Background

Since its establishment, the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) has demonstrated a unique model of inclusive governance, characterized by the active engagement of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).This engagement is primarily achieved through the participation of diverse CSO voices as partners across various aspects of the Program.

Firstly, GAFSP is characterized by CSO participation in its decision-making body, the Steering Committee (SC).The SC is composed of an equal number of representatives from donor countries and recipient countries as voting members. Additionally, other stakeholders, including Supervising Entities (such as the World Bank, IFC, regional development banks, and Rome-based UN agencies), and three CSOs, participate in SC deliberations as non-voting members. The three SC CSOs include: (i) one headquartered in an OECD country; and (ii) two headquartered in non-OECD countries and with a presence in GAFSP-eligible countries.

Following a decision made by the SC on September 20, 2023, GAFSP committed to secure funding for "service provider CSOs."  These organizations, distinct yet complementary to the SC CSOs, will be CSOs based in and operating across Asia, Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean. They will be selected through a competitive process that adheres to World Bank procurement policies and procedures. The consortium of service provider CSOs selected through this process will play a crucial role in strengthening partnerships between grassroots CSOs and GAFSP funded operations across different geographic regions. Their primary focus areas include field-based project monitoring and evaluation, knowledge-sharing and learning, and communications.

To coordinate the efforts undertaken by SC CSOs and Service Provider CSOs, GAFSP has a designated CSO Liaison Officer within the Coordination Unit (CU). This expert, who has a strong background in working with CSOs and grassroots movements, ensures seamless communication between the CU and the different CSOs engaged in the Programs. 

Background

Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) was created in 2010 in the aftermath of the 2008 food price crisis at the request of the G20 to invest in agriculture worldwide to reduce poverty and improve food and nutrition security in low- income countries. Over the past ten years, GAFSP has successfully pooled donor funds to make lasting improvements in those areas where financing and support are most needed to help alleviate poverty, improve rural livelihoods, and improve food security by raising agricultural productivity, linking farmers to markets, reducing risk and vulnerability, improving non-farm rural livelihoods, and strengthening capacity and institutions including through technical assistance. In the face of the dual climate and food security challenges, GAFSP’s mandate is as relevant today as it was 10 years ago. To date, the Program has received over $2 billion in funding from 12 donors – Australia, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, the Republic of Korea, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.  

GAFSP is established as a Financial Intermediary Fund (FIF) for which the World Bank serves as Trustee, Supervising Entity, and host of the GAFSP Coordination Unit (CU). The GAFSP CU is situated within the Agriculture and Food Global Practice that provides support to the GAFSP Steering Committee (SC). The CU oversees overall program operations, manages the Program’s public sector portfolio, and coordinates with IFC, which manages GAFSP trust funds that support private sector operations.

GAFSP supports activities through a dual-track funding model: the grant-based financing track, with projects that support eligible countries and/or producer organizations, and the business investment financing track, with investment plans for multi-year budget envelopes to provide concessional financing and advisory services for private sector development

The decision-making body of GAFSP is the Steering Committee (SC), which is comprised of an equal number of donor countries and recipient representatives as voting members. In addition, other stakeholders participate in SC deliberations as non-voting members including Supervising Entities (World Bank, IFC, regional development banks, Rome-based UN agencies), and three Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), one CSO from an OECD country and two representing different regions of the world and present in GAFSP eligible countries.

Since its establishment, GAFSP represents a unique model of inclusive governance thanks to its partnership with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).

The SC is undertaking a strategic visioning exercise aimed at strengthening the Program to respond to current global challenges to poverty alleviation and food and nutrition security and become an even more effective vehicle for delivering on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As GAFSP’s strategic direction and priorities continue to evolve, it will require stronger partnerships with CSOs to work at the ground level in GAFSP’s operations in different geographic regions, specifically in the areas of field-based project monitoring and evaluation, knowledge-sharing and learning, and communication. The work undertaken by selected CSOs will be directed by the CU in close coordination with CSO representatives on the GAFSP SC.

Tasks to be performed by the selected CSO in service of GAFSP

The following are the expected services and deliverables to be provided by the selected CSOs. These services and deliverables are to be delivered to the World Bank in its GAFSP Secretariat role. As the GAFSP’s Secretariat, the CU will be the primary contract manager overseeing the delivery of the services provided by the selected CSOs and ensuring the quality of the deliverables. Selected CSOs will report to the CU, which will share relevant information and progress reports with the SC.

Field-based project feedback and lessons gathering:

·                     Coordinate field missions and stakeholder consultations at project level in collaboration with GAFSP SEs, GAFSP SC CSOs and their POs members in the country for assessing smallholder farmers' involvement, social impacts and livelihoods improvement in GAFSP Country-led and PO-led projects, with a particular focus on the cross-cutting themes (nutrition, climate resilience, women’s empowerment, employment)

·                     Provide qualitative and technical inputs to complement and enrich the CU led M&E reports (e.g., portfolio reviews) and GAFSP’s Annual Report, including narrative and stories for communication purpose of the value of GAFSP in promoting smallholder farmers’ livelihood and involvement.

·                     Address and fulfil CU and GAFSP SC CSOs representatives’ requests of updated information related to CSO engagement and Program operations.

Knowledge Sharing and Learning:  

·                     Disseminate regional and country-level information on GAFSP Calls for Proposals to help raise visibility of GAFSP with a wider audience at country level and further outreach to CSOs/POs/FOs.

·                     Participate and collaborate with CSOs/POs/FOs before and after CFPs are launched for project integration and consultations, including GAFSP SC CSOs.

·                     Join annual dialogue workshops with SEs and CSOs/FOs/POs to address implementation challenges and streamline roles.

·                     Collect and synthesize GAFSP financing lessons into reports to support SC continue learning and to inform strategic direction for future calls.

Communication:

·                     Enhance GAFSP visibility through op-eds, blogs, social media, and feature stories on cross-cutting themes.

·                     Provide routine updates to CU, and, as necessary, to the SC, including CSOs.

·                     Collaborate with CSO Liaison and GAFSP SC CSOs representatives for coordinated activities to avoid duplication and ensure synergy with CSO Steering Committee members especially in preparation of GAFSP SC meetings.