REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL - TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR SOUTH SUDAN COUNTRY CONTEXT AND MARKET STUDY – INVESTING IN WOMEN IN SOUTH SUDAN AUGUST 2021

Job Description

The Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF) is a non-profit organization, with its headquarters in Nairobi supporting early and growth-stage businesses in the agribusiness and renewable energy and adaptation to climate change sectors, with an increasing focus on gender, youth, and employment. We aim to reduce poverty, promote resilient communities, and create jobs through private sector investment. AECFs’ goal is to transform lives by providing investment funding and technical assistance to businesses that improve the lives of rural communities and display potential for credible commercial viability and growth.

The AECF is implementing a private sector-led initiative - the Investing in Women of South Sudan (IIW-SS) programme in the Republic of South Sudan. This five-year programme aims to enhance the economic empowerment of women in the agricultural sector in South Sudan. This will be achieved through:

i) Reducing gender-specific barriers for women’s participation in agricultural value chains;

ii) Increasing adoption of gender-sensitive climate-smart agricultural practices; and

iii) Improving employment or livelihoods for women in agriculture and food systems. The programme targets reaching at least 24,000 people in rural South Sudan, from at least two states and five specific value chains that have the potential for adoption of Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices while positively impacting women.

IIW-SS will apply a blend of approaches, including matched grants, wholesale and customized technical assistance and advocacy to at least 10 existing businesses (including women business groups/associations) to innovate business initiatives that combine commercial viability with high development impact on livelihoods, adoption of CSA and systemic gender changes for the people in the target regions. AECF will monitor investees to ensure that their activities are achieving the intended benefits to women, with no exploitation or harm to the environment.

The purpose of this assignment is to identify the two regions and the five value chains where the IIW-SS should be targeted and to validate some of the assumptions made at the time of design.

The scope of this assignment will include conducting a desk-top review of secondary information and collecting and analyzing primary data (primarily through interview) as needed of South Sudan as a country and the different agricultural value chains and markets. This will enable the AECF to:

i) Focus on two states in either one or two regions of the three regions in South Sudan that are best suited to maximize impact from implementation.

ii) Focus on at least five value chains that attract climate-smart technologies, are pro-women and create significant economic opportunities for women.

iii) Address the gender dynamics in the identified value chain of the South Sudanese thereby facilitating increased participation and returns by women.

iv) Make appropriate investment decisions based on contextual requirements.

v) Include SMART indicators and targets; and

vi) Identify gaps for further studies and design adjustments.

This assignment is split into two components: A country context study to identify the geographical regions and the value chains where the IIW-SS should be targeted and an initial scoping of the market for potential investees.

Country Context Study - The contractor will undertake a contextual study of South Sudan looking at the ten states, drafting an assessment framework to propose the two with highest potential for investing in agricultural value chains (at least five) where women predominate and male-dominated value chains where women’s participation can be facilitated through this program. The study should identify where in the proposed value chains climate-smart agricultural interventions are most appropriate and where the impact of the programme can be maximized given the resources available and operating limitations.

An important aspect of the Country Context Study is the use of a sensitivity analysis - an understanding of the context in which IIW-SS will operate, anticipating how it will interact with this context, and taking action to avoid potential negative impacts on conflict and stability while maximizing positive effects. The study is expected to integrate conflict analysis and a description of how IIW-SS may interact with the conflict dynamics identified. It will need to provide an overview of how IIW-SS will seek to avoid aggravating conflict dynamics or creating new tensions, while potentially contributing to peace and stability where feasible. Specifically, the conflict analysis should focus on how to manage private sector development programmes for conflict; factors to consider minimizing conflict; cultural, gender and social dynamics in managing conflict and effective risk mitigation. The conflict analysis should highlight lessons and recommendations from similar programmes.

COVID-19 - Additionally, there are known barriers that will arise for women in South Sudan because of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as an additional unpaid care burden for out of school children, and higher incidents of gender-based violence. The study should describe how IIW-SS should manage these risks and specifically address women’s unpaid care burden, which often impedes women’s progress in accessing greater quality employment opportunities in the agriculture sector.

The phase of the assignment should provide us with the following.

i) An assessment framework for the selection of two regions out of the ten in South Sudan.

ii) The recommended regions for undertaking the program; and

iii) The value chains proposed

These items must be deliberated and agreed upon by the program manager and head of impact before proceeding to the second phase of the study.

5.1 Scoping of potential investees

Potential investee businesses and innovations – Provide short profiles of at least 30 potential applicants (SMEs and women groups/associations) that present a good match for this program and its intended outcomes, following a clear pre-selection criterion that will be agreed with AECF.

Diaspora and Foreign Potential Investments - The contractor should also propose routes for reaching diaspora and foreign businesses that may not yet be operating or registered in South Sudan but might be a good fit for the program and can achieve high impact. The contractor should focus on neighboring countries including Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda.

In addition to the outputs for the components identified above, the contractor will be required to prepare the following documents, for each phase of the assignment, before and during the period of engagement.

i) An inception report after one month confirming the scope of work, approach and outputs and including a detailed work plan preferably on a Gantt chart.

ii) A short final narrative report, including a slide deck of any findings and recommendations

The Assignment will be conducted in three phases, namely the country context, market study, and long list generation. A first draft report is expected by the end of October 2021.

· The team should comprise of an agricultural expert, a sociologist with expertise in gender analysis, an environmental expert for climate risk and CSA elements, an investments & advisory expert, and a market systems facilitation expert. These competencies can be combined into individual experts where their skills profile is appropriate.

· Lead consultant - A master’s degree or higher in Agriculture, Business Administration, Finance, Economics, or related field. Relevant professional experience with a minimum of 10 years in carrying out similar assignments with expertise in smallholder agriculture in fragile contexts, preferably in South Sudan.

· Gender Expert - a minimum of six years in gender-related work in the private sector and agribusiness sectors and conflict/fragile states.

· E & S Specialist – An advanced Degree or a first level university degree with at least a minimum of six (6) years relevant experience in environmental and social assessments and working in climate change or natural resource management initiatives or related studies, including CSA.

· The applicant should provide the necessary statutory documentation such as certificate of incorporation, tax compliance certificate etc.

· Overall, the team should have: Two members with previous experience working in South Sudan and at least one South Sudanese.

· Excellent analytical, communication and interpersonal skills, and experience in people management.

· Fluency in English, with strong written and verbal communication skills

· Knowledge of different South Sudanese languages and regions are assets.

· Ability to work in a challenging environment with poor infrastructure and human capacities and difficult security conditions.

· Highly motivated with a strong interest in development and social issues.

· Experience in matters related to the transformation of women and youth living in fragile contexts will be a distinct advantage.

An evaluation committee will be formed by the AECF and shall include employees. All members will be bound by the same standards of confidentiality. Bidders should ensure that they fully respond to all criteria to be comprehensively evaluated.

The AECF may request and receive clarification from any consultant when evaluating a proposal. The evaluation committee may invite some or all the consultants to appear before the committee to clarify their proposals. In such event, the evaluation committee may consider such clarifications in evaluating proposals

In deciding the final selection of qualified bidder, the technical quality of the proposal will be given a weighting of 70% based on the evaluation criteria below. Only the financial proposal of those bidders who qualify technically will be opened. The financial proposal will be allocated a weighting of 30% and the proposals will be ranked in terms of total points scored.

NO.

CRITERIA FOR ASSESSMENT

Weighted Award

A. TECHNICAL PROPOSAL

70

An understanding of the terms of reference

Demonstrate the unique and critical success factors of carrying out this assignment in the context of South Sudan

10

Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of conducting similar country context and market analysis.

15

Methodology and work-plan that will deliver the best value on the assignment

Demonstrate the capacity to deliver the task in a timely and efficient manner.

Provide a realistic work plan on the key deliverables within the timelines of the assignment.

20

Qualification and Experience

Demonstrate strong capacity of the individual members of the team to deliver (qualifications and experience)

15

Demonstrate relevant experience in conducting similar engagements. Provide evidence of similar previous experience including reference list indicating the scope and magnitude of similar assignments; specification of reporting capabilities, at least 2 reference letters from past clients

10

A. FINANCIAL PROPOSAL: Clarity, relevance, reality to market value/ value for money of cost for the assignment (inclusive of any applicable tax, reimbursable and travel).

30

Total Score

100

Qualified firms are invited to submit the proposal that includes the following:

i) Methodology and approach for conducting the assignment.

ii) Reference list of similar assignments done in the past, including assignments in South Sudan.

iii) The financial proposal clearly showing the budgeted cost for the work to be conducted under the scope of work above.

iv) Technical and Financial proposals should be submitted as separate documents.

AECF is obliged by the Kenyan tax authorities to withhold taxes on service contract fees as well as ensure VAT, at 16%, is charged where applicable. Applicants are advised to ensure that they have a clear understanding of their tax position with regards to provisions of Kenya tax legislation when developing their proposals.

a. Interested consultancy are requested to submit their technical and financial proposals to aecfprocurement@aecfafrica.org, by 27^th August 2021, 5pm East Africa Time (GMT+3)

b. The subject of the email should read “Terms of Reference for Country Context and Market Study for Investing in Women of South Sudan”. The AECF shall not be liable for not opening proposals that’s are submitted with a different subject

c. All questions and clarifications should be sent to aecfprocurement@aecfafrica.org

About the Organization

The AECF (Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund) is a nonprofit institution supporting early and growth stage businesses to innovate, create jobs, leverage investments and markets in an effort to create resilience and sustainable incomes for rural poor and marginalized communities in Africa.

AECF’s strategy is focused on agribusiness/agriculture and renewable energy sectors with increased support to climate technologies, deepened focus on gender, youth, and employment, aimed at attaining the institution’s vision of ‘A Prosperous and Enterprising Rural Africa’.

Since 2008, AECF has invested in 292 businesses across sub-Sahara Africa focusing on Agribusiness, Renewable Energy and Climate Technologies. As at 2019, we have impacted more than 27.7 million lives and created over 26,000 jobs and leveraged over US$ 750 million in matching funds from the private sector.

AECF has implemented programs across Africa delivering tangible impact for communities most in need. We want to tell the AECF story and are looking for an experienced Communications Manager to support and amplify AECF’s program work.

AECF is headquartered in Kenya with offices in Cote d’ Ivoire and Tanzania.

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