Description
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For many decades, the Republic of Mali has been mobilizing to address the challenges of food and nutrition insecurity, the effects of climate change, and the fight against poverty in the country. It is within this framework that the Agricultural Orientation Law (LOA) of 2006 was adopted, defining the major directions of Malian agriculture and setting out the foundations for the development of a modern agriculture. This law, particularly in its Articles 114, 115, and 116, provides the framework for the agricul-tural advisory system envisioned for Mali: a system accessible to all farming households in the country, aimed at strengthening their productivity and performance, and implemented and co-managed by all actors in the agricultural and rural sector in a spirit of efficiency and collec-tive effectiveness. The PASSIP V (Program to Strengthen the National Agricultural Advisory and Training Sys-tem in Mali), which is part of the joint German development cooperation program "Innovative, Agroecological and Productive Agriculture in Mali", supported the Ministry of Rural Develop-ment (MDR) and later the Ministry of Agriculture in developing this National Agricultural Advi-sory Policy (PNCA) and the National Agricultural Advisory System (SNCA), which serves as its main implementation tool. The SNCA is designed as a joint mechanism for coordination and support, built on existing advisory structures, collective governance, and structured representation of all actors (e.g. farmers, state/public bodies, private sector, research/education, and local authorities). Operationalization of the SNCA will require phased implementation: a preparatory phase (awareness-raising, stakeholder engagement, finalizing rules and commitments), a start-up phase (establishing the National Agricultural Advisory Association - ANCA - and its technical agency APROCA), and a consolidation phase (territorial expansion and sustainability). The first two years are crucial for creating ownership, finalizing sensitive issues (governance, financing, regional committees), and setting up functioning bodies. Success will be measured by the effective establishment of ANCA and APROCA, recognized and supported by stake-holders. The process is complex, requiring strong technical preparation, stakeholder mobilization across all regions, trust-building, and adaptation to diverse territorial and security contexts. A national steering committee (COPIL) with representatives from all relevant actors is being set up under the Ministry of Agriculture to guide this process. The service contract described here aims to provide technical assistance for the Ministry of Agriculture, the COPIL and GIZ/PASSIP. Its overall goal is to accompany the establishment and implementation of the SNCA as an operational tool serving farmers, rural territories and the nation. Specifically, the contractor will: - Support the Ministry and GIZ in strategic planning and implementation (assistance to contracting authority, AMOA). - Facilitate and accompany the steering comm in its work, including preparing and ani-mating sessions, developing terms of reference, and supporting working groups. - Conduct stakeholder sensitization campaigns nationally and in the regions. - Support finalization of official documents for ANCA and APROCA, including statutes, rules of procedure, financing mechanisms and recognition of ANCA as a public utility. - Assist in launching ANCA, preparing its governance, budget, and program of work; support creation of APROCA, defining its mandate, organizational structure, staffing profiles, and initial budget. - Contribute to financial sustainability measures, including the establishment of a fiduci-ary mechanism. - Support the design of regional committees. The work will be closely coordinated with the Ministry of Agriculture, the COPIL, GIZ/PASSIP and national stakeholders, while keeping other partners informed. The participatory co-construction approach, already used in elaborating PNCA/SNCA, remains central: ensuring shared ownership, collective governance, and a functional system that strengthens agricultural advisory services across Mali.