Consultant: Facilitating Market Systems Development Workshops

Description

• The Promoting Sustainable Agricultural Market Systems (PROMAS) project, funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), is an initiative that promotes the establishment of resilient agriculture market systems to promote inclusion of smallholder farmers (women, men), youth and micro, small to medium enterprises in viable value chains. The project is implemented by DAI Global UK in northern Mozambique’s three provinces of Nampula, Niassa, and Cabo Delgado
• PROMAS employs the Market Systems Development (MSD) approach, which is a relatively new approach in Mozambique. MSD is an approach with great potential to facilitate systemic change that can drive increased and sustainable income and employment opportunities for target beneficiaries
• Most districts in northern Mozambique have few and often small agribusinesses, with limited capacities in knowledge, skills and resources to promote and grow their businesses. They are used to the traditional direct implementation approaches promoted for years by development agencies who “involve’ them by doing everything for them. This ensures that they remain small, waiting for the next donor project. The government has also occasionally directly supported farmers and agribusinesses to fill in the gap of absence or weak markets and farmers’ ability to participate in markets. The government also design and implements policies and regulations that often impact the growth of the markets
• The Project Background: The PROMAS implementation Phase I started in January 2024 and continuous to December 2027. For the project to effectively promote the establishment of markets, it is important to have partners who understand the essence and methodologies of implementing MSD interventions. Similarly, there is need for a government buy-in for them to appreciate and support the PROMAS project approach. Similarly, development agencies, most who do direct implementation, need to ensure there is no disruption to the establishment of MSD approaches
• Proposed Intervention: PROMAS would like to improve awareness of the MSD approach among the many stakeholders so that there is a buy-in and coordination of efforts. It is against this background that PROMAS wishes to organize MSD awareness and training workshops to make the target stakeholders understand the essence and way the MSD works and is essential for establishing sustainable markets. It is planned to hold:
• One MSD awareness workshop in Maputo, targeting national level government officials, Maputo based input supply companies and large commodity buyers and other development agencies wishing to understand better the MSD approach
• Three provincial level workshops to bring awareness and training to participants to create a shared understanding of the approach with government, the private sector, and other development sector partners
• PROMAS wishes to hire a company/consulting team with experience with the MSD approach and delivering MSD training and mentoring services

Purpose and Objectives

• The intervention seeks to enhance stakeholders’ understanding of the MSD approach, its benefits, the challenges with implementing the approach, roles of various stakeholders and how to initiate and sequence the approach
• Specifically, the MSD awareness/training will seek to facilitate:
• Improved understanding of the PROMAS project goal, objectives, approach for the provincial workshops
• Improved stakeholder awareness of MSD concepts, its benefits, challenges, principles and best practices
• Better understanding of the roles of the private sector, government and the facilitator in promoting MSD
• The importance of collaboration among stakeholders in a market system

Duties

Target Audience

• The assignment will be carried out through three provincial workshops where 75 people are expected to participate. These will include government agencies from DPIC, DPAP, SPAE, SDAE, current and prospective PROMAS partners (commodity aggregator traders, agrodealers, seed companies, services providers) and development agencies
• PROMAS will provide a list of potential national government and private sector participants to the consultant who will organize the meetings. At the provincial level, PROMAS will invite prospective participants

Logistics

• The workshops will be held in October 2025. The provincial workshops will take place in Nampula City, Lichinga and Montepuez
• The national level workshop will be in hybrid format with some attending in person and others online. PROMAS will mobilize participants to the provincial workshops while the consultant will organize the workshop in Maputo, after agreeing on the list of participants
• The PROMAS project will engage an expert in MSD to run the workshops in all four locations. The MSD expert will prepare power point presentations, handouts, and deliver awareness and training on MSD adequately covering the core principles and ensuring active participation by stakeholders. The national workshop is planned to be a half day event while the provincial workshops will be for one full day each. The targets are mostly businesspeople who want to understand:
• Why they should commit and invest in MSD, that is what is the value proposition for them
• How the whole partnership will evolve (processes, roles and expected results, over the life of the partnerships)
• Typical examples (cases) that are aligned to their business operations

Expected Outcomes

• At the end of three workshops; the participants would be expected to:
• Understand clearly the PROMAS project goals, objectives, strategies, and expected results for participants in the provinces
• Have an improved understanding and appreciation of the MSD approach
• Have an improved understanding of how different elements of a market interact and influence each other
• Having a clear understanding the roles of the various actors – core actors, service providers, government and the facilitator

Expected Outputs

• The following outputs are expected from the consultant:
• An updated methodology and work plan after participating in an onboarding session and review of relevant project documents for PROMAS’ approval
• Production of workshop materials (presentations, handouts)
• Workshop report

Requisites

• Suitable candidates are expected to have the following qualifications:
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in economics, business administration, agricultural economics, development studies, or related areas
• Master's degree preferred, particularly in the areas above
• At least 7 years of experience in agriculture/agribusiness development, using the MSD approach, private sector development, inclusive business and value chain development approaches
• Experience practicing and promoting MSD approaches (this should clearly come out in the CV)
• Proven experience working with private sector actors, including businesses, input suppliers, commodity traders, BDS providers, etc.
• Facilitation and Training: Ability to develop training materials, facilitate workshops, and stakeholder consultations in Portuguese
• Communication Skills: Excellent written and presentation
• Gender Equality: Experience incorporating gender equality, women and youth’s economic integration into development initiatives
• Knowledge and fluency of Portuguese

Notes

• Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted
• Indicate the source of this job post: emprego.co.mz
• DAI will pay for all workshop costs, travelling to workshop venues, subsistence allowances, teas and lunches, and hiring of training venues

How to Apply

1. Documentation

•  Technical and Financial Proposal
• The prospective consultant is required to submit a technical proposal (not exceeding 5 pages) showing their understanding of the assignment, their experience as a practitioner in implementing the MSD approach, including engaging private partners and government, training/coaching/mentoring actors. The proposal should outline the methodology they will use to for the assignment
• In addition, CVs of proposed personnel to work on the assignment, which should not exceed 3 pages each. The consultant should present a financial proposal that clearly shows days proposed for the various activities, fees and other foreseen costs

2. Application

• Send your Documentation to Recruitment_PROMAS@dai.com with the Subject line “Consultant: Facilitating Market Systems Development Workshops”