Myanmar: Water Access Market Analysis Consultancy

Nov 21, 2016 | Mercy Corps
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Mercy Corps is an international development organization that helps people around the world survive and thrive after conflict, crisis and natural disaster. MercyCorps is looking to engage a short-term consultant for its Water Access Market Analysis in Yangon, Southern Shan and Rakhine States.

Background:

The Making Vegetable Markets Work (MVMW) Program aims to improve the incomes of 11,250 vegetable farmers in Myanmar. The program uses a market system development approach to work with market actors to address key farmer constraints such as access to inputs and technology, extension services, finance, and markets. The program seeks to help farmers to “step-up” to more commercial vegetable production through improved farming practices and market access.

Purpose / Project Description:

Access to water is a major constraint for farmers. The majority of farmers rely on rainfall although a minority has access to ground water, streams, retaining ponds, or other sources. Off-season production, outside the rainy season, has the potential to unlock increased yields at higher, off-season market prices. The consultant will investigate the problem of water access and then design an intervention for the MVMW program to address the problem. Research conducted by the program will be shared at the Vegetable Sector Acceleration Taskforce (VSAT), a multi-stakeholder body formed by the program.

Consultant Objectives:

  • Improve understanding of water access constraint within MVMW and the vegetable stakeholder community (i.e., VSAT)
  • Design an market-led intervention to be implemented by MVMW

Consultant Activities:

The Consultant will:

  • Analyze water access problem in program area through reports and interviews
  • Create model that shows benefit of improved water access
  • Interview stakeholders (e.g., private sector, farmers, civil society, government) to inform situation and market analysis
  • Identify potential market solutions to water access
  • Design new intervention for MVMW program
  • Present findings to team and external stakeholders as appropriate

Consultant Deliverables:

The Consultant will:

  • Water Access Analysis – situation analysis describing water access situation, farmer economics and market players (written report and presentation)
  • Water Access Intervention – proposed intervention for MVMW based on analysis (written report and presentation)

Timeframe / Schedule: twenty (20) working days in January 2017

The Consultant will report to: Program Director

The Consultant will work closely with: Intervention Managers (MercyCorps and Swisscontact) and Field Team Leader