later than 08 June 2022, 4pm [CAT]:
*Total Deliverable Cost = Daily Professional Fees X Total Activity Deliverable Days + Total number of mission day X DSA per day + Flight cost
INSTRUCTIONS TO CONSULTANT
PAYMENT SCHEDULE Payment of Professional Fees will be made in three instalments:
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