Background
Since early 2012 Techfortrade has been actively involved in the co-creation and development of social impact ventures that have the potential to create systems change in trading value chains. For the past two years, through a Techfortrade and IFAD co-funded project, we have been testing and validating the business model for Open Book Trading: a business service, supported by a trading software which is designed to reinvent the role of the middle-man in agricultural trading, bringing professionalism and transparency to smallholder trade and potentially putting millions of dollars of additional income into the pockets of East African farmers.
Open Book Trading service seeks to deliver a systemic change: building sustainable businesses while upholding transparency that demonstrates fair incomes for small scale farmers, commensurate commissions to agents working with traders, quality and consistent supply to the traders and building traders that satisfy the volumes and quality that the markets end demand.
Transparency is the core principle on which the OBT service is based. To achieve this, the service is supported by an online platform that captures all the transactional data for a deal and makes it visible to all the players involved in the deal from the sourcing end to the market provider
By 2020 Open Book Trading hopes to recruit and support a professional and profitable trader network that will link at least 40,000 smallholder farmers in East Africa to reliable markets and improve farmer incomes by at least 20%.
To date, Open Book Trading has recruited fifty trading networks across Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania linking over 1,000 farmers to local, cross border and export markets. Open Book Trading has tested the provision of working capital finance for these traders so that they can pay farmers upfront for their produce. Open Book Trading primarily focuses on growing traders that link farmers to modern markets, with the aim of building sustainable business relationships that are based on trust between farmers, traders and markets.

Objective of the assignment
The objective of this consultancy engagement is to support Open book traders to develop and implement an improvement and capacity development plan for their enterprises. The goal is to professionalise the manner in which agricultural traders do business and hence result to increased business profitability. The improvement and capacity development plan will be based on a standard professional assessment that has been undertaken by SCOPE Insight.

Scope of work
The consultant will report to the OBT Director and work closely with all of the OBT team based in Nairobi. The team comprises of; a finance and administration manager, a systems administrator, a business development manager and two business development officers who recruit the traders and offer business development support.
Twelve trader networks will be targeted and they are in Nakuru, Uasin Gishu, Nairobi and Machakos counties.

Specific Tasks
1. Undertake a critical review of the twelve assessment reports by SCOPE insight and come up with a summary report of areas that need improvement and /or training.
2. From the assessment report, develop a general capacity development learning material. This should be accompanied by a business improvement plan in a participatory approach with each trader.
3. Develop an implementation plan and budget for each network’s improvement and capacity development plan, with clear milestones, timelines and responsibility allocation.
4. From the general capacity development and business improvement plan, extract the improvement needs related to sourcing and markets for each network, design and implement a simple and quick win interventional model that can be adapted to other networks.
Deliverables
1. Assessment review reports, improvement and capacity development plans for each network.
2. A clear, simple and adaptable learning material and business development model for OBT traders with an emphasis on sourcing and markets.
3. Prepare a timetable/work plan and budget detailing the proposed capacity development actions per network within the proposed model.
4. Upon agreement with OBT execute the proposed development action plans.
5. Documentation and reporting of all experiences, lessons, successes and challenges in executing capacity development for each network.
6. A general summary report of the business development support given to the networks with clear highlights of the challenges, successes and key recommendations.
Timeline
Start date 23rd June 2016 with submission of deliverables 1, 2 & 3 to be completed by 1st July 2016.
Deliverable 4, 5 & 6 will commence immediately after satisfactory review of deliverable 1, 2 and 3.

Qualifications
• Over five years’ experience in providing business development support services to agricultural based enterprises.
• Relevant academic background, including but not limited to agricultural economics, business management, and commerce.
• Demonstrated ability and experience in managing such assignments in East Africa or regions with similar agricultural trade and economic contexts.
• Demonstrable knowledge in agricultural trade development, social and economic issues in Kenya and generally in EA.
• Excellent communication and writing skills in English and Swahili.
Schedule of services and payment
30% of the agreed fee will be paid upon signing of the contract.
40% of the agreed fee will be paid upon satisfactory submission of Deliverables 1, 2, & 3.
30% of the agreed fee will be paid upon satisfactory submission of Deliverable 4, 5 & 6.
All documents and data produced during the contract period will be sole property of Techfortrade and the consultant will not be authorised to use the information, in any form.
The consultant will be required to provide a detailed work plan including scheduling of their field travel itinerary once finalised. Techfortrade staff may accompany the consultant on selected field visits.

HOW TO APPLY:
Interested candidates should send their proposal for undertaking the assignment and budget toenquiries@techfortrade.org by no later than 5pm EAT 10th June 2016. The proposal should include:
• A statement of relevant experience.
• Proposed approach to conducting the work.
• Names & qualifications of consultants that will undertake the assignment.
• Anticipated number of days and day rate.
• Details of budgeted expenses for all disbursements, including travel, accommodation and research expenses.
• Names & contact details for two references for which the consultants have undertaken similar work within the past 12 months.
• Please specify the title of the consultancy in the application as -OBT BDS consultancy