Consultant for Evaluation of Value Chain Development Program in Cardamom and Tea in Northwest Region

Background
The Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV) has been operating its development programmes in Vietnam since 1995. SNV provides strategic advisory services to public and private clients to catalyse innovative market based solution that drive growth and performance while generating jobs, income and improved  access to basic services for the poor.
 The three year programme on Small Holder Cash crop Value chain Development started since May 2009 till December 2012 focussing on tea and cardamom value chains in three provinces of Ha Giang, Lao Cai, Lai Chau, Northwest of Vietnam in partnership with Cordaid, who co-finances the programme. In 2009 IPADE, a newly established Spanish-based NGO agreed to join this partnership with additional fund for the implementation of the programme in a larger scale for period 2009-2010. The programme objective is to increase income and generate employment for small holder and enterprises in the Northwest region through contribution to sustainable development of specific value chains.

In the tea value chain, interventions are structured around three areas:
Market information: Building the capacity of enterprise information services. Support clients in market research
Quality Improvement: facilitate the introduction of quality standard. Promote application of quality standard to farmer groups, developing capacity of key local service provider for GAP, promotion of labelling among tea companies
Enabling Business Environment: facilitate public private partnership dialogue, contribute to policy formulation

In the cardamom value chain development SNV’s interventions are organised around 4 areas as follows:
Market development: Support clients in market linkages and studies, support the establishment and functioning of cardamom association
Productivity Improvement: supporting establishment of and cultivation techniques training for farmer interest groups
Quality Improvement: facilitate the development of post harvest and quality assurance protocols for cardamom, promote the application of the protocols to others
Enabling Business Environment: facilitate regular stakeholders discussions on cardamom sector in the provinces and formulation of favourable policy for sub-sector development

In order to gain a better insight on achievements, SNV’s approach and learning with our clients and partners for the remained months of the programme as well provide inputs for next phase of Value chain programme development SNV commissions an external evaluation for period 2009 – up to date.
Objectives of the assignment
The objectives of the evaluation are to:

1. To prove:  how far the programme has achieved its set objectives  in cardamom and tea value chain at impact, enterprises and client levels over the period 2009–2011   
2. To improve: What strategic choices and approaches are most and least successful, what factors contribute to that. How these lessons learned can be used to increase the impact of SNV’s value chain development in the remained months of the programme.
3. To prepare for next phase: assess the replication potential of the current interventions and provide recommendations for the next phase (mid 2012 to end of 2014), particularly on:
a. Scale and geographical identification with the data on cardamom and tea (and number of HHs engaged), poverty, potential anchor companies, etc
b. Choices of the interventions to be replicated;

Issues to be assessed

1. Programme results at small holders, enterprises and market level
1.1. At impact level: What is the increased net income of producers in tea and cardamom over last 3 years?
1.2. At small holders and enterprises level: What have been changes made by SMEs and HH to increase their competitiveness?
1.3. At service market level:

1.3.1. Market information development:
To what extent enterprise information service meet the demand for information of SMEs and households?
Capacity of clients in conducting market research and provision of the market information and facilitate market access for the producers/enterprises.

1.3.2. Quality improvement
What is the current capacity of local clients and actors in the introduction and implementation of quality standards for households and enterprises?
What are sustainable production practices have been introduced and adopted by relevant local actors?

1.3.3. Productivity improvement (for cardamom only)
What services and support are made available to enable small producers to increase the cardamom productivity?

1.3.4. Enabling environment
What are the current roles of SMEs/association and government in identifying opportunities and challenges faced by of tea and cardamom stakeholders and in formulating policy recommendations for sub-sector development?

2. SNV strategic approach

2.1 Effectiveness: How has SNV approach and strategy on capacity development applied to tea and cardamom value chain lead to scale of impact, outreach and sustainability goal (market development, value chain development)
2.2 Efficiency: Impact achieved compared with total investment. Learning with other stakeholders/provinces, leveraging funding from different funding partners

3     The expected outputs of the assignment
The above objective will be the ultimate result of the following major expected outputs that the Consultant will deliver:

Output 1: Evaluation Plan
A detailed Evaluation plan will be developed within 2 days after signing the consultancy contract. The plan must be clear on, amongst others:
The appropriate methodologies to conduct the evaluation;
Activities and responsibilities between members of the consultant team;
Timeline and milestone showing the progress of consultancy work;
Reporting time;

Output 2: Evaluation Report which should cover but not limited to:
The evaluators will submit the evaluation report covering the answers to a set of questions that include but are not limited to the followings:
Findings on results at impact level, small holders and enterprises level and at service market level
Finding on client (local partners, anchor companies) level
Findings on programme approach/interventions

Recommendation for the next phase
The report will be prepared in English. The draft will be finalized in accordance with the comments/feedbacks to be obtained in the validation workshop.
Output 3: Presentation in a workshop to validate the assessment
A presentation (in English) of the Evaluation Report will be presented in the validation workshop in the province, tentatively in Lao Cai.

4. Time schedule
The assignment will be undertaken within a time span of 6 weeks (tentatively starts latest in early October 2011), final report to be submitted by mid November, 2011.

5. Qualification of consultants
The consultant team will consist of at least two members and to be led by senior team leader who has the following qualifications:
University degree for economics (in agriculture in an advantages); or rural development
Familiar with private sector development, value chain and market development approach in Vietnam and internationally
Proven experience in development project/program evaluation/assessment
Proven experience in research skill (acquainted with qualitative and quantitative data collection methods);
Good reporting and presentation skills;
Fluently in English (writing and orally);
Proposal Submission
Interested consultants are invited to send technical and financial proposal to
Ms. Pham Thi Thuy Chi,
Value Chain Development, Northwest Program Leader
Email: [email protected]

By September 22, 2011