Expression of Interest (EOI)
Provision of service on supply chain mapping and training for INATrace (Blockchain-based Solution for Agricultural Supply Chain Traceability) project.
Reference Number: 83422795
Background
The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is a federally owned international cooperation enterprise for sustainable development with worldwide operations. GIZ has worked in Rwanda for over 30 years. The primary objectives between the Government of Rwanda and the Great Lakes Region and the Federal Republic of Germany are poverty reduction and promotion of sustainable development. To achieve these objectives, GIZ Rwanda is active in the sectors of Decentralization and Good Governance, Economic Development and Employment Promotion, Energy and ICT (Information and Communications Technology), Natural Resources, Peace and Security and Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).
- Context and background
- Description of assignment
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is a global service provider in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development. GIZ has over 50 years of experience in a wide variety of areas, including economic development and employment promotion, energy and the environment, and peace and security. The diverse expertise of our federal enterprise is in demand around the globe, with the German Government, European Union institutions, the United Nations, and governments of other countries all benefiting from our services. Its main commissioning party is the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). GIZ works closely with the private sector, fostering successful interaction between development policy and foreign trade.
The GIZ Sectoral Programme for Sustainable Agricultural Supply Chains and Standards is a transnational project that is based in Germany, and that focuses on agricultural commodities such as coffee, cocoa, banana, soya, rubber, palm oil and cotton. For the project implementation in Rwanda, a partnership agreement has been concluded with the GIZ Programme “Promoting the economy and employment in Rwanda”, which will be handling all administrative requirements and assist with the activities related to this contract.
Global agricultural supply chains tend to be opaque. The end-product on retailers’ shelves does not reveal its social and environmental impact at origin, including the profit share received by the farmers themselves. Improved transparency is not only increasingly asked for by end-consumers and due-diligence legislation but is also crucial for all intermediary actors in the supply chain to manage reputational risks and a more efficient supply chain. At the other end of the chain, access to information about production processes, quality parameters, product and financial flows, can enable farmers to make more informed decisions and gain higher revenues in the long run.
As part of a former commission, the GIZ has collaborated with several partners to develop an open-source blockchain-based track and trace system called INATrace. For example, the system has successfully been implemented for a coffee supply chain of a Rwandan coffee brand. It includes a business-to-business (B2B) data input and tracing web app for different actors along the value chain linked to a Hyperledger Fabric blockchain platform as well as a business-to-customer (B2C) solution for end-customers in Germany that links a portion of the data stored on the blockchain to additional media content that can be accessed by scanning a QR code on the coffee package (Check sample QR code here).
The project has been carried out in adherence to the Principles for Digital Development, in particular by applying an open-source and user-centric approach. All the source code generated has been published under a GNU AGPL-3.0 license on GitHub.
As a first use case, the technology has been introduced in 2020 by two women associations who produce Angelique’s Finest coffee in Rwanda in partnership with the International Women’s Coffee Alliance (IWCA), Rwanda chapter. The coffee pilot has been successful and GIZ is considering expanding it in Rwanda with other value chains like Macadamia.
It is in this framework of expansion and sustainability of the platform, GIZ is looking for a consulting company to express their interest to support the further development of INATrace in Rwanda.
The purpose of this assignment is to provide technical support on further development of INATrace in Rwanda, in close cooperation with the IT company contracted to program and maintain the INATrace software. The consulting company shall provide the following services:
Work package 1: Supply chain mapping
During the duration of the assignment INATrace will be scaled in Rwanda for other crops on top of coffee such as macadamia. After familiarization with INATrace, the contractor will support the users of INATrace, partners and the GIZ-team in the assessment of local supply chain structures in very close collaboration with the cooperatives. Several field visits are required to conduct this task to ensure the most comprehensive outline of the respective supply chain.
Work package 2: System configuration based on findings from WP1
The contractor will transfer the findings from the supply chain mapping (WP1) to INATrace. The contractor is responsible for:
- Setting-up accounts for all users
- Adding supply chain actors to the system
- Configuration support for the company settings (facilities, (semi)-products, processing evidence fields/documents, etc.)
- Oversight and check of successful implementation in the system
These steps should be conducted and documented in close collaboration with the partners and the GIZ-team to guarantee a sufficient knowledge transfer. Written documentation will be provided to GIZ to ensure continuous guidance on the setting-up processes for future projects and their supply chain integration to INATrace.
- Assessment and documentation of existing supply chain structures and processes as well as financial flows, including obtaining exemplary documentation for the processes to be digitized
- Integration of the existing workflows into the technical development
Work package 3: Support capacity building
To ensure the best possible use of INATrace, all users need to be trained in using the system. Through previous projects, some users have already been familiarised with or trained in the system. Appropriate capacity building material has already been developed and is currently being reviewed in very close collaboration with projects in line with technical and GUI adaptations. Using a train-the-trainer approach, some locations still have qualified trainers available and in order to ensure a long-term use, the train-the-trainer concept will be further developed. Given the product differences and the scaling of activities for INATrace, it might be needed to onboard more and new local trainers.
The contractor is responsible for:
- Assessment of the required needs for additional capacities of the cooperatives
- Support in connecting trainer(s) with cooperatives
- Adaptation of the capacity building material in English and Kinyarwanda.
- Further develop the train-the-trainer concept
- Documentation of capacity building and system feedback by users throughout the process
- Onboard new local trainers on INATrace and onboarding and integration of local consultants to the system and the processes
- Conduction of capacity building for different actors, including:
- Cooperative staff
- International buyers/roasters
- Additional users along the supply chains
- Support the base-data preparation to be entered to INATrace
- Planning and monitoring of the necessary capacity building activities
Work package 4: Support the IT-Team
The contractor will act as a focal point/backstopped between the IT developers and through close collaboration support the IT-team with implementing INATrace adaptations. Accordingly, the trainings need to be aligned with these potential system changes to ensure the most efficient use of INATrace for all users.
The contractor is responsible for:
- Recommendations for technical improvements and adaptations based on the feedback from users as well as other projects where INATrace will be provided. Therefore, an exchange with previous project partners and developers is essential
- Documentation of updates for IT developers and GIZ-Team
Work package 5: Ensure Knowledge Transfer
To ensure that INATrace can be applied in a community and used as a digital public good, comprehensive documentation of all steps is required. The contractor will prepare manuals (English, Kinyarwanda, etc.) to describe the methodology of all work-packages and ensure the best possible documentation of all conducted processes and feedbacks for the understanding of all actors and partners (i.e. IT, GIZ). This includes step-by-step instructions on how to conduct a supply chain mapping, and how to customize INATrace in a new country or for a new product.
Work package 6: Support the development of a business model
Support in the development of a long-term business model for INATrace as a digital public good in close collaboration with partners and consultants. The main task is here to support the GIZ-Team and partners with relevant information and input from the field.
Work package 7: Identify new potential user
The goal is also to onboard new users. The contractor is responsible for the identification and onboarding of new potential INATrace users.
All training sessions and follow up visits will be conducted in Rwanda, mainly in Rwamagana, Gakenke, Muhanga, Huye and Rusizi districts where the INATrace project is currently implemented.
Partner organizations of INATrace will support the contractor in coordination of the training sessions including organizing, inviting participants and attendance records management.
The Consulting company is expected to follow the COVID-19 guidelines and restrictions of the Government of Rwanda and adapt the training format accordingly.
III. Deliverables
The Consulting company is expected to provide the above deliverables within a total number of up to 75 working days. The timeline will be agreed upon and adapted as necessary based on the needs of INATrace users and the Covid-19 situation.
| Activity | Detail | Expert days | Indicative timeline | |
| 1 | Work package 1: Supply chain mapping
Support the users of INATrace, partners and the GIZ-team in the assessment of local supply chain structures in very close collaboration with the cooperatives. Several field visits are required to conduct this task |
New users’ supply chains are mapped including but not limited to Sholi coop (for Coffee) and Gorilla nuts (for Macadamia) | 10 | November 2022 |
| 2 | Work package 2: System configuration based on findings from WP1
Transfer the findings from the supply chain mapping (WP1) to INATrace. (Setting-up accounts for all users, adding supply chain actors to the system, configuration support for the company settings, Oversight, and check of successful implementation in the system, documentation of existing supply chain structures and processes as well as financial flows and Integration of the existing workflows into the technical development |
All users (Existing and new users) | 15 | November 2022- December 2022 |
| 3 | Support capacity building
Onboard and train more and new local trainers and actors (Assessment of the required needs for additional capacities of the cooperatives, Support in connecting trainer(s) with cooperatives, capacity building for different actors) |
Capacity building materials should be adapted in English and Kinyarwanda. | 20 | November 2022-February 2023 |
| 4 | Work package 4: Support the IT-Team
Act as a focal point/backstopper between the IT developers and through close collaboration support the IT-team with implementing INATrace adaptations (Documentation of user feedback and updates for IT developers and GIZ-Team. |
Recommendations for technical improvements and adaptations based on the feedback from users. | 10 | October 2022- July 2023 |
| 5 | Work package 5: Ensure Knowledge Transfer
Prepare manuals (English, Kinyarwanda, etc.) to describe the methodology of all work-packages and ensure the best possible documentation of all conducted processes and feedbacks for the understanding of all actors and partners (i.e., IT, GIZ) |
Step-by-step guide on how to conduct a supply chain mapping, and how to customize INATrace in a new country or for a new product. | 10 | March 2023-July 2023 |
| 6 | Work package 6: Support the development of a business model
Support the GIZ-Team and partners with relevant information and input from the field. |
GIZ-Team and partners are provided with key information and inputs | 5 | October 2022-July 2023 |
| 7 | Work package 7: Identify new potential user
Identify and onboard new potential INATrace users. |
Share information on new potential users with GIZ-Team | 5 | October 2022- July 2023 |
| Total number of working days | 75 |
IV. Reporting and timeframe of the assignment
The consulting company will work closely with INATrace users in Rwanda. All official reporting will be to GIZ. All activities included in this ToR will have to be completed within up 75 days from November 2022 to July 2023. The consulting company will submit a report for each major training session to GIZ within 15 days of completion of the training and a final report of the contracted work assignment by 14th of July 2023.
V. Data protection
The performance of the contract may be associated with the processing of personal data by the contractor, who would alone define the nature of such data and how such processing would be carried out. In such cases, the contractor shall act as an INDEPENDENT DATA CONTROLLER and must ALONE comply with ALL applicable data protection obligations, including regional and local laws. The data protection principles such as lawfulness, purpose limitation, storage limitation, transparency, integrity and confidentiality, and accountability, as well as the numerous rights of the data subject must be paid due attention. The GDPR data transfer rules must be taken into account whenever personal data leaves the EU for a third country. In case the contractor executes the instructions of a local partner to the GIZ with regard to such processing, the partner shall be the data controller, and must ensure that such data processing is in accordance with applicable laws and standards. The GIZ will not be in any way responsible for such processing.
VI. Personnel concept
The bidder is required to provide competent personnel based on their CVs and required qualifications. The following characteristics and competencies are essential:
Education:
- University qualification (bachelors’ degree/master’s) in Geography, Agricultural Sciences, IT, Creative design or another related field.
Professional experience:
- At least 2 years’ experience in digital traceability tools for agricultural supply chains, of which 1 year of experience with the coffee supply chain.
- Prior experience with INATrace system is an added value.
- Prior experience in conducting trainings, especially trainings of trainers, and workshops is required.
Experience in working in the region
• 2 years’ experience in agricultural sector in Rwanda or East African countries.
Language skills:
• Business fluency in English and Kinyarwanda.
- Submission of offer
The Expression of Interest should contain the following:
1. Technical Proposal:
- A cover letter expressing your interest in this assignment
- Technical proposal with a brief description of why you would be considered as the most suitable for the assignment, relevant expertise, and a detailed, clear methodology, on how will be your approach to complete the assignment (no more than 3 pages).
- The Technical Proposal should also contain the CV of the expert proposed in accordance with the terms of reference. The CV shall not exceed 4 pages.
- Company registration certificate (RDB)
- VAT registration certificate
- Latest tax clearance certificate
- Proof of successful completion of related assignments.
2. Financial Proposal: indicates the all-inclusive total contract price, supported by a breakdown of all costs. Please calculate your price bid based exactly on the following costing requirements:
- Assignment of personnel: up to 75 working days
- Other costs: Printing of training manuals, transport fees, snacks, and water for user participants.
- Travel costs: included in expert days
Please submit electronically your EoI (technical & Financial offer) in 2 separated emails and should be in PDF files to this email ONLY: RW_Quotation@giz.de until latest 27th October 2022
Please you must write on each email subject this sentence: 83422795-Technical/financial offer, without this sentence, your offer may not be considered
Hard copies are not allowed this time
GIZ reserves all rights
