The key functional responsibilities of the Value Chain Consultant include: ...
The key functional responsibilities of the Value Chain Consultant include:
-
Identify underlying constraints for business transactions all along the product value chains.
-
Providing the farmers with essential information on the crop market and on desired quality, packaging and processing practices help them to choose the most appropriate and profitable crops, crop varieties, production methods, and post-harvest and processing technologies.
-
Reduce the risks of lost incomes due to the market instability, low prices, and poor quality of agro-produce.
-
Strengthen the links between the farmers and the agri-businesses and improve trust among the farmers, agri-businesses and financial institutions for sustainable production and co-operation.
Duties and Responsibilities
The duties and responsibilities of the Value Chain Consultant include but are not limited to:
-
Guide the National Value Chain Specialist in conducting value chain analysis for the most promising agriculture commodities and goods produced in different project areas.
-
Produce a Value Chain Advisory Report and a Pro-poor Value Chain Strategy, fully integrating the GAP, Climate resilient and Gender mainstreaming activities.
-
Identify the underlying constraints impinging upon business transactions all along the value chain and propose actions on how to mitigate them.
-
Identify potential suitable producer groups and other private sector players for promising value addition opportunities and markets.
-
Identify policy issues that impact the selected value chains, identify market dynamics and opportunities, and assess and map the supply and demand of services in ESAP-targeted areas.
-
Analyze the support functions that are required to make the value chain work, including both exciting and currently missing support functions and structures (e.g. infrastructure, information, related services etc.).
-
Assess the value chain flows from the producers to the end users and produce the value chain maps and value chain action plans for prominent products.
-
Advise the project agricultural extensionists and Saving and Credit Group service providers to incorporate the value chain action plan to the production plans of the project beneficiaries (farmer groups, saving and credit groups, small and medium enterprises etc.).
-
Identify the value chain technologies and practices for demonstration and produce the technical protocol for demonstrations by discussing with the project on-farm research specialists and agricultural extensionists.
-
Produce comprehensive training materials on value chain analysis, agri-business planning, Cost and Return Analysis, Agri-business contracting and contract monitoring, and Private Public Partnerships (PPP), to be applied by the National Value Chain Specialists and the Agricultural Knowledge Center (KC) Managers.
-
Guide the National Value Chain Specialist in coordination of ESAP activities with other institutions and organizations involved in the value chain development, such as Yezin Agriculture University (YAU) and private sector companies, research institutions, NGOs, rural finance institutions, to facilitate the effective provision of services to the farmers and other value chain participants.
-
Produce a capacity development plan for the supported value chains.
-
Produce value chain advisory reports, and review and edit the value chain study report prepared by the National Value Chain Specialist.
-
Conduct other duties assigned by the Project Director as required.
Scope and Consultancy Start-up Procedures
The value chain activities cover eight town ships and two states: Hopong, Sisieng, Kyauktalonegyi, Taunggyi townships of southern Shan state, and Pha-an, Hlaing Bwe, Kawkareik, Thandaunggyi in Kayin State. The consultant will also collaborate with Irrigation and Water Utilization Management Department (IWUMD) Investigation Branch, Department of Agriculture (DOA), Department of Agricultural Research (DAR), Department of Rural Development (DRD), and Department of Agricultural Land Management and Statistic (DALMS). In the beginning of the consultancy, the Consultant will:
-
Produce Inception Report for the assignment in the first week of assignment after consultations with the National Value Chain specialist and the project management.
-
Collect secondary data and information (DOA, DAR, Universities, NGOs), and review the reports of the National Value Chain Specialist.
-
Consult and cooperate with Project extensionists, Saving and Credit Group Service providers, and On-farm research specialists.
-
Consult with the Government departments and related Projects and NGOs in the same fields.
-
Visit to the key market destinations and agri-business companies.
-
Organize a value chain workshop to review to discuss and confirm the findings.
Knowledge Management
The Consultant shall:
-
Interact actively with other Project personnel and groups to share case studies, lessons learned and best practices.
-
Provide feedback to Practice Leads on policy, supporting continuous improvements of UNOPS policies
-
Complete lessons learned as per reporting format
-
Incorporate lessons learned from others as per planning format
Core Values and Principles:
-
Understand and respect UNOPS sustainability principles
-
Look for ways to embed UNOPS sustainability principles.
-
Seek opportunities to champion gender equality at the workplace.
-
Understand and Respect National ownership and capacity
-
Understand the principles of the Paris Declaration on aid effectiveness and mainstream them into the project plans
-
Look for ways to build capacity of local counterparts
Partnerships and Coordination
-
Understand the UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) and UNOPS, the project’s place in the UN system
-
Strive to build strong partnerships and effective coordination among relevant project actors (e.g. United Nations, governments, and non-governmental organizations or other relevant partners)
Accountability for results and the use of resources
Excellence
Expected Results
-
Inception report
-
Value chain capacity development plan including production of the training materials.
-
Value chain advisory report, Pro-poor value chain strategy.
-
Technical Protocol for demonstration of the recommended value chain activities.
-
Review and edit value chain study report produced by National Value Chain Specialist.