Winrock International recrute un Consultant en analyse de la chaîne de valeur, Malawi

Winrock International recrute un Consultant en analyse de la chaîne de valeur, Malawi

 

 

Project Overview 

The Market Transitions to Enable New Growth Opportunities project (MTENGO; ‘mtengo’ means both value and foundation in Chichewa) uses a farmer-first approach grounded in market incentives to increase resource-efficient, reliable agricultural production in Malawi in the face of climate unpredictability. MTENGO operates in Malawi’s Northern and Central regions (Nkhata Bay, Rmphi, and Mizimba in the North and Ntchisi in the Central region) where reduced food insecurity and slightly larger farm size enables diversification and investment in climate smart practices without sacrificing staple crops. MTENGO will target the 25% of farmers in target districts with approximately 2–6 acres – those between smallholder farmers and commercial farmers – who can invest in productivity-enhancing and climate smart practices. MTENGO works with market-ready farmer organizations, agro-enterprises, entrepreneurs, and traders in these regions, ensuring efficient and reliable production to supply staple crops to the domestic market and higher value cash crops to regional and international markets. MTENGO will focus on soy, coffee, honey, chili peppers, and bananas. 

MTENGO’s approach will enable farmers to:  

1. Diversify and achieve stable returns from their farming portfolio through climate smart farming by responding to market demands with diversified production;  

1. Increase access to water for productive purposes through improved water management practices;  

1. Make ecosystem services work for farmers by improving farmer access to, and collective management of water, soil, and forest products; and  

1. Increase access to markets and finance so farmers can make climate smart investments. 

 

Assignment 

The foundation of MTENGO’s market-based approach centers on the needs and priorities of farmers identified using Winrock’s “lean analytical framework”. Traditional development approaches are based on a “more from more” approach in which additional investments in inputs and infrastructure lead to improved productivity and increased incomes. This approach introduces risk, strains financial resources needed for food security, and can deplete natural resources—especially problematic in low resilience populations. Lean principles encourage increased efficiency and reduction of costs as necessary complements to investments in productivity, yielding a larger net gain and more market-responsive products and services at more affordable prices. MTENGO will apply the analytical framework to quantify the value that farmers and value chain actors place on selected interventions while eliminating inefficiencies—costs, waste, or loss—that negatively impact productivity, profitability, food security, climate resilience, conservation of water and natural resources, and equitable participation. The analysis will inform priority interventions and approaches for crop diversification and climate smart agriculture (CSA), inputs, irrigation, access to finance, and post-harvest handling. Consultant will apply the lean analytical framework to MTENGO’s focus commodities as described in detail below. 

 

Objective: 

Work within a team to perform the initial analysis which will identify and prioritize strategic points of project intervention including: 

• Identification of initial five Most Impactful Practices (MIPs) 
• Complete the initial MIP scaling strategies (completed written solutions briefs)  

 

Deliverables: 

• Five Lean focused commodity value chain landscape assessment(s). These will include the following sections and analysis: 

• Market Demand 

•  Segments, terms, sizing, domestic/export, actors (numbers, characterization) 

• Market Supply 

• Domestic, imports, efforts to improve/upgrade (specific inclusion and listing of any and all proposed or already promoted CSA practices), actors (numbers, characterization) 

• Chain Analysis, Opportunities, and Risk Mitigation Factors 

• Two complementary sector services landscape assessments. These assessments will include: 

• Demand 

• Supply 
• Chain Analysis, Opportunities, and Risk Mitigation Factors 

• Use the Winrock Lean analytical methodology to complete Value Stream Maps (VSMs) VSMs are a visual current state map alongside identified potential future state/activities for improvement and prioritization. 
• With the team, apply a Lean Analytical Framework for prioritizing and selecting from identified CSA practices as potential MIPs 
• MIPs identified and five solutions briefs completed emerging from the VSM and/or from the application of the Lean analytical framework application on CSA technologies identified within the landscape assessments 

• Complete a final summary report linking landscape assessments through analysis of VSM to final MIPs and recommendations. 

 

Tasks: 

• Participate in coaching and assessment orientation calls with Winrock Lean Analysis Senior Advisor. 
• Participate in an assessment launch workshop for training and orientation to the Winrock methodology and MTENGO approach. 

• Conduct literature review for the landscape assessments. 
• Identify and conduct necessary consultations (in focus groups or through individual key informant interviews, in person and via telephone) to complete landscape assessments. 
• Present landscape assessment analysis, conclusions, and recommendations to team and participate in prioritization and planning of next steps related to same. 
• Lead Value Stream Mapping using the Winrock methodology, including: 

• Identifying the customer 

• Identify relevant individuals and focus groups for consultation during the process 

• Precisely defining customer value 

• Conduct consultations with active buyers (users) in the identified market channel to determine what is and what is not valued and for which value attributes producers are compensated. The Activity will validate findings at a forum of key contributors, as needed. 

• Conduct Value Stream Mapping 

• The main tool for the production system assessment is a process called value stream mapping. This is a mapping of the process of producing each unit of product and distinguishing between activities and investments which add value (as defined by the customer consultations in the previous step) from those which do not add value and are considered waste. 

• The result is a visual current state map alongside identified potential future state/activities for improvement and prioritization. 

• For at least the first three VSMs (particularly the farm level production VSMs), develop value stream mapping hypothesis. Consultants will use the value stream mapping (VSM) tool with at least one focus group of experts per production system to develop an initial understanding of the smallholder production system selling into the identified main market channel to the representative buyers consulted in the previous steps. [The hypothesis mapping with experts builds VSM experience and can highlight gaps between conventional wisdom and the actual farm level realities. So this isn’t required for all VSMs; only the early ones for experience and later when it is seen to be useful.] 
• For each VSM consultants will conduct two to three focus groups with producers/businesses. To promote inclusion, the value stream mapping exercises and will conduct different focus group sessions for women and youth to create a safe space across age and sex to uncover specific constraints, as needed. Ideally, this will be conducted in person. These focus groups will be complemented by up to four in-depth individual producer/business VSM interviews conducted by consultants to ensure depth and rigor. 

• Prepare a consolidated VSM with analysis 

• Gather necessary data and information to apply a Lean analytical framework for evaluating lists of existing, potential, or already being promoted CSA identified within the landscape assessments as potential MIPs 

• Present the Landscape Assessment and consolidated VSM with analysis in an ‘Identify Actions’ team meeting which includes MTENGO leadership.  Participate in prioritization and planning of MIPs which are selected. 
• Complete five solutions briefs for the MIPs prioritized. A solutions brief documents a MIPs scaling strategy utilizing a traditional value chain analysis approach with a specific scaling lens.  In other words, it frames each key analytical component in terms of the ‘middle’ or ‘average’ MIP customer/user in the main market channel (identified during the landscape assessment and where the VSM focused), and that specific market system ecosystem.  The solutions brief is a short document which provides a roadmap for MTENGO implementation and can be used as a knowledge sharing product for partner engagement. 

• Identify relevant literature and conduct necessary consultations (in focus groups or through individual key informant interviews, in person and via telephone) to complete the solutions briefs for each MIP. 

• Contribute to and complete a final summary report linking landscape assessments through analysis of VSM to final MIPs and recommendations.  Present the analysis, decisions, through to the solutions brief, in a coherent consolidated summary laying out the logic of the analytical phase.  

 

Qualifications: 

• At least a bachelor’s degree, preferably in one of the following fields: agriculture, agronomy, agricultural economics, or similar field. 
• Knowledge of Malawi’s agricultural sector and agribusiness system, and an ability to access agricultural data sources 
• Wide and effective network of Malawian private sector agribusiness contacts. 
• Experience in conducting focus groups and key informant interviews 

• Ability to work as part of a team and independently and deliver high-quality work per deadlines. 

 

Timeframe: 

This assignment is expected to be completed between January 15 – March 31, 2023. This assignment will be completed in Malawi. 

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