ToR for Consultancy for Organizational Capacity Strengthening of the Rice Council of Tanzania (RCT) at Rikolto

Consultancy for Organizational Capacity Strengthening of the Rice Council of Tanzania (RCT)

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Consultancy for Organizational Capacity Strengthening of the Rice Council of Tanzania (RCT).  

• Background and Context

Rikolto is an international network organization with over 50 years of experience collaborating with food chain stakeholders across Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. The organization works to build inclusive and sustainable food systems that provide nutritious food while ensuring fair incomes for farmers and agribusiness actors. Rikolto facilitates collaboration between farmers’ organizations, private sector actors, governments, research institutions, and financial institutions to strengthen value chains and improve food systems.

Rikolto Tanzania, in partnership with IDH and with funding from NORAD, is implementing the Growing Together Programme: Leveraging Markets and Data for Food Security and Thriving Communities in Tanzania and Ethiopia (2024–2028). The programme aims to transform local food markets and improve food security and local economies by strengthening linkages between small-scale producers, agribusiness SMEs, and markets.

A core strategy of the programme is strengthening sector coordination platforms and apex organizations that play critical roles in organizing value chains, facilitating policy dialogue, and promoting market development. Strong sector platforms enable improved coordination among actors, evidence-based policy engagement, and delivery of services that support inclusive growth of agricultural value chains.

Within the rice value chain in Tanzania, the Rice Council of Tanzania (RCT) serves as a national apex organization that coordinates stakeholders across the rice sector. Established in 2014 and registered as a national NGO, RCT brings together farmers, millers, traders, financial institutions, research organizations, and development partners through regional platforms across the country. Its mission is to advocate for and support rice value chain actors through policy dialogue, sector coordination, and technical support services. RCT currently operates through 11 regional platforms that convene stakeholders in major rice-producing areas such as Kilombero, Mbarali, Kilosa, Babati, and Kahama. Through these platforms, RCT plays an important role in facilitating dialogue on trade policies, quality standards, and sector development.

Building on its national legitimacy and strong coordination role within the sector, RCT continues to demonstrate significant potential to further enhance its effectiveness and long-term sustainability as a leading sector platform. To support this progression, Rikolto conducted a SCOPE Insight organizational assessment of RCT in 2025 to better understand its institutional performance and identify strategic opportunities for growth. The assessment confirms that RCT has a solid institutional foundation and is widely recognized for its convening power and contribution to policy dialogue. At the same time, it highlights clear opportunities to further strengthen operational systems, enhance service delivery to members, and reinforce its financial sustainability. These insights provide a strong basis for targeted capacity strengthening interventions. In response, Rikolto plans to engage a consultant to support RCT in enhancing its governance effectiveness, operational efficiency, financial resilience, and overall service delivery, thereby consolidating its role as a robust and impactful apex organization.

• Purpose of the Assignment

The overall purpose of this consultancy is to strengthen the institutional capacity of the Rice Council of Tanzania (RCT) so that it can operate as a professional, financially sustainable, and effective apex organization capable of coordinating the rice value chain, delivering services to members, and influencing sector development.

• Specific Objectives

The assignment will aim to:

1. 1. Strengthen RCT’s governance systems and institutional management structures to improve oversight and accountability.
   2. Support the development of a clear business model and financial sustainability strategy for the organization.
   3. Strengthen financial management systems and financial planning mechanisms.
   4. Support the establishment of digital data systems for membership management and sector data collection.
   5. Strengthen operational systems including monitoring, reporting, and service delivery frameworks to their members.
   6. Enhance RCT’s capacity to provide value-added services to rice value chain actors.
   7. Strengthen RCT’s capacity to engage in evidence-based policy dialogue and advocacy.
   8. Support the integration of climate resilience and risk management considerations within RCT’s strategy and operations.

• Scope of Work and Key Tasks

Under the supervision of the Rikolto Tanzania programme team, the consultant will undertake the following tasks.

• Inception and Desk Review

The consultant will review key documents including:

• SCOPE Insight assessment report for RCT
• RCT Strategic Plan
• RCT Constitution and governance documents
• Financial and HR manuals
• Relevant programme documents under the Growing Together Programme.

• Governance and Institutional Strengthening

The consultant will support RCT to strengthen governance structures by:

• Reviewing governance frameworks and board oversight mechanisms.
• Supporting the establishment of appropriate board committees.
• Strengthening governance orientation for board members.
• Supporting gender and youth inclusion mechanisms in governance structures for the matter of sustainability.

• Business Model and Financial Sustainability

The consultant will support RCT to develop a sustainable business model through:

• Development of a financial sustainability strategy.

• Identification of revenue generation opportunities, including service provision, consulting, sector events, and partnerships.
• Development of a multi-year financial planning framework.
• Strengthening membership fee systems and value propositions to members.

• Operational Systems Strengthening

The consultant will support RCT to strengthen operational systems by: 

• Developing an operations manual.
• Establishing monitoring and evaluation frameworks.
• Supporting the development of annual operational plans and KPIs.
• Strengthening internal reporting and coordination systems. 

• Membership and Data Systems Development

The consultant will support the development of a digital membership and sector data management system, including:

• Digital membership database.
• Systems for tracking production and value chain actors.
• Data collection frameworks for sector analysis.
• Strengthening information management systems.

• Advocacy and Sector Coordination

The consultant will support RCT to strengthen its advocacy and coordination role by:

• Developing an evidence-based advocacy strategy guided by structured R&D.
• Supporting the development of sector position papers.
• Strengthening engagement with government and private sector stakeholders.

• Climate Resilience and Risk Management

The consultant will support RCT to integrate climate resilience into its strategy by:

• Conducting a climate risk assessment for the rice sector in Mbeya and Morogoro regions.
• Developing a climate resilience strategy.
• Strengthening awareness and risk mitigation mechanisms among stakeholders.

• Expected Deliverables

The consultant will produce the following outputs

1. A comprehensive inception report detailing the assignment methodology, workplan, timelines, stakeholder engagement approach, and key deliverables, reviewed and approved by RCT and Rikolto.
2. A practical and prioritized plan outlining at least 5–7 key capacity strengthening interventions, including clear actions, timelines, responsible actors, and measurable indicators for improving RCT’s institutional effectiveness.
3. A forward-looking strategy identifying at least 3 viable revenue streams, a cost structure analysis, and an implementation roadmap to enhance RCT’s financial resilience and long-term sustainability.
4. Development or refinement of at least 4 key governance and operational tools (e.g., SOPs, organizational structure, reporting systems), validated and ready for adoption by RCT.
5. A structured framework for establishing a digital member database, including system requirements, data management protocols, and an implementation plan to improve member engagement and information management.
6. A strategy outlining priority advocacy areas, stakeholder mapping, engagement approaches, and coordination mechanisms to strengthen RCT’s role in sector dialogue and policy influence.
7. A comprehensive final report summarizing all activities undertaken, deliverables produced, key achievements, lessons learned, and actionable recommendations for sustained institutional strengthening.

• Duration of the Assignment

The consultancy is expected to run for approximately 120 days, commencing on 20th April 2026 to 20th August 2026

A detailed work plan will be agreed during the inception phase.

• Consultant Qualifications

The consultant or consulting firm should have: Demonstrated experience in organizational capacity strengthening of associations, cooperatives, or private sector platforms, Experience working with agricultural value chains and sector associations in East Africa, Proven experience in governance strengthening, financial management systems, and institutional development, Strong facilitation, analytical, and report writing skills, Experience working with development programs and donor-funded projects will be an added advantage.

• Application Procedure

Interested consultants are invited to submit:

Technical Proposal (maximum 10 pages) including

• Understanding of the assignment and context
• Proposed methodology and approach
• Draft work plan and timeline
• Team composition (if applicable)
• At least three references from similar assignments

Financial Proposal detailing consultancy fees and cost breakdown.

The application should include:

• Cover letter
• CV(s) of proposed consultant(s)
• References from at least three organizations for similar assignments
• Samples of previous relevant work.
• Valid government compliance certificates (e.g., Tax Certificate, business registration, or other statutory documents)

Interested applicants should submit their proposals via email to eastafrica.recruitment@rikolto.org not later than 16th April 2026.

The email subject line should clearly indicate the title of the assignment and the source of the advertisement. In your proposal and cover letter, kindly specify the assignment you are applying for.

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. If you do not receive a response within two weeks after the closing date, consider your application unsuccessful. For more information about this consultancy opportunity, please visit the Rikolto website.