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CNFA-AMD Project

US-Pakistan Partnership for Agricultural Market Development

SCOPE OF WORK

 

Project Name

CNFA-AMD/ Project Number AID-391-C-15-00003

Assignment Title

Senior Advisor for Grant Implementation and Closeout

Reports to

COP

Place of Performance

Lahore with travel to Karachi

Estimated LOE:

Through June 15

Estimated Period of Performance:

February 19- June 15, 2019

 

Project Description:

The U.S.-Pakistan Partnership for Agricultural Market Development (AMD) activity in Pakistan is a USAID funded activity implemented by CNFA with the goal of supporting the development of Pakistan’s commercial agriculture, in particular through improving the ability of Pakistan’s agriculture and livestock sectors to meet both international and domestic demand and requirements in the targeted product lines: citrus, mango, high value/off season vegetables and livestock. AMD envisions the transformation of its four targeted product lines into efficient, private sector led value chains that deliver competitive products to domestic and export markets. AMD’s targeted training, matching grants, and technical assistance will leverage private sector investment and encourage innovation. Together, these approaches will support upgrading, streamlining of supply chains, optimization of profit margins, increase in the participation of women entrepreneurs, and ultimately making Pakistani mango, citrus, meat and HV/OSV more profitable and competitive.

Objective of the Consultancy

Provides overall technical assistance and advisory support for grant practice material development, communications, final report writing and closeout activities.

Specific Tasks

Under the overall guidance of the COP and supervisor of this assignment as well as in close coordination with AMD’s team based in Lahore and Karachi, the consultant will perform the following activities:

I.  Grant Practice Material Development

1.       In coordination with grant, procurement, finance, and technical team develop grant implementation practice material which include the entire practical implementation processes, lesson learnt from best practices / standards, and additional understanding gleaned from available documents and institutional memory:

2.       Hold meetings with the technical team of CNFA’s on-going and completed projects to map the entire process being followed for grant disbursement / administration in Pakistan, and evaluate the inherent strengths and weaknesses of the procedure followed along with lessons leant and best practices

1.       Map the entire grant disbursement / administration process and chalk out all the associated activities, and in turn identify lesson learned in grant implementation;

2.      Develop a comprehensive handbook, providing systems / solutions / guidelines (other than given in grant manual) that can work at ground level in local context to preempt / meet the challenges being faced by projects in grants disbursement / administration. The major contents of such handbook are given in deliverable section.

3.       The consultant will share a draft copy of handbook with CNFA management and will submit the final version after incorporating the comments / observations / feedback given by management.

4.        Presents the key findings, analysis, and recommendations to CNFA management

II. Communications support

5.      Support the development of documentary production from inception to completion. This include review of scripts, review of documentary products;

6.        Develop weekly technical highlights

7.        Develop grant equipment catalogue

8.        Support final closeout workshop

III. Final Report writing

9.        Support the development of final report writing in citrus, HVOSV and mango sector;

10.      Review overall final report writing

IV. Closeout Activities

11.     Support overall closeout activities such as grant completion final report review and writing; inter-office memos development

Deliverables: Grant Practice Material

 

1.       A handbook including but not limited to the following major contents:

 

  •  Guidelines for aligning / correlating the project’s desired targets with the proposed grant (evaluate whether grant will yield desired results such as increase in sales of grantees, increase in export, employment generation, new investment, introduction of new technologies, etc.)
  • Guidelines for developing the technical and financial feasibility for grant to assess its usefulness, effectiveness and value for money
  • Procedure to identify the grantees through sector associations, chamber of commerce and industries, data bases of relevant government departments, academia, research, etc.
  • Issuance of EOI and RFP – use format considering the low literacy level in Pakistan and fear of grantees to disclose their business information
  • Way and means used by technical team to present proposed interventions to grantee for getting their buy-in
  • Pre-award negotiations with grantees
  • Best practices in chalking out criteria used for final selection of grantees
  • Other considerations in selection of beneficiaries and screening of grantees (any previous history of corrupt practices, history of non- performance of grantee, involved in criminal activity, etc.)
  • Guiding principles to ensure the transparency, merit, openness, etc. in grantees selection, and grant disbursement / administration
  • Guidelines for technical team to facilitate M&E team for capturing the results of grants, and communication team for branding and show casing the interventions, and OIG for audit.
  • Lessons learnt and best practices such as:

ü  Presenting the real picture to grantee

ü  Don’t over commit

ü  Cost share calculations

ü  Develop comprehensive grant agreement with all specifications of grant items

ü  Clear roles and responsibilities of each party

ü  Ensuring delivery of equipment / machines / grant items in line with provided specifications and quality parameters

ü  Avoiding delays by vendors in provision of grant items through proper financial and operational capacity assessment before issuance of procurement order and continuous follow up subsequently, etc.)

ü  Use minimum justification memo for administration of grants

ü  Get signed satisfaction form from grantees

Coordination for the practice material development

  1. Program Design: Business Analyst, Technical Team and other technical STTAs
  2. The use of CBA for grant program design and interventions: Business Analyst and Technical Team
  3. Grant program solicitation, outreach, applications, review, selection, site visits- processes and approaches: Technical Team, and Grant Team
  4. Alignment with program overall goals and objectives: Technical Team
  5. Grant equipment and cost share assets determination: Technical Team and Business Analyst
  6. Cost share verifications: methods, analysis, measurement, processes, planning, execution, etc.- Business Analyst
  7. Business plan development: Grant project objectives- Business Analyst and Technical Staff
  8. Budget Development and negotiation process

1.       Innovative equipment and inputs costs should be included in the budget.

2.       All budget line items need to be detailed and costs should be based on a market survey. The budget detail needs to be sufficient to effectively executing procurement.

a.       Number of units needs to be included

b.       Include equipment specifications

Weights and specifications of inputs (where applicable)

3.       Be aware of budgeting for transportation and branding costs.

4.       Budget notes are required. They need enough detail to guide development of milestone deliverables in Grant Agreement.

 

  1. M&E target settings, interventions design, etc: Business Analyst and M&E Director
  2. Environmental documentation, Environment Team
  3. Gender integration processes; Gender Team
  4. Equipment specification design and procurement solicitation, evaluation and delivery process: Procurement and Technical Team
  5. Factors in financial aspects such as GST, assets receiving notes, etc: Finance Team
  6. Grant completion technical report writing: Technical Team
  7. Closeout processes and best practices- Grant Team
  8. Asset disposition and grant completion certification: Grant Team
  9. Lessons learned- all staff. This may need structured questioner 
  10. Presentation, highlighting key findings, analysis and recommendations. The Presentation should include PPT.

 

Deliverables: Communications and Final Report:

  • ·         Grant equipment catalogue booklet for publication
  • ·         One pager weekly highlight COB Monday through the end of April 30
  • ·         Final Report on Citrus, HVOSV, and Mangos

 

Estimated Level of Effort and Place of Assignment

The services of Senior Advisor for Grant Implementation and Closeout are required for 30 days LOE (maximum). The duration of assignment is through June 15, 2019 whereas performance place will be Lahore.

Qualifications:

The consultant should have:

1.                Master’s degree or higher education in development economics, development sciences, business management, or other relevant degree

2.                More than eight years of professional experience of donor funded projects aim at value chain development, sector development, SMEs development, grants management, especially in agriculture sector

3.                Prior experience / proved expertise of developing manuals, handbooks, reports, and similar documents

4.                Good understanding and clear knowledge of Grants system of USAID in Pakistan

5.                Good presentation and communication skills (English and Urdu)

Knowledge of local languages will be an added advantage