Objectives
i. The objective of the assignment is to have an in-country seed expert in South Sudan, to support in successfully executing the SeedSAT assessment. Success is defined by buy-in by permanent seed actors (Ministries, Seed companies, NARS and relevant parastatals, farmer associations) right from information gathering processes to validation of results and implementation of solutions and recommendations to building a sustainable seed sector.
ii. The Consultant shall have thorough, current and all rounded knowledge of the seed sector across eight (8) thematic areas: i) Breeding, Variety Release and Maintenance, ii) Early Generation Seed, iii) Quality Commercial Seed Production, iv) Quality Assurance, v) Seed Markets and Distribution, vi) Farmer Awareness and Participation, vii) Policy, Legal and Regulatory, and viii) National Planning and Coordination (the “Thematic Areas”).
iii. The Consultant shall have a good rapport with seed sector actors across these Thematic Areas for ease of conducting the assessment and gathering relevant information. The Consultant shall serve as a key contributor to the assessment process and results.
1. Location and nature of the assignment The assignment will be based in South Sudan, with field activities conducted across selected regions as relevant to the SeedSAT thematic areas. This is a part-time, short-term consultancy. The consultant is expected to work independently while maintaining close coordination with the SeedSAT Country and thematic area leads. The assignment will involve in-country travel to meet stakeholders, conduct surveys, and facilitate interviews, where security and access allow. Some meetings and data collection activities may be conducted virtually, depending on stakeholder availability and local context. The consultant is not required to be based at the AGRA office. Duration
The assignment will be carried out over a period of three months, from date of signing the contract. The consultant is expected to complete all activities, including data collection, stakeholder consultations, and reporting, within this timeframe.
Qualifications and Experience
a) Minimum 8 years of experience in Seed Systems related work and assessments on the African continent.
b) The consultant must possess a sound reputation with demonstrated in-depth knowledge of public and private sector-led agriculture in Africa, particularly South Sudan.
c) Previous experience of conducting similar analyses of African agriculture
d) In-country presence in and deep knowledge of South Sudan.
e) Demonstrated in-depth knowledge of the policy landscape in South Sudan.
f) Experience in working with government agencies, private sector and development partners is an added advantage.
g) Strong references for reliability, dedication, and independence.
h) Previous experience in providing technical support/conducting assessments to the AGRA target countries is an advantage.
i) The Consultant is expected to have enough key personnel in order to meet specifications and timelines for this project.
Relevant experience in the region
Proposal Submission Instructions
Proposals shall be submitted electronically through our oracle system by the deadline indicated in the system.
Bidders shall use the bid submission forms that have been provided under Annex 1 & 2.
The proposals SHALL be submitted via oracle system by the deadline indicated on the oracle system.
The Proposals shall be prepared in English.
Late submissions will not be accepted, as the system is configured to automatically reject proposals after the deadline. To avoid any issues, especially for new users, bidders are strongly encouraged to submit proposals at least one day before the deadline.
AGRA assures bidders that we can’t access proposals before the deadline provided by the system.
VALIDITY of the proposal shall be for a period of 90 days from the date of bid closure.
The detailed financial proposal shall be uploaded under the lines section in oracle.
The financial proposal shall include all taxes. If the financial proposal is silent on taxes, AGRA shall assume that these are inclusive.
Prices must be quoted in USD ($). Contracting will be in USD and bidders are encouraged to have a USD bank account.
Please note that the oracle system will seal the financial proposals until the technical evaluation is completed.
All communications regarding the RFP should be directed to procurement@agra.org.
