TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR INSTITUTIONAL CONTRACT

Title of the assignment

Technical and management services to the Islampur Salt Miller Association (ISMOS) to create an enabling environment for the salt millers to comply with GOB legislation and increase production efficiency of adequately iodized salt

Purpose

Provision of technical and management services to ISMOS for implementation of following activities

• Promote consolidation of traditional salt mills through development of a business case “Return on investment strategy”
• Assessment of process loss of crude salt during production of iodized salt to estimate the cost of production.
• Addition of new requirements and functioning transparent monitoring system
• Develop marketing strategy for low cost quality iodized salt
• Awarness on benefits of iodized salt and practice of consumption of packet iodized salt by the salt farmers through pilot subsidy program.

Location

Dhaka, Bangladesh.  Field visits will be required to Cox’s Bazar for designing and implementation of the assignment in consultation with salt miller association.

Estimated Duration

The duration of the contract will be for 12 months and starting from 15 July 2021. Ten months for actual implementation and 2 months for final report approval, invoice processing and closure of contract.

The agency will be assigned on a Long-Term Arrangement (LTA) basis for the said period with possibility of extension at the discretion of UNICEF Bangladesh and subject to satisfactory performance and delivery of the services. UNICEF Bangladesh, however, cannot warrant any minimum quantity of event to be arranged nor warrant any value will be spent in the future under the LTA.

Reporting to Technical Supervisor of this assignment

Nutrition Officer, Nutrition Section

1. Background

The National Micronutrient Survey 2011-2012 reported that  the national estimate of the usage of iodized salt (≥5 ppm) at the household level was 80.3%, which was generally similar to the estimate in the preceding National IDD/USI Survey 2004-5 (81.4%). 57.6% of the households used adequately iodized salt (≥15 ppm), which was a slight improvement from the 2004-5 estimate (51.2%). At national level still 40% school age children are suffering with iodine deficiency. The deficiency of iodine is higher among the poorest and poor strata of the population which are still consuming open salt. Recent Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2019 (MICS 2019) informed that  58% of the households used adequately iodized salt (≥15 ppm), which was a no improvement from the 2011-2012 estimate (57.6%). The major issues with salt iodization program is gaps in existing salt act and poor implementation, which unable to ensure adequately iodized salt for all population.

To ensure quality iodized salt for all, the government is mandated to implement the Iodine Deficiency Disease Prevention Law 1989, Regulation of Salt Law 1994 and the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) Ordinance 1985. However, enforcement of legislation remains a continuous challenge for the USI project. There are also limitations of the existing salt law that does not support achieving USI objectives. In Bangladesh, the existing salt legislation guides the iodization of salt, but does not emphasize that all salt within the scope of the legislation must be iodized. Within the salt market in Bangladesh, open salt is sold for animal feeds, however it is also purchased for human consumption due to its low price. The price differences between packet iodized salt and open non-iodized salt for animal feed from the traditional mills is 2-3 Bangladeshi taka (<1 cent) per kg. The price difference is more if the iodized salt produced in vacuum or mechanical factories ranging from 15-20 Bangladeshi Taka (BDT) (18 cents) per kg. As such, if the salt used for animal feeds is not covered under the existing legislation, it is difficult to control leakage of non-iodized salt in the iodized salt market. Similarly, to prevent the leakage of other types of non-iodized salt, including industrial salt, in the iodized edible salt market with low price, the GoB should increase focus on a clear demarcation in policy for selling and transportation of industrial salt. The New Salt Act incorporated all issues identified from program review and program experiences for proper implementation of salt iodization program in Bangladesh. The New Salt Act has been submitted to the Parliament and the Parliament Committee reviewed and revised the New Salt Act and placed to the Parliament for endorsement. It is expected that the New Salt Act will be endorsed during the Parliament session in June 2021.

The salt industry plays a very important role in the development of the economy of Bangladesh in terms of output, employment generation and industrialization. It is the largest labor-oriented cottage industry in Bangladesh. According to the annual report 2018 of the Bangladesh Small Scale Cottage Industries and Corporation (BSCIC) under Ministry of Industries (MoI), the number of registered mills is 328 among which 222 are functioning. Among the functioning mills 191 (86%) are traditional medium and small-scale salt mills, 25 (11%) are mechanical salt mills and only six (2.7%) are vacuum evaporated salt mills.

As per government records for 2019-2020, the total requirement for salt was 1.85 million MT, whereas the supply of edible salt was 2.0 million MT including previous year stock. With this availability of salt for both edible and industrial purposes, the major challenge in the production of iodized salt is with traditional salt mills which are not regularly mixing potassium iodate with edible salt and there is no transparent system available to get authentic data on quality assurance from the mills. Most of the traditional mills do not have a quality control system in place. Also, there are issues of process loss due to poor quality of crude salt in all types of salt factories. The experiences of process loss during refining and adding iodine in edible salt are different in factory to factory, which are not yet documented properly.

Cox’s Bazar is a priority district under the USI program as it is  poor performing district in terms of consumption of iodized salt (MICS 2012-2013; only 15.8%).It is - one of the few salt harvesting district except for a few areas in Chattogram district, more than 50% salt mills are located in this area which includes  80% of the traditional mills and  presence of active salt miller association.   In 2018-2019, UNICEF started working closely with Islampur Salt Mill Owners Versatile Society Limited (ISMOS) to understand their capacity gaps through series of consultation workshops. UNICEF  together with salt millers from Cox’s Bazar identified significant challenges in production of quality iodized salt in traditional mills, lack of opportunity for internal quality control in terms of established laboratory in each factory, gaps in data generation and management and also lack of knowledge how to grow farther in salt business.  UNICEF  and ISMOS agreed together to work on capacity development of salt millers specially in terms of develop and use of MIS to comply with New Salt Act, understand improved salt business through developing business profile , understand process loss and scope of consolidation of traditional mills and establish low cost mechanical salt mills for increased availability of good quality iodized salt and improve salt business etc.

Based on the identified challenges UNICEF supported for development of a web- based MIS system with scope of entered data on production, storage, iodization and quality control. During test implementation it is found that web-based MIS is not user friendly for the millers as it requires desktop or laptop computer which are not available to the traditional mills. At the same time ISMOS developed the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) which is necessary for any salt miller to keep the financial record in line with production, marketing and storage. ISMOS suggested to link the MIS with ERP through Application Programming Interface (API) which will allow automatic error free necessary data transfer to the web-based MIS.  The ERP contains information on distribution and transportation of iodized salt including production and iodization. UNICEF and ISMOS in consultation with ICT agencies identified that gaps in web-based MIS and necessary of developing mobile apps for user-friendly data entry and monitoring by salt millers and other entity such as BSTI during technical audit at salt factory. As the recruited ICT agency decline to do farther work which will be connected with the salt millers ERP through API. After development of the web-based MIS on USI program, a few requirements were identified  by UNICEF and the  ISMOS to make the MIS more user friendly, transparent,  connected with salt millers ERP for more authentic data and accessible to the other agencies such as Ministry of Industries, BSTI, BSCIC, UNICEF etc. UNICEF understands that there would be efficiency gains if the work would be completed by the ICT agency hired by the ISMOS under the supervision of UNICEF as the agency developed ERP with better understanding of salt sector work. UNICEF is also committed to support the Salt Miller Association through an assessment to understand the loss of crude salt through the iodization process.

Accomplishment of  aforementioned activities will require the engagement of multiple category experts with working experiences in the salt sector, engagement of ICT agency with relevant expertise of working on ERP especially on salt sector ERP and engagement of ISMOS to verify all work accomplished by the experts/ agency are useful for the salt millers

Under the UNICEF policy, UNICEF can support activities in coordination with Islampur Salt Mill Owners Versatile Society Limited (ISMOS) but can’t transfer fund to ISMOS as they are not NGO. Therefore, UNICEF would like to engage one agency who can provide technical and management support to the ISMOS through engaging appropriate consultants, ICT experts, monitoring quality of work and timely completion of the assignments in coordination with UNICEF, BSCIC and Ministry where necessary.

2. Objectives, Purpose and Expected Results

Objectives:

The objective of engaging the agency is to provide technical and management support to the ISMOS for implementation of planned activities with the technical assistance of UNICEF Bangladesh. The purpose is to create a enabling environment for the salt millers to comply with GOB legislation and increase production efficiency of adequately iodized salt

Expected Results:

• "Return on Investment Strategy" developed shared
• Survey report on “Assessment of process loss of crude salt during production of iodized salt” available
• Marketing strategy for low cost quality iodized salt developed
• Salt millers and GOB agencies are using web and Apps based MIS and generating report
• Targeted number of farmers received subsidy of iodized salt and education on benefits of consumption of iodized salt

3. Description of Assignment

The selected agency will provide technical and management supports for accomplishment of following activities those will require

• Engage co-ordinator from ISMOS during the project implementation period (10 months)
• Development of a business case "Return on Investment Strategy" (2 months)
  • Engage consultants (3) for different components and chartered account agency in consultation with ISMOS with provision of travels (TA, DSA)
  • Arrange dissemination event which includes
    • GOB resource person fees as per GOB Paripatra
• Assessment of process loss of crude salt during production of iodized salt to estimate the cost of production (1 month)
  • Engage consultants (3) for different components in consultation with ISMOS with provision of travels (TA, DSA)
  • Develop report and submission to the GOB and UNICEF (design, printing and distribution)
• Addition of new requirements and functioning transparent MIS (2 months)
  • Add new requirement for web and apps-based MIS
  • Develop Android Apps by the agency contracted by ISMOS for ERP following web-based MIS for efficient inputs by the millers
  • Dynamic website for public information
  • Developing Privacy Policy (100% consultancy fees)
  • Procurement of services (SMS API, E-mail API, Fire base SSL Certificate, DNS Subscription, E-mail Subscription and Online Chat Bot API (Premium)
  • Maintenance cost including 100% salary of a MIS officer
  • Develop Promotional Video (Script, and Video)
  • Brochure on MIS (Design & Print)
  • Launching of the Central MIS at Dhaka
    • Venue Rent with sound system, projector,
    • Food
    • Venue decoration
    • Logistics (Folder, Pen, Note pad) Photocopy, print
    • Backdrop design & development
    • Surgical Mask with Hand Rub
    • GOB resource person fees as per GOB Paripatra
• Develop marketing strategy for low cost quality iodized salt
  • A team of Consultants will be engaged for development of comprehensive and efficient marketing strategy. Strategy will address 5 P’s of Marketing, Product, Price, Promotion, Place, and People, are key marketing elements used to position a business
• Implement awareness program on benefits of iodized salt through subsidy of packet iodized salt among farmers in one union
  • Distribution of Packet Iodized Salt among 1000 farmers in Islampur Union for pilot program (Each packet contains 1000 gm; 3 packets of iodized salt for a farmer’s household per months for 5 months @cost of 20 BDT). Farmers will buy the salt packets @ 10 take per 1 kg pack
  • One women distributor should be appointed in each ward for distribution of packet iodised salts among farmers. (Total 09 Women distributors). Averagely one distributor will distribute 300-350 packets of salt per month to the farmers family
  • Benefits of the women distributor: Women distributor will get   5 taka per packet iodized salt selling to the farmer
  • Women distributors will counsel to the farmers for use packet iodized salt for benefits
  • Develop simple module for distributors on counsel technique.
  • Co-ordinator from the association will provide training to the women distributors
  • Banner/Festoon/Poster (design, print and publication)
  • Conduct courtyard Meeting (40 farmers in one session toral 25 sessions)
  • Establish a Web Based MIS, Android App, and SMS Gateway through for subsidized salt farmer, distributor, and admin to be distributing the Iodized salt convenient way and come to know the real time report day to day basis (Co-ordinator of ISMOS will be responsible to ensure development real time monitoring with allocated budget)
  • Monitor and report subsidy program. After 5 months of the subsidy program farmers will buy adequately iodized packet salt by their own cost.

4. Deliverables

Major Tasks and Responsibilities:

End Product/deliverables

Time frame

1. Prepare Inception Report (Inception report should include detail workplan with timeline)

Inception report submitted

Within 15 calendar days since the initiation of the contract

2. “Return on Investment Strategy" and report of sharing event

Final “Return on Investment strategy” submitted and sharing event completed

1. months

3. Survey report on “Assessment of process loss of crude salt during production of iodized salt”

Survey completed and shared the first draft report

1. months

4. Sharing first draft in the discussion meeting

Discussion meeting with stakeholders for feedback completed

1. days

5. Finalization of the report “Assessment of process loss of crude salt during production of iodized salt”

Incorporating feedback and finalize report

1. days

6. Marketing strategy for low cost quality iodized salt and report on development process

Submitted final marketing strategy after taking feedback from ISMOS

1. months

7. Salt millers and GOB agencies are using web and Apps based MIS and generating report

Development as per assignment completion report

1 month simultaneously with previous timeline by end of August 2021

8. Design subsidy of iodized salt and education on benefits of consumption of iodized salt program for salt farmers

Developed and submitted concept note with detail implementation plan in coordination with ISMOS

15 days simultaneous with previous activities

9. Implementation start and completed

Implementation report

5 months starting from September 2021

10. Reporting of MIS after functioning each month till end of project and final project report

MIS reporting monthly basis after functioning. Final project report

Simultaneous work till end of 12 months project

Total project period

12 months

5. Reporting requirements

• Inception Report within 2 weeks of signing the contract;
• Progress Reports by 1st of every month;
• Report of all event
• Draft Final Report within 1/2/3 weeks of completion of the full assignment

6. Payment Schedule

• 30% of total fee upon submission of the inception report;
• 20% on submission of MIS sharing event;
• 20% of total fee on submission of Marketing Strategy;
• 30% of total fee on submission and approval of final report;

7. Qualification requirement of the company/institution/organization

• The agency should have experience in developing business cases and marketing strategies
• The agency should have active experience in program management and implementation for at least 5 years;
• The agency should have capacity to do multi tasks
• The agency should have capacity to manage multiple categories of consultants /experts

8. General conditions: procedures and logistics

Policies both parties should be aware of:

i.         The institutional Contractor will be responsible for all support required to complete the assignment including accommodation, meals, transportation, and tools of trade (including computers).

ii.         Office space will be provided by UNICEF for use during the evaluation and UNICEF premises will be available for the meetings and consultations.

iii.         The institutional Contractor company will not be entitled to the use of UNICEF transportation;

iv.        No contract related activities may commence unless the contract is signed and received by both parties.

vi.        Institutions or their staff will not have supervisory responsibilities or authority on UNICEF budget; and,

Policy both parties should be aware of:

• Members of the contracting company are not entitled to payment of overtime.  All remuneration must be within the contract agreement.
• No contract may commence unless the contract is signed by both UNICEF and the Contractor.
• No member of the contracting company may travel prior to contract signature.
• Members of the Institutional contractor company will not have supervisory responsibilities or authority on UNICEF budget.
• No additional payment request beyond the approved budget will be authorized by UNICEF.