The West Africa Livestock Marketing Support Programme (PACBAO) was designed to stimulate intra-regional trade in livestock and meat in order to contribute to the food security of a young sub-regional population with the strongest growth momentum in the world. Specifically, it is a question of meeting the needs for red meat and meat products through the development of regional livestock/meat value chains.

Launched in July 2018 thanks to the signing of a financial agreement between ECOWAS and the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC) in the form of a financial contribution to the implementation of the Regional Agricultural Policy (ECOWAP) and its operational programme (PRIASAN, 2016-2025), the first phase of implementation of the PACBAO programme ended on 30 June 2023. Thanks to the lessons learned from the implementation, a second phase of the PACBAO was formulated during the closing process of the first phase. Designed in a participacious, collaborative and inclusive manner thanks to the support of a consultant by ARAA, the final technical formulation document was submitted and validated by all regional stakeholders in the regional livestock/meat sector in September 2023.

The second phase of the programme (PACBAO-2) is still the result of a financial contribution of 8 million Swiss francs (CHF), i.e. approximately 5,326,500,000 CFA francs from the SDC, as in the first phase. Its implementation will cover the regional perimeter defined by PACBAO-2, including the ECOWAS countries concerned as well as Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Niger and Mauritania. Its announced implementation period runs from December 2024 to October 2028.

During the last technical committees of projects and programmes of ECOWAS, UEMOA and CILSS held in Abuja, Nigeria from 26 November to 04 December 2025, the annual work plan and budget for the year 2026 (AWPB 2026) of PACBAO 2 was validated by the stakeholders.

As part of the implementation of the AWPB 2026, in particular component 1 of the programme entitled "Modernization of intra-regional trade in livestock and meat", one of the main activities planned is support for the implementation of regulations on animal health and the safety of livestock products. This includes technical and financial support for the programme for the identification and traceability of animals through the establishment of related mechanisms and arrangements in livestock markets in the sub-region. This activity is part of the support for the operationalization of the ECOWAS Livestock Identification and Traceability Strategy (ECOLITS).

In order to implement this activity, the regional coordination unit of the programme will mobilise an individual consultant to support it. The latter's mission should capitalise on the recent synthesis, developed with the RBM and its partners (March, 2026), "Digital traceability in West Africa: identification of initiatives and analysis of their interoperability with a view to the implementation of a regional pilot project". The consultant will check that it is current and applicable to the markets studied. The full report, its sources and the country factsheets mentioned in the synthesis will be made available to the consultant if necessary.

This service focuses on the development and validation of a practical guide for the identification and traceability of livestock focused on livestock markets. The possible deployment of an identification system or a digital platform could be the subject of separate decisions and means.

1. RATIONALE

Regional cross-border trade in livestock (cattle, sheep, goats and camels) weighs very heavily in the trade balance of Sahelian countries. It often represents the second or third largest export in value, behind precious metals (gold, uranium), oil and cotton. These exports mainly meet the demand of large cities, particularly coastal countries such as Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Senegal and, to a lesser extent, Benin and Togo.

Livestock markets are the nerve centre of livestock/meat value chains where farmers, traders, transporters and veterinary services meet. They are the ideal place to capture information, monitor animal health and ensure the break or continuity of traceability. Confined to a relatively small and precise space, animal control is easier.

Unlike livestock that are scattered in large pastoral areas that are sometimes difficult to access, livestock must pass through markets to be sold, exported or sent to the slaughterhouse. It is the perfect interception site for registration.

In 2022, ECOWAS adopted at its 89th Ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers of Member States the Regional Strategy for Livestock Identification and Traceability (ECOLITS). It is a key instrument for modernizing livestock farming, securing livestock and fighting against cross-border cattle theft in West Africa. Thus, it lays the theoretical foundations by giving the main strategic orientations for the identification and traceability of livestock and animal products. In order to translate these into concrete action sheets for field actors (market managers, traders, veterinary agents, etc.), it is necessary to develop a practical methodological guide for livestock markets, particularly cross-border and consumer markets.

In the current context, the deterioration of the security context, the increase in cattle theft and the risk of the introduction of stolen animals into formal trade channels weaken trade and trust between actors. These risks are accentuated by the evolution of trade flows in the different cross-border basins. In addition, the mixing of animals of different origins in the markets creates a higher risk of the spread of diseases. Reliable recording of the origin, passage and destination of animals can facilitate searches in the event of a health alert, when the competent services can consult and reconcile this information.

Indeed, the 8th meeting of the Regional Veterinary Committee (RVC) which took place in Lomé, Togo from 15 to 17 April 2026 had as its theme: "Role of veterinary services in the identification and traceability of livestock". This statutory meeting made it possible to develop a roadmap and make recommendations, including: (i) updating and widely disseminating the regional livestock identification strategy; (ii) initiating a regional livestock identification and traceability project; (iii) adopting a regional directive on livestock identification and traceability.

A guide applied by the relevant actors can contribute to the reliability of exchanges, the prevention of fraud/theft and the transparency of market operations. These effects require feasible procedures, explicit responsibilities and appropriate means of verification, without adding unjustified formalities or costs for farmers and traders.

2. OBJECTIVES OF THE MISSION

The overall objective is to develop a practical methodological guide for the identification and traceability of livestock, specifically oriented towards the dynamics, management and monitoring of flows at the livestock market level. The guide will concern live animals, mainly cattle, camels, sheep and goats, and the links between markets, checkpoints and places of destination. It will distinguish between the needs of transhumance and those of marketing.

Specifically, it will involve:

• Carry out a diagnosis of current practices, regulatory frameworks and bottlenecks related to the identification and monitoring of livestock on the markets. This diagnosis will be based on the regional report of the RBM, will verify the status of the initiatives identified and will specify the texts effectively applicable in the areas studied;
• Propose appropriate technical and economic tools and approaches for the marking and registration of livestock (physical and/or digital): Compare the methods of identification and registration on paper, digital or hybrid media, considering costs, maintenance, connectivity, training and articulation with existing national mechanisms;
• Define registration and verification procedures at market entry, during transactions and at exit, as well as the information to be transmitted to the control services and destination actors;
• Clarify the respective roles of livestock farmers, professional organizations, traders, transporters, market managers, local authorities, veterinary services, customs and other competent services;
• Define the minimum data to be recorded on the animal or lot, its origin, its holder, the transaction, its health status, the associated documents and its destination, as well as the rules for verification, correction, storage and access to this data;
• Test the sheets and procedures proposed on one or two of the markets visited before the final validation and specify the conditions for a gradual application;
• Have the guide validated in a participatory manner by all stakeholders.

3. IMPLEMENTATION APPROACH

The activity will be carried out by the PACBAO-2 regional coordination unit with a participatory and inclusive approach. It will involve the main stakeholders of the programme (CILSS, AOCTAH, COFENABVI-AO and CAEASA), other projects and programmes such as the FSRP, PRIMA, PRAPS-2 and PEPISAO-2 as well as regional pastoral professional organisations (APESS and RBM). The RBM will be involved from the scoping stage so that the mission takes into account the relevant experiences carried out by its member organisations in terms of livestock identification and traceability, market management and monitoring of cross-border flows. The consultant will examine the lessons learned from these experiences and their possible adaptation to the regional guide, in consultation with the competent authorities. The articulation with the work of ARAA/ECOWAS, CILSS, UEMOA and FAO will be clarified.

The surveys and validation will involve veterinary and customs services, local authorities, market management committees, transporters, traders, breeders and their organisations, as well as destination actors such as slaughterhouses where relevant. The consultation will ensure that women active in the sector and actors using little or no digitisation channels are heard.

The mission will take place within the scope of PACBAO-2, according to its marketing corridor approach. The investigations will focus on a sample of livestock markets representative of regional trade transactions and flows.

The scoping report will justify their selection according to the function of the market (collection, grouping, border or destination), the intensity of exchanges, documentary practices, existing initiatives, accessibility and security conditions. This sample will be used to develop a common methodological base, supplemented by adaptations according to countries and corridors. The process will include the following tasks:

• Documentary review and scoping: analysis of the ECOLITS strategy, applicable national or regional texts and procedures, documents used in the markets and existing initiatives. This step will exploit and update the March 2026 RBM report, distinguishing between verified findings, experiments and options that remain to be validated;
• Surveys and field testing: visits to selected markets, observation of entries, sales, exits and controls, and interviews with all categories of actors concerned. The consultant will compare the documents and information actually used on both sides of the border, then test the sheets and procedures proposed in a few markets;
• Technical writing: development of a pedagogical guide describing the steps, responsibilities and verification points. The guide will include at least a document matrix, a minimum information sheet, register or form templates, a transmission and verification scheme, an alert procedure and graduated recommendations for paper, hybrid or digital solutions, with their implementation conditions and indicative costs;
• Participatory validation: review of findings, fact sheets and procedures with competent authorities, market managers and professional organisations. The workshop will record points of agreement, adaptations to be made and issues requiring institutional decision before implementation.

4. EXPECTED DELIVERABLES AND TIMELINE

The consultant will be required to provide the following documents:

• Deliverable 1: Scoping report specifying the methodology and work plan (no later than 15 calendar days after notification of the start-up order);
• Deliverable 2: Draft version of the methodological guide, accompanied by the proposed tools and annexes (no later than 60 calendar days after notification of the start-up order);

Deliverable 3: Final version of the guide incorporating the observations of the validation workshop, accompanied by the end-of-mission report (no later than 90 calendar days after notification of the start-up order).

NB: The working versions will be written in one of the three ECOWAS languages, namely English, French and Portuguese, with the necessary elements for consultation with participants in the other two languages. After technical validation, the final guide will be available in French, English and Portuguese and will be subject to terminological proofreading. The final versions will be translated into the other two languages by the consultant and provided in editable and PDF formats.

5. CONSULTANT PROFILE

The candidate must meet the following profile:

• Diploma: Bac+5 at least in Veterinary Medicine, Animal Sciences, Agronomy, Agroeconomics, Technology and Information Systems Applied to Livestock or any other equivalent diploma;
• Have at least five (5) years of experience in livestock value chains, livestock markets or pastoral mobility in West Africa and the Sahel;
• Justify at least 2 similar missions relating to animal traceability, veterinary public health or the management of livestock markets;
• Having experience in the implementation of such an initiative would be a plus;
• Skills: excellent writing and participatory facilitation skills, knowledge of market and cross-border control procedures, ability to analyse costs and data governance. Experience with digital tools applied to livestock farming and their use in a context of low connectivity will be an asset.

6. SCHEDULE AND DURATION OF THE MISSION

The workload of the consultant shall not exceed 45 man/days of expertise, spread over a maximum period of three (3) months from the start-up service order. The deadlines for the three deliverables are expressed in calendar days as mentioned in point 5, taking into account the surveys, the time required for stakeholder observations and the validation workshop. The effective start date will be set at the end of the recruitment. The PACBAO-2 Regional Coordination Unit will organize, together with the consultant, access to documents, consultations and the workshop according to the approved timeline.

7. APPLICATION FORM

Interested consultants must submit a file including:

• A technical offer including the understanding of the ToR, the methodology, the proposal for the selection of contracts, the survey and testing plan, as well as a timetable consistent with the deliverables. An updated CV highlighting similar experiences, accompanied by copies of diplomas and certificates of good completion;
• A financial offer detailing separately the fees, travel, logistics of surveys and tests, as well as the costs of translation and proofreading if these tasks are included in the service.
• A statement on fraud and corruption by the SDC (attached).

All documents must be grouped together in a single file in PDF format (mandatory mention) with the following mention: "CANDIDATE NAME–Identification and traceability
of livestock-SCI027-2026".

8. APPLICATION SUBMISSION

Applications are received no later than November 06, 2026 at 23:59 GMT, by downloading through the following link: https://bit.ly/4AXrZ9q 

9. REQUEST FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

Interested consultants can obtain further information by writing to the following email addresses:procurement@araa.org cc: ctienon@araa.org; awaki@araa.org with the subject "Livestock Identification and Traceability -SCI027-2026".

The ARAA reserves the right not to follow up on this call for applications.

Client, suppliers, consultants, contractors and their subcontractors must comply with the following most rigorous anti-corruption clauses during the award and performance of this contract.

1. No Corrupt Practice: The parties agree not to grant, directly or indirectly, any advantage of any kind, or to accept any advantage of any kind under this Agreement. Any corrupt or unlawful act constitutes a breach of this Agreement and justifies its cessation and/or the taking of any other action in accordance with applicable law.

2. Fight against money laundering and terrorist financing: the ECOWAS Commission certifies that it has put in place internal procedures and means (GIABA) to prevent, detect and combat money laundering and terrorist financing in accordance with the FATF recommendations, and that it does not enter into relations, directly or indirectly, with any of the persons, groups or entities included in any of the financial sanctions lists (including in particular the fight against the financing of terrorism) of the United Nations, the European Union, Switzerland.

By signing the Anti-Corruption Declaration, suppliers, consultants, contractors and their subcontractors declare (i) that they have not committed any act likely to influence the process of awarding the contract to the detriment of the Client and in particular that no anti-competitive practices have occurred and will not occur and that (ii) the negotiation, award and performance of the Contract has not and will not give rise to an act of corruption or fraud.