EULAP Consultancy Tender, Liberia - 34698297

Procurement Summary

Country : Liberia

Summary : EULAP Consultancy

Deadline : 31 Jul 2019

Other Information

Notice Type : Tender

TOT Ref.No.: 34698297

Document Ref. No. :

Competition : ICB

Financier : European Union (EU)

Purchaser Ownership : -

Tender Value : Refer Document

Purchaser's Detail

Purchaser : ZOA LIBERIA
Attn: ZOA’s Country Director / Programme Manager
Liberia
Email :m.tebbutt@zoa.ngo

Tender Details

Expression of Interest are invited for EULAP Consultancy.



Donor: European Union

Relations between the European Union and Liberia are based on the EU`s partnership agreement with African, Caribbean and Pacific countries - the Cotonou Agreement.

The EU is assisting the implementation of the government’s transitional economic development programme. After two civil wars (1989-1996 and 1999-2003), this programme is consolidating national peace and putting the West African nation on a path of poverty reduction.

For 2014-2020, the National Indicative Program (NIP), which has been developed and agreed with the Liberia Government, allocates €279m of EU funding to support good governance, energy, education and agriculture. The EU has also been assisting in the country`s recovery from the Ebola crisis.

The PARTNERS programme funded by the EU with €12m is being implemented from 2018 to 2022.

Organization profile and background:

ZOA has delivered an integrated programme focusing on Food Security and Livelihoods, WASH and peacebuilding in Liberia since 2003. Over the last five years in particular, ZOA Liberia has focused on the production, processing and marketing of cassava products, as well as increasing productivity and diversification of vegetables for smallholder farmers, in order to increase people’s access to food and income. Through EU and ECOWAS funding, ZOA has played a leading role in the development of successful methodologies for cassava production, processing and marketing. Welthungerhilfe (WHH) as consortium leader is implementing this programme together with three international NGOs: ZOA, Concern Worldwide (Concern) and SPARK, in cooperation with several local partners. The 5-year EULAP – PARTNERS programme aims to improve the productivity and sustainability of nutrition sensitive agriculture at the level of smallholder farmers (specific objective). This will be achieved through integrated programme components in seven counties of Liberia: Rivercess, Grand Kru, Grand Cape Mount, Margibi, Grand Bassa, Sinoe, Bomi:

• Increase smallholders’ productivity, and support them to engage in new and improved market and value chain linkages, through on-site training, provision of inputs, regular coaching and linking farmers to markets.

• Improved post-harvest management increases food security for smallholder farmers and rural households throughout the year, counteract against seasonal food availability and price fluctuations, hereby improving resilience.

• Farmers save part of the profits from the sale of their crops via Village Saving and Loan Associations (VSLAs). Access to savings and micro-loans enables group members to invest in key productive activities and to start new small enterprises. • Support the enabling environment for value addition of the six selected crops. This refers to the availability of critical facilities and services such as storage, processing equipment, and marketing networks and linkages. • The project provides support to food quality and safety assurance activities while supplying the products to available markets. • Activities focus on the integrated work of entrepreneur development and facilitating access to finance for new and existing agro-enterprises as opportunities arise from an expanded agriculture value-chain. • Activities promote adequate and diversified diet for all ages and needs at target households. Mother groups are primarily targeted with nutrition and behaviour change trainings and support for establishment of kitchen gardens to supplement household diet. A total of 6, 600 small-holder farmers from 220 communities are directly targeted through these activities, the project will contribute to improve food and nutrition security and increase income and resilience against shocks in the rural areas of Liberia (overall objective). Thereby, the programme targets 100 agro-enterprises and other actors in the selected value chain crops The project started on 15 January 2018 and is currently in the second year of implementation.

Location: Desk study and Fieldwork in Liberia
Objective of the
Position:
The consultant should provide the tools for meeting international food quality and
safety standards, so that all actors in the value chain of the selected crops can
become eligible for export to new markets while strengthening domestic markets
with safe food. The consultant needs to work with the Liberian Government and
project stakeholders on how the strategy correlates and supports agricultural
development in Liberia.
The consultant should provide leadership for the design, implementation and
evaluation of technical assistance in creating a food safety environment.
Responsible to: The consultant will be supervised by ZOA’s Country Director / Programme
Manager.
Responsible for: • Liaise with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Ministry of Health and
Ministry of Agriculture on the development of standards and procedures to
ensure food quality and safety.
• Coordinate with the Liberia National Codex Committee (LNCC) on:
o The current status of the LNCC;
o Achievements so far in terms of the development of National Food Safety
Standards;

o For each selected food product (primary crop and derivatives) review the
National Food Safety Standards and procedures. If no National Standards
are available, develop standards based on Ghanaian Food Safety Standards,
or use available standards in accordance with Codex standards.
• Develop HACCP plans for all major actors in the selected value chains. The
HACCP plan needs to be specific for the production processes of the major
actors. The consultant should gather the information regarding hazards in
consultation with the agro-processors and the agriculture experts of ZOA
Liberia, and use their input to describe local solutions towards prevention in
order to create improved food safety.
• Development of a record keeping system along with the HACCP plan.
• Develop manuals for the agro-processors that contain the HACCP plan and
record keeping system. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), based on Good
Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), need to be described and included in the
manual, in order to prevent hazards and loss of food quality in food production.
• The standards and procedures should adhere to international standards for food
safety in order to improve trade opportunities.
• Manuals should promote development, help design and implement strategies
to increase adherence to food safety standards through prevention with limited
laboratory capacity. Nevertheless, HACCP plans will include control points for
quality requirements that can only be verified through laboratory tests. In
particular when food products are meant for international trade, laboratory
tests should be included in the HACCP Plan.
Main
Responsibilities:
Outputs for each of the following food products:
o Cassava: fresh, gari, cassava flour HQCF, fufu powder, deeper
(fermented cassava flour)
o Plantain: fresh and flour
o Cowpea: dry
o Pineapple: fresh, dry and juice
o Ground nut: dry and paste/butter
o Moringa: powder
• Report on findings on the current situation of the Liberia National Codex
Committee and the available standards and procedures to ensure food quality
and safety at national level.
Include information on the methodologies and quality of testing on relevant
parameters by the National Standards Laboratory, and the need for support.
• Food Safety Standards in accordance with Codex standards
• HACCP plans and record keeping systems developed in consultation with agriprocessors and programme team.
• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), based on Good Production and
Manufacturing Practices.
• Production manuals with HACCP plan, record keeping system and Standard
Operating Procedures (SOPs) on Agri-processor level.

Experience: • Technical knowledge in food processing and/or food production
• Experience in implementing Food Safety Systems in accordance with Codex
standards.
• Willingness to work in Liberia on site identifying the hazards and needs of Agroprocessors. The consultant should be committed to spend time learning the
daily operations to ensure a well-designed system.
• Consultant has a good background in Codex, HACCP, Good Farming Practices
and Good Manufacturing Practices in a developing country.
• The consultant should have a sound understanding of the issues, challenges and
opportunities of implementing food safety protocols on the local, regional, and
international levels.
Education: e.g. degree in Food Science, Microbiology or Food Law)
Languages: Excellent command of spoken and written English
Computer skills: Good knowledge of Microsoft Office
Good working knowledge of modern communication systems
Personal Skills: • Communicates and liaises with others
• Capacity of team work, ability to work in a team
• Intercultural Competence
• Gender sensitive
• Willing to learn and share knowledge
• Professionalism integrity and commitment to project demands
Starting date The consultancy will begin on August 15, 2019 the Food Safety Standards and
Quality Manual will be finalized in October 2019.
Applications for
this position
should be sent
to:
Please send softcopies of a motivation letter and CV and any additional documents
you wish to submit (e.g. scans of certificates, letter of recommendation) to the
following:
Subject: Expression of interest EULAP consultancy
Email: m.tebbutt@zoa.ngo
Note: After reviewing the applications received by the closing date, within two (2) weeks
period “if you don’t hear from us consider your application unsuccessful.” We
encourage you to apply again for posted and advertised positions in our
Organization, for which you qualify in the future.
Closing date: July 31st 2019

Documents

 Tender Notice