Background and context



REQUEST FOR PROPOSALRFP/RN01078/KENYA/2020ANALYSIS AND DESIGN OF A COMPREHENSIVE KENYA SEED SECTOR INVESTMENT STRATEGY AND OPERATIONAL PLANCLIENT: ALLIANCE FOR GREEN REVOLUTION IN AFRICA (AGRA)Issue Date: 17th December 2020AGRA reserves the right to determine the structure of the process, number of short-listed participants, the right to withdraw from the proposal process, the right to change this timetable at any time without notice and reserves the right to withdraw this tender at any time, without prior notice and without liability to compensate and/or reimburse any party.Synopsis of the Request for Proposal (Firm)Solicitation Reference No.RFP/RN01078/KENYA/2020Title of SolicitationAnalysis and Design of a Comprehensive Kenya Seed Sector Investment Strategy and Operational PlanIssuing Office & AddressAlliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) Website: Point of contact for clarifications, questions and amendmentsAGRA General Procurement, Procurement@ Email Address for submission of Proposals/ Quotes AGRA General Procurement,Procurement@ Solicitation Issue Date17th December 2020Deadline for submission questions and clarifications5th January 2021, 1700 hours, East African Time GMT +3.Deadline for Answering questions and clarifications7th January 2021, 1700 hours, East African Time GMT +3.Initial Deadline for Submission of Proposals12th January 2021, 1700 hours, East African Time GMT +3.Please include the subject line “RFP/RN01078/KENYA/2020” in the emailAnticipated Award TypeCONSULTANCY AGREEMENTEvaluation CriteriaBidder Must provide the below listed information:Company profileStatutory documents including trading license or certificate of incorporation TAX clearance certificatesEvaluation CriteriaOrganizational Capacity [10%]Experience in carrying out similar assignments [30%]Proposed methodology and approach criteria [30%]Experience and Qualification of key personnel [30%]Total weight: 100%Weighted scoring: Technical proposal weight: 80% and Financial proposal weight: 20%TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR ANALYSIS AND DESIGN OF A COMPREHENSIVE KENYA SEED SECTOR INVESTMENT STRATEGY AND OPERATIONAL PLANBackground and context Established in 2006, the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), is an African-led, African-based organization that seeks to catalyze an agriculture transformation in Africa. AGRA is dedicated to changing the reality of agriculture in Africa, from a solitary struggle to survive, to a collective and inclusive business that thrives. In its strategic 11 countries, AGRA aims at catalyzing and sustaining an inclusive agricultural transformation to increase incomes and improve food security for 20 million farming households. The foregoing increase would result from strategic country support and government engagement coupled with a set of targeted catalytic downstream and systemic investments made through its alliance of partners. To implement this, AGRA developed a 5 Year Strategy [2017-2021] that is under implementation and operationalized through her decentralized country portfolios. Under this strategy, AGRA developed detailed Country Operational Plans that are anchored in National Agriculture Investment Plans (NAIPs). In Kenya, AGRA is working with the Government through the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives to implement national agenda, the food security policy and the agriculture sector strategy. Seed sector development gains attention when seed security and food security are related with agricultural economic development. The Government of Kenya has developed the Agricultural Sector Transformation Growth Strategy (ASTGS) 2019-2029, which provides a road map for transforming the agriculture sector with aim to deliver 100% food and nutrition security, and ensure food affordability. The ASTGS has nine flagships that focus on increasing small-scale farmer incomes, increasing agricultural outputs and value add and boosting household food resilience. Flagship 1 targets to reach 1.4million farmers, pastoralists and fisher folk in an initial 40 zones; flagship 2 aims to shift nationwide subsidies focus to serve 1.4mn high needs farming households and empower them to access a range of inputs from multiple providers, while flagship 6 aims to boost food resilience of 1.3million farmers, pastoralists and fisher folk have a bearing on the need to enhance seed production in the country. As seed is critical agricultural input to the realization of an agriculture transformation in Kenya, it is important that adequate and affordable quality seed for all commodity value chains identified in the ASGTS becomes a central part of planning and implementation. This calls for a more comprehensive, deliberate and different approach to investments and seed systems strengthening at country level.Kenya has a relatively well-developed seed sector within sub-Saharan Africa, 85-90 % of certified crop seed sold is from local production. For its main staple crop maize, approximately 75% of the land planted with maize is planted with certified seed. For most of the other crops close to 80% of the seed is provided by informal systems due to unavailability of certified seed. Additionally, Kenya is an active player in the international standard setting process for seeds and provides a predictable and conducive environment for investments. Among this, is membership to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) seed schemes, an International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) accreditation, and COMESA Seed Harmonized Implementation Plan (COMSHIP) gazettement. As a result of the increasing global interest in agriculture, in a context of rising food prices and concerns about food security and climate change adaptation, seed sector development in Kenya has regained the attention of governments, donor communities, civil society, and other stakeholders. Development partners play a crucial role in funding the seed sector in Kenya from a variety of sources, each of which have targeted geographic, crop, and market actor focuses. The private sector is looking out at the sectoral growth rates and being conservative in their planning of production, marketing, and sales efforts. They are also watching the structural demand disruptors, such as subsidy programs, demographic transitions to a majority urban population that shifts food consumption, or chronic pests/diseases threats such as the maize lethal necrosis (MLN) and fall armyworm that changes the areas where seed can be reliably produced. The erratic and changing weather patterns due to climate change have also negatively affected seed production and by extension food production- requiring more resilient crop varieties. As a result of this interest, several comprehensive and recent assessments of the seed system in Kenya have been carried out by various actors including the African Seed Access Index (TASAI), the Africa Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), Africa Lead, AgriExperience and USAID. These studies focused on six areas of the seed system: Breeding and Variety Release, Early Generation Seed (EGS) Supply, Certified Seed Production, Awareness of Seed by farmers, Marketing and Distribution, regulatory environment and certification. Further in 2019, Africa Lead steered a national dialogue that pinpointed and identified the development of a national seed master plan and harmonization of variety release protocol as important actions to improve seed sector development and trade in Kenya. The proposed National Seed Master Plan aims at providing a road map for the seed sector development.While these studies have been comprehensive, the recommendations provided are not systematic with a framework on what needs to be done and level of investment currently available for each area of focus and the existing gaps. In addition to this, the studies fail to identify, rank and prioritize the systemic issues as would require the most investment to unlock and transform the seed system. An analysis of the sector through these studies and lessons from the field will eliminate isolated and opportunistic seed proposals and will develop holistic seed system investment plan and proposal. Overall, while the sector in Kenya is maturing, there are some areas that continue to constrain private sector investment including, a long variety release and registration process, inadequate supply of quality early generation seed (EGS) especially for non-maize crops, seed quality (counterfeit seeds), inefficient government institutional arrangements and slow domestication and implementation of regional harmonized guidelines and standards.The seed sector in Kenya should progressively be benchmarked against countries in Africa and beyond that have strong and stable seed systems, such as South Africa, for instance, where breeding and variety release is mostly driven by the private sector. As the seed system in Kenya matures, the policy and regulatory environment needs to be self-regulated by the industry or private sector seed players. Moreover, there is need for the strong agro-dealer networks distribution system with some specialized distribution outlets. It is therefore timely to conduct an economic and investment analysis of Kenya’s seed sector and a critical assessment of the level of investment required in each area to drive the desired change. Moreover, scenario planning will be critical on the identified strategic areas of investment. There is need to track the progress that has been made on the different thematic areas, areas that have been neglected including indicators to assess progress in the different areas. Overall, this analysis and strategy will improve seed security and subsequently productivity, incomes of smallholder farmers and, enhanced food security. The focus areas in the strategy and investment plan should attract investment by government, donors and private sector. The vision is to develop a seed system that serves the farmers adequately and can attract both local and international seed agribusiness investors (Local production & export/import). It is against this background that the Ministry of Agriculture seeks to develop a seed sector Strategy and Investment plan through the services of a team of consultants. The consultants will conduct a detailed economic and investment analysis and subsequently develop an investment strategy, describing priority investments for important aspects of the sector, implementation strategy and how this will translate to overall improvement of the sector – including how to measure and quantify the results. The design phase of the program will be led by the Ministry of Agriculture with support from AGRA. MoALF&C has already prepared a first concept and hosted a design workshop, which brought together different stakeholders. Objective The overall objective of this consultancy is to support the Ministry of Agriculture as it leads stakeholders in a technically grounded, consultative and participatory planning process, to include extensive consultations with public sector partners and the private sector in reviewing the seed sector and its priority investments. The Investment plan will provide guidance on how to summarize the elements of the intervention, including key activities, stakeholder involvement, measurement and evaluation (M&E), and seed system-specific risk factors and further outline governance, funding sources, and relationships to both the public and private sector. The substantive outcome will be a seed sector strategic plan for the period 2021-2031 encompassing various aspects of the Kenya seed system including, research, commercially sustainable seed production, regulation, distribution and marketing. The scope should address seed sufficiency from local production but also factor in plans for importation of strategic crop and seed types, which will require streamlining and aligning some of the current seed import procedure to facilitate this. The Seed Sector Strategy/ Roadmap and Investment Plan should lay out strategy and incentives for targeting business investments in key areas along the seed value chain, including institutional arrangements, specific activities, proposed programs, timelines, targets and a detailed costing. The consultants should also provide a communication and monitoring plan.Methodology In addition to the desk reviews, the consulting team will propose an elaborate methodology (process & techniques) for executing this assignment, including sourcing data, data analysis and stakeholder engagement process, which will be agreed upon by AGRA and the Ministry of Agriculture. The consultants will apply a participatory methodology for analysis and strategy development while involving key and strategic actors in the process for the Ministry and AGRA’s approval. The applied methodology will seek participation and buy-in from strategic partners, including but not limited to key government officials, Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Services (KEPHIS), the Seed Trade Association of Kenya, public universities, Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), County agricultural officers, and the private sector. It is expected that strategic consultations will happen at project inception but also during key nodes of the assignment and also at validation stage of the outcomes. While physical roundtable meetings might not be possible in all instances, stakeholder engagements may take the form of one on one meetings with MoA and key stakeholders, virtual meetings or sharing documents for review and feedback. Scope of WorkThe scope of work for the Consulting team will include but not be limited to:A review of existing recent studies for the Kenya Seed System; with comparisons of what has worked, and has not worked, current gaps in seed supply in Kenya, with potential solutions.Review of progress in implementation of policies, including impact of the seed import procedures on seed sufficiencyReview the institutional capacity, organizational set-up, financial and administrative systems and the identified strategic objectives and key result areas; and make recommendationsProvide the connection of this Seed Strategy to the ASTGS and the Counties Seed Strategies (county seed strategies may be developed in line with the national seed strategy).Detail the total cost of each program and sub‐program and compare these to planned expenditure by the Government and its Development Partners Develop a table of possible private sector investments accompanied by an explanation of how private and government expenditure will complement each other. It should be noted that only those private sector investments that contribute directly to activities outlined in the strategy are included in the Investment Plan. Provide a description of “investment gap, outlining the effects of the expenditure gap – namely which outcomes will remain unrealized due to investment shortfallsPropose a strategy for achieving the strategic objectives and key results including a Results and Resources Framework for the plan period; Hold stakeholder meeting(s) to validate the draft investment, strategic and operational planPrepare and submit report on policy options and feedback from consultations.Deliverables and timelines The Consultants are expected to submit the following outputsParticipate in a kick-off meeting with the AGRA team as soon as possible after contract signingDeliver an inception Report within two weeks of signing of the contract with an clear methodology and approach, including timings and any initial observations or issues that will affect implementation;Deliver and present draft and preliminary investment plan within six weeks of contract signing. Chapters should be delivered successively, as they are completed. AGRA and MoALF&C commit to providing feedback on each draft chapter within 10 days of delivery. These chapters should include sources of data analyzed. Deliver a draft Strategy and operational Plan within 12 weeks of contract signing. In addition, at this second drafting stage, the chapters must be delivered successively, as they are completed. AGRA and MoALF&C commit to providing feedback within 10 days of delivery of each chapter. Deliver revised and completed Strategy and Investment Plan within 18 weeks of contract signing Proceedings/ report from validation meetings and consultations with key stakeholders on the seed sector investment plan, and integration of the key outcomes and feedback into the final document. Presentation of completed Seed Sector Investment Strategy and Investment Plan at event hosted by AGRA and MoALF&C. Duration of the assignment The assignment is expected to take 21 weeks including desk review, institutional assessments, technical visits, and stakeholder engagements and reporting. The timeframe for the delivery of the scope of work outlined below will be dependent on the covid-19 situation and could be subject to modification in line with necessary safety precautions and possible delays.Criteria for Selection of Consultants The Proposal for this contract will be evaluated according to the following criteria: Organizational Capacity [10%]Experience in carrying out similar assignments [30%]Proposed methodology and approach criteria [30%]Experience and Qualification of key personnel [30%]Total weight: 100%The consultants will be locally (Kenyan) sourced.Qualifications:Academic background in Agriculture, Seed Science, in addition, Economic Development, Policy Development, Strategic Management, Investment Planning or equivalent.Strong competencies on economic/ investment analysis and scenario modelling.Long standing experience and technical background of seed systems at national and regional level on several aspects including seed strategies, regulation, research, production, marketing and distribution; experience at the global level will be an added advantage. Good understanding of the policy and regulatory opportunities and challenges in Kenya’s seed subsectorExperience in policy and trade facilitation, strategy development and implementation, regional integration and value chain development, including working with regional economic communities, national governments, associations, programs and consultations with senior government officials. Good knowledge on seed institutional development/framework with a strong system thinking skills.Very strong interpersonal skills and ability to effectively engage various levels of stakeholders including government and private sector. Strong synthesis, system, analytical and strategic thinking skillsExcellent written and verbal communication skills in English.Contract administration and reporting arrangementsThe Consultants will report to AGRA’s Head of Policy and Advocacy and work closely with the Kenya’s Country Manager and Program Officer managing seed systems initiatives. The reports will be reviewed by the Ministry for approval, which shall also coordinate the stakeholder engagements. Proposal Submission Interested and qualified firms are invited to submit their proposal (s) comprising of the following: Technical ProposalMethodology and work-plan for performing the task Team composition and tasks assignment Detailed reference list indicating the scope and magnitude of similar assignments Relevant services undertaken in the past three (3) years Registration and other relevant statutory documents, including DUNS number registration information if applicable Detailed budget Description of the pay schedule for the review Past performance summaries (at least three brief descriptions of past or current contracting mechanisms for assignments similar in size, scope and complexity to this tender) and list of references that demonstrate performance in conducting similar evaluations CVs conforming to the qualifications listed above for persons to manage and conduct the evaluation. Only CVs strictly relevant to the assignment shall be accepted. Financial ProposalA breakdown of the financial proposal in USD indicating daily rate for each of the proposed experts, time input and all applicable reimbursable expenses (international and/or local transport, accommodation as applicable);All applicable taxes (VAT and withholding taxes) should be quoted separately;If the financial proposal is silent on taxes, AGRA shall assume that these are inclusive; Other costs, e.g. accommodation, travel, support staff, printing and other incidental costs will be reimbursed based on the actual costs incurred.Use the template provided under annex 1 for the financial proposalGUIDELINES FOR PREPARATIONS AND SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALSQuestions and/or clarifications may be submitted to procurement@. The proposals SHALL be submitted to procurement@ by deadline indicated in the synopsisThe proposal and ALL Attachments submitted via email SHALL NOT exceed 10MBVALIDITY of the proposal shall be for a period of 90 days from the date of bid closure.Financial proposal shall be sent as a separate attachment and MUST be password protected. The password shall be requested from companies meeting the minimum technical score of 75%ANNEX B: FINANCIAL PROPOSAL FORM FPF-2 SUMMARY OF COSTSItemCost{Insert Foreign Currency # 1}USD value Total costCost of the Financial Proposal, including(1) Remuneration (2) [Reimbursables]Total Cost of the Financial Proposal:Indirect Local Tax Estimates – to be discussed and finalized at the negotiations if the Contract is awarded{insert type of tax. e.g., VAT or sales tax}{e.g., income tax on non-resident experts} {insert type of tax} Total Estimate for Indirect Local Tax:Note: Payments will be made in USDANNEX B: FINANCIAL PROPOSAL FORM FPF-3 BREAKDOWN OF REMUNERATION When used for Lump-Sum contract assignment, information to be provided in this Form shall only be used to demonstrate the basis for the calculation of the Contract’s amount; to calculate applicable taxes at contract negotiations; and, if needed, to establish payments to the Consultant for possible additional services requested by the AGRA. This Form shall not be used as a basis for payments under Lump-Sum contracts A. Remuneration No.NamePositionPerson-month Remuneration RateTime Input in Man-days{Currency) USD Total USD costKey ExpertsK-1[Home][Field]K-2Non-Key Experts N-1[Home]N-2[Field]Total CostsANNEX B: FINANCIAL PROPOSAL FORM FPF-4 BREAKDOWN OF [REIMBURSABLE EXPENSES]When used for Lump-Sum contract assignment, information to be provided in this Form shall only be used to demonstrate the basis for calculation of the Contract amount, to calculate applicable taxes at contract negotiations and, if needed, to establish payments to the Consultant for possible additional services N°Type of [Reimbursable Expenses]UnitUnit CostQuantity{Currency}Total value in USD{e.g., Per diem allowances**}{Day}{e.g., International flights}{Ticket}{e.g., In/out airport transportation} {Trip}{e.g., Communication costs between Insert place and Insert place}{ e.g., reproduction of reports}{e.g consumables....................................Total Costs ................
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