African Union - InterAfrican Bureau for Animal Resources
Corrigendum
Background Information
The Assignment
The purpose of this service contract is to support African Union Member States (AU-MS) successfully develop and implement national fisheries and aquaculture sectoral strategies and National Agricultural Investment Plans (NAIPs) that are aligned to the Policy Framework and Reform Strategy for Fisheries and Aquaculture in Africa (PFRS) and climate change adaptation. The aim of this is to benchmark and establish twinning mechanisms for peer review to strengthen coherence in the sector to the PFRS and capacity for realistic fisheries and aquaculture policy making.
Contracting Authority
African Union – Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources, Nairobi, Kenya.
Background
Africa’s fishery sector produces over 11 million tons of fish annually employs over 12 million people, contributes 1.24% of continental GDP and is a major source of food for over 200 million Africans. It is among the primary food and nutrition as well as livelihood sources for several rural communities. The sustainability and expansion of the sector, are therefore among Africa’s prospects for reducing poverty and spurring rural development and socio-economic growth.
The sustainability of Africa’s fisheries sector, unfortunately remains challenged by poor governance, low levels of investment, environmental degradation and climate-change. Environmental degradation and climate-change have been cited as causes for loss of breeding and fishing grounds, diminution of fish landing sites and reduced fish production in the small-scale fisheries and aquaculture sub-sectors. Livelihoods and thus, the socio-economic status of rural fishing communities has progressively become at stake. The contribution of the sector towards African Union Member State’s (AU-MS) national GDP’s, food and nutrition security and rural development is consequently below the anticipated most AU-MS national goals for the sector.
The PFRS seeks to address the bottlenecks hindering the establishment of sustainable climate-smart commercial fisheries and aquaculture development by anchoring on promoting healthy aquatic ecosystems and equitable trade as foundation stones for the sector. Similarly, the Africa Blue Economy Strategy (ABES) seeks to expand the economic opportunities derived from the fisheries sector based upon the same principles.
Africa Development Bank (AfDB) analyses indicate that poverty levels in Africa can be halved by promoting agricultural growth alone. Investment in Africa’s agricultural sector would also address most of Africa’s food and nutrition security concerns. The Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) articulates these prospects into a framework that guides investment to transform and accelerate agricultural growth in Africa. Hence, Africa’s Head of State and Government (AHSG) endorsed the CAADP in 2003 in commitment to boosting investment for agricultural development. The implementation of the CAADP has been cascaded down to the regional and national levels through Regional Agricultural Investment Plans (RAIPs) and National Agricultural Investment Plans (NAIPs) to facilitate the realization of this broad objective across the continent. The RAIPs and NAIPs aim to mobilize resources for investment to effectively harness the economic opportunities offered by agricultural, considering the comparative advantage of each of the agricultural sub-sectors within the respective Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and Member States (MS).
A nation’s capacity for responsible use and management of its natural resources greatly determines the extent to which it can effectively harness these resources sustainably through agriculture. The NAIPs and RAIPs were designed as tools to help AU-MS and RECs generate and direct resources from the public and private sectors to meet their sectoral CAADP targets. In this regard, they provide a framework through which wide range of resources can simultaneously be harnessed for public investment notably institutional and policy structures, infrastructure, technology, human resource development, private-sector organizations and natural resources. They present one of the most practical approaches for pooling scarce resources from the public and private sectors to attain the levels of investment needed to more effectively accomplish regional or national development goals. The value of NAIPs and RAIPs that holistically address sustainable agricultural development within the context of natural resource management and climate-change for robust and resilient agricultural value-chain development cannot be understated.
Current Situation in the Sector
Africa’s fisheries-aquaculture sector transcends a wide range of ecological habitats and socio-economic environments. Its oceans, rivers and lakes support the continent’s fisheries and growing aquaculture sub-sector. About 31% of Africa’s land surface area is suitable for small-scale fish farming and 13% suitable for commercial fish farming.
The sustainable development of Africa’s fisheries and aquaculture potential is unfortunately beset by growing threats to its aquatic resources arising from pollution, environmental degradation, inundation of wetlands, flooding, sedimentation, climate-change and inadequate fishery management policies and practices. These factors have negatively impacted water quality, breeding grounds and the status of fish populations. Increased reports of the destruction of aquaculture infrastructure after adverse climatic events are a growing concern. Traditional fish processing practices such as fish drying and smoking are weather and wood dependent. Thus, they are susceptible to climate-change events and contribute to deforestation and carbon-gas emissions. Meeting sanitary and market standards under such these conditions remains an uphill task for producers. Dedicated investment to address impacts related to environmental degradation and climate-change systematically across the continent’s fishery and aquaculture value-chain to establish resilience has generally been overlooked; and is perpetuating the business and sustainability risks the sector is facing.
Ensuring NAIPs and RAIPs become fully aligned to the PFRS and the respective environmental management and climate-Change adaptation plans will go a long way in fostering the resilience, performance and sustainability of Africa’s fishery and aquaculture sectors. The finding from this consultancy facilitate the strengthening the level of coherence and realistic policy making and budgeting for sustainable fisheries-aquaculture development as prospects for twinning those with and without PFRS aligned strategies and investment plans as a peer review mechanism will better be elaborated.
Objectives, Purpose & Expected Results
Overall Objectives
(i) To assess the extent to which AU-MS have aligned their NAIPs to their fisheries and aquaculture strategies and investment plans aligned to the PFRS, environmental management and climate-change adaptation action plans and are benefiting from this action.
Purpose
The purpose of this contract is to:
- Review (but not exclusively):
- (i) Global, continental and regional best practices for promoting and implementing climate-smart fisheries and aquaculture.
- (ii) National and regional fisheries and aquaculture sectoral plans, NAIPS, national and regional CAADP compacts, climate-change national action plans and related documents on best practices for integrating climate change into the fisheries and aquaculture sector.
- From the review, compile a list of indicators relevant for assessing climate-smart fisheries-aquaculture development in Africa.
- Undertake a SWOT analysis to assess the extent to which the PFRS and climate change has been mainstreamed into NAIPs and the impacts thereof based on PFRS Implementation Guidelines and CAADP compacts.
- Compile national success stories as case studies demonstrating the benefits and challenges associated with mainstreaming climate-change into the fisheries-aquaculture industry for lessons learning and knowing sharing.
- Recommendations for the way forward showing options for policy, resource mobilization and building partnerships to promote the adoption and implementation of climate-smart environmentally sustainable fisheries-aquaculture development aligned to the PFRS among AU-MS and other stakeholder initiatives within the industry.
- Prepare documentation on NAPIS with climate resilient fisheries and aquaculture mainstreamed
- Organize and facilitate stakeholder validation workshops on the revised NAIPs with fisheries and aquaculture incorporated.
Results to be Achieved by the Selected National Consultant
- A report on the status of alignment of the country’s NAIP to national fisheries and aquaculture policies and strategies, the PFRS and national environmental management and climate-change change adaptation strategies highlighting the implications for the sectors sustainable development and recommendations.
- National stakeholder validation workshop organized and facilitated
Assumptions & Risks
Assumptions Underlying the Project
The success of this project will depend on the commitment of AU MS to share information on their fisheries and aquaculture strategies and investment plans, NAIPs climate-change adaption action plans for the fisheries-aquaculture sector and relevant status reports. It will also depend on the availability and quality of relevant national and regional data/information on fisheries-aquaculture, environmental management and climate-change.
Risks
- Poor commitment by specialized institutions and relevant organizations towards the implementation of the assignment, inadequate institutional or human resource capacity or unwillingness to participate or contribute relevant information.
- Availability of key informants and accessibility to relevant data and documents for within the stipulated time frame of the assignment.
- Unpredictable events affecting the availability of key informants and organisation of consultative workshop(s).
Scope of The Work
General
Contract Description
The contract is within the overall broad theme of ensuring fisheries and aquaculture policies in Africa are coherent with the PFRS and coordinated at continental, regional and national levels in order to maintain healthy, productive and resilient marine, coastal and freshwater ecosystems in the context of climate change.
Among the major challenges undermining Africa’s effort for sustainably increasing the contribution of its fisheries and aquaculture sector to food security, increased livelihood and wealth creation among others is the capability of AU MS and RECs to implement policy reforms. The FISHGOV II project endeavours to address this by strengthening the capacity of AU MS and RECs develop the rational strategies and investments to facilitate coherence and effective implementation of the PFRS anchored onto global and continental best practices, so that national, regional and continental sectoral goals can be achieved.
Consequently, the main goal of the assignment is to assess the extent to which the PFRS and climate-resilience have effectively been mainstreamed into fisheries and aquaculture sectoral plans; and accordingly, into NAIPS, RAIPS and other investment programs.
To achieve these goals, the African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), through the provision of the EU funded Fisheries governance phase 2 (FishGov 2) project in collaboration with the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) is through due diligence seeking to identify and engage suitably and appropriately qualified national consultant to assess the to Establish whether the PFRS, environmental sustainability and climate-resilience have been mainstreamed into national fisheries and aquaculture sectoral plans; and accordingly into NAIPS and other national investment programs.
The selected consultant may be invited to share their findings at national and/or regional consultative validations workshops organised by AU-IBAR in a selected AU-MS.
Geographical Area to be Covered
The coverage of this contract will be national in approach and undertaken in liaison with relevant national institutions
Target Groups
• National authorities and institutions involved in fisheries and aquaculture management and planning, natural resource and environmental management climate-change adaptation and national development planning and monitoring
Specific Work
The detailed tasks to be undertaken in this contract are as follows:
- A detailed and comprehensive inception briefing with relevant AU-IBAR staff to agree on expectations and provide clarity on any outstanding issues.
- A desk review of international, continental and national documents including AU policy instruments and strategies relevant to this Contract area, such as (but not exclusive) including the Comprehensive Africa Aquaculture Development Program (CAADP), the PFRS, Africa Blue Economy Strategy, Regional and National fisheries management and aquaculture development policies, plans and programs, NAIPs/RAIPs, CAADP compacts, environmental management and climate-change adaptation.
- An evaluation of the extent to which the country has mainstreamed the PFRS, environmental sustainability and climate-change resilience into its (adaptation) fisheries and aquaculture sectoral strategies, and NAIPS other investment programs within the country.
- For best practices, liaise with national institutions such as departments of fisheries and aquaculture, water development, environmental management and development planning and monitoring especially in relation to the CAADP to identify key informants, sectoral documents and relevant data for the Contract;
- Undertake a situation analysis highlighting the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) affecting the mainstreaming and implementation of climate-smart environmental sustainability fisheries-aquaculture within AU-MS and RECs.
Upon completion of the tasks, the key experts may be invited to share their findings at national/regional consultative validations workshops in a selected AU-MS.
The selected national consultant shall ensure the sharing of knowledge related to the implementation of the project with relevant stakeholders including, NSAs, and other knowledge-based institutions in the country and region.
Project Management
Responsible Body
This contract shall be managed by AU-IBAR. Activities will be supervised by the Senior Fisheries Officer in AU-IBAR who shall also be responsible for the review and approval of reports and deliverables under this contract.
Management Structure
The contracting authority of this contract is AU-IBAR. The project is implemented in partnership with AUDA-NEPAD and is supervised by a Project Steering Committee (PSC). The latter provides supervisory and advisory guidance and may make recommendations on project deliverables where deemed necessary.
Logistics and Timing
Location
This contract will largely be performed remotely from the selected candidate’s home base.
Duration
The activities and tasks in the contract, including facilitation of the national consultative workshop, should be completed within three (3) months from the start date of the contract. Final reports should be submitted within this period.
Requirements
Qualifications and Skills
The successful national consultant is required to have a post graduate degree in fisheries, aquaculture, agricultural/fisheries economics or related disciplines such as natural resources/agricultural science/biological sciences. Qualifications and skills in agricultural policy and/or agriculture finance would be an advantage.
General Professional Experience
The candidate should have:
- i. A high level of proficiency in spoken and written of one or more African Union Official Languages;
- ii. Proven experience of knowledge in conducting related studies on fisheries, aquaculture and/or in related agricultural and environmental sub-sectors;
- iii. Good understanding of fisheries-aquaculture related environmental sustainability and climate-change issues with demonstrated knowledge of AU policy instruments and strategies relevant to this Contract such as the CAADP, the PFRS and Africa Blue Economy Strategy.
- iv. Evidence of having undertaken related consultancies, projects on behalf of development partners organization, including EU in the last 5 years;
- v. Record of familiarization with institutions (national, regional and continental) with mandates in fisheries-aquaculture or related disciplines at national, regional and continental levels in Africa
- vi. Proven skills and ability to facilitate consultation process;
- vii. Evidence of working with or knowledge of stakeholders, including NSAs, in the fisheries and aquaculture sector in Africa.
Specific Professional Experience
- i. Demonstrated evidence in supporting the development, implementation and/or evaluation of sectoral policies, strategies, investment plans and/or programs in sustainable fisheries management, sustainable commercial aquaculture development, environmental management climate-change adaptation including with CAADP compacts, NAIPS and RAIPs;
- ii. Evidence of being adequately, appropriately qualified and experienced in fisheries, aquaculture or related disciplines especially in the areas of policy making, strategic planning, investment planning and/or monitoring and evaluation of performance of sectoral policies, programs and investments.
- iii. Proven record of undertaken similar policy-oriented studies, training, conducting research, investigation and publications in fisheries, aquaculture or related fields.
- iv. Demonstrated capacity for organizing and conduction stakeholder consultative processes including workshops.
Support Staff & Backstopping
As appropriate. The selected candidate will provide support facilities to their team of experts (back-stopping) during the implementation of the contract.
Office Accommodation
There will be no requirement for office accommodation as the assignment will largely be a desk-based online assignment.
Incidental expenditure
There are no incidental expenses envisaged under this contract. Any travel and subsistence costs for missions foreseen in the terms of reference will be covered separately by the contracting authority according to its established procedures. AU-IBAR will take responsibility for all the cost implications related to the organization of the applicable Experts Consultative and Validation Workshops.
Fees
The maximum consultancy fees payable for all the services envisaged in these terms of reference is USD 3000 only (US dollars three thousand only per facilitator per country. No other payments will be made in respect of this assignment.
Reports and Payment Schedules
Reporting Requirements
Each report must consist of a narrative section and a financial section.
Submission & Approval of Reports
Reports should be submitted in MSWord and PDF versions to the Project Manager identified in the contract. The reports must be in English and where applicable any of the African Union Official Language. The Project Manager is responsible for approving the reports.
Payment
Payment shall be made upon completion of all tasks and approval of reports by the project manager and the contracting authority.
How to apply
Application Procedures
Applicants are required to submit only a technical proposal which should include:
- a) The approach to the assignment, including the proposed methodology and work plan, objectives, activities to be carried out, expected outputs, outline of the content and a clear timeframe to carry out the assignment.
- b) Detailed CVs of proposed expert, copies of relevant certificates and copies of identification documents
- c) Signed declaration form on exclusion criteria and statements of availability for the individual experts
Applications must be submitted via email on or before 11th October 2023 at 17:00hrs, Nairobi local time to: [email protected]
Any requests for clarifications should be sent on or before 3rd October 2023 to [email protected]
Terms of References (English Version)