Development of the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) Strategy 2023 – 2027

1. Background

The African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) is a not-for-profit organisation that facilitates public/private partnerships to promote food security and enhance livelihoods of smallholder farmers in Africa South of the Sahara. AATF works with African governments, private and public technology owners and developers, seed companies, other value chain players and African farmers to identify, access and commercialize technologies that address farmers’ key problems and empower them to generate wealth and health for their families and communities.

Established in 2003, AATF has undergone tremendous transition, culminating into growth, in terms of number of projects and activities and staffing levels. The current Strategy (2018-2022) has run its course and a new Strategic Plan is due for next year. The operating environment for AATF and partners has also changed necessitating for a review and rethinking of the organization’s approaches and strategic directions towards the attainment of the overall goal of ensuring food security and improving livelihoods in Sub-Saharan Africa. This new Strategy is to ensure that AATF maintains its relevance and effectiveness in this competitive environment to ensure complementarity with other players that share same goals and objectives.

2. Purpose of the Assignment

AATF is seeking the services of a consultant(s) to assist the Board and Management to conduct background assessments and facilitate the development of a renewed AATF Strategy for 2023 – 2027. The consultant/s is/are expected to undertake a consultative and participatory process that will yield a corporate strategy to re-energize the organization, leverage on its tangible and non-tangible assets, and aid in the realization of its Mission in view of the changing environment in which the organization is operating. AATF seeks to pursue a trajectory of increased deployment and commercialization of diversified agricultural technologies, grow the number of beneficiaries, and improve the enabling environment in line with its Mission, Vision and Core Values. The consultant(s) will be expected to engage various stakeholders, synthesize information gathered and that already available, and lead the process towards the development of the Strategy and Implementation Plan for the period of January 2023 to December 2027.

3. Objectives

The consultant(s) will be expected to:

Carry out a comprehensive analysis, and audit of the current corporate Strategy including Theory of Change based on the Vision and Mandate of AATF.
Assess and analyse AATF’s internal and external environment including but not limited to the Political, Economic, Social, Technological and Legal issues facing AATF.
Conduct a SWOT analysis and synthesize its outcomes.
Plan and consult with Management and staff, Board members, funders, farmer associations and other key stakeholders to prioritize strategic directions.
Recommend appropriate results metrics to best align with identified strategic priorities.
Draft and finalize AATF’s Organizational Strategy.
Draft a Business Plan.
Prepare the final Strategy Document and Business Plan.

4. Required skills and competencies:

The prospective consultant(s) should have a proven track record in corporate strategy consulting.
Capability and capacity to deliver against set objectives within a reasonable budget and agreed schedules.
Demonstrated experience of designing and implementing participatory research methodologies.
Experience in conducting and facilitating similar strategic planning processes.
Good knowledge of the trends in the global agriculture sector, African agricultural strategies and trends, farmer needs and agricultural funding organization priorities especially in SSA in line with AATF’s areas of work.
Strong analytical and report writing skills.
Good inter-personal skills and ability to build consensus towards shared positions.
Excellent communication skills and fluency in English.
Understanding of agricultural technology commercialization is an added asset.

5. Expected deliverables

The consultant(s) will be expected to deliver the following:

Inception Report presenting: Process Guide, Strategic Plan template and clear timelines.
Draft Organizational Strategic Plan with accompanying sections as agreed during the inception.
Draft Business Plan.
Validation exercise reports and track records of feedback incorporation.
Final AATF Strategy and Business Plan.

Timeframe

The consultancy is scheduled to begin in March 2022 and end in October 2022. The definitive timeframe and planning for execution will be agreed upon with the Management.

6. Application Requirements

Interested Individual consultant(s)/consultancy firms are expected to submit the following:

Technical Proposal (Not more than 7 Pages) with clear design and methodology that will be employed to achieve the objectives.
A Financial Proposal (Not more than 2 Pages) providing clear allocations to budget components.
Profile of the consultant(s)/firm and capacity statement.
Profile and experience of the proposed Team Leader(s).
Profile and experience of the proposed Team members.
Proof of experience in handling similar projects-
- List of past and present clients for which the consultant(s)/firm has already conducted a strategy facilitation.
- Certificates of completion/recommendation from previous clients preferably in areas of strategy development.
Any other information to support your proposal.

7. Reporting System

During this assignment, the consultant(s) will report directly to the Executive Director with a strong day to day relationship with the Director, Programme Development and Commercialization and the Strategy Development Committee.

8. How to apply

Interested applicants should send the Technical and Financial Proposals and other supporting documents through email with ‘Corporate Strategy’ on the subject to reach AATF Procurement Office c/o ILRI, Kabete Campus, Old Naivasha Road, Nairobi by email at: procurement@aatf-africa.org not later than 12:00 Noon (EAT) 18^th February 2022.

9. Confidentiality Statement

All data and information received from AATF for the purpose of this assignment are to be treated as confidential and are only to be used in connection with the execution of these Terms of Reference. All intellectual property rights arising from the execution of these Terms of Reference are assigned to AATF.