Terms of Reference Consultancy on Exit Strategy Development

Terms of Reference

Consultancy on Exit Strategy Development

Project: Value Chain Development of Fruit and Vegetables in Nepal Project

Duration: July 2018 – December 2022

Location: Kathmandu, Nepal (with travels to field)

Expected start date: 6 June 2022

Contract duration: 15 working days

1. Context

Sixty five percent of agriculture is rain-fed, and the average land holding per household in Nepal is 0.8ha. Agriculture productivity is low comparing to that of neighbouring countries, which is associated with limited infrastructure, small farm size, human resources shortage and limited access to market. The marketable volumes are low considering the production potentiality, and 20-35% of fruit and 15-30% of vegetables are being lost or damaged during the postharvest stages. Farmers have limited access to market when selling the products. 

Tackling the issues, the Value Chain Development of Fruit and Vegetables Project (VCDP) was launched in July 2018, aiming at strengthening the agricultural value chains and increase incomes of smallholder farmers. Jointly implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MoALD), Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), and United Nations Development Programmes (UNDP), it targeted 10,000 farmers in Bagmati and Gandaki provinces. A special focus has been placed on production maximization, postharvest loss minimization, and market linkage enhancement. 

To date, the project reached to 12,596 farmers (58% women, 51% from minority groups) who became capacitated with enhanced production knowledge, access to postharvest technologies, and better market linkage. Comparing 2019 and 2021, the average yield of vegetables increased by 21.3% (14.3mt/ha to 17.3mt/ha), and the vegetable postharvest losses decreased from 20.7% to 16.9%. 30% more fruit and vegetables have been traded at collection centres. As of March 31 2022, the project delivered $4,029,847 out of $5,500,000 (73%).

2. Purpose

As 2022 is the last year for project delivery, the project intends to develop an exit strategy ensuring the sustainability of the project components after the operational life of the project ends. The exit strategy will define the options on how it can withdraw its external assistance while ensuring achievements of the project are perpetuated and be made sustainable within the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Nepal Agricultural Research Council, 37 local governments and cooperatives.

Specifically, the exit strategy will:

• Serve as a tool for implementing organizations, responsible local government bodies, cooperatives and beneficiary groups in planning the handover of the project after completion
• Define a proposed institutional and financial set up for sustainability of results after project ends (i.e. continuation of works, ownership of online materials and offline assets, data management)
• Devise a set of actions to ensure that resources and materials are used as per intention after project phase out and to avoid any tension that may arise between the withdrawal of assistance and commitment 
• Propose steps for winding up project activities together with corresponding time frame, indicators, resources in need, and roles and responsibilities clarification of each stakeholder for project sustainability

3. Responsibilities of consultant 

With an overall guidance of National Project Director and National Project Manager, the consultant shall work closely with Technical Specialist of the project team to carry out this assignment. Specifically, following are responsibilities of the consultant:

• Document review 
• Develop an inception report with detailed methodology and outline of the exit strategy, to be finalized in consultation with project team, 
• Define and rationalize a group of stakeholders with whom to have interviews or discussion
• Review the use of technical and physical inputs supported to NARC, cooperatives and farmers,  
• Review the existence of agreements and protocols at NARC, local government, cooperatives, groups in using materials and resources given by the project 
• Name all stakeholders and specify their responsibilities for all listed exit activities 
• Develop a workplan matrix (activity, responsible stakeholder, timeline, cost implication)
• When the draft strategy is ready, convene a review meeting with project staff and stakeholders
• Submit a final exit strategy (including the workplan matrix)

4. Expected deliverables 

The consultant or a firm is responsible for following outputs:

• Inception report
• Exit strategy (including activity matrix, timeframe, responsibilities)

5. Institutional arrangement 

With overall strategic guidance from National Project Manager, the consultant or a team will closely work with Technical Specialist. Technical Specialist will provide requested documentation to the incumbent(s), and share a list of stakeholders and beneficiaries for interviews or focused group discussions. A consultant or a team will realize all the activities listed in TOR in a highly professional manner, and collaborate with project and stakeholders. Outputs produced under the assignment will undergo review for certification of acceptance.

6. Duration of the assignment 

The duration of the assignment is maximum 15 effective person days spread from June to July 2022. The final report is to be submitted no later than 30 July 2022. The distribution of task with number of days and timeline is outlined below. 

7. Qualifications of the consultant 

The project invites an individual expert or a firm having:

• A master’s degree in agriculture, economics, project management, social science or related field
• At least 10 years of working experiences in monitoring and evaluation 
• Experience with conducting project evaluations specifically focusing on exit strategy development
• Experience in strategic planning for phasing out projects with a focus on sustainability 
• Prior experience of working with projects capacitating local governments 
• Prior experience of working with projects targeting gender mainstreaming 
• Fluency in oral and written English and Nepali languages
• Have ability to respond to comments and questions in a timely and appropriate manner
• Able to work within tight deadlines under the pressure of time

8. Application 

The candidates are expected to submit the following:

• Technical proposal
  • Cover letter 
  • Technical proposal covering all aspects and tasks required in the TOR. The technical offer must include 
    • Approach, methods, tentative work plan, division of responsibility (if a team of consultants are applying)
  • CV
• Financial proposal including cost breakdown
  • The proposal shall suggest the daily fee in NPR (per position if a team applies) 
  • The fee shall include all administrative costs including insurance, reports, communication costs, travel, stationary, accommodation expenses 
  • The amount of VAT must be shown separately

9. Scope of bid price and schedule of payment 

• The total effective period for this assignment is no more than 15 person-days spreading from May and 30 July 2022 
• The consultant/firm should be PAN/VAT registered, and recent tax clearance certificate should be submitted together with application document, where applicable. 
• Upon submission of inception report and detailed workplan, 40% of the consultancy fee will be released. After acceptance of the final report remaining 60% will be released.
• VCDP will not be responsible to cover any cost on accidental or health insurance coverage or any other cost and benefits. The consultant should be responsible on her/his own.

10. Selection progress 

Notice/TOR will be published in job portal allowing 15-day application period. Interested candidates are requested to apply at info@vcdp.org.np no later than 12 June 2022, stating the following the subject line: “Submission of Proposal: VCDP Exit Strategy Development.”

Annex 1. Tentative content 

The exit strategy should include the following chapters (not exhaustive):

11. Introduction 

12. List of acronyms 

13. Executive strategy 

14. Recommended actions (general, outcome specific, GESI, cross cutting)

15. Annexes