Job Description
Program Description
LADA is a four-year project that aims to improve the agricultural development and food security initiatives at the community- and national-level in Liberia. The LADA project aims to strengthen “aggregation clusters” through facilitating business relationships that link, suppliers, producers, processors, buyers, and investors so that all actors along the value chain can benefit from sustainable growth. To achieve this vision, CNFA will provide its Co-Investment Fund (CIF) to finance quality inputs, mechanization, agricultural equipment, and markets so that Liberian smallholder farmers can increase their participation in the market. CNFA will also follow up on the delivery of its services with local Liberian counterparts such as CARI, MoA and others in order to develop innovative mechanisms for the further development of needed services focused on their impact and sustainability.
Background
The objective of this assignment is to identify potential PPP partnerships for LADA, and of these to identify a minimum of three GDA partners, visit their operations, and develop concept notes detailing the scope and nature of a GDA for submission to USAID. In accomplishing this goal, the LADA consultant will undertake a market study to identify new partners with the largest potential impact on essential value chains, and will also assess the feasibility of formalizing existing partnerships into GDA agreements.
Tasks:
- Complete a PPP study of 10 candidate businesses (to be proposed by LADA) affecting essential value chains and determine the possibilities of leveraging their activities for the formation of PPPs under LADA. These will include (but not be limited to) processors, aggregators, retailers for vegetables and commodities, supply chain companies, manufacturing, and other potential private sector partners;
- Meet with CNFA/LADA leadership to present strengths and weaknesses of each potential partner and choose at least three partners for submission;
- Submit the top three (or more) companies as potential GDA candidates based on their capacity to perform, their financial projections, potential impact on value chains, feedback from USAID, and site visits by the Consultant;
- Develop these concept notes in accordance with GDA application process including required financial documentation for the GDA application;
- Prepare application package requirements for partners to complete and prepare checklist for each applicant. Work with partners to make sure the application process is well understood.
- Make recommendations to LADA on its strategy for PPP development under its Year 2 Implementation Plan
Deliverables:
- Criteria and Assessment Tool for PPP Study – a list of desirable criteria for selection of partners and an assessment tool detailing type and capacity of operations, financial information, and location information to be filled out on site visit.
- Three Concept Notes – Three or more completed concept notes for chosen partners for submission to USAID in accordance with GDA process
- Liaise with USAID Washington and USAID Liberia to ensure concept notes fulfill all needed criteria.
- A set of completed concept notes for each partner for submission to USAID.
- Application Checklist – Create application checklists for each partner to prepare for the next steps of the GDA process.
- Interactive Stakeholder Session – Two presentations will be made to LADA staff; the first during the selection process to ensure consensus, and once at the conclusion of the consultancy outlining tasks completed and next steps.
- Final Report – Report to LADA including recommendations on its strategy for PPP development
Reporting: The Consultant will report to the Component 3 Lead / Organizational Capacity-Building Manager
Timeline for Implementation:
The engagement will be for a total of 20 days and the consultant will be expected to complete the deliverables according to the following schedule:
- Assessment Work Plan - 1 day of beginning of assignment
- Site visits and meeting with new potential partners: 10 days (2 businesses per day, total of 5 potential businesses)
- Selection process and presentation: 2 days at LADA office
- Concept notes– 6 days - 2 days each for each concept note
- Final Presentation and Reporting– 1 day at the end of the assignment
Required Qualifications:
- At least seven years of relevant professional experience, with demonstrated experience in management of governmental (or similar) organizations; working with governmental organizations to improve capacity, including in developing/PPP’s and GDA’s.
- Prior experience writing GDA concept notes and forming GDA partnerships in Liberia.
- Demonstrated understanding of USAID/GDA policy and procedures.
- Demonstrated experience writing USAID agreements and proposals.
- Experience drafting legal documents.
- Experience writing proposal documents and business plans.
- Excellent verbal and written communications skills.
- Availability in October / November 2016 for up to 15 days in Monrovia, Liberia.
- Bachelor’s degree in relevant area of study; Master’s degree preferred.
We are looking to fill this position immediately and will be interviewing qualified candidates on a rolling basis. Deadline for submission is October 11, 2016.
About the Organization
About CNFA:
CNFA is a not-for-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., dedicated to stimulating economic growth in the agricultural sector by nurturing entrepreneurship, private enterprise and market linkages. CNFA specializes in fostering private sector investments in training, new technologies and marketing as a means to increase the overall competitiveness of agricultural value chains, to expand exports, and to develop skills in the rural workforce. CNFA assists smallholders in increasing household-level food security and nutrition through improved agricultural practices, introduction of new varieties, diversification of crop production, food preservation and storage, development of farmer-based organizations (FBOs) and strengthened linkages to markets.
