TechnoServe (TNS) is a non-profit international development organization founded in 1968. Our mission is to help entrepreneurial men and women break the cycle of poverty by building businesses that create jobs, income, and economic opportunities for their families, their communities, and their countries. As a partner with The Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority, TechnoServe aims to support the creation of a sustainable Ethiopian coffee industry that can lift millions of coffee farming families out of poverty. Over the past decade in Ethiopia, TechnoServe has supported the establishment of 100 new coffee washing stations and trained 160,000 farmers in sustainable farming practices. TechnoServe believes that with the right vision, coordination, and on-the-ground awareness, Ethiopia’s coffee industry can grow into a multi-billion-dollar export business benefitting producers and the country as a whole.
TechnoServe Ethiopia is inviting Consultants to submit a proposal (including previous qualifications) for conducting the coffee research strategy part of the Comprehensive Ethiopian Coffee Strategy. The Consultant may be based at their home location, with some travel to Addis Ababa for meetings, workshops, and other commitments.
The consultancy will be for a period of 12 weeks:
· Between July 30th, 2018 and August 17th, 2018 the Consultant will work with the Working Team on developing workshop materials for coffee research
· Between August 20th and October 15th, 2018 the Consultant will work with the Working Team on developing a concise coffee research strategy document
Responsibilities of Research Consultant:
· Review and synthesize key strategy documents from Ethiopia’s coffee research institutions (JARC, EIAR, etc.)
· Attend research synthesis workshops with key stakeholders in Jimma and Addis
· Synthesize stakeholder feedback from workshops
· Create draft of research sub-report (in Microsoft Word and PowerPoint form), combining literature review with stakeholder feedback and consultant’s own research expertise - sub-report to be included within broader strategy document
· Collaborate with Working Team to layer data analysis and benchmarking into research sub-report
· Collaborate with Working Team to create final research sub-report (in Microsoft Word and PowerPoint form)
Deliverables of Research Consultant:
· Draft of research sub-report (in Microsoft Word and Powerpoint format)
· Final version of research sub-report (in Microsoft Word and Powerpoint format), to be completed by 12 October, 2018.
The consultant is required to cite all external sources used and consultant is expected and responsible for abiding by relevant copyright laws, citing all sources clearly and accurately. In addition, the consultant is required to keep a detailed record of time devoted to carrying out this assignment to be submitted to TNS along with the Consultant invoice for payment, accordingly to TNS requirements.
BID EVALUATION AND AWARD
Evaluation and award will be based on the Consultant’s experience, adequacy of proposed work plan (i.e., the technical evaluation) and its offer (i.e., the financial evaluation). A two-stage procedure will be adopted for evaluation of the proposals, with the technical proposal opened and compared first. Selection will be based on a “best-value” basis.
Only Consultants whose technical proposals score 70% or above will be considered for the financial evaluations. The financial proposals for Consultants scoring below 70% on their technical proposals will be returned unopened.
The Technical Proposal
Technical proposals will be evaluated using the following criteria:
a) The Consultant’s organizational adequacy, professional reputations and general experience in the field of assignment (20%);
b) The adequacy and quality of the proposed approach and methodology of conducting market systems research and a feasibility study, and work plan (completion time and program) (40%);
c) The Consultant’s experience, as indicated in the proposal, with analyzing and developing interventions targeted at women and youth (20%)
d) The Consultant’s ability to independently lead and schedule their own meetings at the field level, demonstrated through previous experience and their networks (20%)
Financial Evaluation
Proposed costs will be reviewed for reasonableness. Please note that TNS Ethiopia is not necessarily bound by any of the Consultant’s submitted proposals. Further, as quality is the principal selection criterion, selection will be based on the principle of “best value,” and TNS Ethiopia does not bind itself in any way to select the firm offering the lowest price.
Overall Evaluation
The total score shall be obtained by weighting the technical evaluation and price scores and adding them. The weight for the technical and financial evaluations shall be 70% and 30% respectively.
The Consultant obtaining the highest total score shall be invited for negotiations. If the negotiation fails, TNS Ethiopia shall terminate the negotiation and invite the next ranked firm for negotiation.