Introduction
Over 60% of the land mass in IGAD countries (Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda) is Arid and Semi- Arid Land (ASAL) where pastoralism and agro pastoralism is the dominant livelihood earning highly dependent on the rearing of livestock such as camels, cattle, sheep and goats. Camels show outstanding survival features when compared with other livestock in regions dominated by frequent drought conditions that has been characteristic in the ASAL regions of IGAD. Moreover, in dry environments, the camel's lactating period is longer than that of other dairy species.
The IGAD region owns more than 60% of the world camels. The demand for live camels, its meat and milk in the IGAD region and Middle East countries, especially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, Kuwait, Yemen, Egypt and Libya is high because of the affordable price of its meat, in addition to the traditional belief of the potential pharmaceutical effects of camel milk. In many IGAD countries, camel milk is sold for higher prices than cow milk. The greater preference for camel keeping in the ASALs is due to its tolerance to adverse weather conditions. However, the national and regional efforts on camel disease control, husbandry practices and value addition activities on camel milk and meat production are still very limited.
Despite the resilience of camels to the effects of climate change and other benefits indicated above, there is occasionally sudden death of unknown etiology. Affected categories include adult lactating and pregnant females, breeding and working bulls. Moreover, the trade in camels involves trekking as the main means of transportation to secondary markets within the region or to the ports of export. This has been a major challenge to traders as it fuels conflict over land along the trade routes and over the grazing and watering resources in addition to animals becoming susceptible to weight loss and subsequent death from starvation and opportunistic secondary bacterial infections, if proper feed, water and veterinary health services are not provided. The trade is greatly affected by, among other constraints, access to water and fodder. Traders and their trekkers often traverse areas without well-defined access rights to the limited available resources of feed and water. Most of the trekking routes to secondary markets or to ports for export are through regions where water, pasture and fodder are scarce. Thus, people and their livestock are forced by circumstances to compete for available scarce resources thereby fueling conflicts. The value-addition of camel products is not well developed and or diversified.
Therefore, AU-IBAR, in coordination with IGAD, is seeking to engage the services of a Regional Consultant on a Short-term Consultation Mission for conducting the study for the “Development and validation of the “Camel Management Strategy for IGAD region”, mainly focusing on Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan and Djibouti, as the main sources of Camels in the IGAD region.
The consultant will assess the current status of camel resources, management, husbandry, and marketing good practices, lessons learned, opportunities, gaps/challenges and will develop a draft regional strategy to guide, in a coordinated manner, the improvement of the camel value chain in the region in order to enhance food security and income of the IGAD member states.
Objectives of the Consultancy
The Overall Objective
To develop and validate the Camel Resources Management Strategy for IGAD region.
The Specific Objectives
- To undertake a desk study and document the current status of camel resources (breeds), management, husbandry, value addition, and marketing good practices within and outside the region; lessons learned, opportunities, and gaps/challenges.
- To conduct field studies and consultations with relevant stakeholders in the five main Camel rearing IGAD Member States (Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan and Djibouti).
- To draft a “Camel Resources Management Strategy for IGAD region ”
- To facilitate the stakeholders’ validation of the draft “Camel Resources Management Strategy for IGAD Region” and to incorporate the stakeholders’ inputs and submit the final strategy.
- To develop a regional camel project proposal for resource mobilization and operationalization of the developed strategy.
Methodology
The methodology of the consultation process will include Desk (literature, official census and database) reviews, individual interviews and group-discussions with stakeholders and strategic actors of the Camel Resources in IGAD; and analysis of quantitative data and qualitative observations using appropriate approaches to achieve the objectives of the study. It is expected that the group discussion meetings will be conducted in the form of online-conferences, to cope with the current Covid-19 restrictions and the individual interviews will be either physical meetings considering social-distance measures or online-meetings.
The consultant is expected to provide an Inception Report indicating the proposed time-framed work plan, stakeholders, methodologies, tools, type and source of data, data analytical approaches, and strategy outline/content that will be discussed with IGAD and IBAR experts, edited and finalized. The inception report is expected to be delivered to AU-IBAR in two weeks period from the date of commencing the consultation. After building consensus on the inception report and the scope of the assignment, the consultant will undertake the task according to the agreed approaches for data collection, analysis and output. Data will be collected according to the tools and analytical approaches developed in the inception report by the consultant and agreed upon with IGAD and AU-IBAR.
The consultant will perform the consultation services with the highest standards of professional and ethical competence and integrity. The consultant is strongly encouraged to develop highly interactive and practical outputs for this consultancy. The field-work will focus on the management of camel-resources in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan and Djibouti. For desk review, the consultant will use his/her own office accommodation and facilities, without responsibility of either AU-IBAR or IGAD.
Deliverables of the Consultancy
- An inception report (to be delivered in two weeks, from the date of commencing the assignment)
- A draft “Camel Resources Management Strategy for IGAD”
- Workshop report of the stakeholders’ validation of the draft strategy.
- Validated “Camel Management Strategy for IGAD region”.
- Regional project proposal for resource mobilization for promoting adoption and operationalization of the developed strategy.
Competences and Experience
Education
Post-graduate degree in animal science, animal production, or veterinary medicine.
Work Experience
- At least 10-years of experience and knowledge in animal production and rangeland management, out of which 5-years should be in camel production, camel disease management and/or camel value chain/marketing;
- Evidence of previous experience in the development of regional strategies and policies on livestock and livestock value chains/marketing;
- Knowledge of the IGAD region;
- Excellent soft skills and ability to articulate ideas in a clear and accurate manner including the ability to prepare reports;
- Command in oral and written English; and
- Good interpersonal skills and ability to establish and maintain effective working relations.
Remuneration
The actual duration of the consultation mission is 30 days of technical consultancy, within a total period of 4 months. The consultant will be paid a lump sum of USD 9,000.00 for consultancy.
Travel outside duty station (Home country)
Air tickets or road transport and Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA) will be financially covered according to the AU rules in this regard, upon approval of travel plans and schedules. Approved costs for validation process, and stakeholders’ meetings/interviews will be covered by Live2Africa according to AU-IBAR rules and regulations.
Status and Responsibilities of the Consultant
The contracted consultant for the Short Consultancy Mission is not engaged as an employee of AU-IBAR and therefore is entirely responsible for his/her own medical and life insurances. There will be no other entitlements.
The consultant will have no authority to incur any liability or make any commitment on behalf of AU-IBAR, nor will hold himself/herself out as being an employee of AU-IBAR.
As an independent consultant, he/she will be solely responsible for any tax, national insurance contributions and any other similar payments and will keep AU-IBAR indemnified against any claims or costs in relation to those matters.
Ownership of information and confidentiality
Any information arising out of this work is the property of AU-IBAR and should be available on request. The consultant should obtain a written agreement from AU-IBAR before divulging information relating to the study to any third party.
Supervision
The consultant will work under the overall guidance and supervision of the AU-IBAR Animal Production Expert and Senior Animal Health expert (Live2Africa Project).
Application for the Consultancy
Interested consultants are required to provide “Technical Proposals” along with their recent CV indicating competences and previous experiences associated with the field of this consultation. The deadline for submission of proposals is by Wednesday 21st April 2021 at 23:59 Nairobi, Local Time.
**Please ensure that the attached Declaration Form is duly filled in, signed, and stamped.
The Declaration form has to be submitted together with the other requirements (Curricular Vitae, and Technical Proposal). Failure to do nullifies your application. **
Please note that the attached Personal Data & Privacy Statement is for their perusal and notice. It requires no action.
How to apply:
The email address for submission of the proposals is procurement-210407-1@au-ibar.org with a copy to khalid.seid@au-ibar.org