Consultant to Document FARA@10: Changes, Challenges of, and Opportunities for African AR4D

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 document FARA@10: Changes, Challenges of, and Opportunities for African AR4D: Repositioning FARA for its Next Decade

Assignment Reference Number: FARA@10

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 document FARA@10: Changes, Challenges of, and Opportunities for African AR4D: Repositioning FARA for its Next Decade

The Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) was established in 2002 by the SROs as a strategic platform that fosters continental and global networking to reinforce the capacities of

Africa’s national agricultural research systems and sub-regional organizations. The forum encompasses all African and non-African stakeholders who are committed to enabling African agricultural development and the achievement of the MDGs on poverty and hunger eradication and environmental sustainability. Its aim is to reduce poverty in Africa through sustainable broad-based improvements in agricultural productivity, competitiveness and markets. This is achieved by strengthening Africa’s ARD systems to make them more effective and efficient.

Since its inception in 2002, FARA has implemented two Medium Term and Operational Plans (MTOP) derived from its first Strategic Plan (2002 – 2012) that was revised in 2007 into the second Strategic Plan covering the period 2007 – 2016 and focusing on promoting productivity, competitiveness and markets in African agriculture. FARA was also mandated by the African Union Commission (AUC) and AU NEPAD to lead implementation on CAADP Pillar IV on agricultural research, technology dissemination and adoption for which it developed the Framework for African Agricultural Productivity (FAAP). The FAAP was later endorsed by African Heads of State and

Government in 2006 as Africa’s framework for ARD contribution to agricultural transformation in Africa. Using the FAAP, the FARA Secretariat and its constituent members have provided leadership in strengthening the research- extension-education knowledge triangle and even go beyond these to include policy and business in order build a productive agriculture sector in Africa.

The Forum has gained international recognition as Africa’s voice in agricultural research for development. Its interventions have influenced decisions at various levels within and outside Africa in several areas including increasing the amount and quality of investments by African governments, the private sector and international donors in Africa’s agricultural research and development; development and adoption of multi-stakeholder and systemic approaches to African agricultural research that are best suited to Africa’s heterogeneous and complex agricultural context.

Ten years after its establishment in 2002, the FARA Secretariat has evolved into a well established autonomous organization with legal status, its own offices, a critical mass of qualified staff, and strengthened networks with existing African ARD organizations. All of these, however, have not been without challenges and it is time to look back, reflect and document the successes and failures encountered along the way in the last ten years. By doing so, the Secretariat will provide a public good that can be drawn upon by other organizations in charting their own growth; but more importantly, providing a valuable opportunity for the Secretariat and its constituent members to reflect on how well they have served their stakeholders and how they could do better.

FARA@10 is intended to document, in recognition and appreciation of, the dedicated efforts of the Secretariat and its constituent forum members in strengthening African agricultural information, knowledge and innovation systems. Documenting ten years of FARA will provide the opportunity to review the progress made at country, sub-regional and continental levels, draw lessons therefrom, and come up with alternative options for re -positioning FARA for improved performance and enhanced effectiveness over the next decade.

FARA@10 will underscore the raison d’etre of FARA in Africa’s agricultural transformation. It will attempt to unpack and reflect on the key milestones achieved in its pioneer decade of existence. It will highlight the lessons learnt over the last decade, drawing on experiences across the continent, document the challenges and forward looking strategies to enhance the forum as the most effective platform for coordinating and facilitating Africa’s information, knowledge and innovation systems.

Objectives

FARA intends to celebrate ten years of its existence and to do this, there is a need to launch a chronicle of milestones and achievements over the ten years and trace a way forward for FARA in the next ten years. The objective of the assignment therefore is to produce a book that documents

FARA’s past ten years in terms of its achievements, experiences, lessons learned, challenges and opportunities and also show a way forward for FARA in the next ten years.

Scope of work

The consultant will be required to perform the following tasks using his/her knowledge of FARA:

• Produce a book that positions FARA the Secretariat and the Forum in the context of its origin, background, mission, organizational and institutional structure and modus operandi, processes, outcomes and impact on Africa’s ARD systems and agricultural transformation;

• Document the lessons learned, problems, challenges, opportunities and the prospects of

FARA as the continental forum of choice for promoting Africa’s ARD;

• Document the products delivered by FARA in the last ten years and assess their impacts on

FARA’s constituents, Africa’s ARD systems and Africa’s agriculture transformation agenda.

• Make recommendations on the way forward for FARA in the next ten years.

Deliverables

• Develop a work plan for the assignment and give a brief discussion on methods to be used to collect, analyze and present the information.

• Conduct the study as stated in the scope of work above;

• Produce and submit a draft report for review and comments by FARA secretariat staff.

• Present the draft report that incorporates comments from FARA in a workshop for validation by FARA stakeholders.

• Incorporate comments/inputs received during the validation into the main document and produce/submit the final report that includes an Executive Summary.

• Submission of final report to FARA

Qualifications and Experience

The following qualifications are required:

• A minimum of a master’s degree in agriculture/social sciences and related disciplines, a PhD will be an added advantage.

• A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in social and economic analysis of agriculture and rural development in Africa, with demonstrated knowledge of the use of web based virtual analysis tools.

• A good understanding of institutional arrangements for the emerging paradigms in ARD

• Good Knowledge of advocacy, knowledge sharing and innovation, capacity strengthening, policy, partnerships and strategic alliances approaches to support agricultural productivity, competitiveness and markets

• A track record of good communication skills and ability to write analytical reports on agriculture.

Duration of the assignment

The duration of this assignment will be thirty (30) working days spread over a two-month period beginning 10th of June and ending 10th of August, 2013.

Location of the assignment

The consultant will be based at his/her place of domicile and work virtually through electronic means to conduct the study. However, air-tickets for two field visits and validation workshop will be provided by FARA. (S)he will adopt a blend of qualitative and quantitative approaches to complete the assignment.

Submission of Expression of Interest (EOI)

Interested Individual Consultants must provide a detailed Curriculum Vitae and a Cover Letter indicating they are qualified to perform the services

Individual Consultants will be selected in accordance with the procedures set out in the World

Bank Guidelines: Selection and Employment of Consultants by World Bank Borrowers (January 2011 edition) 

Interested Individual Consultants may obtain further information at the address below from 09:00 to 15:00 hours, Monday through Friday (except public holidays).

Expressions of Interest must be delivered to the address below by 14:00 hours GMT, 7th June, 2013.

Prof. Monty P. Jones

Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA)

PMB CT 13, Cantonments, Accra, Ghana

Telephone: +233 21 772823/779421

Email:  ed@fara-africa.org

For further information and clarification contact:

Dr. Emmanuel Tambi

Email:  etambi@fara-africa.org