Northern Rural Infrastructure Development Sector Project - Lot C

  To maximize the potential from associated initiatives, the implementation consulting team will include a value chain specialist to assist in subproject design and feasibility studies ensuring  engagement of private sector actors in such processes to strengthen the market linkages for products grown in the projects area of influence       The value chain specialist will provide intermittent inputs and will be responsible to the Team Leader  Review the PPTA consultant’s Final Report and the value chain studies and assessed constraints and opportunities therein; As part of the subproject feasibility study and design, support PPOs to identify relevant private actors, drawing upon provisional options developed during design, in light of community level commodity production plans and interests; As part of subproject feasibility study and design, support value chain stakeholder meetings between major commodity buyers and community/producer group representatives to: (a) review menu of options prepared, (b) identify which actions - or others, are required to strengthen value chain operation, and (c) develop actions at farm and higher levels as appropriate. This will include consideration of opportunities for in-village bulking/value addition and may lead to public-private partnership models described below; Support the NPMO in the identification and development of mechanisms and materials for the establishment of different forms of village level (including multiple village) producer organizations including, WUGs, producer groups, processor groups, farmer group enterprises, and potentially in the longer term, formalized collaborative structures with commercial registration; Support PPO’s access technical specialist resources associated with production and value addition as required in support of extension services; During subproject implementation, support implementation of value chain activities with particular emphasis on those subprojects where producer group or more formalized village level structures are engaged in more complex value addition (e.g. tea, rubber); Provide training and support to PPO and DCO staff in developing and undertaking higher level value-chain studies required within individual subprojects, including assessment of neighboring international markets for more specialized production (e.g. demand for specific maize types for industrial processing in regional markets); Assist in the identification of more specialized post-harvest processing technologies appropriate to specific subproject contexts; Support the NPMO in development of pro-forma contract farming guidelines and contracts which: (a) address or mitigate key risk areas for producers and purchasers, (b) engage all producers within the group to participate in contract review and approval processes, (c) clearly stipulate required commodity purchase condition including commodity quality standards and packing where appropriate, and (d) stipulate commodity floor prices against quality standards (where applicable); Support the NPMO in development of public-private partnership operational guidelines and agreements associated with private sector engagement in public sector (i.e. group level) commodity processing, storage and /or handling facilities. Where private sector operators provide guaranteed markets and provide technical and managerial assistance to processing/producer groups associated with facility operation and management; and Collaborate with the Policy Research Institute of NAFRI in identifying and documenting: (a) successful models of public-private partnerships b) village level production / processing / marketing groups, and (c) other potential areas of policy interest for the development of policy briefs.