CFYE Consultancy – Supply Chain Expert( Bean Value Chain) at Palladium International

Project Overview And Role

The Challenge Fund for Youth Employment (CFYE) is a 6-year and €114 million programme funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that aims to create a prosperous future for 200,000 young women and men in the Middle East, North Africa, Sahel & West Africa and Horn of Africa regions. The Fund will be supporting initiatives in 23 focus countries that will offer youth, in particular young women, opportunities for work that is demand-driven and productive, offering a stable income and safe working conditions, and that is contributing to their personal development and social protection.

The private sector, civil society, and knowledge institutions will be invited to submit proposals geared to scalable solutions for creating more and better jobs and income-generating opportunities for youth. Solutions will in particular focus on an integrated approach that addresses the shortcomings on the demand side (jobs) and supply-side (skills) and bridges the mismatch between these two in the labor market.

CFYE requires in-country -supply chain consultant in Kenya to work with one of their Implementing Partners (IPs) in developing and refining their supply chain strategy. The success of this client’s business model is very dependent on their supply chain: already has an existing export market that requires a consistent supply of raw materials(French beans) to ensure continuous processing of the beans.

Primary Duties And Responsibilities

• Map the journey of the farm produce from farmers to the client’s processing hub and identify gaps in production and supply ensuring/leading to consistent supply throughout.
• Analyze the supporting functions that are required to make the (French Beans) value chain work, including both existing and missing support functions (e.g. infrastructure, information, insufficient farmer numbers, and related services).
• Provide suggestions to the client on how to strengthen the crop value chains and leading to better production realization at the farm level and an increase in the amount of product supplied to the client.
• Develop proposals on the most cost-effective intervention strategies to help the client to execute the recommended value chain supply improvement intervention activities in the production counties, which include strategies to increase production and supply of French Beans at the farm level and county processing hubs respectively.
• Support the client in the implementation of the proposed value chain supply improvement intervention strategies, including regular review of the implementation.
• Develop strategies for building up client trust and reputation.
• Assess the competitiveness of the French Beans value chain, supply, and prevailing prices and determine how to create a competitive advantage for farmers supplying the client in the context of local and national trends.

Deliverables

• Robust and practical supply chain strategy with practical implementation steps.
• Clearly define the resources required for implementation.
• Develop strategies for building up client trust and reputation.
• Advice on the positioning of the company and products/services in the market.
• Advise on backward (farm level) supply chain improvement strategy.
• Recommendations on the positioning of the company and products/services in the market.
• Final report-at least 5 pages.

Level of Effort and Reporting

• Up to 15 days over 3 months (July –September 2022).

Operational Arrangements

• The consultant will report directly to the Kenya's Country Lead and work closely with the Implementing partner’s staff.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree is required. Masters Preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree in agriculture, business, Economics, Agribusiness Management, Agricultural Economics, or any other related field with experience working in supply chain development will be preferred.
• Demonstrated experience working in value chain development and especially in Kenya’s local context, and developing supply chain strategies.
• Specific experience in Agri- supply chains in Kenya and working with farmers and farmer groups.
• Strong business acumen.
• Good innovative, interpersonal, and communication skills – an ability to communicate complex results to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral.
• Excellent planning and facilitation skills.
• Strong analytical and presentation skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.