AGRIBUSINESS INNOVATION CENTRE (AIC)
PRIVATE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR SUPPORT TANZANIA
TECHNICAL REVIEW -AGRIBUSINESS INNOVATION CENTRE (AIC)
REQUESTING FOR BIDS
TERMS OF REFERENCE
1. INTRODUCTION
ABOUT PASS -TRUST
The Private Agricultural Sector Support Trust (PASS) is a facility established in the year 2000 in order to stimulate investment and growth in commercial agriculture and related sectors. It was registered in 2007 as non-profit making and non-governmental organization under the Trustees Incorporation Act, 2002 and is taxed as charitable organization.
About AIC
Agribusiness Innovation Centre (AIC) in Tanzania is a development project under PASS Trust mandated to incubate youth agribusinesses and provide business development services to agro-enterprises that are growth oriented. It specifically focuses on growing the value adding enterprises giving special attention to Youth entrepreneurs in Tanzania.
In its five-year strategy starting from 2018 to 2022, PASS Trust has clearly stipulated to give a special attention to youth, women and green growth in its mission. Accordingly, among the key objectives for this period include growth of credit guarantees to the targeted group (youth and women); expansion of the Agribusiness Innovation Centre (AIC) to establish agribusiness incubation centres; and increase of share of green investments in PASS’s portfolio.
In early 2018, DANIDA conducted a mid-term review of its overall Country Programme in Tanzania, The review appreciated that
there may be a need in Tanzania for AIC services. However, the findings indicated that the establishment of the AIC is a high-risk intervention in the sense that it may:
a) Deviate resources from the core business of PASS, and
b) Take many years before it will be commercially sustainable.
c) The Review Team also assessed that establishment of an AIC managed (revolving) Seed Fund that is supposed to un-block and leverage other funding for AIC incubatees either through guarantees or co-funding mechanisms will add considerably to the risks.
2. OBJECTIVES OF THE AIC TECHNICAL REVIEW
This technical review will cover progress made towards the intended outputs of the AIC, design (management structures) and delivery (operational elements). Key objectives include to;i, Assess and score progress from 2014 to September 2021 against the outcomes in the log frame, including a consideration of Assumptions and Risks, and determine whether and what changes are required;
ii, Assess the extent to which AIC has taken on board innovation principles in implementation of its projects and suggest ways to integrate more innovation into the programme;
iii, Assess the performance of processes such as governance, procurement, disbursements, payroll, finance and asset management and if they demonstrate value for money;
iv. Assess program management and the development of assumptions, risks and risk mitigation;
v. Assess the extent to youth acquired new skills, especially in innovative commercial agriculture production and processing in different value-chains.
‘To what extent were the skills relevant to the needs of the youths?
«Have the youths used the acquired skills to obtain decent jobs (employment or self-employment}?
vi. Disbursements and expenditures, including the relationship between physical and financial progress and the quality of financial management, based on information provided by the Danish Embassy on disbursement and spending.
vii. Assess the relevance of AIC operationalization in PASS TRUST core support.
viii. Assess the efficiency of the general management’s arrangements.
ix. Assess the efficiency of the monitoring system
x. Assess the continued viability of the long-term relationship with host institutions such as oUA and TALIKI, and Now these could be improved in the existing and new Centers and recommend exit strategies for PASS?
The Program review is envisaged to put main emphasis on the aspects of impact and sustainability, but the other criteria of relevance, efficiency and effectiveness will also be considered. The review will also address organisational and operational aspects of AIC, including the operational efficiency, the institutional viability and governance. Furthermore, the review will assess
AIC integration into PASS TRUST strategy and its role in relation to other relevant programmes and institutions in Tanzania.
The review questions and the review matrix will be prepared in the inception phase of the review. The following review questions and issues are envisaged to be included:
1. Is AIC achieving the intended impacts as per the original idea and results framework?
2. What factors contributed to or detracted from the achievement of results?
3. Are there unintended results, either positive or negative?
4, What is the likelihood of continuation and sustainability of project outcomes and benefits after completion – including likelihood of collaboration with other like-minded partners?
5. How could AIC be improved and enhanced, building on the lessons learnt during the review period?
6. What is the potential for setting up and Agribusiness consulting wing and earn fees for further sustainability?
4. OUTPUTS AND MILESTONES
The review will be undertaken from 17th January 2022 to 18th February 2022 and involve the outputs described below. All reporting must be in English.
1. An inception report in draft by 24th January 2022 and final version by 28th January 2022 (max. 10 pages excluding annexes), including:
- Description of AIC history and evolution taking into consideration its strategies
- Description of the review methodology
- Review matrix, including review questions, judgement criteria and data sources
- Detailed work plan
- Outline of the review report
2. A review report in draft by 11th February 2022 and final by 18th February 2022 (max. 25 pages excluding annexes) that includes the fieldwork findings and analyses. The report must include an executive summary of maximum three pages.
All draft reports are submitted to the Managing Director of PASS TRUST for comments and will only be considered final when the Managing Director has approved them.
Request for Bids
To be considered, a copy of the Bid must be sent by email to [email protected] and [email protected] by 5th January 2022
