CONSULTANCY SERVICE TO DEVELOP FAIRTRADE AFRICA STRATEGY-Readvertised.

1. BACKGROUND

Established in 2005, Commerce Equitable Afrique (CEA), trading as Fairtrade Africa (FTA) is an independent non-profit umbrella organization representing 697 Fairtrade-certified producers across 29 countries in Africa and the Middle East. FTA is owned by its members, who include producer organizations engaged in traditional export commodities such as coffee, cocoa, flowers, tea, cotton, wine, bananas, sugar, fresh fruits, herbs, and spices, as well as non-traditional commodities like shea butter, honey, and rooibos. FTA collectively represents over 1,450,000 smallholder farmers and workers (www.fairtradeafrica.net).

FTA is governed by the CEA Board of Directors elected by members. This Board oversees organizational affairs through various permanent and ad-hoc sub-committees. The Executive Director (chief executive officer), supported by the Senior Leadership Team, manages day-to-day operations under the Board’s guidance.

The FTA Secretariat is based in Nairobi, Kenya, with four regional offices:

• West Africa Network (WAN): Regional office in Accra, Ghana, and a country office in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
• Eastern and Central Africa Network (ECAN): Regional office in Nairobi, Kenya, with country offices in Kampala, Uganda, and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
• Southern Africa Network (SAN): Regional office in Blantyre, Malawi, and a country office in Cape Town, South Africa.
• Middle East and North Africa (MENA): Supported by the FTA Secretariat.

1. OBJECTIVE OF THE ASIGNMENT

FTA is looking for a consultant who will work closely with the Board and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to lead the process of the development of a new Strategic Plan for the period of 2026-2028 that will guide FTA in fulfilling its mandate.

1. SCOPE

The scope and focus of the assignment are to provide technical, strategic and operational support to enable the renewal of the Fairtrade Africa Strategic Plan in line with the changing political, economic, technological, global and social landscape.

The Consultant’s tasks will include, but will not be limited to the following:

1. Assessing relevant policies and procedures guiding FTA operations and identifying operational gaps in service delivery to members. This exercise includes performance review against the 2021-2025 strategic plan, assessing the Producer Support Model, and the effectiveness of monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) processes, including the measurement of results. Additionally, the review will focus on organizational structure, budgeting practices, resource mobilization strategies, country and product prioritization, and the governance structure. The goal is to identify challenges, uncover strategic opportunities, and propose innovative approaches to enhance efficiency and impact in the upcoming strategic period.
2. Conducting a PESTEL analysis, to identify strengths, challenges, opportunities, and threats facing the organization, as well as analyzing areas of failure and reasons for sub-optimal performance.
3. Facilitating a detailed SWOT analysis with FTA staff and management, producer organizations, partners and the CEA Board of Directors, and gathering members’ aspirations for the next three (3) years.
4. Support Global Strategy Consultations by providing technical support as needed, facilitating input from African producers and stakeholders to ensure their priorities and needs are well-represented in the global strategy.
5. Consult with the Strategy sub-Committee and Thematic Leads to recommend major thematic areas for focus, utilizing the Pareto tool or other applicable management tools.
6. Preparing a draft strategic plan with strategic objectives, an implementation matrix, and a monitoring and evaluation framework, informed by the findings from tasks (i) to (iv) highlighted above, and relevant experiences of similar organizations.
7. Presenting the draft strategic plan to the Strategy sub-Committee and the FTA CEA Board of Directors.
8. Conducting a stakeholder workshop for validation of the draft strategic plan and updating the plan based on stakeholder feedback and submitting the final version to the CEA Board of Directors for approval.

(Note: All reports, analyses metrics, strategic documents developed under this assignment will be the sole property of Fairtrade Africa).

1. QUALIFICATIONS

A master’s degree in strategic management or equivalent, with a minimum of 10 years of relevant experience. Demonstrated expertise in formulating strategic plans is essential. The experts will liaise with the Strategy and Impact Director, and the Strategy sub-committee, to prepare reports, and present findings to the CEA Board of Directors and the CEO. The expert will also facilitate the stakeholders’ workshops. The expert(s) must submit three reference letters from clients for similar work completed in the last three years, including contact details.

1. EXPERIENCE

The ideal Consultant or Consultancy Firm should possess the following experience:

• Strategic Planning Expertise: Proven experience in strategic planning for organizations with regional and international affiliations, preferably in Fairtrade. Familiarity with the Fairtrade system and experience with diverse international stakeholders is highly desirable.
• Sector Expertise: In-depth knowledge of agricultural value chains, smallholder farmer and worker support, sustainability, and sustainable development. Experience in relevant thematic areas is advantageous.
• Innovation and Methodological Proficiency: Ability to propose innovative solutions and familiarity with strategic frameworks and methodologies, including SWOT, PESTEL, and Theory of Change.
• Facilitation and Engagement Skills: Strong facilitation skills and the ability to engage effectively with a diverse range of stakeholders, including producers, board members, staff, and partners.
• Analytical and Synthesis Skills: Proven ability to conduct stakeholder consultations, synthesize complex inputs, and translate them into coherent, actionable strategic documents.
• Communication Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the capacity to present ideas clearly to diverse audiences. Working knowledge in French would be a significant advantage to engage French-speaking stakeholders.
• Team Composition: A team with diverse expertise relevant to the scope of work, and representatives based in strategic countries or regions will be highly advantageous for addressing multilingual needs within the African context.
• Report Writing and Deliverables: Exceptional skills in analysis, synthesis, and drafting high-quality reports that align with project objectives.

1. DURATION OF ASSIGNMENT

The assignment is expected to last for twenty (20) calendar weeks.

1. REPORTING

The Consultant will report to the FTA CEA Board of Directors through the Strategy Sub-Committee. The Consultant will provide the following reports:

1. A Report of the Review of Previous Strategic Plan, Producer Support Model, Organizational and Governance Structure (due 10 weeks after commencement)
2. Draft Strategic Plan 2026-2028 (due 15 weeks after commencement)
3. Validation Workshop Report (due 16 weeks after commencement)
4. Final Strategic Plan (due 20 weeks after commencement)

5. SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE CLIENT

FTA will provide relevant documentation and letters of introduction to stakeholders for the Consultant’s access to additional information. FTA will cover any costs associated with Consultant’s travel and accommodation expenses. All other costs incurred by the Consultant, including office running costs, communication expenses, and report printing, will be the Consultant’s responsibility.

1. REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

Interested experts are required to submit the following documents:

1. A cover letter introducing the submission.
2. Signed Curriculum Vitae.
3. Evidence of experience in similar assignments.
4. Client reference letters.
5. Proposed Technical Proposal.
6. Financial Proposal.

Note: The financial proposal must be submitted separately from the technical proposal.

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