Sahel Capital a leading fund manager and advisory firm focused on private equity, financial advisory, management consulting, and agribusiness. 

POSITION : RFP - Gender Study 

Introduction to The Nigerian Dairy Development Program
Background:

• The Nigerian Dairy Development Program (hereinafter referred to as “NDDP” and/or Project) is geared towards improving the livelihoods of smallholder dairy farmers in Nigeria by improving the productivity of their cattle and integrating them into the formal dairy value chain in Nigeria. The NDDP has nutrition and gender components which are aimed at improving nutrition outcomes and promoting women empowerment in smallholder farming communities.
• The Project is implemented by Sahel Capital Partners & Advisory Ltd (Sahel) in partnership with leading dairy processors FrieslandCampina Wamco and L&Z Integrated Farms in Oyo and Kano States, respectively.
• The first phase of the NDDP consists of a proof-of-concept phase during which Sahel is working in collaboration with the dairy processor partners, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development (FMARD), the Governments of Oyo State and Kano State, as well as a range of stakeholders with expertise in dairy development, nutrition and gender on interventions towards the development of the dairy value chain.

Key Objectives of NDDP:

• The NDDP aims to strengthen the Government’s Dairy Transformation Agenda by demonstrating proof-of-scalability in Nigeria’s processor-led initiatives for dairy development. The NDDP aims to achieve the following:
• Support women-centered dairy development and entrepreneurship to expand milk production, milk collection, processing, and marketing systems.
• Improve the health and milk production potential of target cattle herds.
• Strengthen technical support services and promote access to appropriate inputs and technologies to improve the quality and safety of milk and milk products
• Invest in women-centered community-driven dairy organizations to promote on-farm and off-farm consumption of preferred milk products.
• Improve nutrition through increases in income held in women’s hands and increased consumption of nutrient-rich foods.
• Obtain buy-in on the proposed gender and nutrition interventions from key stakeholders at the national, subnational and community levels.

Gender Study Overview

• Sahel Capital is seeking a firm or consultant to conduct a detailed study on the gender-related relations, conditions and practices amongst smallholder dairy households.
• The study will assess barriers women face in dairy producing communities, propose specific interventions and structures that will address these barriers and will ensure that women continue to maintain significant control over the proceeds from the sale of their milk and other productive assets related to daily production.
• Sahel has already established several hypotheses that that the study will investigate in more detail. Sahel hypothesizes that:
• Empowering women with the financial resources to own highly productive cattle which will be set aside specifically for dairy production would be key to helping them become micro-entrepreneurs and achieve economic independence.
• Developing an encompassing education program for the women that is targeted at dairy production as well as softer issues like personal health, family nutrition & health, financial management etc. would be a critical component for promoting women empowerment
• Establishing vibrant women’s community groups will be core to the success of any gender-related intervention
• Verifying these hypotheses will be a key focus of the gender analysis. The study will develop additional hypotheses and explore issues around employment of women in the dairy sector, control of productive assets in the dairy sector, women participation in household decision-making, access to basic education and health services for women and girls among other soft issues.

The Scope of Work encompasses the following (5) main components:

• Study Plan - Refine, test and validate a systematic gender study plan aimed at investigating hypotheses surrounding the role of women in dairy, barriers they face and ways to improve their livelihoods as well as other relevant hypotheses appropriate for this project. This plan must integrate the Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) indicators.
• Field Work - Conduct a gender study of 1,100 dairy farmers’ households in Oyo State and Kano State.
• Analysis & Recommendations - Analyze results from the study. Propose methods and interventions necessary to promote women empowerment and to improve the livelihoods of women dairy farmers, as well as highlight critical elements necessary for the interventions to succeed.
• Reporting - Develop reports and presentations on the findings and recommendations from the study.
• Stakeholder Meetings - Participate in two stakeholder meetings to discuss the study plan and the final report.
• It is important to note that Sahel will also be conducting a nutrition study in parallel with the gender study. It is thus imperative for both studies to be conducted using an integrated approach. Sahel will coordinate efforts for the consultants of both studies to develop harmonized methodologies, approaches and instruments.

Study Plan:

• Refine, test and validate a systematic gender study plan for 1,100 households
• The plan will articulate the issues and hypotheses that will be examined during the study. It will also state how the study will be conducted. Research tools, including WEAI indicators to be used during the construction and implementation of the study should be clearly stated. Key activities during this phase should include but are not restricted to:
  • Literature review conceptualizing similar studies and their application to this project
  • Validation of the hypotheses to be examined during the study
  • Validation of the research methodologies to be used (qualitative/quantitative/mixed methods – surveys, in-depth interviews, focus groups etc.)
  • Development, testing and validation of survey instruments
  • Sahel will coordinate a stakeholder meeting to review and validate the study plan prior to its implementation.

Field Work:

• Conduct gender study on smallholder dairy farmer communities in focus states in Nigeria.
• The consultant must follow widely accepted standards for ethical, professional, and scientific conduct for the study. This includes but is not limited to:
  • Observe professional standards for managing and conducting data collection.
  • Respect and safeguard the confidentiality, well-being and rights of free will and privacy of research participants.
  • Obtain informed consent from every research participant.
  • Maintain sensitivity to cultural and social differences.
  • Report research findings and methods and provide appropriate access to study data.
  • Institute and follow appropriate quality control procedures.

Analysis & Recommendations:

• Recommend methods, structures and interventions
• The consultant will be expected to analyze and propose interventions that address current barriers, promote women empowerment and improve the livelihoods of women dairy farmers. Moreover, the recommendations should highlight critical elements necessary for the interventions to succeed.

Reporting:

• Develop Microsoft Word document reports as well as a PowerPoint presentation on the findings and recommendations from the study.
• A draft report in Microsoft Word and a related Microsoft PowerPoint presentation should be prepared and must encompass the methodologies, key findings and recommendations from the study.
• Following feedback from Sahel Capital, a refined final report is to be submitted. The findings will be presented at a stakeholder meeting for discussion and feedback prior to the completion of a final report.

Deliverables:

• Draft study plan including list of hypotheses, indicators to be collected, instruments and protocol proposed for the study.
• Final study plan
• Draft report & presentation, including methodology, key findings and proposed interventions.
• Final report

Program Duration
The study in its entirety (including research design, implementation and writing of the report) is to be completed in five (5) months. Key milestones to account for while developing a timeline for the study are listed below:

• Phase Timeline
• Consultant Selection Mid April 2017
• 1st stakeholders’ workshop to discuss the study plan and its implementation Mid May 2017
• 2nd stakeholders’ workshop to discuss draft report, findings and recommendations Early July 2017
• Final report Early August 2017

RFP Response Requirements
Candidate must:

• Have prior experience and/or a background in conducting and implementing gender-related studies/projects on smallholder farmers in Nigeria.
• Have strong existing networks in both Kano State and Oyo State.
• Have a sound understanding of the local language(s) (Hausa, Fulfulde, and Yoruba), culture and customs in Kano State and Oyo State.
• Be available to conduct the study between April and August 2017.
• Be willing to coordinate with a nutrition consultant to harmonize methodologies, approaches and instruments for conducting the gender and nutrition studies.

Technical Proposal:
The technical proposal should include:

• Proposed hypotheses to be tested and validated during the study
• Proposed list of indicators for collection during the study.
• Suggested research approach and methodology (including qualitative/ quantitative/ mixed methods – surveys, in-depth interviews, focus groups etc.) to carry out the study.
• A detailed workplan that provides a breakdown of activities and outputs per phase as described in the Scope of Work.

Personnel and Management:

• The candidate should provide a project staffing organizational chart, listing proposed personnel to be assigned to this project. Please also include the role and a bio for key personnel listed. Bios must include education, training, languages, key accomplishments and relevant experience comparable to that described within this RFP.
• All key personnel should be indicated in the Proposal and their commitments confirmed. Additionally, please include the number of support staff (e.g., enumerators) and their proposed roles in this study.

Corporate Capability and Past Experience:

• The candidate should provide a brief description of the firm’s organizational and corporate capabilities. In addition, using the form included in the appendix, the candidate should provide at least three (3) examples of current or past performance projects similar or relevant (and references associated) in nature to the efforts identified in the Scope of Work in this RFP in Nigeria, preferably in the focus states, Oyo State and Kano State. At least two of the examples must demonstrate the use of WEAI indicators.

Price Proposal

• Candidates should submit a Price Proposal that clearly cross references the phases of the Scope of Work.
• All costs associated with delivering the Scope of Work must be detailed within the Price Proposal. This includes but is not limited to:
  • Labor
  • Personnel’s Daily Rates
  • Level of Effort
  • Expenses
  • Transportation
  • Quality control
  • Data analysis
  • VAT
• All prices should be quoted in Naira.

Corporate Information (if the applicant is a firm)
The following information shall be provided as annexes:

• Location of the individual/organization’s current functioning office(s) and/or places with existing presence throughout the Nigerian region or elsewhere.
• A copy of the company’s legal Registration Certificate
• A copy of the company’s PIN Certificate
• A copy of a Valid Tax Compliance Certificate
• A copy of a current practicing certificate from the relevant professional body.

Evaluation Criteria

• Main Criteria Weighting (%)
• Basic requirements Prerequisite
• Technical proposal 40%
• Corporate capability and past experience 30%
• Personnel and management 20%
• Corporate information Prerequisite
• Price proposal 10%
• The success of a company or candidate’s proposal will be based on six (6) criteria:

How to Apply
Candidates should send their proposals to:nebo@sahelcp.com

Note

• Any questions regarding this RFP should be made by email to Nathalie Ebo (using the e-mail above) by 20th of March 2017.
• Proposals of not more than 15 pages in length, excluding additional materials (such as CVs in separate annexes that will not count towards the 15-page limit), should be emailed to Nathalie Ebo (using the e-mail above) on or before the above stated closing date.
• No proposal submitted after the above stated closing date will be accepted.
• Basis for Selection Sahel Capital will select the Consultant for this study through a fair and transparent process. Proposals will be evaluated using the criteria outlined in Section III of the RFP. 
• Sahel will make contact with given references to authenticate and ask any questions that may be relevant to this project.