Request for Proposal (Baseline Study - Cambodia)

Job Description

ASA/WISHH is seeking the services of a third-party consultant or team of consultants to carry out a Baseline Study for CAST Cambodia in accordance with the terms of reference (TOR) herein. ASA/WISHH anticipates that this study will take place in the provinces mentioned above and that the Consultants will collect control data from other geographically similar provinces (e.g., Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Speu, Takéo).

The Baseline Study is meant to serve the following purposes:

1. To provide baseline data for the PMP and serve as the basis for updating the yearly and life of project (LOP) targets described in the IPTT, and
2. To provide the benchmark for the project’s midterm and final evaluations.

The Baseline Study must also provide reliable background information and analysis related to the current conditions and realities in the aquaculture sector and overall economic situation in the targeted six provinces and Phnom Penh, with a specific focus on SMEs.

This will necessitate a quasi-experimental design that uses both quantitative and qualitative methods for collecting baseline data. ASA/WISHH expects that the Consultant will collect data from the following partners, stakeholders, and beneficiaries:

• WorldVision, Kansas State University (KSU)’s Sustainable Intensification Innovation Laboratory, Auburn University, Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS)
• Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), and the various Cambodian Government offices working in Aquaculture as well as members of EU-CAPFISH led aquaculture sub-working group.
• Feed mills (e.g., AgriMaster/Medivet), aquaculture producers, hatcheries and nurseries, fish processors and buyers, financial institutions
• Middlemen/services providers, retailers/supermarkets, transporters, distributors

While designing the study and creating the methodology for data collection, the Consultant should consider CAST’s Project-Level Results Framework described in Attachment D.

About the Organization

The American Soybean Association (ASA) was founded in 1920 by soybean farmers and extension workers to promote soy for high protein applications in developmental settings. Overseas activities initiated in the mid-1950s and to date ASA has worked in over 80 countries. The World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) was founded in 2000 to expand the work of the American Soybean Association (ASA) in developing emerging markets to improve health, nutrition and food security—building the groundwork for future markets of soy. WISHH provides services in food technology, business development, nutrition services, and program and proposal development. WISHH expertise extends its network into additional areas, such as aquaculture and animal feed.

ASA/WISHH connects trade and development to strengthen agricultural value chains in emerging markets, creating trade and long-term demand for U.S. soy. Trade can improve lives worldwide for both farmers and consumers. U.S. soy trade in emerging markets is pivotal to improve accessibility, affordability, and acceptability of high-quality plant and animal-sourced proteins in developing economies. Rising incomes in emerging economies generate further opportunity for trade. ASA/WISHH builds opportunity for long-term trade by improving agricultural value chains, human and animal nutrition, and farmer net incomes. ASA/WISHH initiatives broadly fit in two arenas: (1) trade-building long-term, early-stage market development, and, (2) trade-building international agriculture and economic development. The St. Louis-based Program operates in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Central America.

ASA/WISHH has supported market and economic development activities in the human food sector since its inception in 2000 and works to increase the use of quality soy protein ingredients and products in food for human consumption through commercial development and nutrition programming. ASA/WISHH offers over six years of proven feed sector capacity and decades of accumulated knowledge from ASA programs. Principal approaches include market and economic assessments, technical assistance and capacity building, food and feed trials and demonstrations, farmer field days, youth mentorship programs, food and feed value chain development, and market linkages.

ASA/WISHH achieves its mission by working in close partnership with: (1) the public sector (e.g., USDA, USAID, U.S. land grant universities, and host country governments), (2) the private sector (e.g., trade associations: Qualified State Soybean Boards and U.S. Soybean Export Council), and (3) private voluntary organizations. The Program draws upon the resources and experience of these partners and the services of a cadre of ASA/WISHH consultants with technical expertise in agricultural, international and commercial development spheres. ASA/WISHH relies on decades of experience in food commercial development and agricultural development programming. The Program takes pride in its growing portfolio of success with U.S. government-funded projects, including USDA (Food for Progress, McGovern-Dole, Global Broad-Based Initiative, Foreign Market Development, Market Access Program, Emerging Markets Program, and Quality Samples Program) and USAID funding in both prime and sub-recipient capacities. ASA/WISHH has also attracted both private sector and other complementary funding sources from various donors to build on and leverage core funding from Qualified State Soybean Boards.

Non-Discrimination Statement: ASA/WISHH prohibits discrimination against its customers, employees, and applicants for employment on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity, religion, reprisal, and where applicable, political beliefs, marital status, familial or parental status, sexual orientation or all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program or activity conducted.

www.wishh.org

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