New call for experts: Cocoa value chain analysis in Sierra Leone (VCA4D)

10th June 2025
by secretary

Agrinatura News

The VCA4D project launches a new call for experts (economic, social, environmental, and national –
see below) for a value chain analysis on cocoa in Sierra Leone.

The profiles are detailed below. The period for the study is September 2025 – March 2026.

The ToR will be circulated upon request. This is a standard VCA4D study, undertaken by using the
VCA4D methodology, as described in the ‘Methodological Brief. Tools and Methods.
https://europa.eu/capacity4dev/value-chain-analysis-for-development-vca4d-/wiki/1-vca4d-
methodology. To adapt to the context, the profile of the environmental expert focuses on forest
management.
As the end of Phase II of the VCA4D project is approaching, the experts engaged in this
assignment should commit to deliver the final report in strict respect of the calendar and no later than
than March 2026!
If you are interested and available for the study period, please send the CVs of the candidates to
vca4d@agrinatura-eu.eu and giorgia.mei@agrinatura-eu.eu, by Friday, 13 th June 2025.

Context
In recent years, the cocoa value chain (VC) sector in Sierra Leone experienced an important
boost and revamped its importance among the strategic crops, especially for export.
Particularly, Sierra Leone seems to have a growing value added in the production of organic
cocoa.
The VC remains exposed to the vulnerability of cocoa trees to climate change and their poor
conditions that negatively impact productivity; to fungal diseases and other virus disease; to
logistical challenges and transaction costs of transporting cocoa from farms to aggregation
centres and the limited development of processing facilities, etc.
The government of Sierra Leone is devoted to making cocoa a strategic crop with the objective
of prioritizing rice self-sufficiency while simultaneously promoting crop diversification in strategic
value chains, including cocoa. The government also pushes for the full implementation of
the trade agreements, especially with the EU, and for the niche market of
organic cocoa.
The EU is aligned with these priorities, and it has been investing in several projects in recent
years, also devoting attention to the EUDR implementation. The study will be a reference-
based document for building a new action in support of the cocoa sector. The study will have
to look in particular to the market dynamics and the quality issues, and the needs to develop
the niche market of organic cocoa, while also investigating the environmental challenges
and ways to address them for the promotion of a sustainable cocoa value chain.

EXPERTISE REQUIRED
The team will be composed of three international experts from the Agrinatura alliance or
associates, covering economic, social, and environmental Sciences; and one national expert
from institutions and/or research systems having an excellent knowledge of the cocoa value
chain.
The study is funded on a global price basis, thus it is remunerated against the approval of the
final deliverable. The global price has been built around an estimated number of 45 working
days per expert (50 for the team leader), although this is an indication of and time needed to
complete the study may vary according to an acquaintance of the team of experts with the
VCA4D methodology and process.

The requirements for the different profiles are detailed below:

1) Agricultural economist
S/he is a senior expert with deep knowledge and experience in value chain analysis from an
economic point of view. S/he will elaborate financial and economic accounts of the VC (and
its sub-systems) as a whole and of its actors. He/she will analyse the VC from the different
actors’ perspectives, as well as its contribution to the main economic indicators (GDP,
balance of trade, public finance, etc.). He/she will be at ease with the concepts of income
distribution, job creation, growth, and distributive effects, viability of the VC in the
international economy, etc. S/he will undertake a full functional analysis with the support
of his/her colleagues.
Experience on economic analysis in value chains is required.
Experience in developing countries is required.
Professional experience in Sierra Leone and on cocoa is an asset.
Knowledge of English is required.
Experience in stakeholders’ management (including relations with high-level officials and
private sector) and analysis of public policies is a plus.
The economist will coordinate and consolidate the functional analysis, compiling the
contributions from all experts. S/he will provide a Functional and Economic Analysis that will
be included in the final report.

A collective or individual training on the AFA software will be made prior to the first mission.
In the case that the training cannot be done before the first mission, it will be done before the
second mission.
S/he will help the team leader (if another member of the team) to (i) define the typology of
actors that will be adopted throughout the study; (ii) formulate an executive summary and
conclusions that combine the results of the different analyses in order to answer the
framing questions and finalizing the report (reading, formatting of the report…). If relevant,
the expert will collaborate and integrate the analysis on market trends provided by COLEAD.

2) Social expert
S/he is a senior expert with deep knowledge of and experience with social issues related to
agricultural value chains in developing countries/transition countries, particularly on
inclusiveness of the most vulnerable groups.
The expert has experience in at least two of the social domains covered by VCA4D (working
conditions, land and water rights, gender equality, food and nutrition security, social capital,
living conditions) and is able to handle and inform on the other ones.
Experience in social analysis of the agricultural sector is required, and specific experience on
Social issues in developing countries are strongly appreciated.
Professional experience in Sierra Leone/the region is compulsory.
Experience in the social analysis of organic certification and schemes and of cocoa is an
asset.
Knowledge of English is required.
Experience in stakeholders’ management (including relations with high-level officials and
private sector) and analysis of public policies is a plus.
The social expert will provide a social analysis to be included in the report, on the basis of
the VCA4D Social Profile. An introduction on how to complete the Social Profile will be made
prior to the first mission.
The Social Expert will also support the economist with the analysis on inclusiveness and the
LCA expert to deal with the Biodiversity Analysis.
S/he will help the team leader to: (i) define the typology of actors that will be adopted
throughout the study; (ii) formulate an executive summary and conclusions that combine
the results of the different analyses in order to answer the framing questions and to finalise
the report (reading, formatting of the report…).

3) Environmental expert
S/he is a senior expert with deep knowledge of environmental aspects linked to value
chains.
Experience and knowledge on the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) is an asset.
Experience in value chain analysis in developing countries is appreciated.

Experience on environmental issues linked to cocoa and deforestation is an asset.
Professional experience in Sierra Leone/in the region will be appreciated.
Knowledge of English is required.
The environmental expert will have to propose improvements to the analytical approach
currently used for the environmental part, and he/she will be supported in this process by
the PMU. The expert will be able to put forward suggestions for improving the way in which
the environmental analysis is conducted, and the environmental findings are presented in
the study (more information in the ToR of the study).
S/he will provide the part of the report on the Environmental Analysis that will be included
in the final report. His/her analysis will focus on the analysis of damages on resources,
ecosystems, and human health, as well as on the impacts on climate change. The expert will
also integrate and complement (with the support of the social expert) an analysis of
biodiversity.
S/he will help the team leader to: (i) define the typology of actors that will be adopted
throughout the study, (ii) formulate an executive summary and conclusions that combine
the results of the different analyses in order to answer the framing questions and to finalise
the report (reading, formatting of the report…).

4) National Expert
S/he is a specialist of the cocoa value chain in Sierra Leone.
Relevant knowledge of the national institutions (technical, economic and political ones) and
stakeholders (public and private) involved in the cocoa sector is required.
At the beginning of the study, s/he will provide general information on the value chain,
identifying key players and existing relevant information and data for the analyses. The
national expert will help to select the most relevant data from available sources, to clarify
inconsistencies and to improve coherence between analyses.
S/he will facilitate and complete the data collection, in agreement to the guidelines of the
Team Leader. S/he will facilitate the contact between the whole team and the local
stakeholders.

Depending on the organization chosen by the team, his/her work can be deployed before
the missions (preparation of the mission of the colleagues), during the missions (support of
colleagues during missions), between missions (collection of additional information,
supervision of data collection, etc.), even after missions (additional information).

New call for experts: Cocoa value chain analysis in Sierra Leone (VCA4D)

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