Consultant to Assessment of Climate Change Impacts on Rice Production Systems and the Potential Role of Rice as a Source for Renewable Energy

1. Background and Rationale:
Climate change is expected to have significant negative impacts upon agricultural productivity and stability.  When coupled with the need to significantly increase food production levels by at least 70% by 2050 due to increased food demands because of world population growth, agriculture is facing significant challenges.  This challenge is further compounded by the need to achieve this increase with less land per capita, smaller and less reliable water supplies, less degradation of the environment, and less drain on the resources of smallholder farmers.  As such agriculture in developing countries must undergo a significant transformation in order to meet the related challenges of food security and responding to climate change. 
In Asia rice is a staple food and provides the major source of calories and is the single largest source of employment and income for rural people.  Making rice the most important crop for food security at the household, country and world level as well as source of livelihood.  But rice production has a significant environmental footprint and is likely to be severely impacted by climate change.  Current production practices promote genetic uniformity making the crop vulnerable to pests and are wasteful of scarce and costly resources such as water and fossil fuels.  Transformation in rice production systems are required to improve household incomes and food security while reducing the negative environmental impacts of rice production, and making food production more resilient.
The System of Rice Intensification (SRI) has been acknowledged as the best current example of options available to farmers and nations to promote community-led agricultural growth, while managing soil and water resources more sustainably and even enhancing their future productive capacity.
SNV (Netherlands Development Organisation) in Vietnam is engaged in development cooperation. SNV contributes to poverty reduction and sustainable development through various programmes: Agriculture and Forest Products, Inclusive Business, Pro Poor Sustainable Tourism, Water-Sanitation, Climate Change and Renewable Energy.  SNV aims to pioneer integrated projects that provide a more effective contribution to fight against poverty and vulnerability in relation to global pressing issues.  Through an integrated ecosystem approach SNV aims to prioritize:
Adaptive and resilient livelihoods focusing on improved production practices and sustainability in a changing climate, that are market orientated through value chain development, financing mechanism and capacity building;
To support the creation of jobs, increased incomes, and access to basic goods and services for the low-income population of Vietnam, as a result of business initiatives that includes them as part of their value chains as suppliers, employees, distributors and/or consumers under the Inclusive Business approach generating a Win-Win sustainable solution ;
The development of a market in Vietnam where the development and implementation of Renewable Energy technologies are commercially driven. SNV Vietnam aims at contributing to rural development and environmental protection through the provision of cleaner and/or more efficient technologies to households and small businesses, thereby reducing the usage and wastage of biomass and other traditional fuels, and reducing GHG emissions.
SNV therefore aims to carry out this assessment of the rice sector in Viet Nam.  This assessment aims to explore the feasibility of the SRI production system as a community and business sector led initiative as well as the potential to integrate renewable energy into SRI.

2. Objectives of the assignment
Conduct a sector analysis including rice value chain for the rice sector in Viet Nam, with particular emphasis on the private and public business sector.
To assess overall climate change impacts and specific impacts on rice production in selected areas of Viet Nam.
To gather, assess and consolidate information on the SRI production system implementation in Viet Nam.
To assess the potential and added value of using rice residues as a renewable energy source.
To provide specific recommendations for integrated food and energy project development of SNV.

3. Expected Outputs and Deliverables
1. A detailed study plan, including agenda for preparation, desk and field assessment, debriefing and reporting; methodology, primary formats of tools, questionnaires and reports, procedures coordination; to be submitted to SNV by  mid July 2011.
2. A planning meeting (July), an update/debriefing meeting – (July) and results sharing meeting(s) (August)
3. A summary report that includes the following sections/information:
3.1 Rice sector analysis:
- Review of relevant government policies and strategies for rice sector development, including highlighted relevant technical and scientific issues
- Sector stakeholder map and stakeholder influence map
- Review of current rice production systems
- International and domestic rice markets
- Value chain analysis, with particular emphasis on the private and public business sector.
- Review of private sector and NGO involvement on activities in the rice sector
- Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges analysis

3.2 Rice and climate change analysis:
- Review of government programs and policies for agriculture with a focus on rice and climate change, such as the National Target Program to Respond to Climate Change (NTP-RCC); MARD Action Plan etc.
- Overview of local background, vulnerability and capacity towards climate risks
- Resource and risks map
- Analysis of climate trend/changes in temperature, rainfall, sea/river level, disasters (especially storm, floods, droughts)
- Overview how are overall impacts of these changes on:
- Livelihood and income
- Environment and watershed
- Health and nutrition
- Social and governance
- Poverty and community development
- Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges analysis
- Resources issues
- Market issues
- Technical/scientific issues

3.3 SRI experience in Viet Nam:
- Government policy and programs
- Review of SRI activities in Viet Nam
- Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges analysis for implementation of SRI
- SRI and its relation with productivity, costs variation, quality of production, and price.
- Market demand and the potential for a greener rice production
- The greener rice and its demand on the market

3.4 Rice residues and renewable energy:
- Review government policy and programs for renewable energy and agriculture with a focus on rice
- To gather, assess and consolidate information on current usage of rice residues in Vietnam.
- Opportunities Vietnam wide
- Current practises specifically in the selected areas.
- Should contain at least the usage of small/medium scale rice husk gasifiers, and medium/large scale rice husk power plants.
- Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges analysis for the usage of rice residues for RE purposes.
- The potential and added value of using rice residues as a renewable energy source.

3.5 Conclusions and recommendations on practical interventions for development.

3.6 List of references
Interviewees, agencies, documents and materials etc.

4. Consultants Role

The consultant(s) will work closely with SNV programme staff, SNV partners, and community to achieve the contract goals and expected results.

The consultant(s) shall commit to follow SNV values and working approaches, i.e. encouraging equal participation, promoting grassroots and vulnerable groups, localization, contextualization, gender equity, sustainable development.

The consultant(s) will focus their study on the most prioritized and relevant sectors and geographical areas that SNV targets.

The consultant(s) commit that all related results will be SNV property and solely under SNV management.

5. Study organization

Location:
The targeted areas include the North-South Central and Mekong delta. SNV and the consultants will define the areas for detailed field assessment after the preliminary background data is collected and desk study is completed.

Timing:
The assessment is to be undertaken and completed within 2 months from assignment commencement.

Methodology:
The study will include desk and field studies.  The consultant team will work with SNV programme staff to develop a detailed plan and consolidate methods/tools for study.  The initial phase will involve a desk study approach to gather background data and information. Upon compilation of this information, field locations/sites will be selected by the SNV and consultant teams for further in-depth review at the field level.

Reporting, debriefing, sharing:
Reports are to be submitted in English and should include case studies and photos, use neutral and moral simple language, be based on evidence and experience with clear and transparent references.
Draft reports are expected to be submitted to SNV for comments a week before formal submission date.
Consultants will lead a debriefing workshop to present key findings to SNV.

6. The consultant team profile
The consultancy team is expected to consist of:
Professionals in the field of rural economic development with experience in agriculture, agri-business, market strategy, value chain development.
Professional(s)/practitioner(s) in the field of renewable energy.

7. Application:

Proposals should be submitted by 27 June 2011 to:
   
Ms Suzanne Robertson
SNV Vietnam
6th Floor, Building B, La Thanh Hotel,
218 Doi Can, Ba Dinh, Hanoi
Email: [email protected]

Proposal should include:
1. A cover letter that includes a brief statement (no more than 3 pages) explaining the general approach, methodology, the proposed research tools (questionnaires, database, reports, etc.) and its methodology (focus groups, interviews, participatory rapid appraisal, etc.)
2. Proposed team formulation, role assignment and consultant fee
3. Up to date CVs, highlighting relevant qualifications and experience.