Consultancy Services for the Accompanying Measures for an Irrigation Program in North Macedonia
Expression of Interest - Prequalification
Feb 01, 2024

Country North Macedonia
Deadline Mar 15, 2024
Financing KfW Entwicklungsbank
Reference Number BMZ201970177/KfW506988
Subject Consulting Services for the Irrigation Program North Macedonia – Accompanying Measures
Program:

The purpose of the Program is the sustainable increase of the agricultural output (production and productivity) in the project area by improved availability and efficient
use of water resources. Thereby, the Project contributes to improved living conditions for the population in the project area.
The Irrigation Program North Macedonia concerns the rehabilitation and extension of up to 4 irrigation schemes (Straishte, Lisiche, Konjsko and Pepelishte) in the Vardar River Basin.

The Accompanying Measures consist of two components:

Component 1: Support to the formation of the agricultural cooperatives and institutional strengthening of the different operators of the irrigation system (operators of the main infrastructure as well as agricultural cooperatives),
especially in business administration (business planning, billing, customer relations, etc.) and operation and maintenance of the systems.
Component 2: Capacity Development of the agricultural advisory services in order to improve advisory services for the farmers regarding improved
irrigation methods, improved and innovative cultivation methods and selection of suitable and safe agricultural crops and cultivars in line with EU regulations and standards especially against the development of harmful organisms and the background of climate change, marketing and access to EU-markets. This may include the establishment of experimental farms.
Requested Services:

The duties of the Accompanying Measures Consultant encompass two components:

Component 1: Institutional strengthening of the different operators of the irrigation systems, including:
Assistance in the development and implementation of a cost covering and socially acceptable tariff strategy
Identification and implementation of measures to improve the overall economic performance (reduction of administrative losses by supporting increased billing and collection efficiency, the
update/extension of customer databases and the collection of past due bills; strategy for the reduction of water losses, etc.)
Strengthening of staff capacities (e.g. development of a staff development concept, support in recruiting additional qualified staff)
Monitoring of water quality and quantity against the background of climate change and introduction of early warning systems for the customers
Planning and implementation of awareness campaigns and trainings in customer relationship management and public relations
Social mobilizing of the farmers in order to increase the connection rate to the irrigation systems.
Coordination of strategies and enforcement mechanisms for the closure of illegal wells between the relevant line ministries

Component 2: Capacity Development for agricultural advisory services,
including:
Improvement of advisory services for the farmers regarding irrigation techniques; selection of suitable (i.e., more climate resilient) crops and cultivars; and encouraging alternative cultivation techniques (i.e.,
organic production, agroforestry)
Improvement of advisory services regarding access to the EU-market, including advice regarding EU-organic labels, price information and EU-standards
Support for farmers and agricultural cooperatives for marketing, including storage, packaging and processing
Institutional advice for the establishment of cooperatives
Advisory services for administrative and financial literacy for farmers, including support for business planning, applications for subsidies, etc.
Establishment of experimental plots and fields, including the distribution of the relevant findings to the farmers and relevant institutions
Improvement of existing environmental and climate monitoring systems of agricultural extension offices
Establishment of an information portal and digital information exchange between the agricultural extension offices and MAFWE (input of data from the field, publications and newsletters to inform agricultural extension offices and farmers about new guidelines, and regulations, input from the operator of the irrigation schemes about water quality and quantity, including an early warning system for
droughts and for the diagnosis of new pests and diseases through the proper instalment of agrometeorological stations providing accurate
climate and other data that will be timely available to the farmers aiming to undertake appropriate measures

All measures of the Accompanying Measures Consultant shall be designed in close collaboration with MAFWE.