Description
INTRODUCTION
TechnoServe works with enterprising people in the developing world to build competitive farms, businesses, and industries. We are a non-profit organization that develops business solutions to poverty by linking people to information, capital, and markets. Our work is rooted in the idea that given the opportunity, hardworking men and women in even the poorest places can generate income, jobs, and wealth for their families and communities. With more than four decades of proven results, we believe in the power of private enterprise to transform lives.
TECHNOSERVE IN TANZANIA
For more than 25 years, TechnoServe has been working in Tanzania with farmers, cooperatives, suppliers and processors to strategically develop competitive industries around key crops, including cash crops such as cocoa and coffee and staples such as maize and rice. We are helping farmers make the transition from subsistence to commercial production, assisting processors to improve operations and identifying opportunities for investment in agriculture. We are also supporting the diversification of Tanzania's economy through entrepreneurship programs that empower men and women to create thriving small- and medium-sized businesses in a variety of sectors.
- SPECIFIC CONTEXT
The consultant, in collaboration with a market analysis expert, will provide essential leadership for the development of a value chain study of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable (FFV) sub-sector in Tanzania. The consultant will support the teammate in designing the approach for the development of the study, including the identification of data collection needs, data collection and analysis, and report writing.
The consultant should take a participatory approach to the development of the study to ensure increased ownership of the FFV sub-sector strategy and adoption of the opportunities identified by stakeholders. The consultant will build on already established relationships with TechnoServe Inc. Tanzania's beneficiary entrepreneurs and ecosystem stakeholders and will draw on past and current industry assessments or plans developed by other local NGOs, as well as the Ministry of Agriculture. The consultant will therefore be expected to leverage industry experts and institutions in the implementation of the study.
The consultant will work closely with FFV stakeholders, market players, educational institutions, and TechnoServe Inc. Tanzania teams. The consultant will report in parallel to the Tanzania Country Programs Manager and the Country Director of TechnoServe Uganda.
OBJECTIVES OF THE MISSION
The overall objective of this mission is to develop a clear roadmap and strategy for a radical transformation of the FFV sub-sector for the benefit of value chain actors. TechnoServe will use the results of the study to integrate business models, refine the project approach, and develop a pilot strategy for the FFV value chain integration initiative.
To this end, the consultant, in conjunction with a value chain expert, will lead the development of a market study of FFV in Tanzania that will clearly determine opportunities, challenges, identify investment and infrastructure needs, and document strategic gaps in the sub-sector.
TASKS AND DUTIES
One of the central questions of the study is to understand why the FFV sector in Tanzania is not functioning efficiently and effectively for the benefit of all stakeholders, including small-scale fish farmers. Key elements to be highlighted by the study include, but are not limited to the following;
- Market Dynamics ;
- How big is the FFV industry in terms of value and volume and how does it contribute to GDP? How competitive is the industry?
- What is the industry's growth rate and what is the future trajectory?
- What are the demand dynamics, including imports and exports, and how has this changed over time? What is the projected demand ?
- What is the comparative per capita consumption (compare regionally and globally) and how has this changed over time?
- What are the main drivers of demand and how is it changing?
- Is there momentum for positive change in the industry (e.g., alliances, new investors, technological innovations, etc.)?
- How relevant is the FFV sub-sector to the base of the pyramid?
- What are the barriers/drivers to growth in the sub-sector, including exports?
- Value chain actors and their functions;
- Who are the actors in the FFV value chain? Who participate in the value chain and what is their market share? What is their positioning ?
- What is the structure, dynamics and interactions of the value chain?
- What value does each node in the value chain create and extract? What is the revenue share at each stage of the value chain?
- What is the nature of the products, including quality issues?
- How have transactions changed over time (value, volume, type, suppliers, quality and consumers?
- How to improve the performance of each step/actor in the value chain?
- What are the opportunities and requirements for value chain investment?
- Do small-scale fish farmers have the potential to benefit from these investments?
- What are the drivers and barriers to value chain growth?
- Market System Structure ;
- Who are the actors in the market system? What is the best potential for small-scale fish farmers and poverty reduction?
- What is the relationship between actors in the commercial and non-commercial market system? Are there hidden transactions or other forms of informality ?
- What are the supporting functions and rules (including policies) that impede the effective operation of the core function? Why haven't market actors solved the problems themselves ?
- What is the capacity (technical, financial, physical, strategic, personal, cultural, etc.) of market players and their ability to perform relevant functions?
- Is the performance of each actor in the market system adequate? Are the right players involved? Are any roles missing ?
- Why are these key functions and rules under-performed? Why have more pro-poor and inclusive solutions/alternatives not emerged within the system?
- What are the incentives that drive behavior at different levels of the market system?
- What are the constraints/root causes of underperformance at the system level? Is it possible to address the priority constraints? Is sequencing important? Should one system-level constraint be addressed before another? Who should address the constraints?
- Are there opportunities to stimulate disruptive innovations at the system level?
- How do we get stakeholders to adopt integration? Which collaborative actions will improve productivity and which will damage it? How should partner goals be aligned to share risks and rewards?
- What are the blockers and drivers of systemic change?
- What will motivate partners to provide interdependent and integrated systems rather than just components?
- In what ways must the market system change to better serve the poor?
- What is the potential to attract more actors or services, including public/private investments?
- What is the likelihood of achieving pro-poor system change driven by market actors?
- Is there a way to create a creative environment in which innovation takes off and new products emerge through best practices?
- Is it possible to build in the flexibility needed to adapt to changing market system conditions?
- How to structure, design and coordinate a national intervention in FFV in the light of decentralization?
- Recommendations for actions and interventions that will develop the sub-sector. This should include, among others ;
- What should be the vision and strategy to transform the FFV sub-sector?
- What should be the theory of change?
- How to prioritize public and private investments?
DELIVERABLES
This assignment will include the following deliverables:
- Work plan developed and approved
- Research design developed and approved
- A Word and PowerPoint report that includes industry, value chain and market system analysis and recommendations for action.
- A stakeholder validation workshop
- Conference to disseminate the results of the study (potentially)
- SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
- Post-high school degree or certificate in agronomy or related discipline
- At least 10 years of demonstrated experience in the FFV industry (fruit or vegetable production, FFV networking, FFV marketing, etc.);
- Proven experience in FFV trade in Tanzania and in the sub-region;
- Strong team management and networking skills
- Excellent analytical skills
- Strong interpersonal communication and information gathering skills
- Ability to structure and manage complex tasks
- Demonstrated problem solving skills
- Ability to work independently and deliver high quality finished products
- Excellent writing and PowerPoint presentation skills
- A master's degree in economics, business administration or a related field is an advantage.
Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)
