Context

Iles de Paix in Uganda

Iles de Paix is a Belgian NGO founded in 1965 that specializes in supporting rural development. In the countries where it operates, in Africa and Latin America, Iles de Paix has opted to promote the agro-ecological approach as a means of improving the living conditions of small-scale producers and contributing to the emergence of sustainable food systems.

In Uganda, Iles de Paix has been working in the Rwenzori region since mid-2017. The MSFP+ (Mpanga Super Farmer +) programme currently underway is a cross between the « Feed Good » programmes funded by Belgian Cooperation (DGD 2022-2026) and the MSF+ programme funded by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs (MAEE) Luxembourg (2022-2024). The aim is to contribute to the transition towards a more sustainable food system and a healthy environment in and around the town of Fort Portal.

To support this transition, Iles de Paix is working over the long term with a range of stakeholders in the food system, such as farming families and groups, consumers, vendors, restaurants, local authorities, etc., along three complementary lines:

• Support for families of small-scale producers so that they can improve, increase and diversify their production ;
• Supporting farming families and organizations to improve their capacity to store, process and market their produce. This is accompanied by work to strengthen links between producers and consumers ;
• Mobilising the authorities and raising consumer awareness of healthier, more sustainable food, so that they can take part in the agro-ecological transition in their region.

To achieve these objectives, Iles de Paix Uganda is working with three experienced local partner organizations: JESE (Joint Effort to Save the Environment), KRC (Kabarole Research & Resource Centre) and RCA (the Association of Rwenzori Community).

Iles de Paix and knowlegde sharing

Iles de Paix’s mission is to promote development alternatives, and in particular to support the emergence of sustainable food systems. In this context, the NGO is developing a series of consolidation documents for its peers, focusing on smallholder farmer alternatives likely to contribute to the emergence of these sustainable food systems. The aim is also to highlight the concrete implications of putting agroecology principles into practice. Through this series of consolidation documents entitled « CAP Alternatives Paysannes », Iles de Paix presents the learnings resulting from its collaborations with smallholder farmer communities in search of development alternatives, and from its exchanges with other organizations active in the promotion of sustainable food systems. Iles de Paix highlights its successes, failures, questions and positions. “CAP Alternatives Paysannes” is therefore a collection that adopts a self-critical stance. The aim is not to praise the NGO’s achievements, but to share promising experiences, observable results, lessons learned (positive and negative), points for attention and observed limitations. Since 2020, three issues of the « CAP » series have been published: Agroecological transition in Andean environments (Peru), Co-creation of knowledge in agroecology (Uganda) and Soil fertility management put to the test of reality (Burkina Faso). They are available free of charge on the association’s website.

Integrating small-scale livestock farming in Uganda

In the three rural areas where work is ongoing (Karangura, Kabambiro and Kicwamba) in Uganda, Iles de Paix is supporting the agro-ecological transition of small-scale producers using the Integrated Farm Planning (IFP) methodology. This methodological approach is designed to create a favorable social environment to support the transition to sustainable family farming, i.e. farmers who are motivated and care about their land. At the heart of the methodology is the plan itself, consisting of a drawing of the farm’s current situation and the desired situation. Developed by all the members of the family, according to their own aspirations and needs, it becomes a kind of ‘business plan’ for the family farm (see more details in the 2^e issue of CAP, devoted to PIP and action research in Uganda). One of the basic principles of this approach is integration, i.e. adding new farming practices/activities and optimizing their interactions, making the farm more systemic, diversified and resilient, in line with the principles of agroecology (for example, planting shrubs to provide fodder for livestock and play an anti-erosion role, or providing manure for crops through the livestock system).

For several years now, integrated farm planning has been helping to create a new dynamic among the families supported by Iles de Paix in Uganda. Even though we aim to support an individual approach, we find common objectives. For almost all farming families, integrating small-scale livestock farming into their productive activities is seen as one of the key pathways in their progress.  Our current experience also confirms this to be a very powerful catalyst for supporting the agro-ecological transition. As well as providing families with animal protein to incorporate into their meals, small-scale livestock farming is a very important source of organic matter for maintaining soil fertility. This supports efforts to diversify production, with the introduction of kitchen gardens and associated crops. Finally, we tend to conclude that this tangible support, in the early program stages, brings an ideal basis for trust building and mutual motivation.

Therefore, we wish to document this experience in a consolidation document, which would join the « CAP Alternatives paysannes » series.

Methodology

The consolidation document will aim to answer the following question : What is the added value of integrating small-scale livestock farming into agroecological production activities ? (reference to CAP No. 2 and the principles of « 1. recycling », « 3. soil health » and « 6. Synergies » of agroecology).

This main question can lead to various sub-questions, such as :

• How do these different farming activities (kitchen gardening, agroforestry, small-scale livestock, etc.) reinforce each other?
• What techniques are being used that have proved their worth (for example, building animal shelters, collecting and using organic matter, etc.)?
• What are the concrete impacts on families (in terms of finance, nutrition, resilience, etc.) ?
• How can the sustainability and adoption of this approach be ensured ?

To answer these questions and produce the consolidation document, field visits to -and discussions with – families who have benefited from the Iles de Paix programme and its partners are necessary.

Iles de Paix expects the person who will write the publication to base it on factual data as well as on more qualitative data, linked to the feelings and experience of the players and beneficiaries. To do this, the consultant will have to meet and interview various stakeholders:

• The Iles de Paix teams: country director, programme manager, head office support team (UPAS).
• The partner teams (JESE and RCA) responsible for implementing the programme with the beneficiary families.
• A sample of farmers supported by the programme.
• Local authority representatives. As proposed by IDP

Various internal documents will also be shared with the consultant, including: the technical and financial documents (DTF) for the 2 programmes in progress, the half-yearly and annual reports from Iles de Paix and its partners, data from the monitoring and evaluation system, reports on professional visits by head office staff in Uganda, the 3 CAP Alternatives paysannes already published, etc.

The expectations of the consultant are as follows:

• Supervision and support for Iles de Paix Uganda teams in the collection of certain data;
• Leading a workshop with the main project stakeholders to present the approach and organize visits and interviews;
• Field visits to collect data through observations and interviews with farming families, management teams and external observers;
• Documentary research and/or interviews with resource persons;
• Consultation with the Iles de Paix team at head office and in Uganda, responsible for guiding and reviewing the document.
• Writing the consolidation document in the same format as previous issues of the CAP Alternatives paysannes series (around 25 pages after final layout);
• Suggestions for sketches/diagrams and illustrations based on photos taken during information gathering to illustrate certain points (layout by a graphics agency).
• Optional: deliver a French version of the consolidation document, after approval of IDP.

To preserve the graphic style of the Iles de Paix consolidation documents, the writing will be done in close collaboration with the person in charge of monitoring Uganda at head office, according to terms to be agreed between the two parties. Graphic design and printing will be carried out by Iles de Paix, which will call on the services of a company specialising in this field.

Agenda

The document should be published by the end of 2024. Depending on the availability of the consultant and the teams in Uganda, the field visits could take place between September and October 2024.

We are counting on a total of approximately 30 working days, broken down as follows (for guidance only):

• 2 days of preparation.
• 10 days of field work (Field visits around Fort Portal to collect data through observations and interviews with farming families, management teams and other resource persons).
• 2 days to draw up the structure of the brief (outline of the brief with the key ideas to be developed).
• 10 days to draw up a first version of the dossier (including proposals for illustrations based on photos taken during information gathering).
• 4 days for the 2^e version of the document.
• 2 days for the final version of the document.
• Option: 2 days to translate the document to French version.

The provisional timetable below includes these 30 days of services.

• Call for tenders : 15 July 2024 to 4 August 2024
• Analysis of bids and identification of consultant : 4 August 2024 to 11 August 2024
• Contract with the consultant : August 2024
• Information gathering in Uganda : September-October 2024
• Formulation of the document : October-November 2024
• Closure of contract and final approval deliverables : End of November 2024.

Profile of the consultant

Iles de Paix is looking for an international or national expert with the following qualifications:

• Excellent analytical and summarizing skills;
• Perfect command of English and excellent writing skills in English. Perfect command and writing skills in French would be an asset (possibility to provide a French version of the document, with an additional budget);
• Good knowledge or experience in agroecology, integrated agriculture, sustainable agriculture;
• Experience in formulating consolidation or evaluation documents for development cooperation programmes is an asset;
• Experience in Africa and proven knowledge of Uganda.

The consultant is expected to have duly registered his/her professional activity in his/her country of residence.

Contractual and financial conditions

The proposed contract will be an “all in” service provision contract subject to the normal procedures of Iles de Paix. The consultant is entirely responsible for all costs related to the consultancy (visa, travel, insurance, etc.) except for ground transport in the programme implementation area, which will be provided by Iles de Paix. Payment for the service will be made by bank transfer and based on 2 invoices issued by the service provider according to the following breakdown:

• 1^ère instalment on signing the contract: 30% of the total cost of the service.
• 2^e instalment on submission of the provisional document: 20% of the total cost of the service.
• 3^e instalment on acceptance of the final document: 50% of the total cost of the service.

For information purposes and to guide the consultant in his or her financial proposal, the approximate budget is 8500 euros including VAT.

How to apply

The application in electronic format must include two files written in French:

• A technical proposal (5 pages maximum) including a brief description of the candidate’s experience in relation to this consolidation project, a description of the methodology and a proposed time schedule. The applicant will also attach an up-to-date CV and, if he/she has done similar work, maximum 3 references (with links or annexes) from publications written by the applicant.
• A financial offer (maximum 2 pages) including the consultant’s fees (all taxes excluded and included) and all other expenses (visa, travel, accommodation, per diem, etc.).

Complete bids (technical and financial) must be sent by e-mail to the following address: stephanie@ilesdepaix.org no later than 4^th of August.

NB: Only tenders that are complete, received within the deadline and correspond to the required profile will be processed by the selection committee.