CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT FOR FARMER BUSINESS ORGANIZATION AND COOPERATIVES IN NJOMBE, MBEYA, RUKWA AND KATAVI REGIONS TENDERS AT Rikolto

Background 

Rikolto works to support actors in the food systems to unlock the potential to feeding the world while taking care of the environment. We seek to strengthen the capacities of our partners to harness the dynamics of various food chains with a focus on both formal and informal markets. Our target final beneficiaries are farmers, traders and consumers, youth, female, and male. Smallholder farmers organizations, private sector businesses and Cities are the key actors we work with to achieve the desired changes in the food system. Among the strategies Rikolto uses to unlock potentials is strengthening the capacity of farmer business organizations and cooperative into strong and viable business organizations/partners to actively engage as key players in the value chain. Before undertaking any capacity development plan, assess the level, capacity and Gaps to farmer business organization and cooperatives to better plan for capacity development plan. These are important steps which help professionalization of farmer business organizations and cooperatives.

Rikolto in Tanzania has recently secured funding from AGRA to implement a Youth Entrepreneurship for the Future of Food and Agriculture (YEFFA) project by Empowering Youth and Women Through Integrated and Resilient Market-Led Sunflower Value Chain Development. The project is being executed through various partners across Tanzania and is funded by the Mastercard Foundation.  The project has a goal of 100,000 smallholder sunflower farmers reached including youth and women, empower over 12,068 youth to secure dignified and fulfilling work from the agriculture along sunflower value chain in Mbeya, Songwe, Njombe, Rukwa and Katavi.

Professionalization of Farmer business organization  

Rikolto is currently working with number of Farmer Business Organizations (FBOs) in the five regions mentioned above. The Professionalization of FBOs aimed at ensuring that these organizations are becoming strong business partners, and they can support members businesses to be more profitable, more sustainable, and better linked to markets. As for this assignment, the focus is to professionalize the following farmer organizations and Cooperatives. Below is Number of farmer organizations to be professionalized in the target regions

Business development consultant assignment and assignment Methodology

Rikolto requires Business Development Consultants to undertake capacity Building, Mentorship and Coaching to farmer business organization and cooperatives based on weaknesses and Gaps identified through Quick assessment Tool. Capacity building will be carried out through developed capacity development plan jointly with farmer business organization. The consultant is advised and recommended to use more coaching, mentorship and less to classroom training /sessions. The consultant is expected to prepare work plans for the delivery of training sessions and the subsequent coaching sessions based on the TOR and the detailed capacity development plan. 

The training and coaching should be specifically looked at through the lens of the association’s business objectives as stated in the value propositions, business plan and constitutions. Training plan should consider Seasonality as it is important to ensure that the training program does not disrupt the farming activities.  Coaching sessions will be designed to have the designed impact and therefore expect participants in the sessions will vary according to their responsibilities in the day-to-day operations of the association. Rikolto believes that on-the-job coaching can be very effective and deepen the impact.  Some sessions can therefore be delivered within business planning or membership meetings.

Scope of work

The detailed assessment of the assignment is contained in the capacity development plan.

The scope of work includes and not limited to the following.  

• Internal Management /Governance 

As identified in Quick assessment tool. Associations/cooperative Governance system seem to be week with Lack of qualified personnel to run the organization. Currently most of these organizations doesn’t have a manager to handle organization functions. Usually depends on group leaders to volunteer perfuming organization functions. As for this capacity development assignment, A Consultant is required to do the following

• Support the organization to recruit and train competent Manager (if possible, use young graduate Volunteers) to undertake organization management functions. This can also be through building capacity for existing staff to undertake these tough managerial functions in the group
• Support the management committees to implement of developed business plan and business model by setting clear objectives, key performance indicators, and its means for evaluation to reflect current situation
• Conduct Leadership and Management training to cooperative/association leaders for their understanding of their roles and performing leadership responsibilities accordingly
• Coaching and Mentorship to management in implementation of developed personnel manual /Guideline
• Training and Mentorship organization Management committee to actively perform their functions effectively and efficiency.
• Training and coaching to the Board of Directors to understand and actively perform their duties as stipulated in the constitution. 
• Develop a strong, good relationship between primary group management teams with group management 
• Support organization management to establish strong management system  
• Support organizations as to how they can attract more membership to be strong farmer organization or cooperatives through workable incentives 
• Support the development of organization membership data base with clear details of members

1. Financial management: these will include and though not limited to the following areas.

Results from Quick scan have revealed weakness in financial management with poor financial management systems in place. The following are what need to be done but not limited to

• Support and coach organization managers and Finance officers/committee in identifying and utilization of different sources of Finance
• Coach and mentor organization manager and management in preparing organizational budget based to organization resources.  
• Support organization Managers and Finance committee in better use of developed financial tools such as cash handling, cash inflow, book of accounts and book reconciliation etc 
• Coach and mentor organization management on how to search, negotiate with financial institutions for access to agro input loans. 
• Ensure the organizations are self-sustained with internal funds to run the organization and avoid dependency to development partners such as Rikolto.
• Support the organizations to undertake internal and external financial Audits as is stipulated in their constitution and by the law

• Marketing: Access to market has been identified as among a critical area in most of these farmer organizations. The requested support should focus on but not limited to:
• Support the organization to enter contract agreement with Local Buyers/companies supplying fresh fruits and vegetable to local market with focus on supplying quality, safe food to local markets.  
• Support organizations to develop new export market channels by identifying new exporters and buyers and develop new contracts with them  
• Support farm organization in development of implementable marketing strategy
• Production and operations

Quick scan has revealed challenges in production and operations. With this assignment, the following tasks are suggested but not limited to

• Work with organizations to develop a strong production base/ improve production capacity and much focus increasing production per unit area. Make better use of input companies through deployed technical personnel’s and agronomists in training farmers
• Support organizations as to how they can attract more membership to be strong farmer organization or cooperatives through workable incentives 
• Support the development of organization membership data base with clear details of members
• Coach and mentor, these organizations to enter agreements with input companies for collective purchase of inputs by farmers and possibly play an important role in buying and distribution of agro inputs to primary groups depending on the needs of the members
• Support and coach the management committees on issues related to management supplies of produce from members relations with members who are their suppliers, sourcing, and management of quality of supply.

 Deliverables

• A Progress report to be produced every month for implementation of the assignment and final compte report for the assignment
• Recruited organization managers to take Leadership and management functions of the association/cooperatives. 
•  Improved organization management and Governance system/leadership management
• Developed or established good financial system for better management of organization financial resources. 
• Improved production base and number of members supplying through cooperative or association
• Number of contracts/agreements with at least 2 new buying companies working with the organization
• Internal and external financial audit conducted for effectively and efficiency financial management of the associations/cooperatives
• The Organization ability to access finance to serve its members by working with at least one financial institution by end of october 2025
• Marketing strategy and Business Plan development for each of the cooperative/association based on the needs of each of the organization
• Developed and strengthened relationship between the organization and partners
• Effectively and efficiently functioning of the cooperative or association

Duration of the assignment

This assignment has been allocated for 180 man working days tentatively and redistributed 9days per group based to developed and agreed workplan. The Final submission of report is due by October 30, 2025. 

Requirements and Procedure to apply

Qualified firms/candidates are invited to submit their Technical and Financial proposal, Methodology/ approach, Legal status, experience and CVs via email eastafrica.recruitment@rikolto.org by 29 February 2025 and should indicate the tittle and the source of this advertisement.  Three consultants are needed (Njombe 1, Mbeya and Songwe 1, Rukwa and Katavi 1). You need to indicate where (Regions) will be your interest. For more details on this consultancy opportunity, please visit this link