TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR)
Consultancy to Develop a National Rural Development Strategy for Belize
1 PURPOSE
The Ministry of Rural Transformation, Community Development, Labour & Local Government’s overarching mission is to contribute to Belize’s sustainable development by providing effective labour administration services, strengthening local governments, and facilitating an enabling environment for rural development.
The Ministry of Rural Transformation has embarked on developing a new National Rural Development Strategy (NRDS) that is both area-based and multi-sectoral. The NRDS would aim to alleviate the current ad hoc approach to rural development by establishing a multi-sectoral and coordinated approach to not only reducing rural poverty but also improving rural residents' cultural, social, political, and environmental well-being.
2 CONSULTANCY OBJECTIVES:
The objective of the consultancy is to develop a national rural development strategy for Belize that will serve as a national framework to guide the rural sector's development process by clearly identifying development strategies that result in poverty reduction and rural economic growth while enhancing local culture and conserving critical environmental resources.
3 SCOPE OF SERVICES
To develop the strategy, the Consultant will conduct the following:
a) At a high level, engage directly with relevant line Ministries for assessment and planning of the strategy framework.
b) Assess the implementation deficit of the previous BRADS and identify lessons learned.
c) Carry out a situational analysis of the social, economic and natural environment conditions of the rural sector based on an informed delineation. The issues to be considered/reported upon in the analysis should include, but not necessarily be limited to the following:
d) Review secondary data including reports, studies, assessments, and relevant policy and legal documents including poverty assessments, census reports, labour surveys, etc.
e) Collect primary data through participatory consultations with all categories of stakeholders in order to introduce the initiative, obtain feedback and gauge perception of need and strengthen buy-in.
f) Prepare, validate, and submit a National Rural Development Strategy to the Ministry.
4 SUPERVISION/PROCESS MANAGEMENT
The Consultant will report to the Chief Executive Officer or his designate. The Rural Development Department's staff will assist the Consultant in coordinating activities such as meeting planning, stakeholder workshops, interaction with government Ministries and agencies, and general administrative matters.
5 REPORTING REQUIREMENTS AND DELIVERABLES
The Consultant shall prepare and submit all reports in English. A soft and hardcopy of all reports are to be submitted to the Ministry.
| MAIN TASKS | PAYMENT | TIMEFRAME |
|---|---|---|
| Inception Report and Work Plan | 20% | One week after signing |
| Situational Analysis Report | 25% | One month after commencement |
| Draft of National Rural Development Strategy | 30 % | Three months after commencement |
| Final National Rural Development Strategy | 25% | Five months after commencement |
6 DURATION OF CONSULTANCY
5 months (August – December 2022)
7 TRAVEL AND ACCOMMODATION
Consultant will be expected to travel to locations for meetings and consultation sessions as agreed upon by both parties. The Consultant’s fees will be inclusive of travel and accommodation costs.
8 QUALIFICATIONS
The consultant must have the following qualifications and experience:
- Minimum of a Master’s Degree in Rural Development, Local Economic Development, Sustainable Development, Agriculture Economics or any disciplines directly related to the Consultancy.
- At least 10 years’ experience in local economic, rural development or community development planning.
- Extensive knowledge of rural community development, public policy, poverty reduction, climate change adaptation, gender and equity approach to programming.
- Broad experience in facilitating extensive stakeholder consultations with government representatives, private sector, NGOs, and other stakeholders.
- Proven technical report-writing (English), analytical, communication, and project management skills.
9 INSTRUCTIONS OF APPLICATIONS:
Technical proposals must demonstrate relevant local or regional experience, appropriate knowledge, skills, and academic qualifications, approach and methodology, and a preliminary work plan. Financial proposals should include consultant costs such as fees, travel, and accommodation. The Ministry will cover the costs of meetings and workshops.
The full Terms of reference may be requested by writing to us at Coord.Rural.Dev@labour.gov.bz.
Technical and financial proposals must be submitted to:
Elsa Cardinez
Coordinator for Rural Development
Ministry of Rural Transformation, Community Development, Labour and Local Government
Email: Coord.Rural.Dev@labour.gov.bz
Subject: “National Rural Development Strategy for Belize”
All submissions must be made by August 29th 2022 at 4:00pm