Consultancy to Develop a Gender Strategy for the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa

Consultancy to Develop a Gender Strategy for the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)

Terms of Reference

November, 2011

Background:

The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) is a dynamic African-led organization that is working to catalyze a uniquely African Green Revolution, one that puts smallholder farmers first, while protecting biodiversity, promoting sustainability and advancing equity.

The organization works in partnerships to achieve a food secure and prosperous Africa through the promotion of rapid, sustainable agricultural growth driven by smallholder farmers.

AGRA aims to ensure that smallholders have what they need to succeed: good seeds and healthy soils; access to markets, information, financing, storage and transport; and policies that provide them with comprehensive support.

In working to accomplish its goal of catalyzing an agricultural revolution, AGRA is placing gender relations between men and women in households at the heart of its integrated seeds, soil health, markets, innovative finance and policy advocacy support.

In line with this commitment, AGRA is seeking the services of a Consultant or Consultancy firm to support the development of a gender policy and strategy to guide the effective inclusion of gender concerns and issues in the implementation of the priorities highlighted in AGRA’s strategy to catalyze a green revolution in Africa.

The objectives of the consultancy:

1. Conduct a robust consultative review of gender issues in agriculture as they relate to AGRA’s programs to identify the relevant issues, constraints and opportunities in smallholder agricultural production;
2. Based on qualitative and quantitative results generated from consultations and secondary data review, develop a robust gender policy and strategy across AGRA’s programs – Africa seeds systems, soil health, markets access, policy and partnerships and farmer organizations support to strengthen gender responsiveness of programming at local, national and regional levels;
3. Conduct a thorough review of AGRA’s organizational practice and culture, and recommend strategies for enhancing gender and diversity responsiveness in workplace practices and policies;
4. Develop a substantive operational framework and gender plan of action to support implementation of proposed actions aligned with AGRA’s overall strategy;
5. Develop a gender monitoring and evaluation framework detailing quantitatively and qualitatively measureable, reportable and verifiable gender disaggregated data and indicators to complement AGRA’s overall M&E framework.

Scope of Work

Specifically, the consultant (or firm) will:

* Prepare a letter of interest outlining their understanding of the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the consultancy. This should include a work plan and a discussion of methods to be used to collect, analyze and present the information, including a detailed budget;
* Produce an inception report together with data collection tools following an initial process of consultations with the AGRA staff and key stakeholders;
* Submit the first draft of the strategy and facilitate a validation meeting with stakeholders to review and capture comments and feedback from the wide variety of stakeholders with recommendations derived from the analysis;

The assignment is expected to take 180 working days from the date of signing of the contract.

Qualifications and Experience:

A minimum of a Master’s degree in an agriculture/natural resource management/rural development related field with demonstrated professional practice in gender analysis during the last five years.

Application procedure

Interested and qualified consultants (or consulting firms) should submit an application which should include the following;

1. CVs of consultant(s)

2. Proposal for implementation of the assignment, including detailed methodology and indicative budget.

Please submit applications to: gender@agra-alliance.org on or before close of business, December 31, 2011.

The full Terms of Reference (TOR) and requirements can be viewed by visiting the AGRA website: www.agra-alliance.org