The Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food was formally established by ECOWAS Commission Regulation C/REG.1/08/11. It is placed under the supervision of the Department in charge of Agriculture, Environment and Water Resources. The Agency was created to facilitate the technical execution of projects and programmes, and to make DAEWR's actions more visible in the field.

The mandate of the Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food is to "ensure the technical implementation of regional programmes and investment plans contributing to the operationalisation of ECOWAS agricultural policy, relying on regional institutions, organisations and actors with proven expertise". Specifically, it aims to:

• Strengthen the intervention and action capacities of the ECOWAS Commission, particularly DAEWR ;
• to coordinate, in a perspective of rationalisation, the activities and fields of intervention of the technical institutions specialised in the agricultural and agri-food fields;
• Contribute to the capacity building of regional actors in the preparation of documents and the implementation of activities.

Since its creation, two, three-year plans (2015-2017, 2018-2020) have been defined, from which the annual planning was developed.

Three years of implementation of the three-year plan 2018-2020 have enabled the RAAF to achieve undeniable results in at least two aspects. Indeed, from the point of view of external effectiveness, the RAAF now has a set of programmes and projects that give greater visibility to the implementation of ECOWAP. Its functioning has become one of the barometers of the progress recorded by ECOWAS on the agricultural policy front. Better still, the RAAF facilitates the coordination and monitoring of the implementation of numerous programmes, which it hosts or which are implemented by other regional technical institutions.

Internally, the RAAF has developed numerous planning and management tools and instruments that have enhanced its credibility among regional and international partners. It has successfully initiated its ISO accreditation.

The challenge for the RAAF in the coming years is to be able to effectively fulfil its mandate to contribute to the achievement of the ECOWAP 2025 objectives.

According to the new ECOWAS financial regulation, every institution or agency must have a strategic plan (5 years) from which the medium-term plan (03 years) and the annual work programmes are derived.

It is with this in mind that the RAAF is seeking the services of an individual consultant to develop a strategic plan (5 Years) with a medium-term (3-year) expenditure framework

Objective of the mission

The general objective of the assignment is to develop a strategic plan for the Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food (5 years) and to develop an MTEF covering the next three years.

Specifically, it is to:

• Conduct a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis of the RAAF;
• Develop the RAAF's strategic plan in line with the new ECOWAS Financial Regulations and the overall strategic planning of the Institution;
• Translate the strategic plan into a first medium-term expenditure framework (MTEF);
• Define a results framework with indicators and criteria for the evaluation of the Agency's strategic plan.

Expected results

At the end of the process the following results are expected:

• A strategic plan for the RAAF was developed and validated by ECOWAP stakeholders;
• The strategic plan has been translated into a medium-term expenditure framework (MTEF);
• A results framework with indicators and criteria for evaluating the strategic plan has been defined;
• Recommendations are made to improve the Agency's performance.

Qualifications, skills and experience

The consultant must be a specialist in planning/monitoring/evaluation, with at least a five-year degree in agronomy, agro-economics, economics, statistics, sociology, or any other equivalent degree.

He/she must have the following experience and skills:

• At least 10 years of experience in formulating or supporting development policies, programmes or projects in the agriculture and food security sector in West Africa;
• have carried out at least one external evaluation of an institution, regional or national multi-donor projects preferably;
• to have contributed to the formulation of a strategic plan at ECOWAS level;
• have an excellent command of one of the three ECOWAS languages in written and spoken form, and a command of a second language would be an asset; have a good knowledge of projects and programmes in the field of agriculture and food in West Africa and a good knowledge of ECOWAS agricultural policy (ECOWAP/SADCAP);
• have a good knowledge of the new reforms within ECOWAS.

Language Requirements

Fluency in one of the three working languages of ECOWAS (English, French, Portuguese) is required. Good linguistic knowledge (written and oral) of a second working language of the Commission would be an asset.

Location and start of the mission

The mission is scheduled to start on 10 September 2021 and the total execution time is 45 man-days. The final report will be due, at the latest, on 30 October 2021. The consultant will work at the RAAF in Lomé, Togo, with travel possibilities to Abuja and other ECOWAS countries.

Candidate's Application Requirements

They will consist of:

• An expression of interest letter, including time availability;
• A recent résumé detailing work experience and similar missions;
• Three professional references (full names, positions, emails and phone contacts);
• Copy of higher degrees(s);
• Copies of work or service certificates listed on your résumé.
• A detailed methodology and work plan for the execution of the mission. (Applicants will be able to download the terms of reference of the mission).

NB: Any incomplete application will be rejected.

Submission of Application

Applications shall be received no later than 31st August at 5 pm GMT, by hand delivery or by email to the following addresses:

• Agence Régionale pour l'Agriculture et l'Alimentation (ARAA), 83, rue des Pâtures (Super Taco), 01 BP 4817 Lomé, Togo - Tel.+228 22 21 40 03 (in a sealed envelope marked "Selection of an individual consultant, for the Development of the RAAF Strategic Plan” ) "
• Email : procurement.consultants@araa.org
• Subject:"Selection of an individual consultant, for the Development of the RAAF Strategic Plan"

NB: Applications that do not include the following in the subject line "Selection of an individual consultant, for the Development of the RAAF Strategic Plan" will not be considered.

Selection Method

The consultant will be selected according to the qualification-based selection method as defined in the ECOWAS Public Procurement Code. ARAA will draw up a list of up to 6 candidates, pre-selected on the basis of the applications received, for the rest of the process, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.