Under ISSD Africa Action Learning Project No. 3, on Seed Business Development in Fragile Contexts, Mercy Corps and partners aim to more fully understand what market-based approaches are effective in fragile contexts and how the humanitarian, development and private sector community can collectively adopt good market-based practices for building seed sector performance and resilience in fragile contexts in both the short and longer-term.
Consultant Objectives:
The objective of this consultancy is to gather, document and share current best practice and examples of market-based seed sector interventions in fragile contexts, including those that build resilience of seed sectors to shocks and stresses.
This work will contribute to answering a key question: What market-based interventions are most effective in building seed sector performance and resilience in fragile contexts?
Sub questions which will be addressed in this review include:
- What market-based seed sector interventions have been successful in contributing to seed security in fragile contexts? What are the long-term impacts/potential impacts of market-based seed interventions on the local seed system and agricultural production as a whole, when compared with more direct seed system interventions?
- What role do different actors play in the success or failure of market-based seed interventions? How can aspects of these roles be more complementary?
- What barriers do humanitarian and development actors face in supporting market-based seed sector interventions in fragile contexts?
- What specific conflict factors need to be considered by HDP actors when facilitating market- based seed sector interventions in fragile contexts, and what are the promising ways these factors can be addressed?
- What promising market-based approaches can potentially increase the resilience of seed sectors in fragile contexts? Analysis may include features linked to responses as well as those which enable better preparedness.
Consultant Activities:
The Consultant will:
- Conduct a desk review of market-based seed sector interventions and guidance relevant to humanitarian and development activities in fragile and conflict-affected states (FCS)
- Facilitate online discussion(s) with stakeholders from seed, market and conflict sectors
- Develop learning document(s)
- Disseminate learning document
- Miscellaneous participation in PRO-WASH & SCALE and ISSD ALP3 activities, as requested and agreed upon.