Introduction:
Oxfam Hong Kong (OHK) has been working in development assistance in Vietnam for more than two decades, mostly focusing on improving options for livelihoods of ethnic minority, rural poor and assistance in disaster management. Trade and markets are relatively new but important strategic focus for OHK in its Vietnam since 2006. Together with Livelihood program the pro-poor markets (PPM) program actively supports and strengthens farming communities in mountainous areas to enhance more food and income security for poor and disadvantaged farmers. To do this, we equip them and our partners with skills, knowledge, appropriate technologies and opportunities to increase their incomes. By assisting them in accessing markets and services and exercising their rights, we also accelerate their ability to make positive choices for their future.
An important part of PPM’s work is to analyze the market situation of potential agricultural products and develop intervention plans for those products in OHK’s project areas in Vietnam. To date we have analysed several commodity’s value chains and will support production in a few of these. One commodity that has shown a strong potential for production and linkage to markets as well as solid positive impacts to the rural poor and ethnic people is cattle.
Previous studies and assessments found that cattle in Tuong Duong and Ky Son districts has a strong potential for increasing income and is suitable to the natural resources and to the local ethnic people. For these reasons, since 2006 in partnership with ACEP, OHK has designed and undertaken various intervention activities to support the ethnic communities in Thach Giam commune (Tuong Duong) and Huu Lap commune (Ky Son), enabling hundreds of poor ethnic households to be equipped with techniques in animal husbandry and animal health, organized into production groups and linked to diverse markets. After 4 years of project implementation, there is now a need to document this programme and to evaluate its impacts on poor ethnic minority households .
This document outlines the specific Terms of Reference for the Documentation and Impacts Analysis of Interventions in Cattle Sub-sector in Tuong Duong and Ky Son districts (hereafter called the Task), which will be done by a selected Consultant Team.
Task Objectives:
The overall objective of the Task is to assist ACEP to; 1) finalize the documentation of animal husbandry and marketing model, which will be used by OHK for advocacy and also be submitted to the district authorities for replication, and 2) to analyze the impacts of the program, both negative and positive, on the local poor ethnic farmers involved in cattle production in Thach Giam and Huu Lap communes. It is hoped that the findings and recommendations of the analysis would be the solid foundation for our future interventions in mainstreaming our good practice model into local governmental programs of 135 and 30A.
Its specific objectives include:
- To review all animal project documents, which have been developed and documented by ACEP throughout his project implementation;
- To review the CBO organization and management process, which has been developed and applied in the project areas by ACEP;
- To assess the impacts of the projects, both negative and positive, in terms of economic, social, cultural and environmental, on the local poor ethnic minority farmers. This should include a before and after analysis and will also require a comparative study of cattle farmers within the project area and those outside.
- To assess the capacity and resource constraints which may exist and reduce the effectiveness of this programme in the future.
Methodologies
The study will be a combination of desk study and field visit to Tuong Duong and Ky Son districts in Nghe An. The target group of the study is producer groups in the communes with particular emphasis given to poor ethnic minority groups, and woman-headed households.
The methodology will be developed further in collaboration with OHK before the consultancy starts. It is also expected that much of the work will be carried out in the manner of action research with the participation of ACEP and relevant local governmental agencies (particularly the animal health station) where OHK wishes to build their capacity to implement and interest in replication of this approach to market-driven agriculture support.
Consultant Team is expected to develop a draft report outline of the analysis in the Expression of Interest to be sent to PPM officer for screening and selection. It will focus on the methodology and analyses expected to be the core results of the analysis.
Before the field visit, the selected Team is required to present a detailed report outline to PPM officer for comments and revise the outline as required by PPM officer.
Task Management and Structure
The Task will be completed by a selected Consultant Team, expectedly including three (3) consultants (1 animal husbandry and health expert, 1 CBO expert, and 1 economic expert), who will frequently work with and report to PPM officer. PPM officers and OHK field office staff are available for supports to the Team when required.
A Letter of Agreement covering the Task will be signed directly between OHK and the Consultant Team. The Team will be wholly responsible for the management of any inputs and contractual arrangements with the use of any sub-consultants associated with the completion of the Task.
Task Timescales
The Task will be completed between December 2010 and March 2011. All deliverables will be submitted to PPM officer no later than 31 March 2011, except by prior written agreement with OHK.
Consultant Team is required to develop a work plan for the task in the Expression of Interest to be sent to PPM officer for screening and selection.
Deliverables
The deliverables are the final reports of the cattle which will cover findings and recommendations.
The reports includes, but not limited to, those aspects:
(i)Documentation of the model used including:
a.Selection of area, choice of beneficiaries and cattle distribution techniques
b.Documentation of animal husbandry and health techniques;
c.Process for registration of disease certified zones;
d.Documentation of CBO organization and management;
e.Market linkage techniques for CBO networks
(ii) Full and comprehensive evaluation with:
a. Analysis of economic, social, cultural and environmental impacts (before/after interventions, in/out intervened areas);
b. Gender issues regarding to access and control over the livelihood resources and market;
c. Evaluation workshop to be held in Tuong Duong/Ky Son district where results will be validated and the process discussed by all stakeholders.
Debriefing and workshop
A debriefing will be held at OHK office in Hanoi with the participation of all interested stakeholders, where the main results of the study will be presented for validation. Comments and recommendations emerging from the debriefing will be noted for incorporation into the final report.
An validation workshop will be organized in Nghe An to present findings, and recommendations to local authorities and stakeholders after the release of the final report. A revised final presentation with comments collected from the debriefing will be developed by the Team for the workshop.
Budget
Consultant team is required to develop a budget plan for the analysis in the Expression of Interest to be sent to PPM officer for screening and selection.
Application and Selection
Interested consultants may obtain further information at the address below from 9h00 to 17h30.
Expressions of Interest should be submitted to PPM officer no later than 24 December 2010 and the selection of the consultant team will be done by 31 December 2010. A Letter of Agreement between OHK and the Consultant team will be signed before 33 January 2011.
The Expression of Interest should include detailed planning of activities, detailed budget estimation, time plan, responsibility and working days of each team member, full CVs of each team member and proposed structure of final report. Consultants might be invited to discuss their Expression of Interest with the PPM officer during the selection of Consultant Team.
Contact
Mr. Pham Quang Trung
Pro-Poor Markets Program, Oxfam Hong Kong
No. 22, Le Dai Hanh Str., Hanoi
Tel: +84-4-3945.4406 - Ext: 112
Fax: +84-4-3945.4405
Mob: 0989.086.068
Email: [email protected] [1]