Winrock International recrute 01 Agricultural Extension Consultant

Background

The Enabling Farmers for Agricultural Transformation (EFAT) Project, led by Winrock International and funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), strengthens agricultural extension and advisory services and systems (EAS) as a pathway to boosting agricultural productivity among smallholder farmers and helping them diversify their livelihoods and strengthen their resilience in the face of adverse climate conditions.

EFAT will catalyze and support pilot EAS delivery models in Senegal to learn how to organize and incentivize public, private, and civil society organizations to effectively work together to provide inclusive, demand-driven advisory and complementary services to smallholder farmers, particularly women and youth. Each proposed models will be led, respectively, by public extension services, a private firm or a civil society organization (citizen working group, producer organization) working in partnership with a several public or private advisory and complementary service providers.

To start-up activities on the ground in Senegal and refine the design of the EAS delivery models, EFAT will conduct a series of consultations and assessments with local stakeholders, EAS and complementary service providers, producers and other value chain actors. We are looking for 2 experienced local consultants to carry out these activities in Senegal.

This consultancy requires field work in rural parts of Senegal.

Purpose of the assignment

The purpose of this assignment is to start up EFAT activities in Senegal by identifying priority agricultural value chains, available technologies/practices, target locations for pilot activities and implementing partners.

As part of a team of 4 consultants, the Agriculture Extension Consultant will carry out the following activities: 1. stakeholder consultations to identify priority agricultural value chains, available technologies and locations for EFAT pilot activities ; 2. a landscape analysis in target locations to identify EAS and complementary service providers, on-going EAS activities, projects/programs and other agricultural actors and stakeholders; and 3. a barrier analysis to assess farmer demand for priority technologies, complementary services, information, and support needed to enhance adoption and constraints to adoption.

Scope of work

The consultant, together will other team members, is responsible for the following activities:

• In consultation with Senegalese agricultural research and extension institutions, USAID-Senegal and other key stakeholders, identify priority value chains in 2-3 geographic locations for pilot EAS activities in Senegal.
• Identify relevant agricultural stakeholders for different aspects of the assessments and initiate contact with them.
• In consultation with Senegalese agricultural research and extension institutions, CORAF and other key stakeholders, prepare an inventory of tested and available climate-smart technologies and practices available in Senegal for the priority value chains identified by stakeholders and verify the availability and accessibility of technology components (seed, other inputs, technologies, machinery etc.).
• Identify 4-5 locations for pilot activities based on information collected on priority value chains, geographic locations and adapted and available technologies, taking into considerations criteria for the proposed delivery models to be piloted.
• Contribute to preparing a report (about 10 pages) describing the priority value chains identified, the inventory of tested and available climate-smart technologies and practices available in Senegal for the priority value chains and the availability and accessibility of technology components and sources.
• With other team members, conduct a desk review of EAS system and services in Senegal generally, complementary service providers (agro-dealers, seed suppliers, suppliers of machinery and equipment, financial services, climate information systems etc.) at national level, EAS projects/activities in target locations to understand local context and provide input into the design of the assessment tools.
• Identify existing tools and contribute to the development and/or adapt of tools for conducting 1. a landscape analysis to identify EAS and complementary service providers, on-going EAS activities, projects/programs and other agricultural actors and stakeholders; and 2. a barrier analysis to assess farmer demand for priority technologies, complementary services, information, and support needed to enhance adoption and constraints to adoption.
• With other team member, conduct fieldwork in 4-5 locations (exact number to be determined once the priority VC, technologies and locations have been identified by stakeholders) for:
  a landscape analysis to identify EAS and complementary service providers, on-going EAS activities, projects/programs and other agricultural actors and stakeholders and
  a barrier analysis to assess farmer demand for priority technologies, identify complementary services, information, and support needed to enhance adoption and constraints to adoption, with specific consideration of constraints faced by women and youth.
• Participate in analyzing the data from the desk review, the landscape analysis and barrier analysis.
• Contribute to preparing a report on the fieldwork.

Activity

Number of days

Target

Team orientation meeting (full team)

1

EFAT team

Identify relevant stakeholders and initiate contact with them

0.5

ANCAR, ISRA, USAID-Senegal, seed companies, input suppliers, machinery suppliers, Dakar-based staff of agricultural projects in target locations, complementary service providers etc

Identify priority value chains in 2-3 geographic locations

2

ANCAR, ISRA, USAID-Senegal

Prepare an inventory of tested and available climate-smart technologies and practices available in Senegal for the priority value chains identified by stakeholders

1

ANCAR, ISRA, USAID-Senegal, CORAF

Verify the availability and accessibility of technology components (seed, other inputs, technologies, machinery etc.).

2

Seed companies, input suppliers, machinery suppliers etc, depending on the target technologies

Identify 4-5 locations for pilot activities based on information collected

0.5

ANCAR, USAID-Senegal

Read and compile background materials on target locations

Contribute to a report (about 10 pages) describing the priority value chains identified, the inventory of tested and available climate-smart technologies and practices and the availability and accessibility of technology components and sources. The report will be written by the team lead.

2

Conduct a desk review of EAS system and services in Senegal generally, complementary service providers, EAS projects/activities in target locations and conduct expert consultations

3

Dakar-based staff of agricultural projects in target locations, complementary service providers

Identify existing tools, contribute to the development and/or adapt of tools for landscape analysis and barrier analysis

4

Conduct fieldwork for the landscape analysis and barrier analysis in 4 locations; 2.5 days per location (10 days total)

10

Local ANCAR officers

Agricultural projects/initiatives

Pos

Citizen working groups

Women’s groups

Youth groups

Analyze data

3

Contribute to first draft of report based on fieldwork carried out

4

Revise first draft and submit final report

2

Total working days

35

Deliverables

• Inventory of tested and available climate-smart technologies and practices available in Senegal for the priority value chains identified by stakeholders.
• Notes from stakeholder meetings.
• Report describing the priority value chains identified, the inventory of tested and available climate-smart technologies and practices and the availability and accessibility of technology components and sources.
• Tools (guide questions) for conducting landscape analysis and barrier analysis
• Report describing the EAS landscape in target areas and providing an analysis of farmer demand for priority technologies, identify complementary services, information, and support needed to enhance adoption and constraints to adoption, with specific consideration of constraints faced by women and youth.

Experience and Qualifications

The consultant should have the following experience and qualification:

• Master’s degree or higher in agricultural extension, agricultural economics, rural sociology, rural development or other related field of study.
• At least 5 years experience working in agricultural extension and advisory programming for a project or NGO in Senegal
• At least 2 years experience conducting value chain analysis, agricultural and other types of assessments in rural parts of Africa.
• At least 2 years experience conducting desk reviews on agricultural topics.
• At least 2 years experience analyzing qualitative data.
• Excellent writing skills in French.
• Experience with public-private partnership, public sector agriculture agencies, research institutions, and civil society groups.
• Knowledge of gender and youth mainstreaming in agricultural development.
• Working knowledge of English is strongly preferred.