Ntchisi - Kasungu Cluster - Terms of Reference for Business Coaching Services for Chandumba Potato FBOs - September 2024

Aug 30, 2026

Terms of Reference define how the TRADE Programme will provide hands-on agribusiness business coaching to Chandumba Potato FBOs in the Ntchisi/Kasungu cluster. The coaching assignment supports Malawi’s smallholders in overcoming barriers to commercialization, including low productivity, weak partnerships, limited business skills, and poor FBO governance that restricts inputs, finance, and market access. Coaches will conduct organizational assessment, guide FBO leaders through capacity enhancement, and assist in change management, enterprise planning, and strategic business partnerships to strengthen value chain resilience.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryPresentations

FormatDOCX

Pages18

Reading Time6 min

AccessFree to download

Background of TRADE Programme

Goals and expected outputs

Background to the business coaching assignment

Challenges limiting FBO commercialization

Focus areas of business coaching

Role of business coaches

Assessment and capacity enhancement

Change management and business planning

TRANSFORMING AGRICULTURE THROUGH DIVERSIFICATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP (TRADE) PROGRAMME Ntchisi/ Kasungu Cluster -Terms of Reference for Business Coaching Services for Chandumba Potato FBOs To IMPLEMENT PROJECTS UNDER TRADE PROGRAMME Ref No: [TRADE Programme 2024/ 2025 Procurement Plan 1.1.1.6] September 2024 Terms of Reference (TOR) BACKGROUND OF TRADE PROGRAMME (see HYPERLINK "http://www.tradeprogramme.org" www.tradeprogramme.org for more details) TRADE Programme is a six-year Programme which was financed as a successor Programme of Rural Livelihoods and Economic Enhancement Programme (RLEEP). The Programme is being co-funded by International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID). The goal of TRADE is to improve sustainable livelihoods of rural people in Malawi. The development objective is “Increased value chain commercialization and resilience of rural poor and smallholder producers”. The development objective is being achieved through a holistic approach to addressing the agriculture commercialization challenge (building on RLEEP and informed by IFAD’s Engagement in Pro-poor Value Chain Development). TRADE will seek to: Increase production and productivity by smallholder farmers, Functionally upgrade smallholder farmers and the rural poor to undertake new functions such as processing, storage, packaging to capture more value, Improving horizontal linkages by strengthening the capacities of cooperatives to provide market access functions to smallholder farmers Improve vertical linkages between stakeholders at different functional levels of the commodity chain, including private sector. TRADE is also supporting rural entrepreneurs, focusing on youths and women to develop and sustain their agribusiness enterprise opportunities and ensuring that commodities are nutrition sensitive. The Programme aims to achieve its outcomes through the delivery of the following outputs: Creation of win-win partnerships between producers, private and public actors. Enhancement of business skills among smallholder farmers Strengthening Farmer Based Organizations Linking smallholder farmers to rural financial services Enhancing crop and livestock production skills among smallholder farmers. Promotion of climate smart agriculture technologies / practices Increased policy Influencing capacity and formal business arrangements Construction of Commodity support infrastructure. TRADE Programme’s investments are market driven, facilitation oriented and risk buy-off. These approaches culminate into horizontal and vertical linkages of smallholders farmers to enhance their productivity and value chain upgrading efforts. These however require the presence of vibrant Farmer Business Organizations (FBOs) filled and managed by farmers with relevant agribusiness skills and orientation and capable of accelerating smallholder commercialization. It is on this basis that TRADE Programme intends to engage business coaches who will provide hands-on-ground agribusiness coaching and mentorship services to FBOs to address various agribusiness constraints in their respective FBOs in order to promote the commercialization of the target value chains. Background to the business coaching assignment In Malawi, 80% of farmers produce most of the food for domestic consumption and surplus for the market. Smallholder producers are facing challenges to commercialize their agriculture and effectively participate in input and output markets. There are a number of barriers affecting the performance of FBO which include the following: These include low production and productivity, Weak and unsustainable partnerships with private sector, Lack of business skills to operate as commercial enterprises, Weak FBO management skills which result in inability of FBOs to provide key services to their respective members such as access to inputs, finance and market opportunities, Low value addition efforts due to limited access to finance

FAQs

What is the purpose of the business coaching assignment for Chandumba Potato FBOs?

To provide hands-on agribusiness coaching and mentorship that helps FBOs address agribusiness constraints and improve commercialization of the targeted value chain.

Which main challenges affecting FBO performance does the coaching address?

Low production and productivity, weak private-sector partnerships, lack of business skills, weak FBO management and governance, and limited value addition due to poor access to finance and markets.

What activities will business coaches carry out with the FBOs?

Coaches will assess willing FBOs, facilitate organizational assessment and capacity enhancement through handholding, support change management, develop or review business plans, and help build strategic business partnerships.

Aug 30, 2026

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