Call for Proposals
Consultants to undertake a Gender Responsive Market Analysis in 5 Caribbean countries.
The World University Service of Canada (WUSC) is currently implementing a project in the Caribbean called Sustainable Agriculture in the Caribbean (SAC) project. The SAC project is funded by the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada. The SAC project is a new market systems development program being implemented in Dominica, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, and Suriname, seeking to increase the economic prosperity of women and youth (both female and male) in more sustainable agricultural markets in line with Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP).
WUSC wishes to identify a lead consultant or consulting firm, capable of mobilising local consulting resources across the various project geographies including Dominica, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, and Suriname, to undertake a gender responsive market analysis. The purpose of the analysis is to provide the project with:
Recommended agricultural sub-sectors to engage in per country in which women and youth can benefit
A gender responsive analysis of the sub-sectors in the context of the broader agricultural market system in each country, including an integration of gender and age (youth) dynamics as well as environmental and climate change considerations, and
Programming recommendations in order to affect positive change for women and youth in the selected market systems.
A detailed TOR for the study can be downloaded through the following link:
The deadline for receipt of separate and clearly indicated technical and financial proposals based on Canadian currency is midnight (12:00 am Eastern Standard Time) on the 3rd of March, 2021.
Suitably qualified and experienced firms and teams of consultants are invited to submit their narrative and financial proposals and any follow up questions by email to: Chelsea Pandelidis at cpandelidis@wusc.ca
A proposal review panel will assess the proposals and all bidders will be notified of the results of their application. Responses to questions and clarifications on this Call for Proposal will be posted on our website every week here.
WUSC’s activities seek to balance inequities and create sustainable development around the globe; the work ethic of our staff, volunteers, representatives, consultants and partners shall correspond to the values and mission of the organization. WUSC Caribbean promotes responsibility, respect, honesty, and professional excellence and we will not tolerate harassment, coercion, sexual exploitation or abuse of any form. Any COVID-19 safety measures in force must be strictly adhered to.
The Sustainable Agriculture in the Caribbean (SAC) project is implemented by, World University Service of Canada (WUSC), with funding support from the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada (GAC).
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Terms of Reference
Sustainable Agriculture in the Caribbean (SAC) Project - Gender Responsive Market Analysis
Duration of Contract: March - July 2021
Countries of Focus: Jamaica, Guyana, Saint Lucia, Dominica, and Suriname
Reports to: Project Director / Deputy Project Director
Application Deadline: March 3rd, 2021
Expected Start Date: March 12th, 2021
Budget: Maximum $275,000 CAN (assessment will be based on value for money)
BACKGROUND
World University Service of Canada (WUSC) is a Canadian non-profit organization working to create a better world for all young people. We bring together a diverse network of students, volunteers, schools, governments, and businesses who share this vision. Together, we develop solutions in education, economic opportunities, and empowerment to overcome inequality and exclusion for youth around the world, particularly young women and young refugees. WUSC is registered in the Caribbean as WUSC Caribbean.
WUSC Caribbean is implementing a five-year project – the Sustainable Agriculture in the Caribbean (SAC) project, which will promote climate resilient agriculture for equitable economic growth to increase the economic prosperity of women and youth (female & male) in more sustainable agricultural markets in the Caribbean. The project builds on learning from the Promotion of Regional Opportunities for Produce through Enterprises and Linkages (PROPEL) project and is a multi-country economic growth project, funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) being implemented in Dominica, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, and Suriname.
Women and youth (female & male) will be central players in the targeted agricultural market systems so they can increase their influence on agricultural markets in the Caribbean, while strengthening more climate resilient domestic agricultural production to enhance food security, and reduce reliance on imported agricultural products, for more sustainable economic growth. Recognizing that adult males are currently dominant actors in market systems, the SAC project will also work with men, so they can become advocates for women and youth (female & male) fostering the right conditions for equitable participation. The SAC project will engage agricultural markets in each of the target countries, and provide capacity-strengthening support to local organizations.
WUSC Caribbean will apply an inclusive market systems (IMS) approach, engaging multiple stakeholders, including established country partners, to increase productivity and economic growth. SAC will create links between key market actors; strengthen their capacity through training, information sharing and outreach; and foster climate resilient approaches (re-orienting agricultural development for sustainability as well as profitability), at every stage and via every market actor in the agricultural value chain. This approach will help to increase productivity and profitability in the agriculture sector and will mitigate the impacts of climate change, reduce the region’s vulnerability to natural disasters, and foster climate resilient agricultural markets that offer increased equitable, inclusive and sustainable economic benefits for women and youth (female & male).
NATURE AND SCOPE
WUSC Caribbean wishes to identify a lead consultant or consulting firm, capable of mobilizing local consulting resources across the various project geographies including Dominica, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, and Suriname, to undertake a gender responsive market analysis. The purpose of the analysis is to provide the project with (a) recommended agricultural sub-sectors per country in which women and youth (female and male) can and want to benefit, (b) a gender responsive analysis of the sub-sectors in the context of the broader agricultural market system in each country, including an integration of gender and age (youth) dynamics as well as environmental and climate change considerations, and (c) programming recommendations in order to affect positive change with and for women and youth in the selected market systems.
The study should explore the gender dynamics at play within agricultural markets in the selected countries and identify opportunities, challenges and risks faced by women and youth. The project is funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and due consideration needs to be given for alignment with the Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP) of Canada, when conducting the intersectional gender-responsive market analysis.
The successful candidate would mobilize at minimum one market expert (ideally with gender and inclusion experience) and one gender advisor (ideally with market experience) per country. Demonstrated input by an environment and climate change in agriculture expert is also required across all reports.
SPECIFIC TASKS
The analysis should be done in two phases. The first (1) should be a gender responsive sub-sector review, ranking and selection process. The second (2) is a gender responsive market analysis of the selected sectors. Both processes need to integrate a strong intersectional gender equality, social inclusion, youth, and environmental lens. It is expected that two sub sectors will be analyzed per country - for a total of 10 market analyses.
The research should also include an analysis of the impacts of COVID-19, taking into consideration the different dynamics introduced by the COVID-19 crisis and its effects on women, youth, and the selected market systems.
Part 1: Rapid Subsector Review and Selection
For each country, a rapid market scan should be conducted and from a long list of potential agricultural markets (these could include cash crops, grains, horticulture, livestock, fisheries, honey and more), a shortlist of four should be selected. This initial selection should be made using a growth, inclusion (women and youth) and environmental sustainability lens. A short overview of the four selected markets should be prepared (1 page maximum per market) and these should be ranked using the subsector ranking tool (provided by WUSC). A gender, youth and environmental sustainability lens should be applied throughout.
Deliverables
Short subsector selection report by country containing the following sections:
Methodology (including how gender, youth and environmental sustainability were integrated). (½ page);
Long list of potential agricultural markets;
Short overview of each of the four selected markets. (1 page for each market maximum);
Completed ranking tool;
Top two market recommendations based on ranking tool and justification. (½ page).
Presentation to WUSC based on the report. Approval from WUSC on the selected markets is necessary to move to the full market analysis.
Part 2: Gender Responsive Market Analysis
The analysis should provide a thorough understanding of the selected market dynamics, including opportunities and challenges while maintaining the project’s core constituents (women and youth) at the heart of the analysis. The analysis should include but is not limited to the following:
The project’s core constituents within the markets - women and youth
The project should highlight the current dynamics for women and youth in the selected markets. The following domains of empowerment should be used to drive the analysis. These should also be used when developing recommendations, with an eye to moving the needle on these domains. Review the WEAMS framework for background on the domains of empowerment. The voices, perspectives and recommendations of women and youth, through focus group discussions and interviews, should play an important role in the research and analysis.
Economic advancement – increased income, return on labour and moving into higher value functions.
Access to opportunities and life chances such as skills development, leadership opportunities or job openings.
Access to assets, services, networks and needed supports to advance economically.
Decision-making authority and control in different spheres including economic activity and household finances.
Manageable workloads for women (youth and adult).
Mapping and dynamics of selected markets
Gender and youth disaggregated Market mapping: Visual representation of the markets, margins, share of product value in final markets, numbers and sizes of firms, intermediaries, etc; women and youth’s position in each market function should be highlighted.
End market Opportunity Review: Including a comparison and evaluation of alternative end markets, demand levels, standards, certifications etc. Assess the opportunity and challenges for women and youth to produce for a higher value market versus increasing production for an existing market. Which pathway to increased income within the selected market is most feasible for women and youth.
Supporting functions: a review of supporting functions such as finance, information, technology, transport, etc. gaps and opportunities. What other entities support or undermine relationships in the market system? (research entities, business associations, government programs, educational institutions, other donor-funded initiatives, etc) Of particular importance is an understanding of how supporting functions are working, or not, for women and youth.
Formal and informal rules: Identify the role government agencies play in this sector, what are the policy and regulations. Do these agencies support advancement of women and youth or do they contribute to barriers? How do social norms and informal rules impact (positive or negative) women and youth in the market.
Stakeholder mapping:
Identify influential, leading and innovative market system stakeholders who may play a role in strengthening market links with project participants;
Identify other NGO or donor funded activities in this sector and where there are opportunities for the project to add value;
Identify Government activity in this sector with strategies to leverage existing resources;
Identify commercial actors (private sector) who may be potential partners. Examples could include input or aggregation providers, providers of private agricultural extension services, training providers or business development services providers, etc;
Other organizations and institutions that could play a role in complementing the project and providing additional services to participants such as agricultural researchers and others.
Environment and climate change
Climate change risks: Assessment of the risks which climate change poses on the selected market systems and the down stream risk to women and youth’s incomes and livelihoods.
Climate change adaptation: Are selected market systems changing in response to the climate change risks, are there opportunities or risks for women and youth within that change. Highlight positive outliers if they exist.
Analysis and recommendations
Root cause analysis: Provide a root cause analysis (using tools of the consultant’s choice such as problem tree) to identify key root causes of constraints within the selected market systems for women and youth.
Sustainable recommendations: provide a set of programmatic recommendations to address the root causes of constraints for women and youth in the selected markets. Using tools of the consultants choice (such as a solutions table and who does/ who pays) provide recommendations, that are time bound, targeted interventions, which would sustainably help women and youth increase their income and livelihood in a resilient fashion within the selected market systems.
Note on Gender Based Violence
Changes in economic activity by women has been shown by research to be a potential trigger for increased gender based violence (not in all cases and some research has shown that it can mitigate some stress-based violence). In order for the project GESI advisor to craft a GBV strategy, the consultants should provide the following information in an annex.
An assessment of the potential triggers of GBV for the given context (country/community) as linked to economic activity. For example, in some contexts, working outside the home, working with members of the opposite sex, handling money, seeing a large bump in income and more can all be triggers of violence. Interviews with organizations with experience in GBV in a given country/context should help inform this assessment.
Stakeholder mapping for referral services. In each country, what organizations and services exist to help women facing GBV. This mapping should inform a referral system for the project should GBV be encountered.
DELIVERABLES
Develop research methodology and tools.
Rapid subsector review and selection.
Gender Responsive Market Analysis, including but not limited to the sections outlined above.
Validation workshops with stakeholders by country.
Presentation of findings.
Activity - Deadline
Develop research methodology and tools - April 2nd
Part 1: Rapid subsector review and selection by country - For all countries by April 26th
Part 2: First draft: Gender Responsive Market Analyses by country - June 4th
Validation workshops by country - Week of June 14th
Final Gender Responsive Market Analysis - July 2nd
Presentation to program team - Week of July 12th.
PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS
Applicants should submit a proposal which contains at minimum the following information:
Consultant or firm experience
Outline previous experience in similar types of assignments;
Outline previous experience in the Caribbean if applicable.
Methodology
Outline methodological approach to complete the study;
Demonstrate how COVID-19 impacts the methodology and what strategies will be used to adapt to shifting health and safety regulations;
Outline other anticipated risks to completing the study within the allotted time frame and mitigation strategies.
Human resources
Outline experience of lead consultant(s), provide CV;
Outline experience of all known consultants that will be involved in the research, provide CV;
Outline strategy to recruit locally based consultants in each country.
Budget
Provide a detailed budget in Canadian dollars (CAD).**
How to apply:
Suitably qualified and experienced firms and teams of consultants are invited to submit their narrative and financial proposals and any follow up questions by email to: Chelsea Pandelidis at cpandelidis@wusc.ca