1.0 Background
AATF is a not-for-profit organization that is driven by the vision of a prosperous, resilient, food and nutrition-secure Africa, where smallholder farmers’ livelihoods are transformed through agricultural innovations.
AATF has developed a five-year strategy (2023- 2027), dubbed Scaling for Impact, which builds on the lessons learned and progress made during the previous strategic periods. The new strategic plan is anchored on three Strategic Objectives (SO) which are:
- SO1: Diversify agricultural technologies and expand frontiers for next-gen products in Africa.
- SO2: Accelerate the commercialization and scaling of agricultural technologies.
- SO3: Promote the creation of a functional enabling environment for increased uptake of agricultural technologies and efficient markets.
To address a wide range of issues that impact farmers, AATF has cross-cutting priorities (CCPs) that underpin the new strategic objectives above, these CCPs are as follows:
- CCP1: Improve climate change resilience among farmers in Africa.
- CCP2: Enhance access to resources, agribusiness opportunities and technology for women and youth.
- CCP3: Improve nutrition for farmers and consumers in Africa.
- CCP4: Build knowledge and foster evidence-based decision making.
In this new phase, AATF will increase its focus on commercialization and scaling, ensuring that it attains the desired impact through delivery of products and innovations to farmers. It aims at efficient and effective delivery of its technologies and services through strategic partnerships and a country-centric approach. Further, the organization has developed a robust Theory of Change and a Result Framework that guides the implementation of the strategic plan.
It is against this background that AATF is seeking a consultant to carry out a baseline evaluation for the AATF 2023-2027 strategic plan.
2.0 Purpose of the Evaluation
This evaluation will serve dual objectives of accountability and learning as follows:
- Accountability: Generate robust evidence of the current state of the organization in achieving its vision of a prosperous, resilient, food and nutrition-secure Africa.
- Learning: Establish a foundation for effective learning and ensures that the organization’s capacity for knowledge in promoting access, adaptation, and adoption of innovative agricultural technologies is reflected and optimized during strategy implementation.
Specifically, the evaluation will:
- Establish baseline data for the set indicators against which progress and impact of the strategic outcomes and the cross-cutting priorities (i.e. Gender, Nutrition, Climate change, Knowledge management), can be measured.
- Provide a solid foundation for identifying impact pathways and learning agenda that will contribute to learning initiatives that are aligned with the organization’s objectives.
- Examine the AATF Theory of change and how it contributes to transformative agricultural development in Africa.
- Assess the viability of the AATF delivery model enablers for the effective implementation of the strategic plan.
3.0 Methodology
This baseline evaluation will build a basis for mid-term and end-line evaluation that will be undertaken during the strategy period. Therefore, the proposal should include an overall evaluation design with the appropriate methodology that will allow future replication and analysis.
The methodology should include a mixed approach combining qualitative and quantitative data. Case studies (for example from farmers, partners, and value chain actors) may be used, especially to illustrate the effectiveness of certain approaches and models in achieving impact.
4.0 Evaluation Scope
AATF’s programming and footprint is across 24 countries in East, Southern and West Africa. Therefore, the evaluation design should provide a representative sample that provides a strategic, global outlook.
5.0 Expected Deliverables
The consultant will be expected to deliver the following:
- Inception report: Including baseline study plan, data collection methods, tools, and timeline.
- Draft baseline report with accompanying sections as agreed during the inception.
- Preliminary finding presentation to AATF
- Final presentation and final baseline evaluation report with data annex of the baseline data
6.0 Timeframe
The assignment will take a duration of six months from the contract start date and the definitive timeframe and planning for execution will be agreed with the management.
7.0 Application Requirements
Interested Individual consultant(s)/consultancy firms are expected to submit the following:
A. Technical Proposal (Not more than 8 Pages)
- Clear work plan and timelines describing the proposed methodology to undertake this assignment.
- Proof of experience in handling similar projects by providing a list of past and present clients for which the consultant(s)/firm has already conducted an evaluation study.
- Submit at least three Certificates of completion/recommendation letters from previous most recent clients preferably in areas of evaluation (include contact information).
- Indicate qualifications of the lead team and support team, with CVs and functional responsibilities of the key people to be engaged.
- Indicate years of experience in the field of evaluation. (Over 10 years of experience will be an added advantage)
- Company Profile.
- Any other information to support your proposal.
B. Financial Proposal (Not more than 2 Pages)
- Budget should be clearly broken down and justified including estimated days of working, expenses related to data collection, analysis, report writing, and presentation.
- Be comprehensive and inclusive of all applicable taxes.
- Clear cost structure for the evaluation study.
- Indicate terms and conditions of payment.
8.0 Application Submission
Interested applicants should send their Technical and Financial Proposals together with other supporting documents to the Procurement Officer through the email procurement@aatf-africa.org by COB June 19th June, 2023, with the subject head ‘Baseline Evaluation’.
9.0 Terms and conditions of the proposal
AATF reserves the right to request new or additional information regarding each service provider and any individual or other persons associated with its project proposal. AATF reserves the right not to make any appointment from the proposals submitted.
Service providers shall not make available or disclose details pertaining to their Project proposal with anyone not specifically involved, unless authorized to do so by AATF. Service providers shall not issue any press release or other public announcement pertaining to details of their project proposal without the prior written approval.
AATF Service providers are required to declare any conflict of interest they may have in the transaction for which the tender is submitted or any potential conflict of interest. AATF reserves the right not to consider further any proposal where such a conflict of interest exists or where such potential conflict of interest may arise.
10.0 Confidentiality Statement
All data and information received from AATF for the purpose of this assignment are to be treated confidential 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 AATF.
