1. Introduction

Traidcraft Exchange and Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) are looking for a consultant to conduct a baseline survey among horticulture farmers, pack house & farm workers in Meru County and other stakeholders in Kenya of a horticulture supply chain that also involves local and foreign enterprises that buy produce from Kenyan farmers for export and culminating with retail outlets and consumers of Kenya’s horticultural produce in the United Kingdom.
 

Traidcraft Exchange is the UK’s only development charity specialising in making trade work for the poor by working to enable poor producers in Africa and Asia to grow their businesses, find markets, and engage effectively in trade.

Traidcraft’s mission is to fight poverty through trade, practising and promoting approaches to trade that help poor people in developing countries transform their lives.

Established in 1979 as a Christian response to poverty, we combine a trading company and a development charity – Traidcraft Exchange.

We passionately believe that trade can provide opportunities for people to work their way out of poverty by creating fair and efficient market linkages, and helping households to increase their earnings and diversify their sources of income.

The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) is a human rights organization that was founded in 1991 and registered in Kenya in 1994 as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO).

Its founders and staff are among the foremost leaders and activists in struggles for human rights and democratic reforms in Kenya.

KHRC’s vision is for a human rights state and society; while its mission is to foster human rights, democratic values, human dignity and social justice at all levels.

We see poverty as a great obstacle to human rights access. KHRC’s economic and social Rights (ESR) programme seeks to improve the livelihoods of small scale farmers and workers in various sectors through activities aimed at increasing their access to rights through better service delivery, tax and trade justice as well as corporate accountability that results in better terms and conditions of work for labourers, increased incomes for farmers and better livelihoods and less vulnerability to violations as a result of poverty.

3. The Kenya Horticulture Project – A Fair Deal for Small Farmers and Workers

The Kenya Horticulture Project aims to improve the livelihoods of small-scale farmers and Packhouse workers by increasing their influence in supply chain decisions and with policy makers (capitalising on current international, Kenyan and UK policy opportunities).

The project will work with a supply chain to develop a mutually beneficial agreement that incorporates human rights considerations, so that farmers sell their produce in a transparent and fair manner, and Packhouse workers can experience better working conditions.

These activities are designed to benefit farmers and workers directly and indirectly.

Working with both farmers and Packhouse & farm workers in the supply chain, the project will tackle the problem by:

a) Increasing the capacity, governance and performance of the worker committees and farmer groups so that each committee/group can better represent and support their members and directly negotiate – as appropriate- terms of employment with employers and improve farmers’ terms of trade with their buyers

b) Facilitating a process among the small scale farmers in Meru to achieve more predictable and secure incomes from their horticulture activities as a result of their participation in and support provided by well-organised effective farmer representative groups

c) Facilitating a process among Packhouse and farm workers so that they improve their terms of employment as a result of their participation in and support provided by well-organised effective worker representative groups

d) Improving livelihoods of small scale farmers and workers (Packhouse and farm workers) through review, adoption and implementation of progressive practices by Kenyan and UK governments, policies and laws

e) Enabling improved engagement of all supply chain actors in the targeted supply chain (farmers, farm workers, Packhouse workers, exporter, importer, and retailer) to develop a model of good practice for fairer benefits, risk sharing and respect for human rights in perishable product supply chains.

4. Purpose of the consultancy assignment

The purpose of this baseline survey consultancy assignment is to provide baseline information against which performance will be measured throughout the project implementation period.

The baseline seeks to consolidate information on the current status of the following broad parameters listed below:-

1. Value Chain: A diagrammatic mapping and explanatory notes on key actors / stakeholders along the supply chain (including County and National government), the roles of each, the relationships between the various actors and how each impacts on the livelihoods of small scale horticultural farmers and workers in Kenya.

2. Institutions, Legal and Policy Frameworks including international instruments (trade agreements and tariffs, certification standards, best practices etc) relating to horticulture, agriculture and labour rights and their impact on the supply chain and workers an d small scale farmers in particular.

3. Livelihoods/ Access to rights: The current (2013) level of access to the various rights and service delivery and how this is indicative of standard of living, livelihoods or the economic status and general wellbeing and dignity of small scale farmers and workers in Kenya’s horticultural sector;

4. Voice / Empowerment or Existing Governance & Participation Structures (e.g. cooperatives or self-help groups; trade unions or welfare committees) through which farmers and workers organise both at macro (national, regional, international) and micro (County, workplace, community) level.

5. Tasks to complete

The consultant will be expected to familiarise her/himself with the specific outcomes and indicators of the planned 3year project, from which specific issues that the tools developed will address will be generated.

The specific outcomes that the project is expected to deliver after three years are stated below.

Each has specific indicators which the consultant is expected to provide baseline data that will be used to track the progress of the project on an annual basis and at the end of the 3 year period.
 

Part 1 Outcomes and Indicators

There are five broad based project outcomes against which the project will report on. For each of these outcomes, a set of indicators have been suggested against which achievement will be pegged.

The consultant will be expected to, but not limited to, provide data on the current (2013) status of key indicators under each of the following outcomes:-.

a) Outcome 1; Increased capacity, governance, and performance of worker committees and farmer groups so that each committee/group can better represent and support their members and directly negotiate – as appropriate – terms of employment with employers and improve farmers’ terms of trade with their buyers

b) Outcome 2; 300 small scale farmers in Meru achieve more predictable and secure incomes from their horticulture activities as a result of their participation in and support provided by well-organised effective farmer representative groups

c) Outcome 3: 3,000 workers (Packhouse and farm workers) improve their terms of employment as a result of their participation in and support provided by well-organised effective worker representative groups

d) Outcome 4: Improved livelihoods of small scale farmers and workers (Packhouse and farm workers) through review, adoption and implementation of progressive practices by Kenyan and UK governments, policies and laws by 2016.

e) Outcome 5: Improved engagement of all supply chain actors in the targeted supply chain (farmers, farm workers, Packhouse workers, exporter, importer, retailer) to develop a model of good practice for fairer benefits, risk sharing and respect for human rights in perishable product supply chains.
 

Part 2 Learning Questions

During its life, this project will explore four (4) “learning questions” which has been generated and against which Traidcraft, KHRC, the Donor and other parties will be interested in documenting the progress.

The consultant will be expected to provide baseline data on status of various scenarios against which performance will be measured

a) How does this project impact on the wider, non-material dimensions of individual and community flourishing (e.g. agency and participation, social connections, close relationships, physical and mental health, competence and self-worth, values and meaning) and what can we do to increase this impact?

b) Has the approach adopted by this project enabled a fairer sharing of risks and benefits within an international supply chain dominated by large companies?

c) Does the approach adopted in this project enable smallholder farmers and Packhouseworkers understand and claim their rights to fair labour (e.g. fair remuneration, reasonable working conditions and to form/join trade unions) under Article 41 of the Kenyan constitution?
 

6. How to Apply

The applicant should be able to demonstrate the following

a) Experience in M&E processes and demonstrable research experience

b) Experience interaction with human rights, trade justice and labour rights

c) Thorough understanding of human rights based approaches
 

7. Your Bid

Bids should;

a) Describe the individual(s)/firm submitting, contacts, physical address and a brief profile of relevant experience,

b) Outline the academic qualifications of the lead consultant and assisting researchers

c) Technical proposal detailing your approach to the assignment as well as a separate financial proposal (In excel)

8. Contact and task management

Interested individuals and firms are encouraged to submit bids by 1600hours on November 8, 2013 through email addressed to petern@traidcraft.co.uk and Nkweheria@khrc.or.ke