Consultant for developing a regional cooperation strategy as part of the Consortium for Scaling-up Climate Smart Agriculture in South Asia (C-SUCSeS) project

Title : Develop a regional cooperation strategy and programme to support scaling-up of CSA technologies in South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) member countries.

Introduction

Consortium for Scaling-up Climate Smart Agriculture in South Asia (C-SUCSeS) project is a four-year joint initiative between the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Agriculture Centre (SAC), the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and SAARC Development Fund. The Programme fosters partnership and cooperation between the SAARC, National Agricultural Research and Extension Systems (NARES), IFPRI, and SAARC governments on the Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) agenda. It is intended to support the role of agricultural research to generate and facilitate delivery of technological solutions to smallholders with a specific priority on sustainable intensification and promoting resilience for smallholder agriculture. These measures will contribute to increasing water management efficiency and promote innovative, pro-poor approaches and technologies with demonstrated scaling-up potential. In addition, they will also help in strengthening the institutional and policy capacities in partners’ countries, enhance policy engagement, and generate and share knowledge.

The project has four following components: 1. Scaling-up of technically viable and gender-sensitive CSA technologies for smallholders in selected farming systems; 2. Policy analysis/advocacy and institutional development; 3 Knowledge management and capacity building; and 4: Project management. The work under this ToR falls under the second component that is related to policy analysis and institutional development.

Scope of Work

Sustainable agricultural technologies and practices have been tested in different parts of south Asia and have been found to be effective. Still their adoption is slow and halting. Under this component, it is aimed to assess various policy and institutional constraints to rapid diffusion of proven CSA technologies and practices in South Asia. The Project will focus on barriers to trade and finding ways to accelerate transfer of innovative technologies, policies and business models from one country to others. The institutional analysis will look not only at the sub-national and national government agencies, but also farmer organizations, private corporations, and regional level business associations.

Implementation and adoption of effective CSA technologies require a working knowledge of the technology, availability and accessibility of inputs (including seeds, manures and fertilizers, pesticides, and crop residues), machines, and other necessary equipment and implements. At a regional level, there are several obstacles that hinder the diffusion of successful technologies, practices, and institutional models/arrangements from one country to another. These include trade barriers for commodities and equipment, inconsistent regulatory norms and practices, and a lack of frequent exchange of scientific knowledge and practical experience in successful program implementation.

The Consultant will work closely with the project team in the IFPRI-SAO (South Asia Regional Office) in New Delhi to accomplish the tasks. The responsibilities will include but not be limited to, the following:

1. Documentation of tariff and non-tariff barriers to transfer of CSA technologies among SAARC countries:

a.Document the regulatory norms and trade barriers (tariff and non-tariff) associated with various CSA technologies, the inventory of which will be provided by IFPRI SAO.

b.Analyze these barriers to provide insights into the possible reasons that may hinder the adoption of the technology.

2. Comparative assessment of regulatory regimes related to a) seed certification; b) trade in agricultural equipment; and c) food safety and quality:

a.Compare the regulatory regimes and trade barriers in SAARC countries including Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

b.Integrate the findings from each of the above activity with the policy and institutional constraints associated with these technologies (to be provided by IFPRI SAO project team) to draft a regional cooperation strategy that will recommend ways to greater cooperation among SAARC member states in the agriculture sector.

c.The strategy should also focus on smoother transfer of technologies, faster exchange of scientific and business innovations.

d.Recommend avenues to increase the synchronization between regulations regarding licensing of new seeds, machines and food safety norms, etc. across the SAARC member States to accelerate transfer of effective CSA tools and technologies.

Deliverables

The assignment will include the following deliverables to be completed between May 2023 and October 2023

1.Comprehensive country/technology-wise reports on barriers to transfer of technologies in south Asia region (SAR).

2.Detailed comparative studies on regulatory regimes and standards in south Asia region.

3.A report on regional cooperation strategy for promotion of CSA in the SAARC region.

Required Skills and Qualifications

·Master’s degree in economics, development studies, or related field.

·Demonstrated experience in analyzing trade-related data with an understanding of tariff and non-tariff barriers, and country-specific regulations.

·Familiarity and understanding of trade agreements including regional treaties, bilateral agreements, and various WTO resolutions.

·Strong writing skills with an ability to articulate and present complex analyses in a cogent manner.

·Basic understanding of climate-smart agriculture technologies and agriculture systems in South Asia

·Familiarity with MS Office, Google+ related apps and virtual meeting platforms such as Zoom.