Consultancy: Commodity Market Assessment, Vegetable & Enterprise Value Chain Analysis – Bama LGA, Borno State

About the job:

ZOA, in collaboration with the World Food Programme (WFP) and partners, is implementing the Resilience and Social Cohesion Project in Bama LGA, Borno State. The project delivers an integrated package of cash‑for‑assets, climate‑smart production support, financial inclusion, and micro‑enterprise development to support crisis‑affected households to restore livelihoods, strengthen self‑reliance, and enhance social cohesion.

The project supports agricultural, livestock, and off‑farm income‑generating activities (IGAs) through enterprise kits, skills development, and linkages to markets and financial services. To ensure these interventions are market‑responsive, economically viable, and do not undermine existing market systems, ZOA requires a rapid but rigorous commodity market and value chain assessment covering agriculture, livestock, and off‑farm enterprises in Bama LGA.

This assessment is a critical design and decision‑making input for the project. Its purpose is to generate evidence that directly informs (i) the prioritization of feasible and market‑driven enterprise options for project participants; (ii) the refinement and costing of enterprise kits based on local market realities and sourcing options; (iii) the design of relevant training curricula; and (iv) the identification of viable private‑sector engagement and financial inclusion pathways.

Theory of change linkage: By aligning enterprise kit design, training, and financial linkages with demonstrated market demand and functioning value chains, the assessment contributes to improved enterprise viability, increased household incomes, and stronger integration of project participants into resilient local market systems.

The assessment must cover all livelihood kits currently proposed or ongoing by WFP, namely: (a) agricultural crop and vegetable kits; (b) livestock kits (poultry/Noiler and shoats); and (c) off‑farm income‑generating activity (IGA) kits. It should analyse market demand (including seasonality and price dynamics), input and service availability, constraints, and opportunities for private‑sector engagement, thereby informing enterprise kit specifications, training content, and market linkages.

Off‑farm IGAs to be considered include tailoring, welding, cap making, soap making, food processing, barbing salon, briquette production, and cold house business. The assessment will also identify additional viable trades beyond the currently planned kits where justified by market evidence.

Responsibilities:

The overall objective of this assignment is to conduct a hybrid market and value chain assessment that combines:

1. A rapid market scan of all agricultural, livestock, and off‑farm income-generating activities (IGAs) supported by the project, and
2. Targeted deep‑dive value chain analyses of a prioritized set of high‑potential commodities.

The assessment will identify market-driven, profitable, and asset‑light enterprise opportunities for households in Bama LGA and analyze selected value chains from inputs to end markets to inform enterprise kit design, private-sector engagement, and financial inclusion pathways.

Specific Objectives

The consultancy aims to generate decision‑oriented evidence that directly informs enterprise selection, kit design, market engagement, and financial inclusion strategies under the project. Specifically, the assignment will:

1. Conduct a rapid, market‑oriented scan of all agricultural, livestock, and off‑farm income‑generating activities currently supported by the project—including vegetables, field crops, poultry (Noiler), goats, and selected off‑farm IGAs—to assess market demand, seasonality, price dynamics, input and service availability, competition, and key constraints affecting enterprise viability.
2. Apply a transparent prioritization framework—based on criteria such as market demand, profitability, feasibility for vulnerable households, asset‑lightness, scalability, gender and youth appropriateness, security/access considerations, and alignment with existing project investments to identify a focused set (3–5) of high‑potential commodities for deeper analysis.
3. Undertake targeted deep‑dive value chain analyses for the prioritized commodities, mapping actors, functions, costs, margins, and governance structures from input supply to end markets, and identifying bottlenecks, risks (including risk of market distortion from increased market entry), and leverage points for upgrading.
4. Identify feasible and sustainable enterprise options—including additional or alternative trades beyond the currently planned kits where market evidence suggests stronger income potential or lower risk, while allowing space for the consultant to challenge assumptions about underperforming or non‑viable value chains.
5. Inform the refinement and costing of enterprise kits by translating market and value chain findings into practical, locally sourced, and costed Bills of Quantities (BoQs), aligned with realistic income pathways and household capacities.
6. Assess financial inclusion and enterprise financing pathways by:
• Evaluating the feasibility of value chain finance and vendor credit arrangements.
• Assessing the readiness and suitability of MFIs and FinTech providers to serve project participants.
• Examining practical graduation pathways from VSLA → SDC → formal financial services; and
• Recommending context‑appropriate financial products linked to enterprise cash‑flow realities.

3. Scope of Work

The overall objective of this assignment is to conduct a hybrid market and value chain assessment that combines:

1. A rapid market scan of all agricultural, livestock, and off‑farm income-generating activities (IGAs) supported by the project, and
2. Targeted deep‑dive value chain analyses of a prioritized set of high‑potential commodities.

The assessment will identify market-driven, profitable, and asset‑light enterprise opportunities for households in Bama LGA and analyze selected value chains from inputs to end markets to inform enterprise kit design, private-sector engagement, and financial inclusion pathways.

Specific Objectives

The consultancy aims to generate decision‑oriented evidence that directly informs enterprise selection, kit design, market engagement, and financial inclusion strategies under the project. Specifically, the assignment will:

1. Conduct a rapid, market‑oriented scan of all agricultural, livestock, and off‑farm income‑generating activities currently supported by the project—including vegetables, field crops, poultry (Noiler), goats, and selected off‑farm IGAs—to assess market demand, seasonality, price dynamics, input and service availability, competition, and key constraints affecting enterprise viability.
2. Apply a transparent prioritization framework—based on criteria such as market demand, profitability, feasibility for vulnerable households, asset‑lightness, scalability, gender and youth appropriateness, security/access considerations, and alignment with existing project investments to identify a focused set (3–5) of high‑potential commodities for deeper analysis.
3. Undertake targeted deep‑dive value chain analyses for the prioritized commodities, mapping actors, functions, costs, margins, and governance structures from input supply to end markets, and identifying bottlenecks, risks (including risk of market distortion from increased market entry), and leverage points for upgrading.
4. Identify feasible and sustainable enterprise options—including additional or alternative trades beyond the currently planned kits where market evidence suggests stronger income potential or lower risk, while allowing space for the consultant to challenge assumptions about underperforming or non‑viable value chains.
5. Inform the refinement and costing of enterprise kits by translating market and value chain findings into practical, locally sourced, and costed Bills of Quantities (BoQs), aligned with realistic income pathways and household capacities.
6. Assess financial inclusion and enterprise financing pathways by:
• Evaluating the feasibility of value chain finance and vendor credit arrangements.
• Assessing the readiness and suitability of MFIs and FinTech providers to serve project participants.
• Examining practical graduation pathways from VSLA → SDC → formal financial services; and
• Recommending context‑appropriate financial products linked to enterprise cash‑flow realities.

3. Scope of Work

The consultant will implement a two‑stage hybrid assessment:

1. Stage 1 – Rapid Market Scan (All Commodities/IGAs)

The consultant will conduct a rapid market scan for all livelihood activities supported under the project, which are:

• Vegetables (tomato, pepper, onion, okra, amaranthus, watermelon, carrot)
• Field crops (groundnut, soybean, sorghum, millet, rice, wheat)
• Livestock: poultry (Noiler), goats
• Off‑farm IGAs (tailoring, cap making, soap making, barbing, briquettes, cold house business, food processing and Welding)

Activities will include:

1. Basic market demand analysis (volume, trends, seasonality, pricing).
2. Input and service availability, including seeds, veterinary drugs, feed, equipment, tools, and processing services.
3. Existing and potential market actors (vendors, aggregators, processors, retailers).
4. Identification of constraints and opportunities for each commodity/IGA.
5. Shortlisting viable IGAs not currently included in project kits.

1. Stage 2 – Prioritization of Commodities for Deep-Dive Analysis

Using agreed criteria (market demand, profitability, scalability, relevance to previously supported households, asset-lightness, gender inclusivity, security/access feasibility), the consultant will identify 3–5 commodities for deep‑dive analysis.
These may include:

• Poultry/Noiler, considering ongoing support and upcoming hatchery installation.
• Goats, based on existing livestock distributions.
• Vegetables, due to seed/tool support and strong market turnover.
• One off‑farm IGA with strong market potential.

1. Stage 3 – Deep-Dive Value Chain Analysis (Selected Commodities)

For each prioritized commodity, the consultant will:

1. Map the entire value chain (input suppliers → producers → aggregators → processors → retailers → consumers).
2. Identify pricing patterns, margins, cost structures, and quality standards.
3. Analyze gender roles, youth participation, and inclusion gaps.
4. Assess service ecosystems (extension, veterinary, mechanization, finance).
5. Identify constraints, opportunities, and leverage points for upgrading.
6. Recommend scalable business models and private-sector partnership options.

1. Market Observations and Stakeholder Engagement

The consultant will conduct:

• Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with agro‑dealers, input suppliers, traders, processors, transporters, off‑takers, financial service providers, extension agents, and local authorities.
• Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with VSLA/SDC members, producer groups, women/youth groups.
• Price and quality observations across accessible townships and ward markets.

1. Deliverable-Linked Outputs

1. Prioritized enterprise opportunities list
2. Value chain maps for selected commodities
3. Costed enterprise kit specifications (BoQs)
4. Agro‑dealer engagement notes
5. Training curriculum recommendations
6. Financial inclusion pathway analysis
7. Validation workshop facilitation
8. Final consolidated report and datasets

4. Methodology

The consultant will apply a market‑driven, participatory, and mixed‑methods methodology designed to generate decision‑oriented insights that are both analytically rigorous and operationally relevant. The approach should go beyond description to explain why specific enterprises and value chains perform as they do, how constraints and opportunities interact, and where the project can intervene most effectively without distorting local markets.

The methodology is expected to ensure:

• Triangulation of findings across data sources, actors, and methods.
• Analytical rigour, including clear assumptions and explicit treatment of risks and limitations.
• Sufficient depth of analysis for prioritized commodities to inform concrete kit design, financial products, and private‑sector engagement decisions.
• Local embeddedness, enabling validation of findings with project participants, market actors, and stakeholders.

To achieve this, the consultant will adopt the following methodological components.

4.1 Desk Review

The consultant will review project documentation and available secondary data to establish baseline understanding and refine field enquiry. This will include:

• Project design documents, implementation plans, and past assessments.
• Available project datasets (e.g. enterprise kits, VSLA/SDC records);
• Relevant market studies, price bulletins, and sector reports from ZOA, WFP, FAO, government, and other actors.

The desk review will be used to identify knowledge gaps, refine hypotheses, and prioritize field data collection, rather than to restate known information.

4.2 Field Data Collection

Primary data collection will be undertaken using tools tailored to market systems and value chain analysis, including:

• Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with input suppliers, traders, processors, agro‑dealers, transporters, offtakers, financial service providers, and relevant authorities.
• Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with project participants, producer groups, VSLA/SDC members, and women and youth groups.
• Market observations and price/quality monitoring across accessible ward and township markets.
• Observation checklists for service points (e.g. input shops, veterinary outlets, hatcheries, processors).

Sampling and data collection will remain flexible and adaptive to access, security, and seasonality constraints, including the use of remote KIIs where required.

4.3 Rapid Market Scan (All Commodities / IGAs)

Using the field and secondary data, the consultant will conduct a rapid market scan for all project‑supported commodities and IGAs, focusing on:

• Market demand, volumes, trends, and seasonality.
• Price dynamics and variability.
• Input and service availability and bottlenecks.
• Competitive dynamics and entry barriers.
• Immediate risks related to market saturation or distortion.

The objective of this stage is comparative understanding, not equal depth across all commodities.

4.4 Prioritization Framework

Based on agreed criteria (e.g. demand, profitability, feasibility for vulnerable households, asset‑lightness, scalability, gender and youth relevance, security/access feasibility, and alignment with project investments), the consultant will apply a transparent scoring and judgement framework to identify 3–5 priority commodities for deep‑dive analysis.

The framework should allow space for the consultant to challenge existing assumptions and exclude value chains that show limited viability despite prior inclusion in project designs.

4.5 Deep‑Dive Value Chain Analysis

For each prioritized commodity, the consultant will undertake a structured value chain analysis, including:

• Mapping of actors, functions, and relationships from inputs to end markets.
• Analysis of cost structures, margins, pricing behaviour, and quality standards.
• Identification of bottlenecks, coordination failures, and power dynamics.
• Assessment of risks, including the potential impact of large numbers of new market entrants.
• Review of service ecosystems (extension, veterinary, mechanization, finance).

The analysis should explicitly link findings to practical upgrading options relevant to project implementation.

4.6 Financial Inclusion and Enterprise Financing Analysis

Across prioritized value chains, the consultant will assess:

• Feasibility of value chain finance and vendor credit arrangements.
• Suitability and readiness of MFIs and FinTech providers.
• Graduation pathways from VSLA → SDC → formal financial services.
• Alignment of financial products with enterprise cash‑flow patterns and risk profiles.

This component should result in actionable financing options, not generic financial inclusion recommendations.

4.7 Validation and Co‑Design

Preliminary findings will be validated through a multi‑stakeholder workshop involving project staff, market actors, and selected participants. The workshop will be used to:

• Test assumptions and interpretations.
• Prioritize feasible enterprise options.
• Co‑design practical recommendations for kits, partnerships, and implementation sequencing.

4.8 Quality Assurance

The consultant will ensure data quality and ethical standards through:

• Enumerator training and safeguarding orientation.
• Tool piloting and refinement.
• Daily debriefings and supervisory checks.
• Data cleaning, anonymization, and documentation of limitations, assumptions, and residual risks.

5.Deliverables

The consultant will deliver the following outputs to support evidence‑based programme design and implementation:

1. Inception Package
• Inception note detailing refined methodology, analytical focus, and data gaps
• Draft data collection tools (KII/FGD guides, price and quality tracking templates)
2. Market and Value Chain Analysis
• Rapid market scan covering all assessed commodities and IGAs
• Prioritization matrix and justification for selection of 3–5 priority commodities
• Value chain maps and analytical summaries for prioritized commodities, including constraints, opportunities, risks (including market distortion), and upgrading options
3. Programme Design and Financing Outputs
• Costed enterprise kit specifications (Bills of Quantities) and editable enterprise kit menu
• Financial inclusion and enterprise financing analysis, including recommended pathways (VSLA → SDC → formal finance)
• Agro‑dealer / private‑sector engagement notes and proposed partnership models
• Training curriculum recommendations aligned with market and cash‑flow realities
• Draft template MoU/LoI for engagement with service providers (where applicable)
4. Stakeholder Validation
• Facilitation of a multi‑stakeholder validation and co‑design workshop
• Validation workshop agenda, participant list, and consolidated feedback
5. Final Outputs
• Final consolidated report integrating validated findings and actionable recommendations
• Cleaned and anonymized datasets
• Annex documenting assumptions, limitations, risks, and mitigation measures

Reporting on limitations: the final report should clearly document limitations including Data gaps, Assumptions, Quality limitations, Risks that may affect accuracy, Mitigation actions and remaining caveats.

6.    Duration & Workplan

The assignment will be conducted over a period of four (4) weeks / twenty (20) working days from contract signature. The workplan is designed to balance analytical rigour with operational feasibility, allowing sufficient time for synthesis of findings, stakeholder validation, and integration of feedback into final outputs.

The consultant is expected to apply adaptive planning, recognizing that access, security, and seasonality may require minor adjustments in sequencing, without compromising the overall timeline or quality of deliverables.

Proposed Workplan (20 Working Days)

<table> <thead> <tr> <td>

Period

</td> <td>

Key Activities

</td> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>

Week 1 (Days 1–5)

</td> <td>

Inception Phase: desk review of project documents and available secondary data; refinement of analytical focus and key hypotheses; development and submission of inception note; design and piloting of data collection tools; finalization of sampling strategy and fieldwork plan; ethics, safeguarding, and security planning.

</td> </tr> <tr> <td>

Week 2 (Days 6–10)

</td> <td>

Field Data Collection – Rapid Market Scan: KIIs, FGDs, market observations, and price/quality monitoring covering all project‑supported commodities and IGAs; engagement with key market actors and service providers; daily debriefs and preliminary validation of emerging patterns.

</td> </tr> <tr> <td>

Week 3 (Days 11–15)

</td> <td>

Deep‑Dive Analysis & Drafting: application of prioritization framework; deep‑dive value chain analyses for selected 3–5 commodities; financial inclusion and enterprise financing analysis; development of draft value chain maps, enterprise kit concepts, and preliminary recommendations; internal debrief with ZOA/WFP.

</td> </tr> <tr> <td>

Week 4 (Days 16–20)

</td> <td>

Validation & Finalization: facilitation of multi‑stakeholder validation and co‑design workshop; incorporation of feedback; finalization of report, programmatic tools (BoQs, enterprise kit menu, engagement notes), annexes, and cleaned datasets; submission of final deliverables.

</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>

Flexibility Clause

Minor adjustments to activity sequencing may be agreed in consultation with ZOA in response to access, security, or contextual constraints, provided that overall timelines, scope, and deliverable quality are maintained.

Data & Contacts to Be Provided by ZOA

Subject to the consultant signing a confidentiality and non-disclosure agreement, ZOA will provide the consultant with all existing project information available, including:

• Project participants datasets (e.g., IGA support lists, seed/tool distribution lists, goat/poultry support lists).
• Market price data previously collected by the project (where available).
• Any existing VSLA/SDC records and group profiles.
• Lists and contact details of key market actors already engaged by the project (e.g., agro‑dealers, aggregators, processors, transporters).
• Contact information for community structures (village heads, ward leaders) and relevant government departments (Agriculture, Veterinary Services, Commerce).
• Security and access protocols for movement within Bama LGA.
• Any secondary studies conducted by ZOA, WFP, FAO, or other partners relevant to market systems.

Data to Be Sourced Independently by the Consultant

The consultant will be responsible for data collection as follows:

• Additional KIIs with market actors not yet engaged by the project.
• Broader market price observations and supply chain mapping beyond ZOA’s existing network.
• Gathering secondary market data from open sources, trade associations, or NGOs.
• Conducting expanded value chain actor mapping (e.g., processors, off‑takers, wholesalers).
• Independent triangulation of price, demand, and cost structure information.

For all data used and obtained during this assignment, Data protection compliance referencing GDPR is mandatory.

6.1 Technical Qualifications and Experience

The assignment may be undertaken by an individual consultant or a consulting firm with a multidisciplinary team. The proposed consultant(s) must demonstrate the following minimum qualifications and experience:

• An advanced academic degree (Master’s level or higher) in economics, agribusiness, agricultural economics, market systems development, rural development, business administration, or a closely related field.
• A minimum of five (5) years of demonstrated professional experience conducting market assessments, commodity market analyses, and/or agricultural, livestock, or MSME value chain assessments, preferably in fragile or conflict‑affected settings.
• Proven experience in market systems analysis, including assessment of supply, demand, price dynamics, seasonality, and market constraints for agricultural, livestock, and off‑farm income‑generating activities.
• Experience assessing or designing livelihoods, enterprise development, and income‑generation interventions, including cash‑based assistance, productive assets support, or graduation‑oriented approaches (e.g. VSLA‑linked enterprises).
• Strong analytical and reporting skills, with proven ability to produce clear, evidence‑based, and decision‑oriented reports suitable for programme design and donor use.
• Prior experience working in humanitarian, fragile, conflict‑affected, or post‑conflict contexts is required; experience in North‑East Nigeria or comparable contexts is a strong advantage.
• Familiarity with financial inclusion approaches, including VSLA/SDC models, MSME finance, value chain finance, or engagement with MFIs and FinTechs, is an asset.
• Demonstrated commitment to Do‑No‑Harm, conflict sensitivity, safeguarding (including PSEA), and ethical data collection practices.

Team Composition (for Team Proposals)

Where a team approach is proposed, it should ideally include the following roles (which may be combined depending on scale):

• Team Leader / Market Systems Specialist – overall leadership, analytical framework, quality assurance, reporting, and stakeholder engagement.
• Agriculture / Horticulture or Livestock Value Chain Specialist – commodity‑specific analysis, seasonal calendars, cost structures, and enterprise viability.
• MSME / Financial Inclusion Specialist – assessment of IGAs, enterprise financing options, and financial service provider engagement.

All team members must demonstrate the capacity to work under security constraints and in coordination with humanitarian actors and local authorities.

Requirements:

Applicants must submit the following to verify eligibility:

• Curriculum Vitae (CVs) of the consultant or key personnel, clearly highlighting relevant experience.
• Academic certificates and professional qualifications.
• Evidence of relevant professional registration or affiliation, where applicable.
• At least one (1) sample of similar assignment or report.
• References (minimum two) with contact details for verification.
• A brief technical approach and methodology, demonstrating understanding of the TOR and proposed execution within the four‑week timeframe.

Failure to provide adequate documentation may result in disqualification.

Salary and other terms of employment:

Attractive.