Consultant type: Firm Consultant
Consultant Location: Gambella, EthiopiaPublication date: 04-Nov-2025
Closing date: 15-Nov-2025
Job family:
Other
Develop a targeted Gender Transformative Value Chain Development Plan that goes beyond inclusion to actively challenge and shift harmful gender norms. The Plan will outline steps to strengthen women’s leadership and participation, improve access to finance, land and climate-smart technologies, and build capacity among W4F implementers and stakeholders to adopt climate-smart, nutrition-sensitive, and gender-transformative agriculture. These actions aim to increase and diversify yields for approximately 50,000 farmers (60% women) in Gambella, Ethiopia.
| Engagement Type | Firm |
|---|---|
| Job Family | 12.Capacity Development, Governance, Natural Resource and Knowledge Management |
| A. Background Objectives | The Climate Proof Water4Food program will take place in five woredas in the Gambella Region of Ethiopia. W4F seeks to increase adaptation to extreme weather events and climate change within the agriculture and the water sectors leading to increased food production, increased food security, improved nutrition and increased access to water and sanitation, through the following two components: Component 1: Climate-smart agriculture and value chain development Component 2: Inclusive, gender transformative, integrated flood-and drought-adapted water resource management and accessThe program has been designed for Climate Smart Gender Transformative Agriculture (CSGTA) and Climate-Resilient Gender Transformative (CRGT) WASH. W4F and its consortium will be led by Plan International Ethiopia (PIE). The program must align not only with national and local development priorities, but also with global and regional development agendas. In addition, organizational priorities (PIE) must be included. The Value Chain Development Component must explicitly integrate nutrition-sensitive Climate Smart Agriculture, ensuring that interventions improve productivity and resilience while also contributing to diversified diets and better nutrition outcomes for vulnerable populations. |
| B. Scope of work | Main Objective: Develop a targeted Gender Transformative Value Chain Development Plan that goes beyond inclusion to actively challenge and shift harmful gender norms. The Plan will outline steps to strengthen women’s leadership and participation, improve access to finance and climate-smart technologies, and build capacity among W4F implementers and stakeholders to adopt climate-smart, nutrition-sensitive, and gender-transformative agriculture. These actions will increase and diversify yields for approximately 50,000 farmers (60% women) in Lare, Itang, Abol, Gog and Abobo in the Gambella Region, EthiopiaSpecific Objectives: Create a jointly owned actionable Value-Chain Analysis and Development Plan by working closely with Plan International W4F program teams, local partners and relevant stakeholders at the inception stage and throughout the process, including co-developing and issuing joint-recommendations, to ensure local ownership and uptake of findings in the W4F program. The VCDP should;1. Map actors, flows, margins, land-use and service-providers along at least 3 key value chains per country, criteria for final value chain selection will include:• Potential to improve the economic position of women and young people • Potential to improve climate-resilience and minimize adverse impacts on local eco-systems • Potential to increase yields and improve nutrition2. Identify bottlenecks and opportunities for CSGTA technologies, adoption, upscaling and achieving increased yield targets, particularly opportunities to improve the economic position of women and young people along the value chain 3. Recommend tailored interventions (to be undertaken by W4F, the public sector, the private sector, and PPPs) aimed at integrating CSA across the chain and improving the economic position of women and young people in value chains, including giving women ownership of land 4. Present a detailed implementation plan for value chain development that specifies who does what and when 5. Include a clear sustainability strategy to ensure that value chain development is institutionalized and mainstreamed across all actors, fostering long-term ownership and continuity beyond the project cycle. |
| C. Deliverables Expected | Expected deliverables are as follows: Deliverables & Workshops a. Inception Report (within 2 weeks of contract signature) b. Draft VCA and Development Plan (including slide deck) c. Inception, Validation and Planning Workshops with the W4F program team, local partners and key stakeholders in the Gambella Region d. Final Value Chain Analysis and Development Plan report (incorporating feedback), see annex for expected contents e. Dissemination of the findings to the mapped actors and stakeholders.To achieve the deliverables above, we expect the following components/activities: 1. Desk Review a. National/regional CSA and seed policies (ASERECA/GARI frameworks) b. Existing value-chain studies, trade statistics, market-price data c. Review of relevant policy frameworks (e.g. Agricultural Transformation Agenda, Growth and Transformation Plans I & II, Food, Agriculture and Nutrition Policies) d. Review of existing reports and data sources, including previous Value Chain Assessments, baseline studies, National Statistical Reports and donor agency reports e. Compilation of an annotated bibliography highlighting existing knowledge and identifying gaps requiring field validation 2. Field Diagnostics a. Semi-structured interviews & focus groups with: i. Farmers (by gender, age & disability status) ii. Cooperatives, traders, millers, processors, wholesalers, exporters iii. Extension services, input suppliers, microfinance providers b. Rapid surveys or “mystery-shop” visits to key market nodes 3. Value-Chain Mapping & Analysis a. Actor-mapping: roles, volumes, margins, market linkages b. Land-use mapping c. Service-provider ecosystem (technical, financial, logistic, ICT) d. Risk analysis (price volatility, post-harvest losses, policy gaps) 4. Opportunity & Gap Identification a. Where to inject CSA inputs, training, finance, or market linkages b. Gender-, age- and disability-sensitive entry-points (e.g. women-led cooperatives) c. Private-sector partnership potentials (e.g. offtaker contracts, agro-processing upgrades) 5. Intervention & Investment Plan a. Prioritized list of interventions, with sequencing and quantified cost estimates for each recommended intervention (e.g. introduction of improved seed varieties, PPP models with agro-dealers, CAPEX/OPEX for storage facilities, irrigation schemes, or value addition units). b. Institutional arrangements (who does what: government, NGOs, private sector) c. M&E framework: KPIs for CSGTA adoption rates, margin improvements, yield gainsGender Mainstreaming Strategy: To ensure inclusive and equitable outcomes, the consulting firm shall integrate gender mainstreaming throughout the Value Chain Development Plan (VCDP) process. This includes:6. Gender-Sensitive Value Chain Analysis a. Conduct a comprehensive assessment of gender roles, access to resources, and decision-making power across the agricultural value chains. b. Identify barriers and opportunities for women’s participation, particularly among the 60% women farmers targeted by the project. 7. Inclusive Stakeholder Engagement a. Design and implement participatory consultations that actively involve women, female-headed households, and women-led cooperatives. b. Ensure that engagement methods are culturally sensitive and accessible to women Lare, Itang, Abol, Gog and Abobo in the Gambella Region. 8. Gender-Transformative Action Planning a. Develop targeted interventions that promote women’s leadership, access to climate-smart technologies, financial services, and market linkages. b. Include strategies to challenge harmful gender norms and promote equitable benefit-sharing. 9. Capacity Building and Training a. Recommend training programs for implementers and community members on gender equality, safeguarding, and women’s empowerment. b. Ensure that training opportunities are equitably distributed, with at least 50% female participation. |
| D. Duration and Timetable for the Assignment | The estimated duration of services is 50 working days, and the estimated starting date is 1st of December 2025Milestone Timeline Contract signature and inception Week 0 Inception report Week 2 Field work & data collection Weeks 3–6 Draft report & slide deck Week 8 Validation workshop Week 9 Planning workshop and final report submission Week 10 |
| E. Bank Contribution and Institutional Arrangement | Bank Contribution The African Development Bank (AfDB) will provide financial and technical support for this consultancy under the Climate Proof Water4Food (W4F) Program. AfDB’s sector specialists will provide technical backstopping and ensure that the Value Chain Development Plan aligns with AfDB’s Integrated Safeguards System, Gender Policy, and Climate-Smart Agriculture guidelines. The Bank will review and approve key deliverables (Inception, Draft, and Final Reports) and participate in validation and dissemination workshopsInstitutional Arrangement As the executing and implementing agency, Plan International Ethiopia is responsible for overall coordination of the assignment, day-to-day management of the consultancy, and liaison with local partners in the Gambella region. The consulting firm will report directly to Plan International’s Project Manager, with oversight and quality assurance from the African Development Bank.A joint Technical Coordination Committee, comprising representatives from AfDB, Plan International, relevant government ministries (Agriculture, Water, Gender), and local authorities, will review deliverables at each milestone. This arrangement ensures alignment with national priorities and facilitates stakeholder ownership of the Value Chain and Development Plan. |
| F. Duty Station | The consultant’s duty station will be Gambella, Ethiopia with regular travel to Lare, Itang, Abol, Gog and Abobo in the Gambella Region, Ethiopia for fieldwork and stakeholder consultations. |
Consultancy Input Days
65.00
