Call for applications – Long-term Consultants

Call for applications – Long-term Consultants

Nepal Agricultural Market Development Programme (NAMDP), branded as Sahaj, is a joint initiative of the Government of Nepal and the Government of Switzerland. Mandated by Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Sahaj is designed as a 12-year programme with three consecutive phases of four years each. It is implemented by Swisscontact (as the lead) and the Center for Environment and Agricultural Policy Research, Extension and Development (CEAPRED). Sahaj follows the Inclusive Markets approach, also referred to as Making Markets Work for the Poor (M4P) or Market Systems Development (MSD).

Sahaj facilitates increased engagement of smallholder farmers in commercial agriculture; with a specific emphasis on women-led farming households and people from disadvantaged backgrounds. It aims to improve the smallholder farmers’ participation in the interconnected networks within the input and output markets. In other words, Sahaj makes market systems work more sustainably, efficiently and profitably for poor farmers, which provide them with better opportunities to enhance their competitiveness, increase farm-income, and improve their livelihood. In partnership with Sahaj, different market actors in the agricultural market systems co-design innovative business models and take lead in implementing activities that increase farm-productivity and boost marketing potential of the crops or livestock supplied by the poor farmers.

Sahaj (phase 1: March 2016 – December 2019) works in three value chains (core sectors: maize, vegetable and goat) and two cross-sectors (crop protection and post-harvest). During the 1st half of Phase 1, Sahaj had been concentrated in two spatial clusters in Nepal: the eastern/central cluster including Ramechhap, Okhaldhunga and Khotang districts, and the western cluster including Surkhet, Jajarkot, Dailekh, Kalikot, and Achham districts. From the 2nd half of Phase 1, the programme has been expanding to other important and promising road corridors; these include parts of the Terai region and several districts in the State/Province 1 of Nepal.

Scope of work

This Terms of Reference (ToR) refers to the assignment of a long-term consultant who has a sound understanding and substantial experience in working in the area of public policy research and advocacy in Nepal (including in the agriculture sector). The broad objective of the assignment is to design, implement and assess interventions in relevant policy areas following market systems development approach. The consultant will work closely with the relevant teams of Sahaj and its co-facilitators that are implementing interventions in the selected sectors and cross-sectors. S/he will build on the learning and experiences of the relevant Sahaj teams and contribute to the vision and strategies of Sahaj.  Along with implementation, the consultant will follow the Monitoring and Results Measurement (MRM) system (DCED standard) used in Sahaj. 

Duties and responsibilities

The consultant will be based in NAMDP office in Lalitpur (Kathmandu valley) with frequent filed-visits. S/he will have to spend significant percentage of her/his time in Biratnagar and other districts in Province 1 of Nepal. Under the general direction and supervision of the relevant Senior Manager, the consultant will perform the following duties – 

• Take initiation in the identification of key policy and regulatory issues, particularly in the sector that Sahaj is active, that impede the inclusive growth of the agriculture sector in Nepal.
• Contribute to the research and analysis of policy and regulatory constraints and opportunities in the agriculture sector in Nepal with special focus on the selected sub-sectors/cross-sectors.
•  Contribute to the research and analysis of the policy and regulatory issues with respect to the new state structure of Nepal
• Contribute to the analysis of systemic constraints and opportunities in selected sub-sectors/cross-sectors in Nepal and in specific districts and clusters.
•  Support to develop and implement, in collaboration with relevant private and public-sector actors, appropriate policy interventions to address the key constraints and unlock opportunities.
• Support to incorporate pro-poor strategies in designing interventions so that the interventions benefit small and marginal farmers whose livelihoods depend directly or indirectly on the sectors that Sahaj is active in.
•  Integrate gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) aspects in designing interventions so that women and disadvantage groups (DAG) can be more empowered by being economic agents at different stages of the selected value chains.
• Support the relevant Senior Manager and the team to implement interventions in close collaboration with the relevant private sector and public-sector actors. 
• Support the relevant Senior Manager and the team for the identification and hiring of appropriate short-term consultants and supervision of their work.  
• Contribution to developing and re-visiting relevant sections of sectors/cross-sectors strategies of Sahaj and design and implementation of policy interventions in accordance with the relevant strategies.
• Support the relevant Senior Manager for the day to day implementation and supervision of intervention activities, ensuring quality of implementation and, if needed, recommending changes in intervention design or modality to improve the outcome of the interventions.
• Conducting regular field visits to ensure proper implementation and monitoring of activities.
• Preparing and ensuring quality of all relevant documentation for MRM.
• Preparing and/or contributing to relevant documentation for MRM and participating in DCED audits.
•  Preparing appropriate communication materials.
• Preparing outputs from the team in accordance with communication guidelines and needs from Sahaj.
•  Preparing and/or contributing to periodic progress reports for relevant sectors/cross-sectors and transversal themes.
• Incorporating Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) in MRM practices and tools, following GESI guideline of NAMDP; contribution to mainstreaming GESI.
• Maintaining professional working relationships with the government at different levels and partners (Sahaj team and intervention partners).
•  Playing an important role in the teams (Sahaj sector and MRM team and the co-facilitator team) as a team player.
• Contributing to a harmonious work environment.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Senior Manager 

Deliverables

The consultant will provide specific deliverables to the project team/Sahaj, including –

• Monthly Time Sheetafter completion of every month, within 10 days of the following month.
• Specific reports such as field updates, activity status, etc., as and when required
• MRM and communicating related data and documents as and when required. 

Required Skills and Qualifications

• Most important criteria: A minimum of two years’ work experience in the field of policy advocacy and research
• Desired/ additional criteria: Experience in agriculture value chain development with a private sector development focus. Sound understanding of MSD/M4P approach will be an added advantage.
• Bachelor or higher degree in relevant field. (Degree in Agri-Business/or Economics is preferred; Bachelor’s degree without relevant job experience is not preferred).
• Advanced communication skill in both English and Nepali (verbal and written).
• Ability and willingness to work in a team to deliver high quality outputs within deadlines in a dynamic and fast-paced work environment. 
• Passion and commitment to building career in development sector.
• Willingness and ability to travel within Nepal.

Time Frame

The assignment will initially be for a 12 months period starting on 1 November 2018 for a maximum of 220 working days.

After the completion of the first 3 months, the consultant will have a performance appraisal conducted by Sahaj. Subject to positive outcome of the appraisal (i.e. satisfactory performance of the consultant in the first three months), the consultant will continue the remaining period of the assignment. 

Terms of payment

The consultant will be paid on monthly basis. The consultant will need to provide a monthly timesheet to NAMDP.

To Apply: Submit Current CV with cover letter to: NAMDP PSU Office, Kupondole, Lalitpur, or Email to: np.info@swisscontact.org on or before 4 October 2018. 

Only short-listed candidates will be called for the selection process. Swisscontact shall not entertain any phone enquiries or other such solicitations for these positions. 

(Swisscontact promotes workforce diversity and applies positive discrimination to candidates from discriminated groups (women, Dalit, Janajati, Madhesi/Terai and other minority communities)