Consultant - Cost Benefit
Analysis (CBA) Specialist, Horticulture

Project Description:

Outdated and ineffective agricultural technologies are among the leading causes for Pakistan’s agricultural productivity falling short of its potential. Scaling up the production, distribution, and adoption of agricultural technologies in Pakistan is challenged by lack of information, difficulty in accessing credit, a geographically wide dispersion of smallholder farmers, and diverse of challenges facing marginalized subsets of smallholder farmers – such as women.  PATTA aims to bring to scale private sector solutions to improve agricultural productivity in Pakistan through a four-year activity which entails partnering with agricultural technology companies to commercialize products and services with the potential to increase the productivity and competitiveness of smallholder farmers while mobilizing private sector investment in agricultural technology.

Assignment Description:

The Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) is an activity that intends to simplify the decision making and prioritization of promoting technologies that have the potential to increase the income and yield of small farmers through PATTA’s intervention. The CBA activity will make the business case for sustained private sector investments in technology transfer, adaptations, outreach and marketing by identifying specific technologies and associated private & public-sector organizations to achieve PATTA’s objectives. The findings from the CBA will evidence the return on investment in marketing and adapting specific productive technologies related best practices to smallholder farmers.

Objective of the Assignment:

The assignment will consider the following key objectives of the project:

1. Work with PATTA team and supply side partners to short list technologies within the selected sub-sectors of horticulture and livestock that can increase the productivity, efficiency and income level of the small farmers.
2. Quantify the costs and benefits associated with promoting a specific technology and on-boarding a specific private sector organization over the other.
3. Develop a financial model to estimate the CBA along with the financial impact of PATTA’s proposed interventions.
4. Provide thorough analysis and conclusions which assist the PATTA partner supply side companies to determine which technologies will provide the opportunity to best achieve project goals in line with the performance indicators.

Deliverables:

The specific deliverables of STTA CBA Specialist - Horticulture are;

1. Submit study protocols including detailed data collection instruments, time frame, work plan, detailed analysis plan of each technology/link products and practices
2. Submit draft report of CBA of each technology/link products and practices up to 3 LoEs (Days) for technology CBA
3. Submit a final report after receiving the feedback from the project team on the draft report
4. Archive and submit properly filed hard copies of filled-in questionnaires and any other instrument /data collection tools used during the study of each technology/products

Study Period and Expected Timelines:

The assignment is expected to commence in April 2019 and expected to be completed by end of July 2019. The Team Lead will have an LOE of 60days and both Team Members will also have an LOE of 60 days each. Proposed time frame is as under

Eligibility Criteria:

The USAID PATTA Project will select individual consultants through competitive selection process and would ask them to work in the team.

PATTA COP will be responsible for approving the study methodology, instruments and the final deliverables. S/he will work closely with the Business Development Services component lead, Technical team lead and other relevant members of the team.

External consultants with the following portfolio will be sought to undertake the study. The study team will include:

Horticulture Specialist   

• Masters in Agricultural Economics, Horticulture or related field with more than 10 years of professional experience
• Previous experience in CBA with USAID funded projects with a focus on horticulture sector
• Experience of conducting value chain and financial analysis
• Good computer skills (word processing, spreadsheet & power point)
• Excellent report writing skills
• Able to work with other team members