Skip to main content

Announcement | Jobs

Registration Ended

Technical Consultant for Conducting Value Chain Study

  • Deadline:
  • Sector: Jobs

JOB TITLE:  Technical consultant for conducting Value Chain Study.

REPORTING TO: Project Manager

LOCATION: Aden

CONTRACT DURATION: Four (4) weeks.

ABOUT NMO:

NMO is a registered national NGO with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor No. 284. Our mission is to take the lead to empower communities in Yemen through humanitarian response and sustainable development programs in a professional way through effective partnerships. NMO started its activity in Yemen since 2012 and has been implementing projects in 5 sectors namely FSL, Education, WASH, Shelter, and Governance and skill-building.

PROJECT TITLE: Food to Resilience (FuTuRe)

PROJECT GOAL:

The overall project objective is to build sustainable livelihoods and strengthen resilient communities in the targeted districts of the project: Al-Qatn, Sayun, Shibam, and Wadi Al-Ayn in Hadhramaut, Yemen. The project seeks to empower young men and women for families in the targeted villages by raising youth capabilities, promoting gender equality, empowering women through programs that help integrate women into work and become productive members of society, promoting climate adaptation, and enabling families to exit humanitarian aid to self-sufficiency. This would enable families to move from dependence on general food assistance GFA to self-reliance, through transitional enrollment in FFA and FFT activities, designed to improve the economic situation of target communities.

TARGETED AREA: Wadi Hadhramaut (Sayun, AlQatn, Shibam, Hora-Wadi Al Ayn, tareem).

BACKGROUND & RATIONALE:

The Hadhramaut governorate in Yemen has faced severe disruptions to its agricultural sector due to the ongoing conflict in the country. Smallholder farmers have experienced significant challenges in accessing inputs, markets, and support services, leading to declines in productivity and household food security. To address these issues, NMO is implementing a project aimed at restoring agricultural livelihoods and improving food security in the targeted communities.
As part of this project, NMO organization requires a comprehensive value chain analysis to better understand the constraints and opportunities within agricultural value chains for Onion, Tomato, Lemon and black seed priority crops. This study will form the design of effective interventions to strengthen these value chains and support sustainable income generation for smallholder farmers.

EXPECTED OUTPUTS:

The final output of this exercise is a report focus on the following:

Value chain mapping and analysis:

1.    Mapping the value chain, Identifying the main actors and other stakeholders and how are they linked and interact in the value chain, assessing the flow of products, information, and financial resources along the value chains for the four crops.
2.    Analysis of input/output markets. Examining the input/ output markets and their structure, including procurement processes, analyzing the competitiveness of crops/agricultural products targeted for export.
3.    Identifying the bottlenecks, gaps, constraints and challenges in the back and forward linkages between different actors (producers, financers, traders, processors, aggregators, regulators, exporters, consumers, etc.) for the targeted crops.

Market analysis:

4.    Market analysis, the study of the market through different perspectives, such as market size, market growth rate, market trends and market, linkages needed and profitability. 
5.    Analyze demand-supply analysis, internal and external factors and variables that affect the Market. Identify the constraints and opportunities pertaining to expanding the market for the selected value chain.
6.    Analysis (diagnosis) agricultural practices that farmers are currently using (agricultural management, disease and pest management, planting, irrigation, fertilizer, current harvest and post-harvest processing and practices, etc.), and to what extent do these align with best practice (e.g., the Climate Smart Agriculture approach, conservation agriculture). Recommend the farming techniques required to achieve market production and quality standards.

Economic analysis:

7.    Economic analysis of the value chain, and development options and Assess the value added creation and distribution among the various actors of the chains, and related inefficiencies. will include analyzing the financial position of the value chain actors: Identifying costs and required investments: variable costs, costs of losses, fixed costs, investment costs, calculating revenues per actor, net income, net margin, breakeven point, etc.

Agricultural Crop production profile:

8.    Analysis (diagnosis) agricultural practices that farmers are currently using (agricultural management, disease and pest management, planting, irrigation, fertilizer, current harvest and post-harvest processing and practices, etc.), and extent do these align with best practice (e.g., the Climate Smart Agriculture approach, conservation agriculture). Recommend the farming techniques required to achieve market production and quality standards.

Recommendations:

9.    Identifying which elements of the chain should be improved and what are the recommended actions. Provide clear, actionable recommendations for project interventions to strengthen the agricultural value chains for the targeted crops. Address the key constraints identified and outline strategies for upgrading, improved coordination, and sustainable development of the value chains.
10.    Ensure the recommendations are practical, context-specific, and aligned with the project's objectives and scope.

OBJECTIVES:

The objectives of this assignment will serve as an evidence base for the development of agricultural value chain optimization proposal/project and funding proposals for Onion, Tomato, Lemon and black seed crops in Hadhramaut. The consultant will analyze the agricultural value chain in certain districts of Wadi Hadhramaut, assess market performance and financial performance at each stage of the value chains, from farmer to midstream agents to final consumer/exporter.

The key objectives of this agricultural value chain study are:

  • Identifying all the actors involved in the value chain, as well as their linkages, role, and added value.
  • To map and analyze the structure, dynamics, and performance of priority agricultural value chains for the important four crops in Wadi Hadhramaut.
  • Identifying the bottlenecks, gaps, constraints and challenges in the back and forward linkages between different actors (producers, financers, traders, processors, aggregators, regulators, exporters, consumers, etc.), as viewed by the chain actors.
  • Identifying which elements of the chain for the four intended crops should be improved and what is the recommended actions. Provide clear, actionable recommendations for project interventions to strengthen the target agricultural value chains.
  • Build the capacity of project staff and local partners in applying value chain analysis for agricultural development.

SCOPE OF WORK

The intended value chain study should be restricted to the prioritized agricultural products (Onion, Tomato, Lemon and black seed) /value chains, to be validated during the inception phase.

The geographical scope will be the Wadi Hadhramaut, either the targeted districts of the project being Sayun, Al-Qatn, Shibam and HoraـWadi Al Ayn, Tareem or other districts of Hadramout which are not targeted with a particular emphasis on the districts/communities targeted by the humanitarian project. The consultant may also need to consider linkages to markets and value chain nodes outside of the immediate project area.

KEY TASKS:

Desk Review:

  • Conduct a thorough review of existing literature, data, and secondary sources on the agricultural sector and value chains in Hadhramaut.
  • Identify key actors, market channels, production, and trade volumes, as well as constraints and opportunities within the value chains.

Value Chain Mapping:

  • Map the core functions, supporting services, and enabling environment for the agricultural value chains of the four targeted crops.
  • Identify all the key actors involved, their roles and linkages, as well as the flow of products, information, and finances.
  • Develop visual value chain maps to clearly illustrate the structure and dynamics of the value chains.

Value Chain Analysis:

  • Examine the performance, governance, and distribution of benefits across the different value chain actors.
  • Analyze production volumes, yields, quality, post-harvest handling, market channels, prices, trade flows, access to inputs/finance, gender dynamics, and environmental sustainability.
  • Identify the critical constraints and leverage points for upgrading the value chains.

Stakeholder Consultations:

  • Engage a diverse range of value chain actors through interviews, focus groups, and potential surveys.
  • Ensure adequate representation of smallholder farmers, especially women and other vulnerable or marginalized groups.
  • Gather both qualitative insights and quantitative data on volumes, costs, and margins.
  • Build trust and rapport with local stakeholders to elicit reliable information.

Recommendations: 

  • Identifying which elements of the chain should be improved and what is the recommended actions. Provide clear, actionable recommendations for project interventions to strengthen the target agricultural value chains. 
  • Address the key constraints identified and outline strategies for upgrading, improved coordination, and sustainable development of the value chains.
  • Ensure the recommendations are practical, context-specific, and aligned with the project's objectives and scope.

Capacity Building:

  • Deliver training sessions for project staff and local partners on value chain analysis and its application for agricultural development.
  • Develop tools, templates, and other resources to support the ongoing use of value chain approaches.
  • Facilitate the co-creation of recommendations to ensure buy-in and ownership by local stakeholders.

DELIVERABLES:

  • Inception Report: Detailing the proposed methodology, work plan, and timeline.
  • Draft Value Chain Study Report: Presenting the findings from the desk review, mapping, analysis, and stakeholder consultations.
  • Final Value Chain Study Report: Incorporating feedback and finalizing the recommendations.
  • Capacity Building Materials: Training presentations, tools, and other resources developed.

TIMELINE:

The value chain study is expected to be completed within 4 weeks, as follows:

Week 1

  • Inception Phase

Week 2

  • Desk Review and Value Chain Mapping

Week 3

  • Stakeholder Consultations and Value Chain Analysis

Week 4

  • Reporting and Capacity Building

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE:

The consultant should have the following qualifications and experience:

  • Minimum 5 years of experience in conducting agricultural value chain studies, preferably in conflict-affected or fragile contexts.
  • Strong understanding of value chain concepts, methods, and their application for sustainable agricultural development.
  • Proven track record of engaging diverse stakeholders, including smallholder farmers and marginalized groups.
  • Excellent analytical and report writing skills, with the ability to translate complex information into clear, actionable recommendations.
  • Experience in capacity building and training on value chain analysis tools and approaches.
  • Familiarity with the agricultural sector and market dynamics in Yemen or the broader Middle East region.
  • Fluency in English and Arabic (written and spoken).

To apply, please visit the following link 👇

https://ee-eu.kobotoolbox.org/x/OY31Lch5