Introduction
AATF is an international not-for-profit organization that is empowering smallholder farmers across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) with a wide choice of agricultural innovations that contribute to food and nutrition security to generate health and wealth for their families and communities. Established in 2003 as an African-led entity, AATF works with public and private partners across the value chain to access, develop, deliver, and commercialize innovative technologies that bring meaningful change to Africa’s agriculture. AATF is driven by the vision of a prosperous, resilient, food and nutrition-secure Africa, where smallholder farmers’ livelihoods are transformed through agricultural innovations where millions of smallholder farmers can transform African agriculture with the same innovations that are transforming food production around the world. AATF believes that farmers in Africa will become globally competitive through the utilization of modern technologies. In addition, access to agricultural innovations will propel production and value addition into optimal levels as seen in developing countries, which have embraced modern farming.
AATF provides farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) with access to a practical technology solution that enables them to overcome farm productivity constraints. Founded in 2003, AATF is driven by the vision of a prosperous, resilient, food and nutrition-secure Africa, where smallholder farmers’ livelihoods are transformed through agricultural innovations. Under its new five-year strategy (2023-2027), AATF aims to expand the scope and impact of its work by increasing its focus on commercialization and scaling. Marking the next chapter in AATF’s strategic evolution, the strategy reaffirms our commitment to improving farmer productivity and livelihoods, driving climate change resilience and sustainability, and achieving food and nutrition security across our target countries.
The Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology in Africa (OFAB) is a partnership platform that contributes to the creation of an enabling environment for biotechnology research, development, and deployment for the benefit of smallholder farmers in Africa. Through the enhancement of knowledge and awareness on agricultural biotechnology, OFAB builds understanding of the technology and contributes to informing decision-making. Established by AATF in 2006, OFAB operates in 10 countries – Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Malawi, Mozambique, and Rwanda. The OFAB key stakeholders include policymakers, the media, farmers, biosafety regulators, scientists, industry, and consumers. In the third phase of the project, OFAB has expanded its outreach into Rwanda, Mozambique, and Malawi.
Scope of the Assignment
Currently, OFAB is implementing the third phase since the project was established in 2006 to contribute to the creation of an enabling environment for research, development, and commercialization of agricultural biotechnology (Agric-Biotech) in the target countries. The current Strategic plan 2019-2023 though confronted with the challenges of COVID-19 has seen OFAB achieve monumental milestones. During the period, OFAB has expanded its operations from 7 to 10 countries, which include Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Ghana, Nigeria, and Burkina Faso. The new countries are Mozambique, Rwanda, and Malawi.
The project has also successfully accompanied the environmental release of PBR Cowpea in Ghana and Burkina Faso, and Bt Cotton in Kenya, Nigeria, and Ethiopia. OFAB has also introduced the new GM Messaging framework which has been infused in various communication strategies to advocate for Agric-Biotech products. OFAB has recently introduced the Attorney General Learning Space, the Biosafety Regulators Retreat, and the OFAB Day. These Project-wide initiatives add to the portfolio of activities that the OFAB Chapters and the secretariat have carried out to influence policy change and incentivize policy implementation enabled by awareness and knowledge sharing on agricultural biotechnology in different countries. OFAB transitioned from a monthly meeting of scientists and interested stakeholders exchanging credible information on agricultural biotechnology to a fully-fledged project focused on securing clear and facilitative policy support for the technology in ten African countries. The OFAB platform works through relevant partners that are responsible for biotech outreach and leads in developing country-specific strategies with clear policy goals.
The current strategic plan comes to an end in December 2023. Therefore, the project will need a new strategic plan to guide its advocacy for enabling environment for Agric-Biotech from 2024-2028. The 2024 -2028 will leverage on the successes, lessons, and opportunities of the current strategic plan for greater impact. The consultant will analyse the changes that have happened in the agricultural environment space since 2019 and propose an impactful theory of change for national chapters and Africa-wide initiatives for the project.
General Objective
To develop OFAB 2024-2028 Strategic Plan to support advocacy and influencing work on biotechnology in Africa.
Specific Objectives
The following are the specific objectives of the assignment:
- Desk review all applicable documentation on OFAB to appreciate the successes, Weaknesses Opportunities, and of the Project to inform the strategy for the next phase of the Project.
- Scan the biotechnology landscape and elicit developments that OFAB 2024-2028 can leverage, for impactful advocacy and influencing.
- Develop a theory of change for OFAB that is adaptable to different implementing and operational structure of OFAB and deliver the objectives of the Project.
- Conduct interviews with AATF Management, Communications team, and OFAB strategic partners to identify existing gaps, opportunities, and ideas on the future strategic orientation of OFAB in Africa.
- Present analysis of the progress of OFAB strategic plan implementation periodically to the OFAB team at AATF.
- Develop and present to AATF Management the 2024-2028 OFAB Strategic Plan.
Deliverables
The assignment will be successful on the delivery of a complete 2024-2028 OFAB Strategic Plan with the following attachments:
- SWOT analysis framework.
- Resource Mobilization plan.
- New Partnerships and Processes for OFAB.
- The assignment inception report.
Duration
The assignment is expected to take a maximum of 45 days over a period of three months. The final strategic plan is expected by December 2023 to be presented at the OFAB Annual Review and Planning Meeting (ARPM) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Qualification/experience
- At least a master’s degree in strategic management, business administration or related field for the lead consultant.
- At least master’s degree for supporting team members.
- Minimum of ten (10) years’ verifiable experience working strategic planning business in the agricultural sector space.
- Experience in facilitating participatory processes in strategic engagements.
- Mature and respectable personality with ability to interact with people from diverse professions and nationalities.
- Ability to operate under strict time limits with high level professionalism.
- Fluency in English, with an elaborate plan to meaningfully engage with French and Portuguese speaking OFAB partners.
- Knowledge of the enabling environment for biotechnology in Africa will be an added advantage.
Application Criteria
Interested consulting firms or individual consultants should submit the technical and financial proposal as follows:
- Technical proposal
The technical proposal should include the following elements:
- A narrative proposal in English that demonstrates consultants understanding of the assignment.
- The methodology for the assignment from the inception to the final delivery of the final product.
- Three samples of similar previous assignment with referees from the same clients.
- Three references (with contact information) from previous clients. Provision of the referees does not preclude submission of the sample of similar work and referees as presented in c.
- List and qualifications of support team, with CVs and functional responsibilities of the key coordinator for the assignment.
2. Financial proposal
The narrative proposal should be accompanied by a financial proposal covering the following elements in detail:
- Detailed budget breakdown of all costs
- Travel-related costs, where applicable.
- Budget should state the proposed payment schedule.
- All applicable taxes should be included.
Application Submission
Interested candidate(s) should submit their application to the Procurement Officer through the emailprocurement@aatf-africa.org with the subject head “OFAB 2024-2028 Strategic Plan” by COB 29th September 2023
Terms and conditions of the proposal
AATF reserves the right to request new or additional information regarding each service provider and any individual or other persons associated with its project proposal. AATF reserves the right not to make any appointment from the proposals submitted.
Service providers shall not make available or disclose details pertaining to their Project proposal with anyone not specifically involved, unless authorized to do so by AATF. Service providers shall not issue any press release or other public announcement pertaining to details of their project proposal without the prior written approval.
AATF Service providers are required to declare any conflict of interest they may have in the transaction for which the tender is submitted or any potential conflict of interest. AATF reserves the right not to consider further any proposal where such a conflict of interest exists or where such potential conflict of interest may arise.
Confidentiality statement All data and information received from AATF for the purpose of this assignment are to be treated 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.
