Consultancy Services for Developing Five Year Food Safety Roadmap for Punjab Province

Consultancy Services for Developing Five Year Food Safety Roadmap for Punjab Province.

The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is a Swiss-based foundation launched at the UN in 2002 to tackle the human suffering caused by malnutrition. Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, GAIN has Programmes and projects being carried out in a variety of other countries, particularly in Africa and Asia. Working with both governments and businesses, we aim to transform food systems so that they deliver more nutritious food for all people.

In 2007, GAIN stepped in Pakistan to improve the malnutrition landscape of the country by focussing on Large Scale Food Fortification. Later, GAIN expanded its horizon and started programs in Pakistan on biodiversification of crops, improving adolescent's nutrition along with private sector engagement for a wider impact. GAIN plays a significant role in the public policy landscape in Pakistan, as it does in many other countries around the world.

While focusing on the macro-level, GAIN in Pakistan is striving to transform the food-systems in the country by advocating for the data-driven initiatives by developing a data bank through its Food Systems Dashboard. Capitalising on this, GAIN is also pursuing for the data-driven food and nutrition policies in the country by formulating alliances with public sector, research think-tanks and academia of the country.

By understanding that there is no "one-size-fits-all" model, GAIN develops alliances and build tailored programmes, using a variety of flexible models and approaches. GAIN builds alliances between governments, local and global businesses, and civil society to deliver sustainable improvements at scale. GAIN is part of a global network of partners working together to create sustainable solutions to malnutrition. Through alliances, GAIN provides technical, financial and policy support to key participants in the food system. The specific learnings, evidence of impact, and results of projects and programmes are being used by GAIN to shape and influence the actions of others.

2 Background

In 2022, GAIN launched the Nourishing Food Pathways (NFP) program to support progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger). The program also aligns with Pakistan's commitment to achieving its SDG targets by 2030. Our focus under NFP in Pakistan is to support food system transformation by mobilising the relevant stakeholders in the public and private sector of the country.

A key part of transforming food systems is to strengthen food safety regulatory frameworks, enhance food safety enforcement mechanisms, and integrate food safety into food and nutrition related policies in Pakistan. However, without a systemic approach e.g. embedding food safety into the policies, legislations, utilising data and building the required skills and capacities of the regulatory authorities, food safety remains a far-fetched idea. This systemic approach of integrating food safety can be achieved by developing a food safety strategy or a roadmap that ensures the alignment of all these aspects so that a safe and healthy diet can be consumed by end users.In this backdrop, GAIN is seeking the services of a consultancy firm/organisation to develop a comprehensive five-year food safety strategy/roadmap for Punjab province. The roadmap will serve as a model to inform the design of similar strategies in other provinces to strengthen food safety systems across the country. The roadmap will serve as a guiding framework to strengthen regulatory mechanisms, institutionalize food safety enforcement, enhance data- driven policymaking, and build the capacity of regulatory authorities.

3 Objectives

The objectives of this RFP are given as follows.

• To develop a comprehensive five-year Food Safety Roadmap or Strategy for the Punjab food authority outlining clear policy directions, regulatory enhancements, and institutional strengthening measures.

• Strengthen the capacity of the food authority by proposing training programs, technical assistance initiatives, and knowledge-sharing mechanisms.

4 Scope of Work and Deliverables

4.1 Scope of Work

The consultant will undertake a comprehensive review of existing policies, laws, and regulatory frameworks related to food safety in Punjab. Additionally, a stakeholder mapping exercise will be conducted to identify and analyze the roles and responsibilities of various entities involved in ensuring food safety. Likewise, the consultant will evaluate the province's food safety system against the benchmarks set by the Global Strategy for Food Safety, identifying gaps and areas for improvement. Furthermore, a skill gap analysis of the Punjab Food Authority will be undertaken to assess the capacity needs of the institution and the staff.

The consultant will also review existing data recording and feeding mechanisms within food authorities to propose enhancements that can be utilised for Food Systems. The findings from this assignment will provide a roadmap for strengthening food safety governance, aligning it with international best practices and evolving challenges.

4.1.1 Desk Review

• Conduct a comprehensive review of existing policies, laws, and regulatory frameworks governing food safety.

• Identify gaps, inconsistencies, and areas for improvement in alignment with international best practices and emerging food safety challenges.

• Propose necessary revisions and policy enhancements to strengthen food safety governance, and improve regulatory mechanisms

4.1.2 Capacity Gap Assessment

• The consultant will conduct a comprehensive capacity gap assessment of the food authority. This will include an evaluation of the skills and competencies of the technical staff to identify areas requiring further training and capacity enhancement.
• Assess the knowledge and technical expertise of food authority staff regarding advanced food safety practices and nutrition profiling.

4.1.3 Reviewing Food Safety Practices

• The consultant will assess existing food safety practices related to food production, packaging, and transportation. This review will evaluate compliance with national and international food safety standards, identify gaps in current practices, and recommend improvements to enhance food safety throughout the supply chain.

• Review food safety packaging standards and practices and provide recommendations for incorporating comprehensive nutritional information on food labels. This will include assessing current labelling regulations and proposing improvements to ensure consumers have access to clear, accurate, and standardized information about food products.

4.1.4 Assessment of Data Management and Information Systems

• Review the Management Information System (MIS) of the food authority to assess its effectiveness in data collection, storage, analysis, and reporting.

• Provide recommendations for embedding the food authority's Management Information System (MIS) with the Food Systems Dashboard.

This will include identifying key data points for integration.

4.1.5 Develop Five Years Roadmap

• The consultant will develop a roadmap for the food authority outlining strategic actions to strengthen food safety regulations, recommendations for capacity-building trainings, and measures for institutional strengthening.

4.1.6 Reporting and Presentations

• The consultant will submit a five year roadmap along with submitting a capacity gap assessment report of the food authority.

• Present key findings and recommendations to GAIN/stakeholders and any follow up required.

• Provide a summary report suitable for sharing with stakeholders to support decision- making.

Against the scope of work provided, the consultant is expected to submit the following deliverables.

• Inception report including the methodology.

• Capacity gap assessment framework.

• Gap analysis report developed in the light of desk reviews, KIIs or any gap assessment tool.

• Five years food safety roadmap for Punjab province.5 Timeframe of the Assignment

In the light of the scope of work, the duration of the assignment is three months (April – June 2025) along with the submission of the deliverables.

6 Proposal Outline

The consultant/service provider needs to prepare and submit a technical proposal (all the CVs, financial proposal and relevant documents must be annexed in the technical proposal) that is

10-15 pages or less, with the following headings:

✓ Introduction and organizational capacity of the consultancy firm/consultant.

✓ Objectives

✓ Methodology

✓ Scope of Work

✓ Examples of Previous Relevant Experience

✓ Team Member's Competencies and Clear Roles and Responsibilities (full CVs can be

included in an annex)

✓ References

✓ Timeline against the deliverables

The details of the cost in the financial proposal must be mentioned in PKR and shall include

the bifurcated in accordance with the details given below:

✓ Budget Items

✓ Unit Cost

✓ Activity Cost

✓ Travel and Accommodation Cost

✓ Taxes

✓ Admin Cost

The total proposed budget should include all items like fees, travel,

7 Eligibility Criteria:

To be eligible for submitting a proposal in response to this RFP, the following criteria must be

met:

• Proven experience in food safety, public health, nutrition policy, or regulatory frameworks.

• 5–10 years of experience in policy analysis, regulatory assessments, and food safety- related projects.
• Prior experience in developing food safety strategies, capacity-building initiatives, and institutional strengthening for government bodies or regulatory authorities.

• Expertise in food safety regulations and standards, including Codex Alimentarius and WHO's Global Strategy for Food Safety.

• Experience in policy gap analysis, stakeholder engagement, and training development for government agencies.

• Qualified team with expertise in food safety, policy and regulation, capacity building, data management, and stakeholder engagement.

• Prior experience working with government agencies, regulatory bodies, UN agencies, or international organizations.

• Experience in developing strategic roadmaps and implementing food safety initiatives.

• Experience in designing and delivering training programs for regulatory authorities on

advanced food safety practices and nutrition profiling.

8 Submission of Proposal:

8.1 Submission and Deadline

Completed proposals should only be submitted in electronic format to email address hrpakistan@gainhealth.org by 15 th May 2025 with subject line 'Consultancy Services for Five Years Food Safety Roadmap'.

The following proposals will automatically not be considered or accepted:

Proposals that are received after the RFP deadline at the specified receiving office.

Proposals received by fax/hard copy.

Incomplete proposals.

Proposals that are not signed.

8.3 Acceptance

GAIN will not necessarily accept the lowest cost or any of the Proposals submitted. Accordingly, eligibility requirements, evaluation criteria and mandatory requirements shall

govern.

8.4 Completion

Proposals must be submitted on official letterhead of the lead organisation or firm and must be signed by a principal or authorising signatory of the lead firm or organisation.

In case of errors in calculating overall costs, the unit costs will govern. While GAIN has used considerable efforts to ensure an accurate representation in this

Request for Proposal (RFP), the information contained in this RFP is supplied solely as a guideline. The information is not warranted to be accurate by GAIN. Nothing in this RFP isintended to relieve applicants from forming their own opinions and conclusions with respect to the matters addressed in this RFP.

By responding to this RFP, the applicant confirms its understanding that failing to comply with any of the RFP conditions may result in the disqualification of their submission.

8.5 Rights of Rejection

GAIN reserves the right to reject any or all submissions or to cancel or withdraw this RFP for any reason and at its sole discretion without incurring any cost or liability for costs or damages incurred by any applicant, including, without limitation, any expenses incurred in the preparation of the submission. The applicant acknowledges and agrees that GAIN will not indemnify the applicant for any costs, expenses, payments, or damages directly or indirectly linked to the preparation of the submission.

8.6 References

GAIN reserves the right, before awarding the Proposal, to require the applicant to submit such evidence of qualifications as it may deem necessary, and will consider evidence concerning the financial, technical, and other qualifications and abilities of the applicant.

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