Consultancy Service for the Development of the End of Project Survey (Implementation Completion Report)

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (CONSULTING SERVICES – INDIVIDUAL SELECTION)

Client: Ministry of Liberia Agriculture

Contract Title: Consultancy Service for the Development of the End of Project Survey (Implementation Completion Report)

Country: Liberia

Credit No.: IDA 63600

Project No.: P160945

Contract No: LR-PMU-MOA-472186-CS-INDV Date Issued: February 3, 2025

Background

The Smallholder Agriculture Transformation and Agribusiness Revitalization Project (STAR-P) addresses critical market failures limiting the development of rice, oil palm, and horticulture value chains. The project achieves its objectives of increasing agricultural productivity and promoting smallholder commercialization by facilitating private sector investment in selected value chains and by fostering productive links between smallholder farmers and selected agribusiness firms through a business climate lens. Adaptation approaches and mitigation measures are applied to rice and oil palm production to enhance climate resilience and minimize climate risks. The operative project development objective for STAR-P is to increase agricultural productivity and commercialize smallholder farmers for selected value chains in the various counties of Liberia.

Objective of the Assignment

The consultancy is meant to prepare an Implementation Completion Report (ICR) in accordance with the requirements of the World Bank Completion Report Evaluation Guide, comprehensively and objectively evaluate the progress since the project implementation, the completion of the expected objectives, project output, results and impact, and summarize the experience and existence of the project implementation process. The implementation completion report is used for the assessment of the project value, implementation and success. It considers any signs of possible interaction and sustainable outcomes, including contributions to potential development and achievement of national agricultural sector goals. In addition, the report defines and records the lessons learned and makes recommendations with respect to the aspects, which can be used by the project partners and interested parties for improvement, development and implementation of similar projects and programs. The ICR will accumulate experience for future application, design, implementation and evaluation of the World Bank project.

Scope of Services

The individual consultant will work closely with the project M&E Department under the supervision of the Operations Manager.

During the preparation of the project summary report, the project office provides the individual consultant with the relevant materials and data needed to complete the report, ensuring that the individual consultant can communicate and consult with the specific implementation units of the project, as well as the project stakeholders, and provides necessary administrative support for the individual consultant to complete the report. The selected individual consultant needs to complete the completion report that meets the requirements of the project office in the case of a comprehensive understanding of the project.

Through engagements with all stakeholders, the consultant shall carry out the following tasks, working in consultation, collaboration and cooperation with Project Implementation Unit staff and other STAR Project stakeholders:

• Project basic information data sheet. Summarize the basic information of the project, key dates, rating results, framework analysis of results (indicators), reorganization statements and payment status;

• About the background, development, and how to achieve national agricultural goals. Introduce the background of the project, the development goals and key indicators of the project, the components of the project, and the design goals.

• Summary and explanation of the main output results of each project component. Including the research report obtained by the project, the formulation of relevant policy measures, standards, training, and established information platforms. At the same time, the performance of these results should be summarized.

• Evaluation of the performance of the project against the agreed objectives, Project Development Objective (PDO) level results and intermediate results. The main factors affecting implementation and results, the project implementation and results summary, the implementation progress of the project, as well as the phased results and final results. Analyze the key factors affecting project implementation, including project preparation, design, project management, changes in any domestic policies, and the project's safeguard mechanism and project management implementation.

• Assessment of the overall impact of the project and level of beneficiary satisfaction using rapid assessment and participatory methodologies. The aim of this is to measure the impact of the project and assess if the project has benefited the lives of the intended beneficiaries.

The Ministry of Agriculture now invites eligible individual consultants to indicate their interest in performing the Services. Interested Individual Consultants should provide updated Curriculum Vitae (CV) and relevant documents indicating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services.

The evaluation criteria are:

• A Master’s degree in Economics, Social Sciences, or a development-related field; 10pts

• At least five (5) years of demonstrated experience in similar assignments, at least three (3) of which shall be in developing countries; (10 points)

• Experience in quality assurance, drafting and finalizing of Project completion reports, Performance Evaluation reports, or similar reports; (20 points)

• Previous experience in developing similar plans with a strong preference for experience in successfully developing closure plans that involve World Bank/IDA or donor funding; (20 points)

• Demonstrated relevant experience working on at least two similar assignments within the last 5 years especially for externally-funded projects; (15 points)

• Demonstrable experience in providing a critical analysis of the program/project progress, logical frameworks and results frameworks of development programs, particularly with regard to the logic and coherence between different level results; (15 points)

• Very good knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methods and methodologies with proficiency in key computer software programs (Microsoft Office Suite and Google Docs (MS Project is an advantage); 10 points.

This assignment shall be undertaken within a period of sixty (60) calendar days after the signing of contract.

The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment can be found at the following website:

• https://vacancies & Career Opportunities | Ministry of Agriculture (www. moa.gov.lr) or

• Request TOR directly via email from the email addresses below

The attention of interested individual Consultants is drawn to Section III, paragraphs, 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the World Bank’s “Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers” dated July 2016, revised November 2017, August 2018 and September 2023, setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest. Please refer to paragraph 3.17 of the Procurement Regulations on conflict of interest related to this assignment which is available on the Bank’s website at http://projects-beta.worldbank.org/en/projects-operations/products-and-services/brief/procurement-new-framework

The Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Approved Selection Methods for Individual Consultant Based Selection set out in the Procurement Regulations, September, 2023.

Expressions of interest must be submitted electronically in a format that cannot be altered (PDF format is preferred) to the email address below by e-mail by 18th February 2025 @ 5:00pm local time.

Note: All Expression of Interests MUST include at least three (3) references with their names, telephone numbers and email addresses; curriculum vitae (cv) with copy of educational credentials to be submitted to the below email address:

Galah Toto

National Program Coordinator)

Project Implementation Unit (PIU)

Ministry of Agriculture

SMALLHOLDER AGRICULTURE TRANSFORMATION AND AGRIBUSINESS REVITALIZATION PROJECT (STAR-P)

Somalia Drive, Gardnersville, Monrovia, Liberia

Tel +231-777576980

Email: [email protected] with a copy to Email: [email protected] and [email protected]