RY OF AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SECURITY
SMALLHOLDER AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT II
MATCHING GRANTS PROGRAMME
REQUEST FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST
(CONSULTING SERVICES- INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANTS SELECTION METHOD)
LOAN NO: P165228
CREDIT NO: IDA -64220 -LS
ASSIGNMENT TITLE: TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL REVIEWER
DURATION: THREE (3) MONTHS
REF NUMBER: LS-MAFS-465836-CS-INDV
DUTY STATION: MASERU
1.BACKROUND
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security of Lesotho, with the support of the World Bank has established within the SADP II a Matching Grants Programme (MGP) to support investment by small and medium agriculture-related businesses, farmers, farmer groups and cooperatives and rural youth seeking to increase climate resilience, raise productivity, improve commercialization and increase production and consumption of high nutrition food products.
2.OBJECTIVE OF THE ASSIGNMENT
The technical and financial review process is central to the concept of a Matching Grants Program, as it is meant to provide the technical and financial oversight during the selection of the portfolio.
3.RESPONSIBILITIES AND TASKS
Technical and financial reviewers are responsible to:
Review in detail and evaluate the applications against the designated criteria and weighting-scoring system and procedures provided by the MGP Secretariat.Meet with the applicant(s) and service provider to assess their knowledge and competence and consequent ability to implement the investment.Complete an evaluation report for each application reviewed, using the forms provided by the MGP Secretariat.Assign criteria scoring and provide detailed comments when judged necessary for further consideration by the applicant, the MGP Secretariat and the MGC.Assign, at the end of the evaluation report/form, a level of recommendation to the application for consideration by the MGP Secretariat and MGC during the next steps of the selection procedure.Support scoring and recommendations with any further detailed comments that may be judged important to be communicated to applicants.Submit all completed review documentation, including the evaluated application and the evaluation report/form, to the MGP Secretariat within a maximum of 10 calendar days.Participate, if invited to do so, in the MGC meeting to defend his/her evaluation or provide additional comments related to any of the evaluated applications in front of the MGC members.Declare any interest relation or other relation with the participants linked (directly or indirectly) with the application proposed for evaluation and withdraw from the evaluation for which a potential conflict of interest may arise..Keep the confidentiality of the evaluation from any participant or person related to the applicant of the service provider.4. DURATION
- Contract duration is three (3) months.
5. FACILITIES TO BE PROVIDED BY THE CLIENT
- Forms to be used for evaluation of proposals
- Proposals from Beneficiaries.
6.DELIVERABLES AND FINAL OUTPUT
- Written report on the results of the evaluation including their recommendation
on the proposals reviewed and scored.
7.QUALIFICATION AND EXPERIENCE
- University degree in Agricultural economics or Degree in Agriculture.
SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
At least 5 years of experience in the field(s) and the specialty(ies) that are (is) priorities of the MGP and for which he/she may be invited to play the role of the technical evaluator.Successful completion of a training program in the technical and financial review of investment proposals, as approved by the PMU and the MGC.To have successfully accomplished a few activities on the field of his/her specialization and have a good knowledge of Lesotho agriculture sector (production, processing and marketing issues). A good knowledge of international agriculture would be desirable.To have a good grasp of the financial management issues associated with sub-project design and implementation.To be a well-known person, progressive and objective, have good communication skills with colleagues and partners as well as experience of
multi-partner activities.To have experience on the projects/programs of agriculture development and contacts and international experience on technology transfer would be an advantage.8. CLIENT ASSIGNMENT MANAGEMENT AND REPORTING ARRANGEMENTS.
Project Director assisted by Matching Grants Manager will coordinate implementation of activities under this contract, agreeing timing of services and for acceptance and approval of the reports and for receiving and approving the Consultant’s invoices for the payment.
9. The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to Section III paragraph 3.14 to 3.17 of the World Bank’s Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers dated November 2020 and revised in September 2023, setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest. A consultant will be selected in accordance with selection of Individual Consultants Method set out in Procurement Regulations.
10. SUBMISSION
Expressions of interest accompanied by detailed CV must be delivered in a written form to the address below in person by 14:30hrs Harare, Pretoria time on 31st January 2025 clearly marked ‘’ Expression of Interest for Technical and Financial Reviewers’’ For further clarifications contact:
To: Project Director-SADP II
Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security
Department of Livestock Services -Moshoeshoe 11
P.O. Box 24
Maseru 100 Lesotho.
Email: [email protected] cc [email protected]
