TERMS OF REFERENCE
FRUIT SUBSECTOR SCOPING ASSESSMENT
APEEL PROJECT PRE-IMPLEMENTATION PHASE

Position: Individual Short-Term Consultant
Location: Vietnam
Contract Term: Up to 46 days

A. PROJECT BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

About IFC

IFC—a sister organization of the World Bank and member of the World Bank Group—is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. We work in more than 100 countries, using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities in developing countries. In fiscal year 2019, we invested more than $19 billion in private companies and financial institutions in developing countries, leveraging the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.

About IFC Agribusiness Advisory Services

IFC has made agribusiness a priority because of its potential for broad development impact and especially strong role in poverty reduction. We combine investments and advisory services to help the sector address higher demand and escalating food prices in an environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive way.

IFC invests across the agribusiness supply chain—from farm to retail—to help boost production, increase liquidity, improve logistics and distribution, and expand access to credit for small farmers. IFC Advisory Services (AS) supports companies that promote good agricultural practices that benefit small-scale farmers, and value chain solutions involving small and medium size enterprises.

In Vietnam

IFC agribusiness advisory services have several projects to help IFC-company clients and the private sector to improve food safety practices, adopt good agriculture practices and international certifications and generally improve their operations and supply chains to secure and grow their businesses.

B. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS ASSIGNMENT

IFC is seeking consulting services for a client project focused on the fresh produce industry in Vietnam. IFC’s client has developed a shelf-life extension technology for fresh produce and seeks to expand distribution to increase market opportunities for small and rural producers in emerging markets. The goal of this exercise is to lay the groundwork so the client can build partnerships and further develop the technology and application systems required for distribution of the technology to suppliers in Vietnam.

For this particular assignment, IFC is seeking to hire a short-term consultant to address the above-mentioned objectives in Vietnam for 46 days from August 2020 to October 2020.

SCOPE OF WORK

IFC is seeking consulting services in the form of data collection to address the following questions on pomelo, lime, mango and passionfruit:

• Where are the major supply regions for each produce category?
• How broadly distributed are the growers in each region? (volume produced per land area, farmers/producers per land area)
• For each produce category, what are the major varietals grown in this region (including the percent distribution by volume)?
  
  • Domestic versus export volumes by varietal for each category
• What are the loss rates between the farm and the market?
• To what extent is refrigeration/cooling available to these producers and distributors?
• Who are the emerging aggregators and cooperatives that the client-company should develop relationships with?
• What are the existing barriers that prevent these aggregators/cooperatives from reaching export markets? (gap assessment)
  
  • Certifications?
  • Infrastructure?
• Are other post-harvest shelf-life extension products being utilized for specific produce types (e.g., wax, plastic packaging)?

In other words, the consultant is expected to do the following works to provide insights for the client- company to better understand the market opportunity and the potential of the client’s shelf-life extension technology to create value and reduce waste in the supply chain:

• Conduct a review and identify the major supply regions of each above-mentioned produce category, and how growers are broadly distributed in each region including data collections on volume produced per land area, total farmers and their distributions in each region; and major varietals grown in each region for each produce category (including the percent distribution by volume); and domestic versus export volumes by varietal for each category (5 days).
• Review and identify main distribution channels and main actors in each product supply chain in each region (5 days).
• Review and identify what existing packing methods and post-harvest techniques/technologies main supply chain players/actors in each region for each product are currently using or any other post-harvest shelf-life extension products main supply chain actors are utilizing for specific produce types (e.g., wax, plastic packaging) (10 days).
• Identify and describe apparent policy and regulations including government’s incentives and support programs relating to post-harvest shelf-life technology deployment in Vietnam (1 day).
• Review what are loss rates of the produce and their main causes between the farm and the market (5 days).
• Review and identify to what extent refrigeration/cooling is available to the main producers and distributors for each product and region (5 days).
• Review, identify and recommend who are the emerging aggregators, cooperatives leading firms, or major actors that the client-company should develop relationships with (2 days).
• Review and identify what are the existing barriers that prevent these aggregators/cooperatives or major actors from reaching export markets, including certifications, food safety infrastructure, harvesting and/or post-harvesting activities…(5 days).
• Reporting and presenting the results (3 days).

DELIVERABLES/SPECIFIC OUTPUTS EXPECTED FROM THE CONSULTANT

Deliverables include

• Detailed action plans and methodologies for each task.
• Gap analysis reports and assessment results with concrete recommendations and list of recommended partners.
• Preliminary assignment review after 6 weeks and remote final result presentation after 12 weeks since the start date.

Acceptance of Deliverables:

• All documents, reporting materials shall be developed by the Consultants and provided to IFC in electronic version.
• Payment will be made based on stated deliverables. The Consultant shall submit payment requests upon completion of the deliverables.

LOCATION

The assignment will involve in Vietnam and travels are requested.

QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS

Interested candidates are expected to have

• Minimum master’s degree in agriculture, agribusiness, economics or relevant majors.
• At least having 10 years of experience working in and for agribusiness, agriculture, and fruit & vegetable subsector and supply chains.
• Deep understanding of the sub-sector’s problems, supply chain dynamics, models and operations.
• Good understanding of pomelo, lime, mango and passionfruit production, their postharvest technologies, and products and major issues faced in Vietnam
• An extensive network and knowledge of retailers, experts, local authorities and producers to be consulted when necessary.
• Good communication and strong analytical skills, a diligent and systematic approach to the work.
• Native Vietnamese and fluent in English, and strong writing skills.
• Ability to develop and manage a good relationship and smooth communication flows with the client, and responsive.

The Consultant should provide a CV in the table format clearly indicating your background, training courses, experiences in the relevant fields/sector, list of your clients including name, address, works done/standards consulted, contacts (contact persons, emails and cellphone numbers if possible).

REPORTING

The consultant will report to the assigned IFC staff. Any contacts or work arrangements with the producer within this assignment must be informed to IFC in advance.

PROPOSAL AND COST

The applicant submits a proposal to state how and when she/he will proceed the works and proposed cost for the works by July 31, 2020.

The consultant will be expected to start the works from August to October, 2020.

CONFIDENTIALITY STATEMENT

All data and information received from IFC for the purpose of this assignment are to be treated confidentially and are only to be used in connection with the execution of these Terms of Reference.

All intellectual property rights arising from the execution of these Terms of Reference are assigned to IFC. The contents of written materials obtained and used in this assignment may not be disclosed to any third parties without the expressed advance written authorization of the IFC.

The consultant must guarantee that:

• Never transfer or give any things obtained from this assignment including from the producer/client and from IFC to anyone and to any third-party organizations.
• Fully take legal responsibilities and commitments including any damage compensations caused by the violations of the consultant to the confidentiality and intellectual property rights of this assignment.

OWNERSHIP OF MATERIALS

Any deliverables under this assignment in any form will be the property of IFC including intellectual property developed under this assignment. All the Project outputs including reports and other creative work called for by these Terms of Reference in written, graphic, audio, visual, electronic or other forms shall acknowledge the support of IFC.

Applications should be sent to Pham Duc Uy at [email protected] no later than July 31, 2020

Organization: IFC
Location:
Application deadline: 2020-07-31
Send application to: [email protected]