Public Procurement Expert Short-Term Consultancy

Solidaridad is seeking Expressions of Interest (EOIs) from qualified individuals or entities for the provision of services to complete a scoping and mapping exercise which offer key insights and lessons to promote smallholder participation in and bring more locally produced and healthy foods into public procurement markets in selected African countries.

A summary of the consultancy is outlined below. Please read the full Terms of Reference before applying.

Objectives

Strengthening civil society is an important precondition to deliver our strategic learning objectives. Under its Public Procurement Learning Track, Solidaridad seeks to understand sustainable procurement in the global South, in particular Africa and Asia. This includes how governments and public procurement agencies take decisions, and what factors are taken into account in the procurement processes. Solidaridad wishes to develop internal knowledge and learning that supports us in developing an advocacy agenda on strategies to support our current programme outfit, assist civil society organizations in engaging with public procurement agencies and to promote and encourage the procurement of (larger volumes of) healthy and sustainable food from smallholder farmers. We also seek to influence policymakers in the design and implementation of public food procurement initiatives targeted at smallholders, and strengthen policy propositions that are beneficial to the sustainability of livelihoods of smallholder farmers, workers  and vulnerable groups such as women and the youth.

Hence, we consider and want a deeper understanding of the following guiding questions:

  • How are governments and public agencies currently sourcing?
  • How can we influence them to change their sourcing criteria?
  • What do public agencies need from local smallholder farmers of healthy and sustainable food to purchase from them, and how important is each need?
  • What example interventions can be used in harnessing the potential of public procurement (scale out and up? 5. How can Solidaridad help to position local smallholder farmers to meet these needs?

Qualifications

  • Demonstrates extensive knowledge and understanding of the public procurement supply chain and mark uptake
  • Has a good understanding of agriculture intellectual opinion on aspects related to healthy diets and nutrition
  • Understands sustainable development strategies for large and small businesses, industry organizations, international development agencies and government
  • Has a track record of no less than five successful years of consultations with a range of diverse international organizations and institutions
  • Strong analytical, research and report writing skills

Consultancy Period

This consultancy will commence in December. Weekly update meetings will be held from the inception of the assignment. A first draft report for internal review will be submitted at the end of January 2022. A final report will be submitted at the end of February 2022.

Application deadline: 30 November, 2021

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