Job Description

1.    INTRODUCTION

TechnoServe (TNS) is a non-profit international development organization founded in 1968. Its mission is to help entrepreneurial men and women break the cycle of poverty by building businesses that create jobs, income, and economic opportunities for families, communities, and countries. TechnoServe is implementing the GROWTH FOR THE FUTURE (G4F) PROGRAM in both woredas of Majang zone, Gambella region. The project aims to support the sustainable development of Majang zone by increasing men and women’s incomes from non-timber forest products, such as coffee, honey and spices. One important intervention area is promoting and supporting Majang coffee marketing through coffee profiling, quality improvement measures and awareness creation, engaging key market players, including global coffee buyers.    

2.    RATIONALE OF THE COFFEE EXPORT AND PROMOTION WORK

Ethiopia is the largest producer and exporter of Arabica coffee in Africa, exporting on average 180,000 MT (3 million bags) of green coffee per year. Coffee is the country’s largest export and an important source of income for more than 1.2 million smallholder farmers. Concentrated in the South and West of Ethiopia, coffee production benefits from high-growing altitudes, ideal soils and climate, and indigenous Arabica varietals that yield unique cup profiles. The importance of the coffee industry to Ethiopia’s economy cannot be overstated. It plays a critical role, not only as the basis for rural livelihoods, but also as a source of scarce foreign currency.

However, Ethiopia is not maximizing its coffee earnings. TechnoServe estimates that increasing quality and farm yields would add hundreds of millions of USD to Ethiopia’s annual foreign exchange earnings. Thus, Ethiopia must improve coffee yields and coffee quality from existing coffee trees (versus planting additional coffee trees) as well as improve marketing and its international reputation. Furthermore, to secure the future of its coffee production, Ethiopia must preserve its forests, which are critically important to Ethiopian coffee, as almost half of the country’s coffee production depends on forest coverage.

Gambella region is a high potential area for both lowland and highland coffee. Majang zone is one of Gambella’s three zones and it produces forest coffee. Yet, the marketing of Majang coffee is limited to local market, due to a lack of institutional capacity and understanding required in order for the Majang Farmer Union to obtain an export license and start exporting. In summary, the Majang zone coffee marketing faces the following constraints:

1. Majang Union does not hold an export license, which is necessary to engage international markets directly
2. Lack of international promotion of Majang coffee and its quality attributes
3. Lack of market linkages and relationships with international coffee buyers 

To address these marketing problems, the project is building the capacity of coffee market system actors (e.g. farmers, union and cooperatives, wet and dry mills and zonal and woreda agriculture office coffee experts) around coffee quality and marketing. In addition, the project will support the Majang Union to obtain an export license, which will enable the union to start engaging the international coffee market as well as markets for other non-timber forest products (NTFPs).

3. OBJECTIVES OF THE EXPORT LICENSE AND PROMOTION

The overall purpose of this consultancy engagement to strengthen Majang union’s coffee marketing capacity and promote Majang zone coffee in the global market, thereby increasing its marketability. By the end of the consultancy, the Union will: 

• Create linkages with international buyers to broadly promote Majang coffee and its specific attributes
• Establish relationships with at least 2-3 international buyers
• Build the capacity of the Union’s staff to manage ongoing relationships with international buyers

4. SCOPE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

TechnoServe seeks to contract an Ethiopia- based consulting firm with extensive practical experience in the Ethiopian coffee sector, particularly related to coffee quality, exporting and marketing services, and working with farmer cooperative unions. The firm must be legally registered in Ethiopia. The scope of the consultancy includes:

1. Participate in meetings related to this assignment, as organized by TNS during the contract period.
2. Develop comprehensive training materials on coffee export licensing, coffee promotion and coffee marketing; This should be compiled into a manual that will be handed over to Majang Union.
3.  Based on this manual, conduct a training for Cooperative Union leaders and representatives that focus on helping them understand coffee trading system in Ethiopia and internationally, as well as requirements for exporting coffee, including:

• Coffee Business License [Export Licensing]
• Export Business processing
• Coffee Quality Control and promotion strategies
• Managing relationships with international buyers

5. Facilitating the Union’s export license: ensure that the Union completes registration with Ministry of Trade and obtains its export license by the end of 2020

Note that the Export License, Business (export processing) and Promotion training included in this consultancy is expected to include but not be limited to the following topics:

• Pre-Training Planning: Coordination 
• Training Logistics 
• Design: based on adult Learning principles
• Training manual should address the following THREE sections:
• Export Licensing, registration and certificate processes
•  Export Processing
• Promotion strategies
• Training Methods : Develop a presentation and delivering it to clients
• Training Evaluation criteria: forms of evaluation

5.  DELIVERABLES OF THE ASSIGNMENT

•  Detailed work plan, showing how the consultant will complete all assignments by December 31^st, 2020
•  Comprehensive outline of the Training Modules to be developed explained in person to the TNS team
• Final outline of the Training Modules , incorporating feedback received from TechnoServe
• Written plan for how to ensure that the union successfully completes registration with the Ministry of Trade and obtain its export license by the end of 2020
• Training Materials on: Training delivery on Export License, Business (export processing) and Promotion service
• Final version of Training Materials, both in a hard and soft copy
• Majang Union’s Export License: ensure that the union obtain its export license by end of 2020
• Promote Majang coffee profile among international buyers e.g. by using website or other means of promotion (at least connect the union with 2-3 international buyers for 2021 harvest)

6.  LEVEL OF EFFORT AND DURATION OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The estimated start and completion date of the contract is from November 20^th, 2020 to December 31^st, 2020. The maximum estimated levels of effort required to accomplish the assignment is a maximum of 30 person days. The applicants are required to provide a detailed plan and breakdown of their proposed level of efforts.    The consultant will be required to adhere with TechnoServe’s COVID-19 prevention measures during all activities related to this consultancy.

7.  PROPOSED CONSULTANCY SERVICES TO SUPPORT COFFEE EXPORT LICENSE, COFFEE EXPORT PROCESSES, AND COFFEE MARKETING AND DATES

The assignment is from Nov 20^th, 2020 to December 31^st, 2020.

Activities

Place

Dates

No. of trainings

Total LOE (days) estimated for the assignment

Developing Training Material Guide, delivery trainings and ensure export license is obtained

Majang zone, Gambella Region Nov 20^th December 31^st, 2020 3-5 30

1.  REPORTING

All deliverables shall be submitted as per the time schedule to be agreed upon between TNS and consultant.

2.  PAYMENT MODALITY

The company shall be paid the service fee upon completion of the following milestones.

• 50% after completion, submission and acceptance of comprehensive training manual on coffee export licensing, coffee promotion and coffee marketing; and plan of action report;
•  20% after completion, submission and acceptance of conducting a training for Cooperative Union leaders and representatives reports on the indicated implementation;
• 30% after submission and acceptance of final reports on coffee export license, coffee export processes, and coffee marketing and promotion performance of the union.

3.  EVALUATION CRITERIA AND PROCESS

The applications will be evaluated by TNS based on the parameters below and as needed, shortlisted candidates will be requested to participate in an interview as part of the competition for the award. Below are the criteria and weight that will be used in assessing the proposals.

Criteria Weight

• Technical Assessment
• Competence and experiences of the key staff related to the assignment 20
• Adequacy of understanding the terms and responding to the terms of references 20
• Methodology and the proposed work plan in responding to the Terms of Reference 10
• Ability and experience to working in the project intervention area  20
•  Financial Proposal 30 Total 100

TechnoServe is an equal opportunity employer. Women and Women-owned firms are highly encouraged to apply.

TechnoServe has the right to cancel this advertisement.

If you request additional information, please send it to email below in writing:

Contact person:   Wondwossen Shiferaw

Address: TechnoServe Inc. Ethiopia (TNS)

Email:   SWondwossen@tns.org

Job Requirements

QUALIFICTIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

TechnoServe seeks individual consultants or firms who fulfil the requirements below.

• BA/MA in Coffee Sector, Agribusiness and Value Chain Management, Promotion and Marketing, Export or very closely related field of study with specialization in coffee areas
• Minimum experience of 7 years for MA and 9 years for BA in direct coffee business, promotion and marketing
• Proven record of accomplishment of similar assignments and demonstrated experience in similar projects/in similar geographies through concrete project examples. For instance, experience working with TechnoServe and in Majang zone coffee are an advantage  
• Attention to detail while at the same time, an ability to identify picture conclusions
• Excellent analytical skills, able to analyze both quantitative and qualitative data
• Strong understanding of Ethiopian coffee sector and has an existing relationship with global coffee buyers As well as an understanding of the global coffee market
• Exposure and experience working with the coffee producing cooperatives and unions as well as wet and dry mills in Majang area is a plus
• Strong communication skills
• Report writing skill and fluency in English Language

How to Apply

APPLICATION PROCESS

The applicants are required to submit the financial and technical proposals separately with a full package of licenses (when applicable), resumes and references of consultants that will actually engage in this task, all in the English language. The deadline for application for this consultancy is 13^th  November 2020. The applicants are required to submit the application only in person with reference (TNS - Majang Coffee Export License, Export processes and Export promotion for marketing Consultancy services). TechnoServe will not accept any application received after November 13^th, 2020, 5:00PM in the afternoon. The financial proposal should be detailed enough and should include any relevant administrative and logistic costs related to the work.  TechnoServe Rebecca Bldg, 8th Floor, Haile G/Selassie Rd, 22 area, next to Axum Hotel

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia