Terms of Reference:

Request for Proposal (RFP) to Conduct Market Assessment to Identify Market Dynamics and Opportunities for Value Addition in Powdered Eggs and Chicken Meat Sausages in Liberia.”

1. Background of both implementing Agencies.

Concern Worldwide (Concern) is a nongovernmental, international, humanitarian organisation dedicated to the reduction of suffering and working towards the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world’s poorest countries. Concern’s integrated programming approach aims to tackle all dimensions of poverty, focusing on the overlapping areas of health, education and livelihoods while maintaining our response to emergencies. Concern fully integrates equality in all its work, with emphasis on a gender transformation.

Serving Humanity for Empowerment and Development (SHED) is a Liberian NGO that works for fair and resilient society, founded in 2017 by long-time employees of Finn Church Aid (FCA Finland). The institutional objective of the organization is to promote sustainable change by enabling vulnerable people and communities to improve their livelihoods. SHED’s mission is to take sustainable actions for human empowerment. SHED supports poor communities with sustainable measures to eradicate poverty without negatively affecting their environment. SHED also operates a semi-commercial level poultry farm that functions as a social enterprise and hop for support to other farmers and improving household and community nutritional intake, providing people with increased access to employment and improving their skills for employability and production, and contributing to an overall green economy.

1.2 Summary of the Livelihoods, Innovation, Food Security and Entrepreneurship (LIFE). Concern Liberia is currently implementing the EU 6,083,000 LIFE award in Grand Bassa and Rivercess counties. The four-year (2023-2027) grant funded by Irish Aid is designed to promote sustainable agricultural practices linked to sound natural resource management and adoption of sustainable behaviours in health and agriculture to protect vulnerable populations from the social, health and economic shocks and stresses that underpin high levels of malnutrition. The program specifically targets high levels of malnutrition among children under five, high levels of food insecurity and poor dietary diversity, high burden of communicable diseases, poor WASH infrastructure and practices, weak or inaccessible markets, and low return on productive assets. It bolsters learning from previous programmes on the need to strengthen the market linkages aspect with a food systems lens, and the need to apply a very strong climate change focus to all the interventions working closely to strengthen the capacity of Liberian government and local NGO partners to achieve this.

2.0. GENERAL OBJECTIVE OF THE MARKET ASSESSMENT AND VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS. The aim of the market assessment is to:

(i) Identify market dynamics and opportunities for value addition in powdered egg and chicken meat sausages

(ii) Assess and map the supply and demand relevant to both in targeted areas, and (iii) Research the potential for the domestic and export markets for both. Value chains of powdered egg and chicken meat sausage based on economic value and potential for growth, relevance to small holder

Terms of Reference (TOR)

November 20, 2024

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farmers, potential participation/opportunities for women and youth, and high nutritional value justify the targeting.

The study will also seek to understand the challenges and opportunities e.g. regarding the maximisation of income in the powdered egg and chicken meat sausage value chains with focus on the roles of women and youths. The market assessment will support the LIFE programme overall aim of providing improved rural economic development and food security in Rivercess County and Grand Bassa County. Hence it the research work will strengthen our partners work in the areas of nutrition security through the promotion of animal protein (Poultry Value chain).

3.0 SCOPE OF WORK.

The Consultant is expected:

∙ To submit a proposal outlining the methodology of the analysis.

∙ To conduct an inception meeting within the month upon signing of contract to discuss how the exercise will be completed in the shortest possible time.

∙ Submit a no more than 30 page summary report of the findings guided by the specific objectives and proposed methodology.

∙ To do a presentation of the findings to Concern and SHED upon completion of field exercise and analysis.

5. Work plan

The consultant will complete the work over a period of 30 days beginning with the date of signature of the contract and ending with the acceptance of the final report. Please see below proposed timeline to complete all tasks:

Terms of Reference (TOR)

November 20, 2024

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5. Budget and terms of payment

The total charge to be paid for the consulting assignment will depend on the technical proposal.

5.1 Budget details.

1. Compensation- Includes personnel for technical assistance, data collection, data entry, and analysis, e.g. Interviewers, supervisors, drivers, etc.
2. Printing- Includes survey questionnaires, interview guides, final reports;
3. Communications. Includes (re-charge cards for communication and internet purpose) 4. Supplies. Includes paper, pens, and other materials for field work of the assessment; 5. Per diems and Travel. Includes daily costs for lodging and meals and incidental expenses during training or field work; mode of transportation; vehicle rental; gas etc.

5.2 Terms of payment

The fees and cost estimates referred to shall be payable to the consultant in a schedule that is agreed upon by Concern and her partner SHED, in consultation with consultant/firm. The final payment will be contingent upon the submission of a certified final report.

Terms of Reference (TOR)

November 20, 2024

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6. Required Qualifications.

The selected candidate will be an independent consultant or an affiliated group of consultants, with a track record of conducting Market research/ Assessment Liberia, West Africa. Specific requirement are: ∙ Post graduate degree in Business Administration, Agribusiness or equivalent; ∙ Prior experience in conducting such assessment, surveys etc.

∙ Professional competence and technical experience in market system analysis and product quality enhancement through value addition approaches etc.

∙ Strong communication skills necessary

∙ Strong report writing skills in English;

∙ Ability to work independently without supervision;

∙ Experience with participatory business/social research methods;

∙ Familiarity with the Liberian market and experience working in Liberia is highly desirable; ∙ Willingness to adhere to Concern’s Code of Conduct (CCoC) and Associated Policies; the Programme Participant Protection Policy (P4), the Child Safeguarding Policy and the Anti Trafficking in Persons Policy accessible.

6. Duration

The assignment will take place during the period 2nd December – 23rd December 2025. This is inclusive of Final report submission.

8. Application/Proposal

Proposal must be submitted through email: liberia.hr@concern.net before 28th November, 2024 latest 12:00 noon. Late proposal submission will be rejected. The proposal must include both technical and budget.