Terms of Reference

Service Provider

Scoping and Investigation of Training Service Partners in AMMEA’s target areas

OVERVIEW

ABOUT iDE

iDE is an international NGO with over 37 years of experience in designing and delivering market-based anti-poverty programs in 11 countries. We are a world leader in making markets work for the poor as well as the longest established market development specialist NGO in Bangladesh. iDE believes that markets can be a powerful force for improving smallholder prosperity by creating income and livelihood opportunities for poor rural households.  iDE Bangladesh currently has eight projects in agricultural markets, water, sanitation and hygiene, and access to finance with a focus on women’s economic empowerment and climate-smart technologies.

PROJECT BACKGROUND

The Feed the Future Bangladesh Agricultural Mechanization and Manufacturing Extension Activity (AMMEA) is a partnership between CIMMYT and iDE. The first phase, known as Cereal Systems Initiatives for South Asia - Mechanization and Irrigation (CSISA-MI), unlocked smallholder farmers’ access to cost and resource-saving sowing, irrigation, and harvesting machinery, by facilitating rural entrepreneurship, created an agricultural mechanisation value chain and leveraging more than $6 million of private-sector investments. AMMEA’s objective is to enhance agricultural resilience by improving the competitiveness of agricultural machinery manufacturing micro small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and developing a gender-inclusive workforce, with a special focus on crisis-affected areas of Bangladesh. The project’s activities will accelerate new business opportunities for domestic and American agricultural machinery and light engineering firms. They will emphasize the professional development of skilled workforces – with a focus on Bangladeshi women and youth – while applying cutting-edge research to unlock technical support and generate business opportunities for US firms, institutions, and financial advisors to collaborate with Bangladeshi companies, particularly MSMEs. Inlight of its predecessor, AMMEA will place emphasis on MSME level actors in the supply chain who are critical, both to machinery and spare parts manufacture, as well as to service and maintenance of existing and new machinery utilized in the market. As a result of project interventions, firms of both categories will be professionalized and made “investment ready” through technical assistance and support across three primary functional areas: i) strategy, management, and operations, ii) technical and industrial process improvement and iii) financing for capital investment.

ABOUT THE ASSIGNMENT

iDE is seeking an individual consultant or firm to identify and assess training services providers (TSPs) in Jashore and Bogura, as relevant to current and potential employees of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the manufacturing sector. The consultant will identify existing and potential TSPs, and assess both individually and collectively their capacities, challenges, and needs through a SWOT analysis or similar tool. Based on this information and in collaboration with iDE, the consultant will identify gaps between TSPs’ capacities and the training needs of manufacturing MSMEs and their employees. The consultant will develop a report including relevant data, key learnings, and recommendations for capacity building initiatives to enable TSPs to fulfill the needs of these MSMEs and their current and potential employees.
Ultimately, this assessment should answer the following questions:

• What is the current landscape of TSPs, as relevant to MSMEs in the manufacturing sector and their employees in the target areas? Who is providing services?
• Who are the major players in this space and who are the strongest potential partners for the AMMEA?
• What are the capacities, weaknesses, and constraints for TSPs in these areas, both individually and collectively?
• How do TSPs’ capacities align or not with the needs of manufacturing MSMEs and their employees especially light engineering sector in Bogura and Jashore?
• What initiatives would be necessary to align TSPs more closely with these needs?

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES OF iDE

iDE will provide the consultant with the necessary support to undertake and implement the assignment and execute the tasks outlined in this Terms of Reference. Such responsibilities include the following:

• Provide initial briefing, orientation, and existing work overview
• Provide project materials, assessments, results framework and other relevant documents
• Provide feedback as outlined in this ToR and on an as-needed basis

TENTATIVE SUMMARY WORK PLAN

EXPECTED DELIVERABLES

APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Any qualified international or national firm or individual consultant may apply. Eligible candidates must meet the following criteria:

• Significant experience conducting similar studies related to MSMEs, the manufacturing sector, and/or TSPs
• Clear understanding of market research methodologies and experience in using social research tools
• Excellent understanding of market systems development
• Ability to communicate cross-culturally; collaborative nature.
• Excellent verbal and written English communication skills.
• Personal commitment, efficiency and flexibility, together with the ability to work both independently under minimum supervision and with large diverse project teams.

BID SUBMISSION

All bids should include:

• Technical Proposal (maximum two pages) which should include:
• Understanding of the assignment
• Relevant experience of the consultant
• Financial Proposal (maximum one page): breakdown of cost estimates for services rendered. This should include, but not be limited to: daily consultancy fees, accommodation, and living costs; transport cost, stationeries, and supplies (if needed) for the consultancy.
• Resume(s) of the consultant/firm

Interested and qualified consultants should submit their proposals to bangladesh.procurement@ideglobal.org by December 05, 2019, 5:00 PM Bangladesh Standard Time.

Please write “AMMEA TSP Consultancy” in the subject line. Only shortlisted individuals will be contacted and invited for an interview either in-person or via video-conference.

iDE is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on grounds of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or other status. Women and minority candidates are encouraged to apply.