Consultancy to Develop a Methodology for Conducting Institutional Analysis and Inventory of Change in Selected Organizations in SCARDA
INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANCY SERVICES
FORUM FOR AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH IN AFRICA
Multi Donor Trust Fund for Support to the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA)
MDTF Grant No.: TF095129
Project ID No.: P112684
Title: Consultancy to Develop a Methodology for Conducting Institutional Analysis and Inventory of Change in Selected Organizations in SCARDA and post conflict Countries
Assignment Reference Number: NSF4/4.2.1 a /E/P
Background
This request for expressions of interest follows the general procurement notice for this project that appeared in dg Market, issue no. 4577029 of November 10, 2009.
The Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) has received a grant from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) in the amount of US$ 17,244,320 equivalent toward the cost of implementation of the Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) Pillar IV strategy of the African Union’s New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AU-NEPAD), for revitalizing, expanding and reforming Africa’s agricultural research, and technology dissemination and adoption efforts and intends to apply part of the proceeds for the following consultant services :
Consultancy to Develop a Methodology for Conducting Institutional Analysis and Inventory of Change in Selected Organizations in SCARDA and post conflict Countries
FARA initiated the programme on “Strengthening Capacity for Agricultural Research and Development in Africa (SCARDA)” in 2008 to improve the capacity and performance of participating organizations of the NARS in key areas of their agricultural research for development (AR4D) functions. The programme was coordinated by FARA and implemented by the sub-regional organizations in 12 selected national agricultural research institutes and universities (known as focal organizations) in 10 countries of Sub-Saharan Africa namely: Burundi, Rwanda and Sudan (ASARECA ); Botswana, Lesotho and Zambia (SADC/FANR ); and Congo, Ghana, Gambia and Mali (CORAF/WECARD ). Congo, Burundi, Rwanda and Sudan were selected because they are countries trying to rebuild their war-ravaged agricultural research infrastructure. The pilot phase of the programme that successfully validated the SCARDA approach officially came to an end on 30th June 2010. The donor granted extension into 2011 to enable completion of pending activities.
Programmatic elements of SCARDA were predicated on key capacity gaps identified in institutional analyses conducted for each of the implementing organizations in the design stages of the programme. The ab initio institutional analysis was essentially an endogenous process through which awareness was raised amongst staff and key partners of key issues that needed to be addressed in the programme. It also identified baseline data against which progress and performance towards achieving objectives would be evaluated.
Further, it is increasingly being realized in development cycles that the institutional aspects of organizations are the main impediments to change. Therefore, a change management strategy was embedded into the SCARDA programme to instigate institutional reforms in the target organizations necessary for sustaining the desired change process. During the donor-commissioned end-of-programme review in early 2010, a cursory elucidation of nascent changes accruing from implementation of the SCARDA change management strategy was elicited from employees of the target organizations using the Most Significant Change method. The responses were captured in the end-of-project report. However, to institutionalize the SCARDA approach to influence the change dynamics within the target organizations, a structured longitudinal study of the change processes would be imperative. Such a study would provide information on the nature and context of change and provide a basis for future intervention strategies for institutional strengthening of the NARS organizations.
Objectives
The objective of this assignment is to enlist a suitable consultant to:
1. Undertake a situational analysis of SCARDA implementing countries
2. Define the processes for a longitudinal institutional analysis to capture the changes in SCARDA implementing countries
3. Catalogue country specific activities for the institutionalization processes for the SCARDA approach
Scope
Benefiting from the methodology employed at the outset of SCARDA, the consultant will develop an updated and rigorous organizational analysis methodology grounded in the wider agricultural innovation systems concept. In addition, the consultant will be expected to formulate a methodology based on an analytic theoretical framework to be employed in longitudinal meta-analysis of the change processes in SCARDA implementing organizations.
Deliverables
The deliverables from the consultancy will be:
1. A situational analysis of SCARDA implementing countries.
2. Definition of processes for a longitudinal institutional analysis to capture the changes in SCARDA implementing countries.
3. Catalogue of activities for the institutionalization processes for the SCARDA approach.
4. Presentation of the reports for validation at a FARA-constituted seminar.
FARA’S RESPONSIBILITIES
FARA will provide all necessary information and publications to support to the consultant.
QUALIFICATIONS
The consultant should have the following qualifications:
· Higher degree, preferably a PhD, in agricultural sciences, management sciences, social sciences or related disciplines.
· Familiarity with African agricultural research and development issues.
· Demonstrable experience of at least 10 years in conducting institutional analyses and assessment of organizational change processes
· Demonstrable ability to write technical reports, position papers or policy papers
· Fluency (written and spoken) in English
Assignment period
The assignment is for 3 days between 10th and 13th October 2011.
The FARA now invites eligible individual consultants to indicate their interest in providing the services. Interested individual consultants (NOT FIRMS) must provide information indicating that they are qualified to perform the services with an application and CV.
A consultant will be selected in accordance with the procedures set out in the World Bank’s Selection and Employment of Consultants by the World Bank Borrowers, January 1997, (Revised September 1997, January 1999, May 2002, May 2004, October 2006 May 2010.
Interested consultants may obtain further information at the address below during office hours. 0900 to 1500 hours.
Expressions of interest must be delivered to the address below by September 29, 2011.
Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
Attn: Dr. Monty Jones, Executive Director
PMB CT 173, Cantonment-Accra, Ghana
Tel.: +233 0302 772823
Fax.: +233 0302 773676
Email: ed@fara-africa.org
Consultants are advised to quote the Assignment Reference Number (NSF4/4.2.1 a /E/P) in the application.
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