End of project assessment
The STDF and the Royal Netherlands Embassy (RNE) in Kampala funded a project titled ‘Enhancing the capacity of the Fruit and Vegetable Sector to comply with Phytosanitary requirements for export to EU, other high-end markets and regional markets’ which ran between February 2019 to September 2022 in Uganda. The project is referred as STDF/PG/543. The overall objective of the project was to improve Uganda’s compliance with international phytosanitary standards for production and export of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (FFVs) to international markets, including the EU, as well as to regional markets.
The Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International (CABI) was engaged by the funders to manage the project, which was implemented by the Department of Crop Inspection and Certification (DCIC) of Uganda’s Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF).
The global partnership of the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) drives catalytic SPS improvements in developing countries that facilitate safe trade, contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to sustainable economic growth, poverty reduction and food security. Against this context, the STDF provides a limited number of project grants to strengthen SPS capacity in developing countries, in line with beneficiary's priorities. Both public and private sector stakeholders benefit from projects that address key SPS challenges or opportunities, which influence their ability to gain and/or maintain market access.

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It had had the following six result areas:
• Results 1; Diagnostic mapping to determine project’s capacity building focus
• Result 2: build capacity along the value chain to enable compliance
• Result 3: enabling collaboration between private sector and public sectors and stakeholders
• Result 4; setting up a specific survey and monitoring systems for priority pests
• Result 5: Based on a market study to assess opportunity to increase fruit and vegetable exports to both new and current markets with improved SPS compliance, a realistic Uganda Export Marketing Strategy for FFVs was to be developed and agreed upon by the key stakeholders of the FFV export value chain.
• Result 6: create awareness to stakeholders on EU requirements, systems that have been put in place, and good practices to be observed along the value chains
The project funders and stakeholder require a consultant to conduct an end-of-project assessment.
Objectives of the end-of-project assessment
The end-of-project assessment of the STDF/PG/543 project aims to assess the relevance, coherence, efficiency, effectiveness and, where possible, the sustainability and impact of the project.
More specifically, the assessment aims to:
1. Make a factual and independent assessment of the performance of the entire project;
2. Identify possible lessons learnt and propose practical recommendations for the remainder of the project's implementation/possible future interventions by the implementing agency, other project stakeholders, as well as other development partners more broadly;
3. Analyse the project's performance at the national level and identify best practices and successes.
4. Compile information on the following:
1. Potential impact of the project on trade as a result of the intervention on capacity building aimed at compliance with SPS issues and market requirements.
2. Identification of best practices and success stories that can be replicated or expanded at the national or regional level.
5. Analyse the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the project, assess the mitigating measures put in place by the implementing agency and provide recommendations on how to improve the response of the implementing agency to the needs given the operational constraints imposed by the pandemic.
The assessment approach/process
Once the consultant has been contracted, the assessment process will proceed in three main phases: (i) the desk phase, (ii) the field phase and (iii) the synthesis phase, as described below:
Desk phase
During the first part of the desk phase, the relevant programming documents should be examined, as well as any other relevant documents available.

At the end of the desk phase, the consultant should perform the following tasks:
• Systematically review the relevant documents available;
• Interview project managers, main project partners and beneficiaries and other stakeholders;
• Finalize the full set of assessment questions: present each assessment question, specifying the information already collected and its limitations, provide an initial partial answer to each question, identify the items that still need to be covered and the hypotheses that still need to be tested, and describe a complete method to answer the question;
• Identify and present the list of tools to be applied during the field phase;
• List all the preparatory measures already taken for the field phase;
• Submit the detailed work plan for the field phase with an indicative list of people to be interviewed, surveys to be conducted, visit dates and itinerary. This plan should be followed flexibly enough to cope with any last-minute difficulties in the field. If a significant deviation from the agreed work plan or timetable is seen to pose a risk to the quality of the assessment, it should be discussed immediately with the implementing agency.
• On the basis of the detailed work plan, a second meeting will be held with the implementing agency, to explain and agree on the field phase activities.
Field Phase
The consultant implements their work plan for data collection, applying the specified techniques (interviews, questionnaires, discussion groups, case studies, etc.) and testing the hypotheses
Synthesis Phase / Finalization
The consultant drafts their assessment report, which includes the findings and conclusions in response to the questions asked, as well as an overall assessment. The report also includes recommendations, which are grouped and prioritized.
The result of this phase is the end-of-project assessment report.
Consultant's profile and qualifications

Qualifications and skills:
• University degree in economics, agriculture/rural development/food safety and/or programme evaluation/management;
• In-depth knowledge of the principles and working methods of project cycle management;
• In-depth knowledge of monitoring and evaluation principles (logical framework approach, results-based management, etc.) as well as evaluation and monitoring tools and methodologies;
• Knowledge of the country's institutional context in the field of agriculture/rural development/food safety is a necessary asset;
• Ability to work under pressure, and to meet deadlines.
Professional experience:
• Extensive and wide-ranging experience in the lead management of and development of cooperation projects, with a minimum of 10 years of professional experience in the field of agriculture/rural development/risk-based food safety in developing countries;
• At least 10 years of field experience in developing countries;
• Extensive and wide-ranging experience in the evaluation and monitoring of development and cooperation projects (minimum of three experiences), funded by different types of donors/institutions (e.g. bilateral donors, and/or multilateral institutions) in the field of agriculture/rural development/food safety;
• In-depth experience on sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) issues and their implications for developing countries and in particular East African countries is a necessary requirement.
• Proven experience in building/or knowledge of how the capacity of National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPO) and their role and necessary structure to enable export trade in horticultural produce is a requirement
• A proven demonstration of having in-depth understanding and experience of how public private partnerships between the NPPOs and the horticultural value chain need to work together to enhance export trade is a requirement
• Proven experience in building collaborations amongst institutions of government and coordination of private sector, to ensure SPS compliance at regional and International level

• Language skills
o Extensive knowledge of English - Excellent report-writing skills in English
Location
The assessment will take place primarily in Uganda, the beneficiary country. However, the consultant will be able to connect with a range of stakeholders in several countries remotely. The desk phase may be carried out remotely.
For the synthesis phase, a workshop will be organized either remotely or in person, in which beneficiaries, as well as partners and donors, should participate. The final list will be determined by the consultant, the entities involved in the project and the implementing agency.
Timelines
The assignment should begin by 20th August 2022 and last no more than two months (total duration of the mission, which includes several periods for providing comments on draft reports. The actual period of execution will depend on the provider's bid. The mission must be completed by the 30th October 2022).
The consultant must be able to attend an end of project seminar scheduled for 29th and 30th August in Kampala. If the consultant is not resident in Uganda they will be required to undertake field visits immediately after the seminar to cut cost on travel costs, hence should be available to be in Uganda between 28th August – 2nd September 2022.

Submit Tender
Bids must include a concise methodology (maximum 10 pages). The methodology should include the bidders' understanding of the terms of reference, justification of the expert's qualifications and a specific proposal for implementation, including a provisional timetable, and a detailed budget by email to: procurement-africa@cabi.org by close of business 5th August 2022.