1. Background

Oxfam is a global movement of people, working together to end the injustice of poverty. That means we tackle the inequality that keeps people poor. Oxfam’s vision is a just world without poverty. We are a confederation of more than 20 Oxfam affiliates working across the world as one Oxfam International on goals that support our shared vision. We want a world where people are valued and treated equally, enjoy their rights as full citizens, and can influence decisions affecting their lives.

Oxfam, in consortium with three other local organizations, secured a four - year funding from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, with the support of the European Union, to implement a project titled “Horticulture Value Chains Project (HVC)” in four districts of Rwanda namely: Nyagatare, Kamonyi, Rulindo, and Nyamagabe. The project aims to unlock the potential of Rwanda’s horticultural value chains, ensuring sustainable supply of safe and high-quality products to local, regional and international markets.

Oxfam in Rwanda seeks to achieve the project’s objectives by applying inclusive business approach that combines private sector development with inclusive growth objectives. Furthermore, the project will reduce food losses and increase value chain efficiencies, improve food safety, promote inclusion of entrepreneurial smallholders and use climate smart technologies.

One of the HVC project’s desired outcomes is to increase access and capacity to respond to demand/supply of produce on local, regional and international markets in targeted districts’’. To achieve this outcome, based on the modeling of an Oxfam programme known as EDP (Enterprise Development Programme), the project will undertake a capacity assessment of processors enterprises to identify processor’s capacity and gaps and needs for support in project districts.

2. Objectives of the assessment:

This assessment will build on an existing mapping of horticulture processing enterprises which was undertaken earlier in 2021. This assessment will pick twenty enterprises among those that were already mapped and will do an in-depth analysis of each of those enterprises’ cash flows and profitability, opportunities for growth, social impact, capacity to support smallholder farmers, and associated risks. In the end, the assessment intends to help horticulture enterprises to increase opportunities for inclusive market systems that generate income and job opportunities especially for women and youth active in horticulture value chains.

Specifically, the assessors will:

Select twenty enterprises out of the already mapped horticulture enterprises while ensuring a good balance in terms of district coverage, variety of horticulture crops, sizes of the enterprises, and their potential contribution to the HVC project.
Visiting and working closely with identified enterprises to understand their business model, cash flows and profitability, social impact, risks associated to conducting their businesses.
Provide an assessment report which shows clearly the support required by the selected enterprises to be able to contribute to improving access to market and increased income to horticulture farmers.
Present in the assessment report the risks and mitigation measures for the growth of identified horticulture enterprises.

3. Expected scope of the assessment will entail:

Desk review and literature review
Preparation of mapping tools and questionnaires
Scientifically acceptable data collection methodology
Management of field researchers and required clearances
Data processing (collection, entry, verification, and analysis)
Report writing (draft and final version)
Presentation of draft report internally at Oxfam and wider stakeholders’ workshop for validation.

4. Methodological approach

Interested firms are invited to provide detailed technical and financial proposals (including detailed research methodology, techniques of data collection, analysis, sampling framework, and detailed presentation of costs).

Proposals of interested firms will have to contain an explanation on how collected quantitative and qualitative data were triangulated with regional and international statistics/data.

5. Duration of the assignment

The assessment is expected to be completed within 45 working days from the day of contract signature, including report writing. Interested firms will be expected to present realistic work schedules which will be followed. Any delays in the undertaking of the assessment which will not have been cleared prior to implementation will result into penalties to be specified in the contractual agreements.

6. Contractual obligations

The assessment will be commissioned by Oxfam in Rwanda. The winning firm will enter into a contractual agreement with Oxfam in Rwanda. The undertaking of the assessment study shall be coordinated closely with local implementing partners DUTERIMBERE ONG, COCOF, and DUHAMIC ADRI. The winning firm shall therefore be required to liaise with Oxfam in Rwanda designated staff and mentioned institutions’ designated staff while carrying the assessment.

7. Qualification and required experience for the assignment

Interested firms will be evaluated on the following:

Have a minimum of four years of proven research work in rural development, agricultural development, horticulture farming, women economic development, and other related fields.
The team leader should have a minimum of 8 years of working experience in private sector development, mapping markets’ niches, markets’ analysis, agriculture/rural development-related research.
Strong experience in working within horticulture value chains.
Demonstrated records of similar studies conducted recently.
Experience of using Stata or SPSS for data collection as well as the use of online tools for data collection and analysis will be an added value.
Practical application in social and private sector development researches will be an added value.
Prior work experience in Rwanda is strongly recommended.

8. Application process

Only one proposal per consulting firm will be accepted. Proposals must include the following:

Cover letter showing prior experience in a similar study area.
Technical proposal indicating study approach, methodology (sampling techniques), and work plan.
Financial proposal showing a clear budget breakdown at each activity stage and total amount expressed in Rwandan Francs.
Updated CVs of the research team with relevant work experience, formal education qualifications, and 3 referees.
At least three certificates of completion/proof of completion of similar and recent research.
Valid RRA Tax clearance certificate.
Valid RSSB contributions clearance certificate.

Please submit your expression of interest, updated CV, technical proposal, and financial proposal to Kigali@oxfam.org.uk  copy Kigaliprocurement@oxfam.org.uk  with subject Annual Survey for the project “Sustainable Livelihoods in Horticulture Value Chain”, not later than 30 September 2021 at 11:45 PM

Ethical and safeguarding considerations

Oxfam has a zero-tolerance policy towards inaction against sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse. Oxfam’s ethics for safeguarding will be emphasized and remain mandatory throughout the process of the undertaking of the mapping study. Engagements and support will aim to create and maintain safe, equitable, and inclusive culture where all those who work for and with Oxfam as well as those in the communities where Oxfam operates are treated with dignity and their rights and voices are heard and respected.