Assignment:

Provide technical assistance to conduct a complementary Rapid Market Analysis of the Food processing sector in the framework of the Manzuma Project in Jordan.

Contract Type:

External Collaborator (National Consultant)

Location:

The assignment takes place in Jordan

Duration:

July – September 2025 (22 working days)

1. Background

Jordan continues to face significant economic pressures, including high unemployment rates among youth, women, and refugees. Despite various national strategies like the Economic Modernization Vision, a significant mismatch persists between skills and needs of the workforce, particularly for marginalized groups such as refugees and women. Bridging this gap requires a more integrated approach that connects economic development plans with the specific demands of the labour market. This integration will ensure that economic growth translates into tangible employment opportunities for all segments of the population.

Moreover, to effectively tackle the need for employment creation, it is imperative to shift the focus towards demand-based analysis rooted in market incentives. Understanding market dynamics and identifying sectors with high potential for job creation can lead to more impactful interventions. Supporting market actors in Jordan to develop and expand their businesses will create more and better jobs that are relevant to the workforce. This demand-driven approach ensures that economic activities are aligned with labour market needs, thereby fostering sustainable employment opportunities.

The Manzuma project—formally titled “Enhancing Resilient Market Systems to Enhance Livelihoods for Syrian Refugees and Jordanians”—is implemented by the ILO under the Regional Development and Protection Programme for Jordan and Lebanon (RDPP III). The project seeks to enhance economic resilience and livelihood opportunities for both Syrian refugees and Jordanians through inclusive and sustainable market systems. Manzuma places a strong focus on women and youth, applying the ILO’s Approach on Inclusive Market Systems in Fragile Contexts (AIMS) to identify high-potential sectors where market-driven interventions can promote their economic inclusion. By strengthening the resilience and capacity of SMEs that employ these groups, the project aims to expand their access to meaningful economic opportunities and integration into higher-value markets.

In this framework, the food processing sector has been preliminarily identified along other sectors as a potential driver of inclusive job creation. While the food processing sector has already been analysed by the ILO and GIZ, important knowledge gaps persist—particularly around the employment of women, youth, and refugees; market segmentation; supporting functions; and the existence or lack of market incentives to unlock decent work opportunities for vulnerable groups.

To complement existing data and address these specific research gaps, the ILO seeks to engage a national consultant to lead a Rapid Market Analysis (RMA) of the food processing sector in Jordan.

2. Objectives of the Assignment

The objective of this assignment is to conduct a targeted Rapid Market Analysis (RMA) of the food processing sector in Jordan, with the aim of complementing existing data, addressing current information gaps, and identifying concrete operational entry points for the Manzuma project to design effective market-led interventions. This analysis will build on prior work, particularly:

• The ILO’s Market Systems Analysis on SMEs’ business incentives to contribute to social insurance schemes in Jordan (2025), which provides valuable insights into SME decision-making processes related to business operations and workforce management, including in the food processing sector.
• The GIZ’s Jordan’s Food Processing Sector Analysis And Strategy For Sectoral Improvement Market Analysis (2019), which outlines the key challenges and opportunities faced by SMEs in accessing export markets.

Rather than offering a broad overview of the sector or duplicating existing research, this Rapid Market Analysis will focus on unpacking specific, in-depth research questions that remain unanswered—particularly those related to the inclusion and employment dynamics of Syrian refugees and vulnerable Jordanian workers. The analysis will also deliver updated, action-oriented recommendations on priority areas for intervention and potential partnerships for the Manzuma project. To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the consultant and the ILO team will apply the ILO’s ‘value chain development for decent work’ and the ‘Approach to inclusive market systems for Refugees and Host Communities (AIMS)’ methodologies and adjust these in a way that will place SMEs and their incentives to contribute to social insurance schemes at the centre of the research.

1. Activities

The assignment will focus on, but not be limited to, the following steps and activities:

Step 1: Preparation

1. Kick-off: The consultant will participate in a kick-off call with the ILO research team, which will include an onboarding training on the ILO AIMS methodology. Timeline for the assignment will be defined and the terms of collaboration between the national consultant and the ILO team in carrying out the research will be clarified (see also section 3. Management and Supervision).
2. Gap Identification and fine tune research questions: Conduct a structured review of relevant documents including previous MSAs, value chain studies, and sector analyses and identify and articulate, in collaboration with the ILO, the knowledge gaps in previous studies, particularly those related to:

• Missing information on challenges and opportunities in wage employment and self-employment specifically of Syrian refugees as well as female and young Jordanian workers with emphasis on issues related to: roles and employment mechanisms, absenteeism, skills and productivity, gender-specific challenges and opportunities;
• Further unpack challenges, opportunities, and business incentives related to key actors involved in the food processing sector’s supporting functions, regulatory environment, and business development services—including areas such as inputs (raw materials), packaging, market intelligence, energy and technology efficiency, marketing, standards, and certification.
• Further analysis of the identified niche and/or emerging market segments for specific Jordanian food processed products, including mapping of concrete barriers for SMEs, involved actors, feasible and realistic entry points and potential buyers.
• Deeper analysis and triangulation of information on the actual business incentives—or disincentives—faced by SMEs, buyers, and other catalytic actors identified above in engaging with existing or potential areas of intervention aimed at boosting SME profitability and enhancing the economic inclusion of Syrian refugees, as well as Jordanian youth and women.
• Building on the above findings, refine and propose high-potential areas for intervention, along with potential partners, to support the implementation of market-led activities under the Manzuma project in the food processing sector.

Outputs Step 1

• Proposed timeline and milestones for the assignment
• Power point document and presentation to deliver the results of the review of existing data and gap analysis
• Updated list of research questions to fill data gaps and unpack key thematic areas

Step 2: Complementary Analysis of food processing sector:

1. In-depth fieldwork and analysis on the entry points to unlock business incentives: based on the results of the preparation step with the ILO team, the consultant will identify key stakeholders to be interviewed during an in-depth fieldwork, which will represent the core phase of this assignment. The consultant should be able to conduct at least 20 Interviews and on-site visits with key stakeholders, including: key market actors and SMEs (formal and informal) engaged in the sector, formal and informal workers, workers association, formal and informal entrepreneurs, BDS providers and private sector associations, local and export buyers, export and other sector advisor and exports.

   The consultant will have the flexibility to schedule interviews over the course of approximately one month. However, he/she must be able to concentrate several key interviews within a single week to accommodate a potential ILO joint mission—particularly towards the end of the fieldwork phase, when meetings with potential partners in the proposed areas of intervention are expected to take place. The results of the fieldwork will be analysed jointly with the ILO team as part of at least 3 brainstorming sessions during and after the fieldwork.

Outputs Step 2

• Interview schedule for in-depth fieldwork, which includes the stakeholder names and contact information

• At least 20 interviews with key market actors are conducted

• At least 3 working sessions with the ILO team to unpack the results of the fieldwork

  Step 3: Report Drafting and Validation Workshop

1. Draft research report: the consultant will be responsible for drafting a Rapid Market Analysis report of no more than 30 pages, incorporating concrete proposals for areas of intervention and potential partners for the Manzuma project. The report should be informed by fieldwork findings and integrate insights from brainstorming sessions with the ILO on potential areas of intervention. The ILO will provide technical review and inputs throughout the analysis and drafting process. If necessary, the consultant should be able to organize up to five additional interviews to address any information gaps identified during the review.
2. Support the facilitation of the validation workshop: the preliminary version of the research report, including the intervention section, will be presented by the ILO team and the consultant during a validation workshop with Manzuma partners and key stakeholders. The consultant will contribute to the presentations and will support any facilitation of activities and discussion during the workshop.

Outputs Step 3

• At least 2 brainstorming session with the ILO team on the identification of potential areas of intervention and partners for Manzuma
• Rapid Market Analysis report of no more than 20 pages, incorporating concrete proposals for areas of intervention and potential partners for Manzuma project
• Support presentations and facilitation during a validation workshop organized by the ILO

1. Management and Supervision

The consultant will perform his/her assignment under the overall supervision of the ILO Manzuma project team with support of the ILO AIMS Global Coordination team. All technical clearances will be obtained by the ILO AIMS Global Coordination team, which will technically supervise and participate to the research process and draft the final research report. The local consultant will be responsible to facilitate, organize and carry out most of the field data collection while advising the ILO AIMS team on the specificities of local context socio-economic contexts and politics.

In carrying out this assignment, the consultant will work in close collaboration with a research team, which will be comprised of:

• National Consultant on Market Systems and Food Processing (object of these TORs) – to lead the data collection, liaise the ILO with key stakeholders ad potential partners in the field, draft the complementary RMA and support the facilitation of a validation workshop.
• AIMS Technical officer (ILO AIMS Global team) – to technically advise and supervise the day-by-day of the research process, lead the brainstorming sessions and decision-making and to contribute and validate outputs and products of the national consultant. The officer will potentially join part of the fieldwork, when meetings with potential partners in the proposed areas of intervention are expected to take place.
• Manzuma Project team – to ensure that each step of the research process is aligned with Manzuma project objectives and to contribute to decision-making with regards to the topics and the stakeholders to be prioritized in the analysis. Manzuma will also advise on key aspects of local mechanisms and dynamics of job creation and enterprise development so that they are taken into account and captured in each of the sections of the study. To the extent possible, members of the project team will join the fieldwork and the brainstorming session and will lead the organization of the validation workshop.

4. Timeframe

The assignment will take 25 workdays from July to September 2025 with the anticipated timelines (exact dates tbd) for each intermediate step as identified below

Phase

Rough

Dates

Activities

Number of workdays for consultant

Preparatory work

1-10 July

Kick-off, literature review, framing

4 days

In-depth fieldwork

10 July-

10 August

Fieldwork and brainstorming sessions

13 days

Report Drafting

10-25 August

Brainstorming sessions on areas of intervention, report writing, reviews.

3 days

Workshop Facilitation

Late August Early September

Contribute to presentations and support part of the facilitation of the validation workshop.

2 days

Total

22 days

7. Qualifications and Experiences of the Consultant

• At least Master’s degree in Business Management, Economics, Industrial Engineering or related discipline
• A track record in conducting market and value chain research in the food processing sector
• A track record in advising companies in Jordan and/or the region
• Strong knowledge on SMEs sector development in Jordan
• Excellent reporting and communication skills in English and Arabic
• Strong social, organizational and knowledge management skills required in order to coordinate research schedule and keep track of data
• Capacity to produce high-quality reports.

8. Payment schedule

The payment schedule for this assignment is the following:

Payment 1_30% : Upon completion of the Power point presentation delivering the results of the gap analysis and the updated list of research questions, to the satisfaction of the ILO by 20 of July 2025 at the latest.

Payment 2_30%: Upon completion of the schedule of interviews with at least 20 stakeholders and of 3 brainstorming session and ppt presentations with the ILO to unpack preliminary results from the fieldwork, to the satisfaction of the ILO by the 15 of August 2025 at the latest.

Payment 3_40% : Upon completion of the final RMA report of mac. 30 pages, including areas of interventions, and integrating ILO’s comments, to the satisfaction of the ILO by 30 of September 2025 at the latest.

9. Application Process

The following documents/information are required to apply for this assignment:

1. Technical proposal
2. Financial proposal
3. Consultant CV
4. Work samples for similar assignments, if any

The application must include all the documents requested and shall be submitted by email to Sumaiya Virji (Virji@ilo.org) and Elisa Mandelli (mandelli@ilo.org) under the email subject “Consultancy RMA Food processing” not later than 19 June 2025.

9. Special terms and conditions:

Confidentiality Statement and Intellectual Property of Data

All data and information received from the ILO and the stakeholders for the purpose of this assignment are to be treated confidentially and are only to be used in connection with the execution of this ToR. All intellectual property rights arising from the execution of this ToR is assigned to ILO according to the grant agreement. The contents of written materials obtained and used in this contract may not be disclosed to any third parties without the express advance written authorization of the ILO.

Unsatisfactory or incomplete work

For the assignment, the ILO’s Standard Rules and Procedure for External Collaborators (EXCOLL) shall be applicable. In event that the service delivered is unsatisfactory or fails to conform to the conditions set out above, the ILO reserves the right, as appropriate to interrupt it, to request that to be corrected or modified, or to refuse to accept the service.

How to Apply:

9. Application Process

The following documents/information are required to apply for this assignment:

1. Technical proposal
2. Financial proposal
3. Consultant CV
4. Work samples for similar assignments, if any

The application must include all the documents requested and shall be submitted by email to Sumaiya Virji (Virji@ilo.org) and Elisa Mandelli (mandelli@ilo.org) under the email subject “Consultancy RMA Food processing” not later than 19 June 2025.