CONSULTANCY TO CONDUCT CAPACITY-BUILDING TRAINING ON EAC EXPORT PROCEDURES
Background:
The global crises of Covid-19, Conflict, and Climate Change pose challenges to EAC economies and business growth. The East African Business Council partnered with Sequa GmbH under the Business Scouts Fund in the project “Enhancing Competitiveness of Agri-food Industry and Mitigating the Impact of Global Crises to Improve Food Security in the EAC Region.”
EABC has concluded the studies on the Impact of Global Crises on Food Security in the EAC Region and the Profiles of investment opportunities in the selected agriculture value chain. Based on the studies Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into the EAC region increased marginally between 2015 and 2021, primarily driven by investments from China and India. However, the majority of the FDI has been directed toward the manufacturing, construction, and services sectors, rather than the agriculture sector. Further, the studies on food security found that the EAC regional food security is persistently threatened by various challenges, including natural disasters, climate change, and ongoing global crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian-Ukraine war. These crises have led to volatile global and regional food prices, exacerbating the food security situation. However, there have been commendable efforts by EAC countries to adapt swiftly to the pandemic, with some nations even improving their Global Food Security (GFSI) score. Unfortunately, the cost of a healthy diet in Eastern Africa has risen due to these global shocks, estimated at USD 3.367 per person per day in 2020. Furthermore, it is noteworthy that women are disproportionately affected by these global shocks, facing challenges in economic opportunities and access to nutritious foods. The contribution of agriculture to GDP varies across EAC countries, with Burundi having the highest percentage and South Sudan the lowest. The remaining countries exhibit agriculture contributions ranging from 18.5% to 25.0% of their GDP. Although the EAC region encounters distinct climatic challenges, there are opportunities for collaboration in food production and trade during periods of surplus and deficits. The major food crops in the EAC, including maize, rice, potatoes, bananas, cassava, beans, vegetables, sugar, wheat, sorghum, millet, and pulses, play a vital role in addressing food security. Cereals contribute significantly to trade, with East African countries recording a total trade value of $182.6 million in cereals.
Rationale for the assignment
The agricultural sector has the highest economies of scale in the EAC, with products such as animal and animal products, dairy products, cereals, and food preparations leading the performance. While the aggregate Intra-industry trade has remained relatively stable, there was a decline of 32% in 2022, primarily attributed to reduced trade in grains, oilseeds, fats, and oils due to global shocks. Comparative advantage analysis reveals that each country in the EAC specializes in specific agricultural products. For instance, Rwanda excels in live animals, Uganda in milk, maize, and fish, Tanzania in fish and rice, and Kenya in fruits, nuts, vegetables, and meat. However, current reports show that the major challenges that hinder investment in the five value chains include production and productivity, technology development and transfer, post-harvest management and storage, trade and marketing, and policy-related challenges.
To effectively address the emerging global crises and enhance the resilience of EAC agri-food systems, it is imperative that the EAC takes proactive measures. These include building the capacity of different actors and players along the various value chains through increasing and diversifying food production, expanding intra and extra-regional trade in agriculture, and improving food value chains to reduce waste and enhance access to nutritious food.
The rationale for training on EAC export procedures, with a specific focus on food, is essential to facilitate smooth and successful trade within the East African Community. Exporting food products comes with unique challenges and requirements, including compliance with quality standards, safety regulations, and documentation procedures. By providing training on EAC export procedures for food, exporters can gain a comprehensive understanding of the specific rules and regulations governing food exports within the region. This training enables agri-actors to navigate the complexities of the EAC market more effectively, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and reducing the risk of non-compliance penalties or rejected shipments. Additionally, understanding EAC export procedures for food allows agri-actors to take advantage of preferential trade agreements, such as the EAC Common Market Protocol and the AfCFTA, which provide tariff reductions and preferential market access. The training also equips exporters with knowledge of risk management strategies, logistics, and export financing options, enhancing their ability to mitigate export-related risks and optimize their export operations. Furthermore, by emphasizing product quality, safety standards, and efficient export operations, training fosters consumer trust, enhances competitiveness, and supports the growth of the food export sector within the EAC.
Scope of Assignment/Service Description
The main objective of the assignment is to conduct training on Food Export Procedures in EAC in a bid to Enhance the competitiveness of the Agri-food Industry and Mitigate the Impact of Global Crises to Improve Food Security in the EAC Region.
The Consultant will work in partnership with the EABC Secretariat, its Focal points, and sector associations in all the EAC Partner States.
Duties
The Consultant is expected to:
- Prepare Export Procedures in the EAC capacity building manual/contents and identification of the right tools and methodology to transfer know-how to the target groups. The following could be considered but not restricted to:
- Lectures and knowledge transfer,
- Presentation including PowerPoint, PDF, Video, etc.,
- Case studies & training material,
- Individual and group assignments when applicable, and
- Question and answer session.
- Provide inputs and deliver a physical session to the identified target group/25 stakeholders on Cereals Export Procedures.
- In collaboration with EABC and its partners share best practices on the export of food products and the potential impact.
- Develop an export manual with procedures and requirements to enable stakeholders to build their compliance frameworks for quality, safety, and conformity to export requirements.
- Conduct the evaluation assessment of the capacity-building training.
Deliverables
Key deliverables for the assignment include:
- Training contents. This should provide a detailed presentation of the landscape of legal and regulatory structure of export procedures in the region. The presentation will also provide best practices for export procedure.
- An export manual with procedures and requirements to enable stakeholders to build their compliance frameworks for quality, safety, and conformity to export requirements.
- Reference material that trainees can refer to as resources for further capacity building.
- Report on key highlights and recommendations following the training.
- Duly filled evaluation of the capacity-building training.
Other tangible/measurable Outputs/Expected Deliverables:
- Understanding of export procedures and the market for agricultural products.
- How to trade in food products with best practice examples from across the EAC and beyond.
- Knowledge of safety and quality procedures for food trade.
- Understanding of the impact of food products trade.
Qualifications and Experience
A suitable consortium should hold the following qualifications and key competencies Consultant:
- Academic and Professional Qualifications: A Postgraduate in Economics, International Trade any other relevant field is required.
- Work Experience: Demonstrable experience in EAC Customs Procedures and Export Documentation and food safety and quality, Customs Tariffs and Duties, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, identifying and mitigating potential export-related risks.
- Recent experience in conducting similar work/assignments.
- Knowledge of EAC Integration is a must.
- Languages: Fluency in oral and written English is required as it is the main EAC working language. Good working knowledge of Kiswahili will be an advantage.
- Additional Skills: Communications, strategic development, marketing, and sales, quality and safety standards for food and agricultural products.
- Nationality: The position is only open to Nationals of any of the EAC Partner States (Burundi, DRC, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and South Sudan).
Budget
The assignment is expected to be conducted for 10 days at a rate of 140 Euros per man day. Air ticket(s) and travel accommodation shall be provided. EABC will cover any other additional costs.
Evaluation Criteria
| Technical Evaluation: | Maximum |
| Academic and Professional Qualifications: A Postgraduate in, Economics, International Trade, or any other relevant field is required. | 30 |
| Work Experience: Demonstrable experience in agriculture development or any other relevant areas. | 20 |
| Demonstration of recent experience in conducting a similar assignment | 25 |
| Demonstrated knowledge of EAC Customs Procedures and Export Documentation, Food Safety and Quality, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, identifying and mitigating potential export-related risks. | 25 |
| Total technical score | 100 |
THE APPLICATION PROCESS
All interested consultants/ firm should send curriculum vitae and related documents to:
The Executive Director / CEO
East African Business Council (EABC)
Ninth Floor, Mafao House, Old Moshi Road P. O. Box 2617 Arusha, Tanzania.
Email: procurement@eabc-online.com with a copy to director@eabc-online.com
Clearly marked “CONSULTANCY TO CONDUCT CAPACITY-BUILDING TRAINING ON EXPORT PROCEDURES.”
Applications close on 29th June 2023 at (5.00 p.m.)
EABC is an equal opportunity employer thus recruitment is on merit and with no regard to one’s age, colour, gender, marital status, disability or impairment, race, or creed.
Canvassing shall lead to automatic disqualification.
Environmental aspects will be taken into consideration.