Consultant, Economist/Value Chain Specialist – FHI360 Retour vers les opportunités

CONSULTANT SOLICITATION

SECTOR SELECTION & VALUE CHAIN CONSULTANT

COLLABORATIVE ACTION FOR THE EXPORT OF HANDICRAFT PRODUCTS

(ACEA) PROJECT

• Period of Performance: 1 October 2020 – February 12, 2021
• Expected Level of Effort:  80 days
• Place of Performance:  Tunis, Tunisia, with field trips to ± 3 governorates.

Program Background

ACEA Tunisia (Action Collaborative pour les Exportations Artisanales, or “Collaborative Action for the Export of Handicraft Products”) is a 4-year project funded by the U.S. Department of State and implemented by FHI 360. Its goal is to help artisans, especially those who are socially or geographically marginalized, to commercialize their products, and hence promote greater social and economic equity. Where possible, the project places a special emphasis on assisting artisans to export.

This project is helping to empower artisans and local communities by guiding and advising them using a cluster approach. Members of the Cluster (beneficiaries) meet in workshops and work in groups to learn and share various skills, in conjunction with relevant support entities and technical experts. To date, ACEA has launched cluster development activities in two sectors in Tunisia: essential oils and related natural products (Northwest Tunisia) and olive wood kitchenware and tableware (in Sfax and Sidi Bou Zid).

ACEA is seeking a consulting firm or individual consultant to assist with selection and analysis of a third sector.

Objective of Consultancy

In formalizing the selection of a third sector, ACEA will develop a more systematic and rigorous selection process. This will involve reviewing the existing selection criteria, gathering additional data on candidate clusters, conducting interviews with key stakeholders in short-listed regions, and providing a ranking and recommendations. The consultancy should produce not only a strong justification for the selection of a third sector, but also a firm basis for future selections.

Following approval of the selected sector, Consultant will conduct an in-depth value chain and stakeholder analysis of the selected sector.

The Consultant would work closely with National Office of Handicrafts (ONAT), especially the regional representatives and the Observatory in Denden which is charged with collection and analysis of data.

Detailed Tasks and Deliverables

Under the supervision of the Technical Monitor, Project Director, the Consultant will carry out the following tasks:

• Review and revise sector selection criteria. Consultant will review all documents, data and analysis from the previous sector selection exercise, and develop a detailed plan, in conjunction with ACEA and ONAT counterparts, for a more rigorous, evidence-based procedure.
• Create shortlist of candidate sectors. Using the revised criteria, use quantitative and qualitative data (based on interviews with industry experts) to provide an initial ranking of sectors and clusters (specific regional concentrations). Prepare a PowerPoint presentation of the results and relevant supporting documents, and participate in validation of the short list.
• Mapping of 2-3 top ranked candidate clusters. This mapping will not be a detailed value chain analysis, but will go beyond the previous analysis by conducting field visits in the targeted region, interviewing key stakeholders regarding competitiveness, production and market conditions and trends; key policy, regulatory and technical obstacles; and institutional factors, particularly the history and willingness of key players to collaborate on upgrading activities. Special attention will be paid to inclusiveness with respect to gender, youth, geographic location and other factors that have historically led to marginalization. Consultant will produce a PowerPoint presentation with a recommended final “third sector” selection, with supporting documents including value chain diagrams for each shortlisted sector. Consultant will participate in meetings leading to the approval of the selected sector.
• In-depth value chain analysis and market segmentation study. Following approval of the selected sector, Consultant will conduct interviews with a representative sample of potential beneficiaries and other sector stakeholders, segmenting them into several categories (e.g. individual artisans, small workshops 2-5 employees, medium 6-20 employees, large workshops, GDAs, SMSAs, women owned, etc.). ACEA staff will accompany Consultant while performing Stakeholder Engagement, which will be integrated with the information-gathering activities. This analysis will provide more granular information than the VC mapping, going into socio-economic profiles of artisans, production methods, policy and regulatory issues, relationships among entities, their ability and willingness to collaborate, and detailed understanding of market segments and distribution channels currently accessed by each stakeholder category. The study will also include an analysis of local and international markets, including overall technology and consumer trends, benchmarking of international competitors, purchasing criteria in the most attractive segments for Tunisian producers, and strategic options, KSF and recommendations for upgrading efforts needed to achieve export growth in the targeted segments.

After submission of the draft final report, ACEA will provide comments and feedback, after which a final report will be submitted in Word with a summary in PowerPoint, both in French and English.

DELIVERABLES

The Consultant shall be responsible for preparing and submitting the deliverables to the Technical Monitor according to the following schedule. ACEA will work with the Consultant to finalize format and structure for key deliverables during the consultancy, and the Technical Monitor and other relevant staff will review the consultant’s proposed drafts and provide feedback accordingly.

Criteria/Qualification for Evaluation

Consultants will be evaluated and ranked by an evaluation committee according to the conditions described in the evaluation criteria below, with a total overall maximum point value of 100. Consultants will first be evaluated and scored from a technical standpoint.  Consultants that are considered to be technically qualified shall then be evaluated in terms of cost reasonableness of their daily rate. The contract shall be issued to the consultant with the highest combined technical and cost score.

Level of Effort and Remuneration

The Consultancy will consist of a maximum of 80 working/billing days (1 day = 8 hours) between October 1, 2020 and February 12, 2021.

The Consultant will be paid the agreed daily fee rate for every day worked, up to but not to exceed 80 days, with reimbursement for related, budgeted expenses (e.g. travel and lodging on field trips outside of Tunis).  The consultant will submit a record of LOE on a monthly basis for processing and payment.

Location

This work will be primarily remote, due to Covid restrictions, but will require several meetings in Tunis and field trips to ±3 governorates to conduct interviews with stakeholders. FHI 360 will require an Expense Authorization form to be submitted and approved prior to travel and will reimburse allowable travel expenses.