Purpose:
The purpose of this scope of work is to outline duties, deliverables, and a timeframe for an Agrcultural Marketing Consultant for the USDA/CRS Cacao Promotion Project Kakawo bay Bourad pou Opòtinite ak Siksè (KABOS).

Background:
On September 29, 2016, USDA and CRS signed a five-year Agreement for the implementation of the KABOS project. The project will subsidize 7,000 smallholder cacao farmers to establish or re-establish cacao agroforestry gardens. A corollary activity is to assist smallholders to market their major agricultural products in a manner that captures an additional portion of the marketing margin. The major crops are: cacao, yam, banana, malanga, lumber, and charcoal. For that purpose, CRS is seeking an Agricultural Marketing Consultant to study the marketing opportunities to add at least 20% to the price farmers receive for their major crops and to organize marketing trials to test the possibility of increasing prices by at least 20%.

Objectives:
The objectives of this consultancy are to:
1. Study the value chains for cacao, yam, banana, and malanga to determine the possibility of modifying the value chains such that farmers receive price increases of at least 20% for the targeted crops.
2. Implement marketing trials to test the possibilities of increased revenue at the farmer level.
3. Provide a report of the results of the marketing trials.

Work to be accomplished by the Consultant:

The Consultant will study the value chains linking targeted farmers to buyers to determine the possibility of increasing farm-level prices by at least 20%. The Consultant will meet with farmers and buyers to understand prices, quantities, and qualities of targeted products. Based on this information, the consultant will design value chain linkages with the possibility of paying farmers an additional 20% over farm-gate prices existing at the time of purchase. This will mean that the Consultant must identify and recruit buyers and sellers willing to participate in the marketing trials. The Consultant will provide a report of the findings, detailing the value chain linkages (prices, quantities, qualities, packaging, financing and transport) between the farmers and buyer. The Consultant will then organize marketing trials to test the findings. The Consultant will file a final report of the results of the marketing trials.

Responsibilities of CRS and participating Buyers:
CRS will provide per diem and transport for the Consultant. Buyers will finance the marketing trials.


Deliverables Timing
November 1, 2017 through December 2018
1. A written plan and budget for the value chain studies. Delivered within 2 weeks of contract signature
2. A written plan and budget for the marketing trials Delivered within 8 weeks of contract signature
3. Implementation of the marketing trials. Delivered within one year of contract signature
4. A written report of the results of the marketing trials. Delivered within 14 months of contract signature


Place of Performance:
The Grand’Anse Communes of Jeremie, Abricot, Beaumont, and the Sud Commune of Torbeck.

Period of Performance: November 2017- January 2018


Key Working Relationships:

CRS Haiti: J.D. “Zach” Lea, Chief of Party, CRS KABOS project
Ludger Jean Simon, Agriculture-Value Chain Program Coordinator; CRS KABOS project

Participation conditions

1. Bid Submission
Proposals must offer services for the total requirements. Proposals offering only part of the requirement will be rejected. The bidder is expected to examine all the instructions, terms and specifications contained in the scope of work (SOW). Failure to comply with the (SOW) will be at the bidder’s risk and may have a negative effect on the evaluation of the proposal.

2. Clarification about the solicitation
Any prospective bidder who would need clarification about the solicitation must inform CRS by writing to: Bethanie.Saintlouis @crs.org. CRS will respond in writing to any request for clarification of the solicitation documents that will reach up to five (5) working days before the deadline for submission of proposals. In fairness, the written copies of the response of the Organization, including an explanation of the clarification solicitation but without identifying the source of the request, will be sent to all prospective bidders that have received the Solicitation.

3. Modification of solicitation
At any time prior to the deadline for submission of the proposals, CRS may, for any reason, whether at its own initiative or in response to a request for clarification by a prospective bidder, modify the solicitation by making an amendment. All prospective bidders that have received the solicitation will be notified by writing of all amendments to the solicitation. To provide prospective bidders reasonable time to consider the amendments while preparing their bids, the CRS may, at its discretion, extend the date for receipt of Proposals.

4. Ownership of submissions

The proposal and related documents shall remain the exclusive property of CRS and will not be returned to the bidder.

5. Cost of proposal preparation

All costs of proposal preparation shall be supported exclusively by the bidder. The bidder shall bear the costs incurred in providing the information requested by the petitioner for submitting proposals.

6. Language of the proposal
The bid prepared by the bidder and all correspondence and documents relating to the bid exchanged by the bidder and the CRS will be written in French or English.

7. Incorporation documents of the proposal and dispositions

Candidates are invited to submit a technical proposal and a financial proposal. Each proposal must be written in English or French. The proposal file shall consist of the following documents:
• Legal papers (Fiscal Quitus, and Business Permit –Patent-, etc.).
• The letter of invitation
• The letter of submission duly completed
• A document describing the firm and/or the team assigned to this consultancy
• The terms of reference of the consultancy
• The technical proposal
• The financial proposal
All documents must be submitted in paper format or electronically within the time specified, mentioning Irrigation Consultancy for USDA/CRS Cacao Promotion Project (KABOS).

The bidder must submit its proposal no later than August 16, 2017 by 4:00 p.m. Haiti at the following address:
Catholic Relief Service (CRS)
HR Department
1, Delmas 81, Autoroute de Delmas
Port-au- Prince, Haiti.
Email : Bethanie Saint Louis, CRS, Bethanie.Saintlouis@crs.org

Any bid received after this date and time will be rejected. CRS may, at its discretion extend the time by written notice to all bidders. Extension of time may eventually cause a change in the invitation letter and attached documents.

Documents and instructions listed above are required for the retention of bids for analytical purposes. In this sense the bidder is subject to any audit of the contents and requirements before proceeding to the submission. Any deviation of conformity will result in the cancellation of the bid.

9. Technical proposal

It must be presented in a concise and structured way in the following order:
• Legal identity and brief description (technical and financial) of the bidder. In the case of a group of consultants established for the circumstance, a convention indicating the team leader designed to represent the group vis-à-vis of CRS
• Description of the firm, its technical staff and skills
• Curriculum vitae initialed and signed by all team members
• Understanding of the needs and services required in relation to the terms of reference attached
• Methodological approach, activity timeline
• The number of people they deem necessary for the performance of the required service
• An estimate of the total working time to devote to the service while indicating the number of people
• Schedule of the work and achievements of delivery of outputs.
Include any assumptions as well as comments on the data, ancillary services and resources to be submitted by the sponsors. Any comments, or suggestions provided regarding the terms of reference should be reported in the technical proposal, as well as the methodological approach to answer.

10. The financial offer
The financial offer should cover all services to be rendered for the study. It must at least include:
• A submission letter duly signed and stamped
• Bank information of the bidder
• The preferred method of payment,
• The preferred payment means (Bank transfer, Check, etc.).
• Fixed rates per person / days
• Per Diem and hotel to stay on the field for each team member
• Logistics costs (transportation, etc.)
• Proposed schedule of payments, which are all expressed in U.S. dollars.

CRS does not commit itself to accept the lowest or any proposal. All prices must be valid for a period of at least 60 days from the deadline for submitting the proposals.

11. Criteria for Selection of Consultant
• Five years’ experience studying agricultural value chains and testing modification of agricultural value chains in Haiti to the purpose of increasing prices at the farm level.
• Documentation of previous successes at modifying agricultural value chains in Haiti for the purpose of increasing prices at the farm level.

Catholic Relief Services (CRS)
HR Department
A l'attention de Gaetane Jean
1, Delams 81, Autoroute de Delmas
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Email: mariegaetane.jean@crs.org

CRS's Recruitment and Selection procedures reflect our engagement to protect children and vulnerable adults.