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JOB DETAILS:

Climate Smart Jobs (CSJ) is a 4-year programme funded by the UK’s International Climate Fund. It consists of 3 major components, 1A being market systems development, 1B-Climate Innovation funds and 1C-Ecosystems Services. The market systems development component of the program aims to sustainably increase agricultural productivity levels and ultimately the incomes of smallholder farmers (particularly women, refugees, and host communities). CSJ understands that smallholder farmers are extremely vulnerable to the effects of climate change (particularly extreme weather events) and face numerous constraints, mitigating these effects is central to the program’s approach.
The constraints smallholder farmers (SHFs) face in improving agricultural productivity and income levels mentioned in the CSJ’s technical proposal and recently validated in assessments, included amongst others; limited access to inputs for crops and livestock, limited access to an efficient distribution model for climate-resilient varieties, limited access to affordable extension services for both livestock and crop, weak engagement between PSAs and research institutions, high incidence of pests/parasites and diseases for crops and livestock, uncertainty in seasonality (unpredictable rainfall, prolonged dry spell, spatial distribution of rainfall), limited access to affordable on-farm mechanization services).
CSJ intends to work with market actors, to trigger change in the market system in a way that enables smallholder farmers to gain increased access to affordable quality products and services hence increasing their incomes and ability to become resilient to the effect of climate change. Implementation will be done through 9 work packages or thematic areas; soil restoration and management, climate-smart inputs and services, post-harvest handling and aggregation at the smallholder farmer level, linking smallholder farmers to local, regional, and international markets, scaling commercial agent model, increasing women’s productivity and performance through access to targeted products, services and business opportunities, strengthening agricultural market performance by addressing unequal gender norms, innovations for refugees and refugee hosting communities, innovations for media. All the nine work packages aim to drive systemic change by improving access to affordable, high-quality goods and services, and a stable market for their products. This will boost incomes and help them withstand climate change effects, as UGCSJ collaborates with key market players to drive systemic change.

Background to the assignment
WP1 is the primary focus of this TOR, centred on innovative strategies to reinforce soil health through collaboration between private sector actors (PSAs) and smallholder farmers. The goal is to introduce innovative methods for managing soil fertility and moisture and crop protection, which are directly linked to boosting crop productivity. Presently, using enhanced seeds alone can only raise yields by 20%, highlighting the need for improved soil fertility conservation methods. WP1 targets the key challenges hindering SHFs from adopting effective soil fertility and water management practices to ensure these farmers gain substantial returns on investments made in improved seeds. These obstacles encompass various factors such as limited private sector investment in soil fertility extension services due to slow outcomes, insufficient knowledge about better soil management practices, restricted access to irrigation tools and water storage, limited land accessibility (particularly for women and refugees), and inadequate incentives for SHFs to invest in soil fertility approaches due to extended periods for returns. This situation is particularly discouraging for women and refugees who lack land ownership.

Objective of the assignment
CSJ intends to hire the services of a competent consultancy firm or individual consultant to undertake an assessment that understands the dynamics and potential of large-scale adoption of organic soil products and crop protection products in Northern Uganda, addressing both supply-side challenges and demand-side considerations among smallholder farmers, including women, refugees and hosts.
The aim is to utilise the findings from this market scan as a basis to encourage private sector entities involved in the organic soil product and crop protection product space to invest in models to increase the uptake of organic soil products by smallholder farmers (SHFs).

Scope of work
• The consultant will conduct a market scan aiming to:
Identify and map existing suppliers of organic soil products and crop protection products in NU, outlining their range of products including soil fertility improvement items (e.g. composite manure, foliar fertilisers, and inoculants, etc). Identify any challenges with the supply of these products in the market, for instance, any challenges in producing large amounts of product for the market.
• Identify and validate the primary challenges encountered by these suppliers that are marketing organic soil and crop protection products. Ascertain the best-selling organic soil products for the specific value chains. Identify the factors driving the demand of these products by different target groups (including SHFs, women, refugees and hosts). This will look at the product, prices, promotion and distribution strategies. Also identify the locations (sub-regions of Lango, Acholi, Kiryadongo, and West Nile) where these products are most distributed and purchased.
• Furthermore, also assess the awareness among smallholder farmers including women, refugees and host farmers of these organic soil products. In cases where SHFs are not utilising organic soil products, the assessment will aim to identify the existing gaps to the adoption of these and propose actionable measures to stimulate demand and enhance the uptake of organic soil products among SHFs (disaggreating between different target groups) in NU.
• Provide detailed recommendations for the most commercially viable organic soil products, the most effective model to distribute and identify potential partners CSJ could engage with.

Key Deliverables
Draft report no longer than 20 pages, that includes an in-depth analysis of identified suppliers specialising in organic soil products and the products themselves, including a supply and demand analysis. This report should highlight insights gathered from engaging with private sector actors, smallholder farmers (SHFs), and other pertinent stakeholders in this market. Additionally, detail a series of interventions aimed at promoting the adoption of organic soil products among SHFs specifically in Northern Uganda to be tested in the second sprint cycle, including products, target groups and potential partners.
PowerPoint presentation of the draft report
Final report no longer than 20 pages. Final PowerPoint presentation. Appendices can be an additional count.

Experience and expertise required:
• Advanced degree in agriculture, organic agriculture, business administration or related field.
• Knowledge of organic farming practices and soil management is required.
• Proven experience in conducting market research for agricultural products and ability to identify and analyse existing producers and suppliers of organic soil and crop protection products.
• Background in supply chain analysis and management, ability to map and assess challenges faced by suppliers in producing and marketing organic soil and crop protection products.
• Experience in problem identification and root cause analysis in the agricultural sector.
• Experience in consulting in the regenerative, organic, or sustainable agriculture field.
• Cultural awareness and sensitivity especially working with diverse communities.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, are essential. The consultant should be able to articulate complex ideas clearly and effectively to diverse stakeholders.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to use data-driven insights to inform strategies and decision-making

Job application procedure
Submit a technical proposal that is no longer than 2 pages and includes an overview of the consultant/organization’s experience related to the TOR, and the makeup of the team. Also submit a 1-page budget. Proposals should be submitted electronically to info@csj.co.ug .
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