Job Description

MEDA (Mennonite Economic Development Associates) is an organization dedicated to creating business solutions to poverty. MEDA’s EMERTA project (Ethiopians Motivating Enterprises to Rise in Trade and Agri-business), which is funded by Global Affairs Canada, is committed to increasing the income and employment opportunities for entrepreneurs and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) focusing on three value chains: rice, vegetables and gemstones with gender equality and environment sustainability as cross-cutting themes. 

There is huge untapped potential in the agricultural sector in Ethiopia, where smallholder farmers production is typically characterised by low yields, variable quality, and poor market linkages. Efficient market system plays an important role in the economic development as it stimulates production, avoids unnecessary fluctuation in output and prices and reduces costs of production and unfair share of consumer’s price. The experience of many countries suggests that in the absence of an efficient market system, agricultural development cannot go very far to stimulate production and contribute to price stability.

One of the EMERTA project strategies in creating market linkage to producers and MSME is through delivery of market information in partnership with the Farm Radio International (FRI), facilitation of forward and backward market linkages to improve the quality and market performance, and formation of rice processors association and development of common brand, and support to businesses participation in trade fare and similar events. Currently, MEDA is in the way to support irrigation cooperatives in partnership with the regional Cooperative Agency in the vegetable sector to strengthen market linkage between vegetable producers and buyers.

In addition, the project has a gender equality strategy that focuses on mainstreaming gender into EMERTA activities and intervention to ensure that both men and women benefit from development outcomes. The project focuses on increasing women’s participation in economic opportunities and decision-making process in the household and community through providing various awareness raising events and training including gender and household financial management training for women and men clients in the agriculture sector. Entrepreneurship, financial and record keeping, and life skill training are also provided for MSMEs of the three sectors.

One of the goals of the EMERTA project, in regarding to implementing market system development is to ensure the legal market system governance and fair profit margin for all the value chain actors in the rice and vegetable sector is met. Particularly, the marketing of vegetable is complex especially owning to its perishability, seasonality and bulkiness nature at a time. This is also leading to high and fluctuating consumer prices and unfair share of the retailer’s price. Hence, it is relevant to conduct a study on rice and vegetable sector marketing system using a holistic approach (employing combinations of different approaches of studying marketing system and incorporating both supply and demand aspects of the market system.)

 The Geographical Scope

The geographical scope of the assignment covers MEDA intervention areas of South Gondar Zone namely Dera, Fogera and Libokemkem woreda, Bahir Dar, and Addis Ababa. The agricultural marketing assignment will go beyond the production area to promote market access for smallholder farmers, processors, retailers, and wholesalers. 

Task Description 

MEDA aims to establish and promote a profitable market linkage platform in the value chains of rice and vegetable sectors that potentially provide increased business incomes at farmers and enterprise level and create more employment opportunities. MEDA also would like to remove barriers to market access like brokers and business monopolization for rice and vegetable products by enhancing their competitiveness and creating multiplier effects throughout the value chain through ensuring the quality of products. The market system value chain analysis report revealed a number of inefficiencies along the value chains that hinder optimization of income and profit by the value chain players.

In rice sector, the key identified marketing gars are: 

• lack a fair profit margin in the value chain actors,
• lack of trust for rice processing from producers, processors for paddy rice, milled and rice bi-products marketing
• poor post-harvest handling which hinders the quality from producers,
• credit marketing modality from processors to wholesalers,
• Monopoly of milled rice marketing by few wholesalers to supply for potential buyers
• inadequate access to market information from producers to aggregators

In Vegetable sector, the key marketing challenges identified are:

•  high perishability and low quality,
• production seasonality,
•  low pricing and exploitation by brokers,
• inadequate access to market information for the farmers, and
• poor marketing due to lack of strong cooperatives and unions. 

Interventions include increasing efficiency of markets by reducing the influence of brokers in the value chains through linking farmers directly to processors and retailers, wholesalers, and processors and retailers to wholesalers and other key potential buyers. This consultancy therefore seeks to facilitate the linking of farmers and processors to markets for specific products mentioned above through evaluation of current farmers and enterprises (processors, retailers, wholesalers) marketing practices and identification of ways to improve marketing methods and business linkages for farmers and enterprises to become more competitive in the market place and increase their incomes.

Scope of work

The selected firm/consultant shall work closely with MEDA staffs and project partners to carry out the following:

• Review the existing Value Chain and market linkage performance of rice and vegetable products,
• Draft an appropriate methodology for primary data collection and develop data collection tools (e.g. market survey, interviews with market actors, key informant interviews) that will be used to conduct the market study. The methodology should specifically consult, and identify opportunities focusing on women.
• Plan and conduct analysis of rice and vegetable marketing focusing on:
• Identification of major gaps at local market at South Gondar Zone of MEDA intervention woredas, regional markets at Bahir Dar, and national market at Addis Ababa,
• Assessment of size of markets, volume of sales and market integration/segmentation
• Assessment of Governance and business enabling environment (e.g. security issues or policies affecting market access)
• Assessment of various market actors (consumers, sellers, traders, brokers,) behaviour and practice on rice and vegetable marketing
• Review of purchasing and selling mechanisms, market requirements (standards, conditions for delivery) and prices, profit margin, payment modality, and employment conditions
• Assess the role of service providers such as NGOs, Government institutions and private enterprises
• Other areas as identified by the methodology and data collection
• Draft a market analysis report, which includes an executive summary and practical recommendations that can be used to inform MEDA’s intervention in Amhara Region by providing evidence-based information. 

Process & Deliverables

Phase 1: Plan of Action

Based on this TOR the consultant will draw up a Plan of Action (3-5 pages). The Plan of Action will include the proposed approach of the candidate, methodology, a broad time frame and budget. It will also explain how the involvement of MEDA experts and stakeholders will be ensured. The Plan of Action will include a clear description of the different producers and enterprise groups to be analysed.

Phase 2: Desk Review

Based on the desk review a revised Plan of Action will be presented. This plan of action includes an inception report presenting the initial results, information gaps and the proposed approach to fill these information gaps.

Phase 3: Fieldwork and Draft report

The consultant will deliver and present the draft report covering the key findings and results to MEDA staff, and other relevant stakeholders. Feedback on the draft report will be incorporated into a final version of the report.

Phase 4: Dissemination of final report

 The final market analysis report will be circulated to key stakeholders as identified by MEDA and Presenting the finding to concerned stakeholder workshop arranged by MEDA.

Reporting

The final report though incorporating MEDA’s feedback which will be submitted to MEDA shall include, separate recommendations and an implementation plan, which outlines where MEDA can contribute based on the project activities to alleviate the bottlenecks identified in rice and vegetable marketing system. The report is expected to be submitted within a month and half after signing the contractual agreement.

The consultant will work closely and in coordination with EMERTA’s Rice and Vegetable sector team, specifically with the Senior research and KM Specialist, Senior Marketing Specialist, as well as the Value chain senior specialists (Rice and Vegetable).

Job Requirements

Required Qualifications and Experiences:  

• A Masters level degree qualification in agriculture, agribusiness, sales and marketing or related and relevant field with at least 5 years’ working experience in the agriculture marketing sector. 
• For companies/firms, CVs of staffs to be involved should be attached.
• Strong and demonstrated experiences in agricultural marketing using participatory value chain approach, and in creating market linkages for smallholder farmers through smallholder farmer associations and cooperatives.
• Evidence and referees for similar work done in the past.
• Knowledge and understanding of rice and horticultural crops as well as use in marketing agriculture produce.
•  Excellent interpersonal, communication, negotiation, organizational management, and business writing skills in English.
• The following must be submitted as well, 
• Renewed professional license of the company 
• VAT registration certificate 
• Renewed business license 
• Professional certificate of key personnel  

How to Apply

Application Process

Proposal Submission

Interested applicants should provide the following: -

• Cover letter and current resume/CV with copies of supporting documents. The cover letter must demonstrate the applicant’s understanding of and interest in the subject matter, describe the applicant’s capability for completing the assignment, and examples of previous experience with similar activities (maximum two pages).
• Technical proposal or Work plan or detail activity plan which shows the reasonable number of days for questionnaire development, data collection, analysis and report writing.
• Financial information in breakdown which includes daily professional rate/fees and budget to accomplish the task 

The consultant is expected to submit their report within a month and half after signing the contractual agreement. 

Evaluation Criteria

• MEDA will use the following to evaluate every proposal submitted.
• Technical proposal - 70% 
• Financial proposal - 30% 

Please Note that:

• Daily rates shall be the same for all the activities.
•  Financial information in breakdown which includes daily professional rate/fees and budget to accomplish the task (Per diem is as per MEDA rate, transportation will be covered by MEDA as per finance policy and MUST not be included in the proposal)

Physical workplan

No Description of activities Days required Time/Schedule

1. Desk review on the project document, and literatures
2. Develop data collection tool
3. Field level data collection and assessment such as one-to-one in-depth interview, FGDs, KIIs
4. Analysis of the data gathered and share draft report
5. Compiling and share the report and presentations based on MEDA feedback
6. Presenting the finding to concerned stakeholder workshop arranged by MEDA

Financial plan

No Description of activities Unit No of daysNo of persons involvedUnit price /daily rateTotal price

1. Desk review on the project document, and literatures ET
2. Develop data collection tool ETB
3. Field level data collection and assessment such as one-to-one in-depth interview, FGDs, KIIs ETB
4. Analysis of the data gathered and share draft reportETB
5. Compiling and share the report and presentations based on MEDA feedback ETB
6. Presenting the finding to concerned stakeholder workshop arranged by MEDAETB

Sub Total :Tax (ToT 2% or VAT 15%) Grand Total

MEDA will accept expressions of interest until October 15, 2020. Submissions can be sent by email to vacancy.ethiopia@meda.org. Applicants can submit their application and supporting documents to MEDA-Addis Ababa with the following address in person.

MEDA Ethiopia, Kirkos Sub-City, kebele 02

P.O.Box 42502, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Telephone No. 251-11-470-5945

Applicants may apply in person to MEDA-Bahir Dar office located at Kebele 13 or behind Bureau of Education or you may contact us with +251583206489.

MEDA is willing to answer any technical questions of the applicants regarding this ToR prior to the submission deadline