Agricultural Value Chain Consultant - Nathan Associates

The Feed the Future Ghana Trade and Investment (GTI) Activity was initiated on December 1, 2021 and will run for five (5) years.  The Activity will work closely with public and private sector stakeholders to improve the enabling environment for Ghana’s economic growth by

(1) facilitating growth in export-oriented trade;

(2) improving and developing product standards;

(3) catalyzing investments in private enterprises related to high-value commercial crops;

(4) promoting job creation, particularly among women and youth;

(5) promoting economic diversification; and

(6) increasing foreign exchange revenues from high-value export crops. GTI will make attractive investing in firms that trade goods across borders, spur innovation, and build the capacity of the entire trade sector. 

In scaling up our approach, GTI will develop a flexible menu of innovative financing activities that include equity and quasi-equity instruments that leverage the private sector to increase two-way trade and investment between the United States and Ghana. Our transaction advisory services will facilitate exports and investment and adhere to the principle of additionality to address market gaps unfilled by the private sector.

RATIONALE

GTI’s partner Ghana Commodity Exchange (GCX) is seeking to introduce and trade cowpea and shea on the Exchange. To achieve this outcome, a value chain analysis of the commodities must be conducted. GTI therefore seeks to engage the services of a consultant/consulting firm with experience and knowledge in the agricultural sector to develop the business case for the introduction of cowpea and shea nuts on the GCX.  

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this assignment is to engage the services of a qualified local consultant/consulting firm, residing in Ghana to undertake an agricultural value chain analysis for informing agricultural project activities and crop identification for cowpeas and shea.

The consultant/consulting firm will conduct a full value chain analysis on these crops that will benefit buyers and consumers, and determine the economic benefits based on soil characteristics, climate and crop pattern, market conditions, supply chain and local economic situations, the capacity of farmers and crop yields.

A preliminary assessment identified the Northern part of Ghana as suitable for high-value crops such as shea nut and cowpea. This task a detailed analysis and domestic market assessment as well as the potential for regional and international export.

METHODOLOGY

This assignment will follow an approach that considers the entire market system, the processes through which the value chain moves from the source stage to the final customer, and supporting functions, rules and regulations governing the value chain.

The expected steps are as follows:

1. Value chain mapping, which aims to create a visual representation of the connections between businesses, supporting organizations and other market participants to gain a better understanding of the processes in the agricultural value chain and to identify key relevant market players and supporting organizations
2. Market analysis of the commodity such as 10years of price analysis of the commodities (determine its liquidity or profitability in trading same), bottlenecks and constraints.
3. The evaluation of the findings, out of which a strategy for value chain development and specific interventions evolves.
4. Key recommendations based on the market, economic return, climate, soil quality, knowledge and capacity of the farmers and trading model/methodology for the commodity (spot, futures, auction, etc.).

Technically, the value chain assignment will analyze the current situation, identify gaps and propose options for sustainable market linkages both at input and output levels. This will also outline the challenges and opportunities of the value chain through an analysis of the relevant policies and programmes, business and competition environment.

KEY TASKS

The main tasks to be conducted are as follows:

1. To conduct a full value chain analysis of cowpea and shea. The analysis should investigate both the domestic, regional and international markets by analyzing the global outlook, current situation, production history, distribution, volumes and direction of trades, sources and end users, gaps and solutions to bridge the identified gaps in the value chains.
2. Analyze the drivers of domestic consumption and demand
3. Analyze changing patterns of demand and consumption for domestic consumers
4. Based on the identified challenges and opportunities, propose key roles the private sector partners must play and recommend feasible value chain partners/private entities that would be suitable to partner with the identified value chains.
5. Provide a cost-benefit analysis for the identified value chains
6. Key elements to be analyzed in the value chain analysis – the actors (potential traders, processors and commercial producers of the value chain including contacts and location) and process, end market, value added, market links and relationships, potential delivery centres and storage facilities, rules and supporting functions

Required Skills or Experience

DELIVERABLES AND TIMEFRAME

The assignment is expected to start in 03 January 2023 for a period of up to 10 weeks.

Deliverables include:

1. Inception report to lay out the design of the value chain analysis after the initial assessment
2. Draft report of the value chain analysis of cowpea and shea nut
3. Presentation to a validation workshop involving market actors
4. The final report for each value chain analysis must not exceed 50 pages.

Your technical offer should be concisely presented and structured in the following order to include but not necessarily limited to the following information:

1. Description of yourself or firm’s qualifications with the following documents: profile, registration certificate and last audited reports
   1. Year founded
   2. Number of similar and successfully completed projects
   3. Number of similar projects currently underway

Include any information that will facilitate our evaluation of you or your firm’s substantive reliability, financial and managerial capacity to provide the services

1. Understanding of the requirements under this assignment, proposed approach, solutions a, methodology and outputs
   1. Description of your capacity to undertake this study
   2. Description of your organization’s experience in similar services
2. Proposed personnel to carry out the assignment

Content of Financial Offer

The financial offer must cover all the services to be provided (price “all-inclusive”). GTI is exempted from VAT. You are requested to hold your offer for 60 days from the deadline for submission. GTI will make its best effort to select a consultant/company within this period. GTI standard payments are within 30 days after satisfactory implementation and receipt of documents in order.

The cost of preparing the bid and of negotiating the contract, including any relevant travel is not reimbursable nor can be included as a direct cost for the assignment. Any activity undertaken or expenses incurred in the preparation of the contract before the actual contract is signed shall not be borne by the GTI.

Proposal Evaluation

Each proposal will be considered separately and independently. Bidders shall submit a complete proposal of each solicitation in which they wish to participate. References to previous and ongoing proposals will not be considered. Award of a previous contract with GTI will not be considered in itself as a preference or guarantee for the award of future solicitation on the same subject.

Technical and Financial evaluation

For the award of this project, GTI has established evaluation criteria which will govern the selection of offers received. Evaluation is made on a technical and financial basis. The percentage assigned to each component is determined in advance as follows:

The Technical offer will be evaluated using inter alia the following criteria and percentage distribution from the total score:

The Financial offer will be scored out of 30%. The financial component will be analyzed only for bidders that pass the technical evaluation of 45% out of 70%.