Analyst/Researcher (International Consultant): Food Traceability Systems in Ghana, Ghana at International Executive Service Corps (IESC)

Position Description

Analyst/Researcher (International Consultant): Food Traceability Systems in Ghana

Location Ghana

Department Programs

Employment Type Consultant

TRACEABILITY SYSTEM USE-CASE ANALYSIS ASSIGNMENT

INTERNATIONAL CONSULTANT: ANALYST/RESEARCHER FOOD TRACEABILITY SYSTEMS IN GHANA

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: April 2022 – September 2022

LEVEL OF EFFORT: 23 days

BACKGROUND

Feed the Future Ghana Trade and Investment Activity (GTI) is a 5-year project aimed at diversifying exports and improving revenue collection to boost national GDP and household income for Ghanaian citizens. This will be done through the improvement and enforcements of traceability systems, quality standards in domestic value chains, reduction in time and cost to move goods across borders and increased investment, especially among small and medium enterprises.

A significant part of the activities of the GTI is to improve the quality of high-value agricultural goods and products by strengthening traceability systems, incentivize SME awareness and use of these systems, and ensure that enforcement the SPS standards aligns at the national and international level. To do this the project is seeking to support the adoption of a national traceability system for the horticultural industry in Ghana.

ACTIVITY CONTEXT

GTI requires an international consultant to support a local expert to conduct a use-case analysis of existing traceability systems being utilized by agricultural sector actors in Ghana. The assessment should consider traceability system functionality to meet the requirements of relevant international standards required by international buyers for export from Ghana. The consultant is expected to assess traceability systems being used by SMEs in Ghana including Golden Exotics, Blue Skies, HPW, Bomart, Olam, Nano Foods, Pinora and other agricultural product exporters to identify necessary and successful characteristics of traceability systems.

The consultant should also assess the successes, and challenges of the traceability system developed by the USAID/Ghana Improving Food Safety Systems Project (IFSSP) to identify lessons learned and recommendations for improved functionality, and sustained adoption along target value chains to expand Ghanaian firm and farm access to export market channels. It is anticipated that the traceability system developed will integrate with GOG requirements and systems, including that of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture’s Plant Projection and Regulatory Services Directorate (PPRSD).

The consultant will be expected to build on the findings and recommendations from the Feed the Future Enabling Environment for Food Security (EEFS) Activity report “The Enabling Environment for Food Traceability System Success: Assessing Factors that Support Food Safety, Quality, and Integrity” (February 2021) by identifying the contextual factors specific to target value chains in Ghana. Accordingly, the assessment is expected to examine, at minimum, the following factors affecting the success of traceability systems in target value chains in Ghana:

•  Operator incentives to adopt traceability (including requirements within international standards and/or mandator regulations both within Ghana and destination countries)
•  Operator capacity to adopt traceability (knowledge, skills, and access to finance)
•  Operator access to technology (ICT infrastructure which dictates digital traceability potential)
•  Supply chain coordination (willingness of value chain actors to share information up and down the chain as required by standards/regulations, and to adopt interoperable systems)

TASKS

The Scope of Assignment for the international consultant shall include, but not limited to:

•  Support the national expert to conduct a comprehensive in-country assessment of traceability systems used by major agricultural product exporters in Ghana.
•  Gather information about current international electronic regulatory systems, point out existing challenges, gaps and propose intervention areas Ghana can learn from.
•  In collaboration with the national consultant, examine lessons learnt from previous efforts (including IFSSP), recent advances, and determine scalability or the need for a new system based on international and local industry demands and public sector needs.
•  Assess the key success factors for a fully operationalized, integrated traceability system that shares data with Government of Ghana (GoG) control points and end-market buyers and importers and is essential for the sustained SME growth.
•  Identify the characteristics/dynamics within target value chains that will create opportunities or challenges for the introduction, integration, and sustained adoption of traceability systems along the chain (including operator incentives, operator capacity, operator access to technology, and supply chain coordination)
•  Work with national traceability consultant to provide recommendations on best practices for the implementation of a sustainable traceability system, based on international best practice and industry standards that would be adopted by exporters, packhouses, and other value chain actors in target value chains (TBD) in Ghana.

DELIVERABLES

•  A comprehensive traceability system use-case analysis report (developed jointly with national consultant)
•  A comprehensive list of factors needed for successful implementation of traceability system in Ghana.
•  In collaboration with the national consultant, jointly deliver a presentation on key findings of the assessment to stakeholders in the horticultural sector at a validation workshop and incorporate feedback into report.
•  A joint final report, including a summary of activities undertaken, in collaboration with the national consultant

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

•  Experience working in West Africa, especially Ghana.
•  Must have a minimum of 7 years practical and/or research experience related to traceability systems for agricultural exports
•  Familiarity with international standards for agricultural product exports, including the relevant traceability requirements.
•  Experience supporting agricultural SMEs to implement traceability systems for export to the EU and/or US markets.
•  Demonstrated research and writing skills required
•  Experience in stakeholder engagement and presentation skills.
•  Experience working in USAID funded programs is preferred.
•  Willing and able to travel to Ghana to conduct the in-country assessment