RFP - Recruitment of a Firm to Conduct a Consultancy for Annual Implementation

Project Description:

The Ministry of Agriculture through the support to the Government of Zambia from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and a grant from the Green Climate Fund, is implementing the Strengthening Climate Resilience of Agricultural Livelihoods in Agro-Ecological Regions I and II (SCRALA) project to enhance resilience to climate change risks for the most vulnerable smallholder farmers in the country’s Agro-Ecological Regions I and II. Launched in 2018, the project is now in its sixth year of implementation, targeting selected beneficiaries across 16 districts and is scheduled to run until November 2025. The 16 project districts are Mafinga, Chama, Mambwe, Nyiimba, Luangwa, Rufunsa, Chongwe, Chirundu, Siavonga, Gwembe, Namwala, Kazungula, Mulobezi, Sesheke, Sioma, and Senanga.

The SCRALA project aims to increase the resilience of smallholder farmers in Agro-Ecological Regions I and II in Zambia in view of climate change and variability. The project will achieve this aim by taking a value chain approach, addressing risks posed across key stages of the value chain – planning, inputs, production and post-production.

The project makes targeted interventions to capitalize on opportunities to strengthen and promote viable climate-resilient value chains relating to smallholder agriculture in the target regions, specifically targeting value chains that are gender sensitive and provide viable economic opportunities for women. These includes three interrelated outputs:

1) strengthening capacity of farmers to plan for climate risk;

2) strengthening resilient agricultural production and diversification practices (for both food security and income generation); and

3) strengthening farmers’ access to markets and commercialization of introduced resilient agricultural commodities. The project interventions will have a strong focus on women, given their unique capacities and vulnerabilities.

The project seeks to ensure that resilient agricultural livelihoods are promoted in the face of changing rainfall, increasing drought and occasional floods by implementing several activities through setting up of new irrigation schemes, water storage and other resilient water management strategies. This would result in increased access to water for agricultural production in the target districts within Agro-Ecological Regions I and II.

Purpose

The purpose of the consultancy is to undertake the Annual Implementation Progress and Gender Assessment Survey to track the Strengthening Climate Resilience in Agriculture and Livelihoods (SCRALA) projects output, outcome, and gender-related progress in 16 districts of Zambia. This assignment comprises two interconnected components: Component 1: Implementation Progress (Outcome and output) Survey. And Component 2: Gender Assessment.

Overall Objective

The survey aims to provide valuable insights into SCRALAs implementation progress, outcome achievements, and gender-related advancements, informing project adjustments and strategic decisions.

 Scope of work

The implementation survey and gender assessment shall be conducted in the project’s 16 districts and the consultant(s) will be responsible for undertaking the following task:

Task 1: Indicator Assessment

Task 2: Farming Technologies and Practices

Task 3: Value Chain Effectiveness

Task 4: Value Chain Investments and Impact

 Please refer to the attached TOR