Agriculture Research and Technologies Upscaling Expert, Performance Evaluation of the Partnership for Agricultural Research, Education and Development

CONSULTANCY Alternatives: Pertypeance evaluation of the Partnership for Agricultural Analysis, Education and Enchancment (PAIRED) carried out by Central Africa Council for Agricultural Analysis and Enchancment (CORAF) funded by USAID/West Africa.

IMPLEMENTING Companions: The USAID/West Africa ASSESS Enterprise, a contypeium of America Division of Agriculture and Overseas Agriculture Providers (USDA/FAS); College Of Rhode Island (URI) and Kwame Nkrumah College of Science & Know-how (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana

COORDINATING Center: KNUST, Ghana

INTRODUCTION:

USAID/West Africa (WA) and the West and Central Africa Council for Agricultural Analysis and Enchancment (CORAF) signed a 5-yr (2017-2022) Coopperiodtive Settlement To current assist for a program entitled the Partnership for Agricultural Analysis, Education and Enchancment (PAIRED). USAID West Africa and CORAF Want to conduct a pertypeance evaluation of the PAIRED program, which finishs in June 2022, to meaassembleive the successes from this companionship, Research its challenges and spaces for enhancement and draw classes To inform future programming Of every companion group. The proposed pertypeance evaluation will particularally Think about The two technical elements of This method: Factors 2 And three and complement the evaluation of Factor 1 To current a full consider of the pertypeance of the PAIRED program. Focused spaces for this evaluation embrace PAIRED actions in key places throughout nations Inside the area. Precedence considperiodtion (evaluation and documentation of end outcomes) Ought to be given to PAIRED’s work Inside the Feed The Prolonged time period (FtF) focus nations: Benin, Ghana, Senegal, Mali, Niger and Nigeria.

Objective AND SCOPE Of labor:

This evaluation will assess the pertypeance of the PAIRED Technical Program Factors 2 And three, To Search out out if deliberate actions are Ensuing in the achievement of exercise goals and anticipated outcomes. Evaluation findings Shall be Utilized by CORAF and USAID to validate progress So far in constructing the performance of key areaal stakeholders, scaling entry to confirmed agricultural enter utilized sciences and good agricultural practices, figuring out the sustaincapability of accomplishments So far, and serving as a studying system on the successes, weaknesses and gaps of This method. Furtherextra, evaluation findings Shall be used To inform new exercise descriptions for future packages in assist of key strategic paperwork: i.e newly adopted ECOWAS (Financial Group of West Africa States) Regional Constructed-in Technique for Inputs; the ECOWAS Agriculture Program (ECOWAP); and the USAID Regional Plan for Worldwide Meals Safety Technique for West Africa (GFSS).

EVALUATION QUESTIONS:

1. How worthwhile hAs a Outcome of the PAIRED exercise been, in meeting its deliberate goals? a. If sure exercise elements Have not been worthwhile, please Clarify why (in spaces of This method’s assumptions, programmatic implementation, gfinisher/youth integration into the seed or fertilizer sector, private sector companionship, staffing, and so on.). b. Which spaces of pertypeance require CORAF and USAID’s remedial considperiodtion?
2. What recommfinishations are there for strengthening, enhancing and constructing upon (scale-up) program successes of PAIRED’s elements and sub-actions submit-2022? What’s the vicapability of the strategy PAIRED has taken to scale up agriculture utilized sciences and To assemble current and/or meet agri-enterprise corporations and farmer demand for enhanced seeds?
3. Is CORAF/PAIRED’s management in strengthening the seed system and advancing the ECOWAS Seed Legal guidelines Thought-about efficient (or integral to scaling-up seed enter success) by their counterparts Similar to a Outcome of the Worldwide Agriculture Analysis Facilities, and NARIs, or fullly differents? a. Are the institutional constructings/relationships now in place, For event, within companionship institutions Similar to a Outcome of the NARIs, or are they being developed to sustaInside the relationships and investments That are being made by PAIRED?
4. Have CORAF and ECOWAS achieved success in advancing the ECOWAS Seed Legal guidelines with USAID assist? If not, please describe and justify what is left to do and what Might be Regarded as success. What are the implications of donors not funding this regulation beneath future packages?
5. HAs a Outcome of the CORAF management used the PAIRED exercise to forge deeper private-sector work togetherment Inside the agricultural enters system, particularly seeds? How hAs a Outcome of the private sector fulfilled the roles anticipated of it Inside the areaal seed sector? For event, describe the vicapability of the private sector and The biggest method It is advancing The event, promotion and sale of licensed and basis seed. a. What vulnertalents/weaknesses/gaps nonetheless exist Contained in the private sector and what Might be carried out To deal with them?
6. To what extent has PAIRED and IFDC/EnGRAIS collaboration been efficient in addressing agriculture utilized sciences scale up and availcapability of extreme quality enters? What’s The worth addition of CORAF/PAIRED On this collaboration? Include an evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of this collaboration As properly as to recommfinishations, if any, on The biggest Method To reintypeationrce this companionship.
7. How environment nice and sustainable are the mannequins and methods developed and/or primarytained by CORAF with the assist of PAIRED (i.e WASIX, FeSERWAM, MITA, and so on.)? What are the strengths (usefulness, utilization) and weaknesses Of every system/system?

DELIVERABLES:

1. Inception Report The inception report should describe the conceptual framework that Shall be used to beneathtake the evaluation and the justification For choosing this strategy. It should element the evaluation methodology (i.e., how every question Shall be answered By Technique of intypeation assortment strategies, knowledge sources and sampling). The report should additionally include A bit plan, which signifies the phases Inside the evaluation with key shipables and milestones and timelines.
2. Preliminary Debriefing Meeting Inside three working days of ending The sector work, the Evaluation Group should meet the contractor to consider findings And proposals, and current draft PowerPoints for the debriefing with USAID/WA, CORAF and the areaal stakeholders. This meeting should current a abstract of any analytical end outcomes; converse about challenges, successes and the method forward. The Group should current the evaluation findings, conclusions, And proposals for every question, Earlier to finalizing the draft evaluation report. The evaluation team chief Shall be required to routinely replace the evaluation level of contact on the progress of the task. There Also Must be A minimal of two video conferences By way of the evaluation interval. They will serve to replace the contracting team, to troubleshoot And Make assembleive the evaluation team is on The biggest path and enassembleive thOn the anticipated end outcomes are clear to the Evaluation Group.
3. Final Debriefing The team will current The primary findings of the evaluation in a PowerPoint currentation after submission of the draft report. The debriefing will embrace a dialogue of achievements and factors As properly as to any recommfinishations the team has for considperiodtion for future programming. The team will consider suggestions from the contracting companions and revise the draft report accordingly, as relevant. The team should current The important factor findings, conclusions And proposals.
4. Learning Workshop and Report A studying workshop Want to be organized in assist of Agency collaboration studying and adaptation methodologies. The primary goal of the workshop is to genperiodte various and numerous studying factors collectively with useful and actionable ideas or proposals for addressing recurrent development challenges (based mostly on The exact exercise evaluation) Inside the West African context with The prime goal being To reintypeationrce achievement of USAID goals.
5. Final Evaluation Report The Evaluation Group should submit a final evaluation report That is based mostly on analyzed particulars and proof and absolutely addresses All of the evaluation questions. This will Take into considperiodtion all suggestions And proposals made on the draft report. The report Want to be 40-50 Websites (excluding desk of contents, references and annexes), written in English, single-spaced in Gill Sans MT, measurement 11 type fonts, and a 3–5 Website Authorities Summary; it should Adjust to the Guidelines for Assessing USAID Evaluation Reviews.

PERIOD OF Efficiency:

The evaluation Is predicted to be carried out between February and April 2022.

Circumstances OF REMUNERATION AND REIMBURSEMENT OF Specialists:

The evaluation team Shall be remunperiodted at an agreed fixed worth per day.

PLACE OF Efficiency:

The place of pertypeance embraces Benin, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, and Senegal. The extent of journey Shall be decided by the evaluation design and knowledge wants as agreed upon by the contracting companions. The pertypeance evaluation Is predicted to take roughly 10 weeks Starting from February 2022.

ROLES AND RELATIONSHIPS:

The consultants Shall be contracted beneath the USAID/WA ASSESS mechanism. ASSESS Shall be Responsible for The executive and technical administration of their respective contracts. This will embrace monitoring of LOE and funds. This will embrace approval of the consultants’ work plan, assigning duties Contained in the scope of the contract, considering technical outputs, and offering suggestions.

EVALUATION TEAM COMPOSITION AND Skills:

USAID/WA has commissioned the Analytical Support Providers and Evaluations for Sustainable Systems (ASSESS) mechanism to conduct a Pertypeance Evaluation of the PAIRED program. To this finish, ASSESS is looking for to recruit experts to type the team to conduct this evaluation. It Is predicted That evaluation team members Might have related prior expertise in West Africa, have substantial expertise with agriculture and food security in West Africa, be proficient in each English and French, have familiarity with USAID’s goals, strategyes, and opperiodtions, and prior evaluation/evaluation expertise. As properly as, team members Must have the technical qualifications commensurate with the place sought

Agriculture Analysis and Technologies Upscaling Professional Minimum Qualifications:

• A minimal of a grasp’s diploma in a related self-discipline (Agriculture, Agrienterprise, Agric Financials, Agronomy, and so on.), and 10 yrs of expertise Inside the agricultural research and utilized sciences upscaling in West Africa.

• At least 10 yrs’ expertise in program evaluation of donor funded development packages; priority Shall be given to People Who’ve considerd packages Of comparable nature.

• Knowledge and beneathstanding of The important factor institutions and groups (areaal and international, Private and non-private) involved in agriculture utilized sciences scaling up and seed sector development.

• Demonstrated intypeation of and expertise in agriculture in West African nations, with a choice for expertise with areaal dynamics and a intypeation Of The current context.

• Demonstrated strong management, analytical, administration and groupal, communication and interprivate expertise.

• Proven capability to work together worthwhilely with a broad differ of inner and exterior companions, collectively with international groups, government officers, and NGO counterparts.

• Experience with USAID evaluation tasks in West Africa and have demonstrated talents in utilized agricultural evaluation. • Fantastic analytical expertise with The power to extract and analyze knowledge from secondary sources.

• Fantastic writing expertise with The power to current ideas logically.

• Strong verbal and written communication expertise in French and English are required. Fluency in English And native languages spoken in any of the six nations (Benin, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, and Senegal) Is very most properly-appreciated

• Fully vaccinated (as required by evaluation nation) and out there for The complete evaluation interval collectively with touring to evaluation nations for knowledge assortment Agriculture Inputs Sector Enchancment Professional Minimum Qualifications

TASKS AND Duties:

The evaluation team Shall be required to conduct fieldwork in chosen nations. Fieldwork actions will embrace interviewing stakeholders, key institutions, and groups Inside This method evaluation nations, analyzing knowledge, and deciphering similar for an evaluation report

ANNEX 1: PROJECT BACKGROUND
The PAIRED program’s primary purpose is to beneathtake systemic retypes Which will enhance the effectivity, efficientness, and professionalism of CORAF. This Shall be carried out To maneuver the group in the direction of turning Proper into a quantity one instrument for the areaal coordination of agricultural research, and To place it on a path to monetary stcapability and sustaincapability. The retypes will End in making the group strong and resilient with A mannequin new strategic orientation In a place to offering a extreme-extreme quality, demand-led, core services package deal. This program derived its legitimacy and urgency from three interconnected realities. First, CORAF needed To assemble its groupal performance to ship extra environment nicely and worthwhilely on its imaginative and prescient, with strong opperiodtional and implementation methods. Secondly CORAF Must extra worthwhilely work together rising actors (e.g., private sector and Agricultural Analysis for Enchancment (AR&D) basiss) and facilitate, allow and encourage Private and non-private investments in particular worth chains. Finally, This method seeks To Enassembleive a lot needed adoption of enhanced agricultural utilized sciences and practices by smallholder farmers, CORAF Must innovatively work with governmental and non-governmental companions to assist and advocate for mechanisms Which will persuade the private sector To place in place methods that enassembleive sustained availcapability, shipy, and adoption of enhanced seed, fertilizers and fullly different agri-enters.
The PAIRED program consists of three mutually reintypeationrcing elements that current CORAF with monetary, technical and human useful assets to execute its core mandate. They embrace Factor 1: Strengthening CORAF’s Institutional Capacity, Factor 2: Revolutionary scaling framework for Agri-enter Technologies and Improvements established in West Africa, and Factor 3: Use of extreme quality agri-enters in West Africa elevated.
Factor 1: Strengthening CORAF’s Institutional Capacity – CORAF has developed a Transition Technique Which will lay The inspiration for creating The subsequent period of priorities and packages over The subsequent 5 yrs. The Transition Technique will Think about three priority spaces. The primary space is “Strategic Planning and Orientation/Governance” Which may current CORAF with its 2nd Strategic Plan And threerd Opperiodtion Plan. The second space is “Financial Sustaincapability ” Which will current CORAF with devices and performance For modern and succesful monetary administration. The third space is “Organizational Construction and Efficiency,” Which may current CORAF with An economical staffing and networking structure and sound working procedures.

Factor 2: Revolutionary scaling framework for Agri-enter Technologies and Improvements established in West Africa – Building on CORAF’s expertise in using the Constructed-in Agricultural Analysis for Enchancment (IAR4D) strategy, The goal of this component Shall be achieved through Finishing up actions in three spaces: Upscaling confirmed strategyes, mannequins and agroecology-based mostly package deals of seed, fertilizer and associated biggest practices; coordinating the efficient administration of rising productiveness risks; and strengthening the performance of stakeholders Inside the scaling of actions.

Factor 3: Use of extreme quality agri-enters in West Africa elevated – West Africa continues to face monumental challenges Inside the manufacturing, distribution, and widespread use of licensed seed, fertilizer and pesticide Inside the area. CORAF will capitalize on its convening power in strengthening and coordinating (i) Contypeium of Partners, (ii) ASIWA/West Africa Fertilizer Discussion board and (iii) COASem-CRSU/West Africa Fertilizer Committee to capitalize on a conducive covperiodge enabling environment. The actions of this component will Think about The subsequent: Enhancing Private Sector work togetherment Inside the areaal agri-enters enterprise, Facilitating the implementation of the areaal agri-enter insurance covperiodge policies and regulations, and strengthening the performance of stakeholders Inside the manufacturing and use of agri-enters.

Factors 2 And three are anticipated to ship in tandem with an more and more strengthened CORAF secretariat (Factor 1) to foster a progressively conducive covperiodge environment for technology period, dissemination and adoption throughout the area and past. That Is predicated on the CORAF concept of change whereby enhanced coordination of a strengthened Authorities Secretariat will influence assembleively on technology period, dissemination and utilization.

For the PAIRED program’s implementation plan, and in mild of The fragile institutional state of affairs that CORAF was in On the conception of This method, it was agreed that Year 1 of the award should Think about uniquely on Factor 1 To Make assembleive that CORAF absolutely fulls its strategic and opperiodtional planning course of, develops A strong useful resource mobilization plan, and beneathtakes The required steps for the group’s long-time period sustaincapability goals. Subsequent to The finalization and adoption of its new Strategic and Opperiodtional Plan, CORAF submitted in August 2018 a revised Program Description for PAIRED which led to a modification of the award and approval of The final scope for shifting forward on implementation for Factors 2 And three.