Fair Value Distribution, Sustainable Consumption in the Coffee, Fruits, Vegetable Sector in Kenya and Uganda at Solidaridad Eastern & Central Africa Expertise Centre (SECAEC)

Objective of the study

The objective of the study is to conduct research that adequately responds to the following questions on the basis of the contextual realities in the coffee and fruits and vegetable (Potato, Banana, Pineapple, Avocado, Beans and Cabbage) sectors in Kenya and Uganda and provide information to the target beneficiaries as per the indicators of project objectives and expected results specified in the project results framework.

1. What are the specific bottlenecks for farmers in accessing and sustaining equitable profits for their products and services offered in the coffee, fruits and vegetable supply chains?
2. Are there gender-specific peculiar challenges faced by women and youth?
3. Which nodes of the supply chains offer maximum return on investment for farmers?
4. What type of business model(s) are/is suitable for promotion to Coffee, fruits and vegetable farmers to adopt to take opportunities in participating and profiting from the high-level return nodes of the supply chain?
5. What is the consumption pattern for coffee, fruits and vegetables can local consumption be promoted in the selected countries?
6. Which are market access avenues available for farmers e.g. are there digital platforms through which farmers can sell their products and services?
7. What are the specific unique challenges in the markets and what are suitable solutions to overcome for the farmers to benefit?
8. What are the ongoing lobby and advocacy interventions in relation to fair value distribution and sustainable consumption and by which civil society in the coffee, fruits and vegetable sectors organizations in Kenya and Uganda?

The consultancy/consultant team will be primarily responsible for:

1. Development/design of the research tools including questionnaires for the research and checklist and tools for group interaction including FGD with target beneficiaries at National/county/ village levels.
2. Share the reseach design including process, methods, and questionnaires/checklist with the programme team, collect feedback and finalize the research study design.
3. Submit an inception report.
4. Debrief/discuss with the programme team about effectiveness of questionnaires, checklists, and other tools used in the pre‐test, collect feedback and finalize them.
5. Orient, train, and supervise the enumerators.
6. Ensure the quality of information collected from fields, cross-check with the validity of information collected and verify/revise where needed.
7. Update progress of the reseach study on a weekly basis to the M&E Officer.
8. Analyze data and prepare quality reports.
9. Give a presentation of the draft report to Solidaridad, and;
10. Submit a final report (a compiled version of the report ‐ both hard copy and electronic version in word format) to the project after incorporating the feedback and suggestions from Solidaridad.

Experts/Consultant’s Profile:

Consultancy firms/companies with verifiable research work in the coffee, fruits and vegetable sectors and who fulfill the following requirements are encouraged to express their interests.

• Relevant degree(s) in social sciences or development studies,
• Strong experience with and knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methods and sampling strategies
• Experience in business development research with expertise in business modeling / cost-benefit analysis,
• An expert with a gender background in the team
• Experience in designing and conducting studies using experimental or quasi-experimental techniques.
• Statistical analysis skills and strong proficiency with data analysis packages.
• Proven experience in conducting baseline study surveys, impact studies and evaluations, preferably in the Coffee and fruits and vegetable sectors.
• Excellent communication and written skills in English
• Demonstrated experience in analytical research in the fields of policy, industry, agriculture and environment.

How to apply:

Applications should be submitted by 20/06/2022. All applicants must meet the minimum requirements described above, those unable to meet the requirement will not be considered. Remember that Solidaridad is an equal opportunity employer. Each application package should include the following:

• A brief proposal for the study with methodology and work plan (not more than 15 pages). The financial proposal should have a budget with breakdowns of different costs involved, to the finer detail. Budget with aggregated figures will not be accepted.
• A sample/samples of previous related work.
• Updated CVs for the team leader and team members
• Contact details of 3 references with complete contact information.

Consultancy Period:

The overall time frame of the survey will be around 30 working days, which will include inception meetings, finalizing the survey methodology, training of enumerators, data collection, data analysis, report writing, and presenting findings of the survey.

The completed proposal together with a budget and work plan (inclusive of relevant taxes), 1 Hard copy in a sealed envelope (1soft copy enclosed) clearly marked and should be submitted to; procurement.eca@solidaridadnetwork.org