Background
The SNV’s three-year programme on Connecting Small Holders with Enterprises in a competitive environment in North Central Vietnam started in April 2008 till December 2011 in three provinces of Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien Hue in partnership with Ford Foundation, who co-finances the programme. The overall goal of the programme is to improve the income and employment of rural poor households who engaged in two value chains of cassava and acacia in the three mentioned provinces of the North Central.
1.1. Acacia
Quality Timber Producer Groups (QTPGs): Support the acacia small producer groups to improve the production of quality-timber-acacia (for saw-wood) and linking to the wider market.
Forest Stewardship Committee (FSC) certification promotion: Promoting FSC certification in acacia sector, with a minimum of 7,000 hectares of high potential areas for group certification in Central Vietnam identified and forest owners committed to certification.
Market linkage and Saw mills: The trading in FSC certified wood will be (increasingly) promoted and the success of increased and sustainable sales by saw mills will increase their purchase capacity for timber quality acacia from small producers. Specific interventions including market place/trade fair, market linkage forum, market linkage web-portal, etc.
Public private dialogue: SNV supports small producers & private sector to enter into the dialogues with policy makers. This enables the policy makers to be aware of issues faced by actors the chains and in turn, policies will be improved.
1.2 Cassava
Sustainable production: Promotion of sustainable cultivation practices to ensure stable income for cassava farmers through capacity strengthening of local BDS providers (specifically cassava extension services) since the availability and timely provision of good quality extension services are of importance to ensure application and replication of cassava sustainable production in the region.
Farmer group promotion: Organising small producers in groups and build capacity with the help of Local capacity builders (LCB
Public private dialogue: SNV supports small producers & private sector to enter into the dialogues with policy makers. This enables the policy makers to be aware of issues faced by actors the chains and in turn, policies will be improved.
Objectives of the assignment
The objectives of the end evaluation are:
2.1. To assess how far the programme has achieved its set objectives in acacia and cassava value chain as described in the attached result chains over the period 2009–2011
2.2. To assess the exit strategy of the progamme and to recommend on how current activities in the two value chains can be linked with other chain actors or programmes for follow-up and replication
3. Issues to be assessed
3.1. Programme results at small holders, enterprises and service market level
At impact poverty level: What is the increased net income of producers in acacia, cassava over last 3 years? And what is total number of beneficiaries (direct and indirect)?
At small holders and enterprises level: What have been changes made towards involved SMEs and households to increase their competitiveness? What are changes in the attitude and practices of producers and SMEs on sustainable production?
At service market level:
Access to training services
Access to quality management/certification
BDS market…
Access to finance: what are general current situation of small producers in having access to financial resources (commercial banks, private investment, micro credit, etc.)
(Result chains of Acacia and Cassava will be provided during contracting)
3.2. How to link with existing programmes/actors for continuance support to current value chain actors especially small producers
What are current progamme exit strategies developed? Do exit strategies help progamme clients and beneficiaries to maintain and increase their competitiveness in cassava and acacia value chains?
What are key activities that need follow up? Who can support the follow up?
What are successful models in the two value chains that can be replicated? And who can support the replication?
What are relevant programmes/partners that the programme can be linked for continuance support? And how to link the current programme to relevant programmes and/or interested actors.
Other issues
Dependency: what is the potential risk for small holders to be dependent on the current sources of income from cassava or acacia? If there is significant risk, what are possible solutions to minimize that risk for small producers?
4. 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:
4.1. Output 1- Evaluation Plan
A detailed Evaluation plan will be developed within 3 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;
Coordination with SNV team
Timeline and milestone showing the progress of consultancy work;
Reporting time;
4.2. Output 2- Evaluation Report which should cover but not limited to:
Findings on results at impact level, small holders and enterprises level and at service market level
Conclusions
Recommendations on exit strategies and linking with relevant programmes or actors
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.
4.3. 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
5. Time schedule
The assignment will be undertaken within a time span of 6 weeks (tentatively starts latest in mid October 2011), final report to be submitted by end November, 2011.
6. Qualification of consultants
The consultant team should consist of at least two members and to be led by senior team leader who should has the following qualifications:
Master degree for economics (in agriculture in an advantages); or rural development
Familiar with private sector development, value chain and market development approach
At least 10 years of experience in development project design, program evaluation
Proven experience in research skill (acquainted with qualitative and quantitative data collection methods);
Good reporting and presentation skills;
Fluency in English (writing and oral);
7. Proposal submission
Interested consultants are invited to send technical and financial proposal in English before 5.00 P.M of September 20, 2011 to:
Mr. Ton That Minh Khanh
Value Chain Advisor, North Central Project Leader
Email: [email protected] [1]