Consultant to conduct a market assessment and value chain analysis and development for sustainable market integration and economic empowerment

REQUEST FOR CONSULTANTS

The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is a global humanitarian organization with a mission to work with people in poverty and distress to create just and positive change. ADRA Somalia belongs to the worldwide network, comprised of more than 130 supporting and implementing country offices. ADRA Somalia is seeking to recruit a consultant to conduct a market assessment and value chain analysis and development for sustainable market integration and economic empowerment for communities in Kismayu District, Jubaland state of Somalia.

1. Purpose and Objectives of the Consultancy

The purpose of the assignment is to equip the supported communities with practical knowledge and skills for selecting and analyzing value chains for opportunities to improve climate change resilience and reduce gender inequalities; and subsequently help in identifying and prioritizing investments to promote market development in line with these opportunities. The Market Assessment and Value Chain Analysis are intended to identify and design livelihood development programmes that, if implemented, increase the employment opportunities and improve the living conditions of communities. The task will also assess the potential for growth and profitability of the local economic sectors. The value chain analysis will help to determine how the identified value chain(s) can be developed to include a large number of beneficiaries (persons of concern and members of the host communities) in the labour market through practical action points.

Training will be undertaken to enhance the capacity of the agro-pastoral communities in Kismayo by equipping them with practical knowledge and skills in value chain development. The training will seek to strengthen market linkages, improve product quality, reduce post-harvest losses, and enable smallholder farmers and pastoralists to participate effectively in commercial markets. By fostering entrepreneurship, improving access to financial services, and enhancing business development skills, participants will be transitioned from subsistence livelihoods to sustainable, market-oriented enterprises. This initiative will contribute to economic empowerment, increased household income, and long-term food security, ensuring that vulnerable populations can build resilience and achieve financial independence through improved value chain integration.

Objectives

The overall objective of this assignment is to carry out a Market Assessment and Value Chain Analysis to shed light on the status and viability of existing and potential markets for the pastoralists and agro-pastoralist communities in Kismayo since crops and livestock hold promise of product expansion, market viability, value addition opportunities, quality improvement, and input availability to smallholder farmers.

The specific objectives are:

1. Map the existing and potential value chains.
2. Identify the key stakeholders active in the crop and livestock value chains and conduct a detailed assessment of the operations, processes, opportunities and challenges
3. Identify key value chains with the highest potential for growth, profitability and employment for the target groups (given their needs and capacities).
4. Analyze the supporting functions that are needed to develop market linkages across the selected value chains, including both existing and missing support functions (e.g. infrastructure, information, related services)
5. Clarify the rules and regulations (e.g. standards, laws, informal rules and norms) related to the value chain. Outline any gaps that must be filled, in order for participants to sustainably gain employment through the value chain, and how the value chain can be developed.
6. Assess the competitiveness of the value chain(s) and determine how to create competitive advantages for the targeted sectors in the context of local and regional trends, bearing in mind the context of the population.
7. Scope of Work

This study will be critical to developing interventions on supply chain efficiency and aggregation structures as well as on-boarding of committed private sector and civil society partners as a part of the landscape model. The scope of work for this assignment is two-fold: Assessment and Training in Market Assessment and Value Chain Analysis.

The market assessment and scoping study will have the following critical components as a part of the work:

1. Landscape analysis on production systems for crops and livestock: conduct a scoping study to understand:
   • Current farming practices (including any Integrated Pest Management practices), challenges to adopt sustainable practices and the current situation of resources utilization, water and soil management, agro-inputs, etc. with a strong focus on actual situation of land use;

• Climate-smart agriculture for developing climate resilient farming systems in the project geography;
• Existing sourcing model for farm produce (harvesting, farm gate aggregation, and sale by farmers), trader, agent and producer dynamics in the crop and livestock supply chain;
• Information needs from women especially around drudgery, wages and to identify engagement methods that can benefit women engaged in agricultural production;

1. Study and analyze the current aggregation models, post-harvest management and marketing channels for the target value chains for crops and livestock produced in the target region including stakeholder analysis, price and quality analysis and value position.
2. Social and economic aspect: labor conditions and the current wage/income of workers and smallholder farmers and the wage/income gap (compared with a national or state level wage/ income benchmark), sources of income of farmers (on farm and other products, off farm).
3. Conduct training by undertaking the following tasks:

• Develop a training curriculum in coordination and collaboration with project team members.
• Develop training materials (presentations, handouts, case studies, practical exercises etc.) in close coordination with the project team.
• Prepare a training manual that participants can use as a reference post-training.
• Design and facilitate a four-day training program ensuring interactive and participatory approaches adhering with the safeguarding compliances.
• Use a mix of teaching methods, including lectures, group discussions, case studies, and hands-on exercises etc.
• Ensure pre- and post-training evaluation to assess the effectiveness of the training.

The training areas shall broadly include the following components among others:

Agro-Pastoral Skills Training

• Advanced techniques in crop production, soil conservation, and water management.
• Best practices in livestock breeding, feeding, disease prevention, and veterinary care.
• Introduction to climate-smart agriculture and drought-resilient farming techniques.

Value Chain Development and Market Access

• Market analysis and demand assessment to identify profitable agricultural products.
• Post-harvest handling, quality assurance, and storage techniques to reduce losses.
• Business development and market linkages, ensuring farmers can effectively connect with buyers, cooperatives, and commercial markets.
• Simulated market negotiations and value chain exercises to enhance business skills.

Community Engagement and Knowledge Transfer

• Involvement of local cooperatives, traditional leaders, and agricultural extension officers to ensure sustainability.
• Encouragement of peer-to-peer learning and mentorship programs among farmers.
• Formation of community-based farmer groups to enhance knowledge-sharing and cooperation.

1. Target Participants

This training is designed for individuals actively engaged in agro-pastoral activities, particularly those from vulnerable and marginalized communities in Kismayo. Target participants include:

• Smallholder farmers, youth, and women engaged in agricultural and pastoral livelihoods.
• Displaced persons and returnees seeking alternative livelihoods in the agro-pastoral sector.
• Community leaders, cooperatives, and representatives from local agricultural organizations.

To maximize inclusion, special emphasis will be placed on ensuring equal participation of women and individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds.

1. Methodology

The consultant is expected to use various methods of carrying out this assignment including, but not limited to:

• Desk review – a literature review from previous value chain studies and other critical documents from the context and other sources.
• Develop a theoretical framework for the study and determine the sampling methodology to be used in the study.
• Interview with selected officials (local and national government officials and other key actors from the private sector).
• Interviews of small-scale farmer organizations and traders’ associations, among others participating in value chain activities.
• Focus group discussions with value chain actors and trader associations.

The proposal should include an appropriate methodology for primary data collection and data collection tools (e.g. market survey, interviews with market actors, key informant interviews) that will be used to conduct the Market Assessment and Value Chain Analysis.

1. Deliverables

The following deliverables are envisaged:

1. Scoping Report on Market Assessment and Value Chain Analysis.
2. Training Report on Capacity Building on Market Access and Value Chain Development.
3. Electronic copies of all data sets.
4. All quantitative and qualitative data (completed questionnaires, recorded interviews, etc).
5. Any other documents that will be used or collected in the course of the consultancy.
6. Required competencies:

• Advanced university degree in Agriculture, Agribusiness, Economics, Rural Development, or related fields.
• At least 5 years of practical experience in value chain development, market linkages, and business development for agro-pastoral and pastoral communities.
• Demonstrated expertise in designing and implementing training programs focused on agricultural value chain integration, market access, and entrepreneurship development.
• Proven experience in conducting capacity-building programs for smallholder farmers, pastoralists, and rural enterprises, particularly in fragile and conflict-affected areas.
• Experience in developing training manuals and toolkits tailored for adult learners, grassroots organizations, and local business cooperatives.
• Strong knowledge of financial literacy, agribusiness models, and access to finance mechanisms for small-scale producers.
• Ability to facilitate stakeholder engagement and establish partnerships between producers, processors, traders, and financial institutions.
• Exceptional interpersonal, networking, and communication skills, with experience in working with diverse community groups and government agencies.
• Demonstrated team training, capacity building, and mentorship skills, with a track record of enhancing the knowledge and skills of rural entrepreneurs and farmers.
• Fluency in English is required, and knowledge of Somali language is mandatory.

Proposals should include:

1. Detailed description of proposed approach and methodology
2. Projected budget
3. Short overview of how the candidate(s) meets the qualifications, experience and skills requirements
4. Submission of Proposals

To achieve the objectives of the assignment, the consultant will be expected to take complete responsibility for all the activities identified in the TOR. The Technical Proposal should contain a complete description and explanation of the proposed methodology for the Assignment (work plan), timelines and any other resources that the consultant will make available to effectively execute the assignment.

The Financial Proposal should stipulate the professional fees, travel and taxes for the assignment. All fees and costs are to be expressed in USD.