SUPPORT WITH RESEARCH TO IDENTIFY PATHWAYS TO PUT FARMERS CENTRAL IN THE ONECGIAR STRATEGY At Catholic Relief Services

https://www.crs.org/about/bid-opportunity Please visit the CRS.org website for the full scope of work and attachments.

Bid No. US4023

Feed the Future Global Supporting Seed Systems for Development activity (S34D)

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Activity Title: Find novel ways to implement an approach that involves farmers in the entire breeding process, from setting goals to selecting materials to develop seed production initiatives**

Consultancy title: Support with research and coordination to hold workshops and conference, to develop a white paper that identifies pathways to put farmers central in the oneCGIAR strategy**

Location: Remote

Duration/No. of days: maximum allowable billable days 35

S34D contact person: Dr. Bhramar Dey (Bhramar.dey@crs.org)

POET: 401735.122

Introduction:

The Feed the Future Global Supporting Seed Systems for Development (S34D) activity and Oxfam Novib’s Sowing Diversity = Harvesting Security (SD=HS) will jointly collaborate to incubate a global seed system community of practice and foster global South-South learnings. Within that broader scope, S34D and SD=HS will explore and facilitate a learning series to co-develop and provide options for a novel OneCGIAR strategy that puts smallholders central (Building a Community of Practice). Smallholders are often viewed as “end users” or “beneficiaries” rather than as “co-creators” of innovations or “participants” in decision-making processes by international agencies. In the context of the OneCGIAR transformation process, this learning series will focus on approaches that would involve smallholder farmers as active participants in the breeding and seed production cycle rather than just as end-users. Workshops and conference will be organized to investigate ways that include approaches and last-mile business models (in association with private sector partners) to put smallholder farmers central in breeding, quality seed production, and dissemination. This consultancy will support the development of a white paper that identifies options for a novel strategy that puts smallholders central in breeding and seed production.

Activity background:

The aim of this activity is for global partners – especially CGIAR – to find novel ways to implement an approach that involves farmers in the entire breeding process, from setting goals to selecting materials to develop seed production and diffusion initiatives.**

Drawing on the findings from the Participatory Plant Breeding1 workshops held by SD=HS in 2021, the following three thematic learning areas will comprise of the following:

• Ownership and benefit-sharing in participatory plant breeding
• Alliance building at the local level with farmer organizations, CSOs and local private sector initiatives (in alliance with NARS, OneCGIAR and others)

[1] https://sdhsprogram.org/workshop/

• Last-mile business models that transfer new technologies from research onto farmers’ fields

Oxfam Novib and CRS will team up to organize three workshops followed by one overall conference to investigate ways that include approaches and last-mile business models (in association with private sector partners) to put smallholder farmers central in breeding, quality seed production, and dissemination. The partners will facilitate to develop road maps on how to take (collaborative) research material to farms at scale.

Objective:

The objective of this consultancy is to support the development of a white paper (of publishable quality) that identifies pathways to put farmers central in the breeding and seed production cycle. This objective will be met by providing research assistance. In addition, the consultancy will also provide research support and coordination to conduct the workshops leading up to the final white paper.

Description of Work

The Consultant will provide high-quality research assistance with the following:

1. Participate in meeting and help in framing the overall work.
2. Using learnings from the Participatory Plan Breeding (PPB) workshop series in 2021 to formulate summaries and key takeaways to help design the workshops under the current activity.
3. Conduct literature review to fill in any gaps identified by the team using an array of resources.
4. Develop presentations for three workshops using powerful infographics to convey messages to a range of stakeholders. Support in designing and planning of the three workshops and lead the logistics and coordination efforts necessary to hold these workshops and take detailed notes and formulate workshop minutes and debriefs. The three workshops will be on the three thematic learning areas.
5. Support in drafting the technical white paper which will summarize findings, recommendations, and next steps for OneCGIAR, SD=HS and S34D.
6. Lead the logistics and coordination efforts necessary to hold the conference.
7. Support in writing the technical white paper which will summarize findings, recommendations, and next steps for OneCGIAR, SD=HS and S34D.

   Period of Performance: maximum 35 billable days in the period from on/about March 1 through September 30^th, 2022.

   Contact Person:

   The Consultant will work with CRS S34D Senior Technical Advisor (STA) for M&E, Learning, Policy, Advocacy and Strategy on a regular basis, which will include weekly calls. The Consultant with liaise with Dr. Bram Jonge from Oxfam Novib to fulfill all tasks as needed. The Consultant will conduct independent work under the guidance of S34D, and any changes suggested shall be duly and promptly incorporated by the Consultant. Adaptive responses are a must to deliver the required level of quality deemed in this short-term research. Any contractual questions from the consultant should be asked in writing and addressed to the STA with copy to the Director of Operations and Chief of Party. **

   Terms of Payment:

   Payments will be processed, net 30 days, after completion of the following four action steps:

   1. Submission of deliverable(s) by the consultant.
   2. Submission of an invoice specific to the deliverable(s) by the consultant.
   3. Approval of the deliverable(s) by CRS.
   4. Approval of each invoice by CRS.

   Requirements/Qualifications: 1. Bachelor’s degree in economics, sociology, statistics, political science, agriculture, business, or another equivalent field.

   1. Demonstrated work experience which required strong communication and coordination skills is a must
   2. Must possess strong independent research and writing skills
   3. Excellent communication in English is required
   4. Must have infographic skills to do high-quality PowerPoint presentations
   5. Work experience in a management consultancy is preferred but not required
   6. The ideal candidate should be good-humored, team player, and highly motivated