CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST FOR THE RECRUITMENT OF A CONSULTANT TO CONDUCT THE CAPACITY STRENGTHENING OF 02 COCOA PRODUCERS’ COOPERATIVES AND 01 NTFP COLLECTORS’ COOPERATIVE IN YOKADOUMA AREA IN THE EAST CAMEROON REGION.

TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR)
Contracting Authority: WWF Cameroun
Project: RESPONSE
Contract duration: 120 days (ideally between February 15th and September 15th) Contract type: Service provision
Location: Yokadouma municipality (around Ngatto nouveau village)
Scope: 3 cooperatives (2 cocoa cooperatives and 1 NTFP cooperative) Confidentiality: The full information contained in the terms of reference described herein is strictly confidential and must not be disclosed outside your organization.
1. CONTEXT AND JUSTIFICATION
Growing demand for cocoa products, favourable agro-climatic conditions in the region, and declining productivity in West Africa are driving the expansion of cocoa farming in the Congo Basin. While this expansion may create new income streams for LP & Ips. It can also lead to accelerated biodiversity loss. The search for new income sources is driving producers to convert forests to expand their farms. This conversion of forest ecosystems is exacerbated by climate change, which affects the capacity of forests to provide ecosystem products and services, ultimately impacting the livelihoods and well-being of local communities and threatening the survival of forest wildlife. Furthermore, volatile cocoa market prices, a lack of infrastructure, technical knowledge, and management capacity can keep producers in poverty despite the expansion of their farms, which comes at the expense of forests.
To prevent the expansion of this deforestation front and strengthen the region's resilience to climate change, it is crucial to rehabilitate cocoa farms into more diversified and higher-quality farming systems; to access economically responsible markets that comply with global regulations such as EUDR and CSDDD; and to strengthen the voice and rights of local and community-based producers (LBPs) to ensure equitable market access.
It is in this context that the RESPONSE project was developed by WWF Cameroon. One of its key components is improving the living conditions of local populations and indigenous peoples (IPs).
Improving the living conditions of the target populations is envisioned in this project through: (i) support and capacity building for two (2) cocoa producer cooperatives, and (ii) strengthening the technical and deployment capacities of one non-timber forest product (NTFP) cooperative, as well as facilitating access for indigenous people (IPs) and women to collect NTFP in concessions companies.
However, these cooperatives are generally very weak structurally and poorly organized, which significantly limits their optimal functioning and financial viability. Therefore, the project aims to strengthen their technical, organizational, and institutional capacities.
Based on the selection previously made by the project team on the basis of knowledge of the Yokadouma environment, according to the past existence of other WWF projects such as MoMo4C, the targeted cooperatives whose potential is recognized and whose consent is obtained, the firm selected to conduct this process will have the following responsibility based on the experience conducted and capitalized at MINTOM with the SOCOCAM cooperative.
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1. DETAILS OF THE MISSION
The recruited structure will be mainly in charge of:
I. DIAGNOSTIC OF THE COOPERATIVES
Concerning technical aspects:
i. Are the mission and objectives clear and precise?
ii. Identify and analyze its responsibilities towards its members iii. Regarding the replacement of young plants in existing fields
b. In terms of the conduct of good agricultural practices and exchanges of experiences
c. In terms of harvesting, drying and storing the beans
d. In terms of the acquisition, management and maintenance of collective equipment (atomizers, scales, etc.)
iv. Inventory the training already received by each cooperative and analyze their level of absorption and
their impact.
On an organizational level (administrative and financial), examine:
i. The complete disaggregated list of members, frequency of admission and resignation,
ii. Compliance with the mechanisms for setting up Cooperatives according to the Law (Basic Texts and
Constituent General Assemblies);
iii. The bodies set up and their functionality, terms of appointment,
iv. Respect for the holding of General Assemblies (GA) and other statutory meetings
v. The establishment of a General Directorate (if applicable) and the services provided for by law,
vi. The Supervisory Committee and the ancillary and/specialized bodies
vii. Monitoring of members' agricultural production and mechanisms for protecting or losing the harvest
before group sales.
Looking on internal financial management
i. Identify and analyze the main sources of income of the cooperative,
ii. Specially examine the financial contribution of members to the life of the cooperative. Statutory
deductions and provisions
iii. Examine the keeping of accounting and financial documents and their safeguarding
iv. Examine the existence in the name of bank accounts and the methods of carrying out operations in the
accounts as well as the frequency of said operations.
On the organization of the commercialization process of cocoa.
i. Preparing the campaign
a. Identify the different secondary storage locations, analyze the transport and safety
conditions and the storage environment about the quality of the beans,
b. The existence or not of a main store,
c. Means of transporting the best storage to the marketplace
d. Analysis of marketing tools and materials (scales, moisture meter, bags, etc.)
ii. Preparation and organization of each periodic campaign,
a. The teams of auditors,
b. The negotiation and buyer research team,
c. Organization of marketing (identification and monitoring of members' individual production
and its security),
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iii. The management of each periodic market
a. Methods for setting dates,
b. Contacts with potential buyers
c. Gathering of products,
d. Negotiation with potential buyers present, e. Securing stock and people on market day,
i. Mechanisms for compliance with the Law, particularly on child labour and infiltration of people subject
to the Law,
ii. Examine partnerships already established (if applicable) and analyse said contracts.
II. CAPACITIES STRENGTHENING OF THE COOPERATIVE
Based on the diagnosis validated by the project team, the consultant will initiate a process of organizational and institutional strengthening. The project's agriculture Officer will use the consultant's diagnosis and its own assessment to provide technical support to the cooperative through the members.
Following the results from the diagnostic, the recruited service provider will submit a report including a detailed plan of capacity strengthening of the cooperative. This plan of action should include and touch all segments of the cooperative (Production and harvesting aspects, organizational concerns and institutional aspects).
This plan of action will include the content and the approach of capacity reinforcement. It will be validated during a restitution meeting with cooperative members. And Project Team
Without being exhaustive, because depending on the diagnostic results, the consultant will implement a process of strengthening organizational and institutional capacities, which will include, among other things:
I. Organizational Strengthening
1) Participatory development of all statutory documents for each cooperative,
2) Training members in the cooperative spirit,
3) Training members on the roles and responsibilities of each body (General Assembly, Board of
Directors, Scientific Council),
4) Creation and implementation of specialized committees,
5) Definition of clear and functional links between the different bodies and committees
II. Institutional Strengthening
1) Training in lobbying and negotiation
2) Training in situational leadership
3) Training in transparent management
4) How to interact with institutional actors (Ministries, local and international NGOs, other technical
and financial partners, etc.)
5) Fundraising and partnership development
6) Organizing exchanges between cooperatives
7) Training in financial management and the implementation of a simplified accounting system
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2. OBJECTIVES AND DELIVERABLES
a) Overall objective of the mission
Ensure an effective capacity strengthening of 2 cocoa producers cooperatives and 1 NTFP cooperative based on the effective weaknesses identified from a participatory and inclusive process.
b) Specific objective:
i. Obtain precise and complete data on the existence and functionality of the 2 identified Cocoa Cooperatives and 1 NTFP cooperative of Yokadouma, as well as a plan to strengthen and support the said cooperatives on the technical, organizational and institutional levels.
ii. Support and strengthen the capacities of the 03 cooperatives on the above aspects.
c) Deliverables
i. Deliverable 1 linked to OS1: All related data and precise plans to strengthen the technical, organizational
and institutional capacities of each of the three cooperatives,
ii. Deliverable 2 linked to OS2: Each of the 3 cooperative has all needed documents, functioning tools and
perform very well in their interactions with partners and off takers.
iii. Deliverable 3 related to training support: The training manual compiling all the modules delivered during
the capacity-building sessions for the three target cooperatives, structured, will be provided by the service provider in Word version.
3. METHODOLOGY
a. Guidance
In general, the consultation will be carried out starting with an exploitation of data from the WWF MoMo4C project and CANOPE on the capacity strengthening of SOCOCAM.
b. Activities/methodology
The Service Provider is expected to propose the most appropriate methodology and/or technique for producing each deliverable.
Each deliverable will be subject to specific validation by the team in charge of Follow up/monitoring and shared with the service provider
4. PERIOD OF THE MISSION AND DURATION
The entire assessment, including the diagnosis and the capacity strengthening of the 3 cooperatives will be carried out within 120 days from the date of the signature of the contract. But the entire assignment will cover the period of 8 Months from 15th February 2026 to 15th September 2026.
However, a chronogram will be elaborated and validate by the project team before starting of activities. The duration to be billed for this work will be 120 days. This duration will be clearly mentioned in the
contract drawn up for this purpose. The service provider will intervene each month depending on the activities of the cooperative and the strengthening needs to targeting support to the cooperative in each stage of the marketing process, from the preparation of the maintenance period. Supervise and support the cooperative in calling meetings, managing meetings, taking notes and preserving archives and other documentation.
If the strengthening capacities requires the organization of other important activities such as validation workshop, the project will ensure their financing.
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5. CRITERIA FOR THE VALIDATION OF DELIVERABLES
a. In relation to the approach
•
Reading of reports and existing documents from the project.
•
Meeting all the actors to have an overview of the context and the cooperative (NGO, local
administrative services, partners)
b. In relation with the presentation
•
Deliverables will be clearly presented and containing all information illustrated, the text may
be accompanied by tables and diagrams, if possible,
•
The cooperative assessment ends will a summary
c. In relation with the content
•
The deliverables will present the main information indicated in the TOR to which the service
provider can add any relevant information or data collected in the field.
6. HUMAN RESSOURCES NEEDS
The firm or structure bidding for this call will be called “Service Provider” and the physical persons to be proposed by each bidding structure will be called “Experts”.
The experts presented by the Service Provider will be subject to approval by the Program before the start of the mission. These terms of reference include the profiles of the experts. Bidders must provide CVs demonstrating that their experts correspond to the expected profiles.
The bidder must mobilize and coordinate key experts selected to carry out the mission to cover all of the activities selected.
The Service Provider will be responsible for the methodology and implementation of all activities related to its mission.
Main Experts
All experts called upon to exercise an important function in the execution of the contract are designated by the terms “Main Experts”. The main experts are those who will be involved in carrying out the mission, in particular the planning and conduct of validation meetings, analyzes and the effective consideration of the improvements formulated, as well as the development and presentation of reports. Coaching and training of cooperative members. To carry out this mission, we will need Three (03) Main Experts.
Main Expert 1 : Team leader Qualifications and competences
•
Have a university degree in socioeconomics, social, legal, administrative sciences (Bac +5 minimum),
or equivalent and additional training in organizational analysis and surveys.
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General Professional experience
•
Have at least 15 years of professional experience in the field of conducting studies, evaluations,
organizational analysis and social surveys. Specific professional experience
•
Have at least 10 years of specific experience in the following areas: conducting studies, evaluation
and organizational and institutional analysis.
•
Have experience of cooperatives and/or producer organizations,
•
Be able to work in French and English.
Main Expert 2: Specialist of farmers ‘organizations Qualifications and competences
•
Have a university degree in socioeconomics, social sciences, legal (Bac +4 minimum), or equivalent.
General professional experience
•
Have at least 7 years of professional experience in the field of conducting studies and organizational
analysis with cooperatives and producer organizations.
Specific professional experience
•
Have at least 5years of specific experience in capacity building of cooperatives, coaching and/or
advisory support,
•
• Have experience working with cocoa producers.
•
Have working experience with NTFP collectors
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• Have a good command of written and spoken French and an average knowledge of the other;
Main Expert 3 : Financial and management specialist Qualifications and competences
•
Have a university degree in socioeconomics, finance, accounting (Bac +3 minimum), or equivalent.
General professional experience
•
Have at least 5 years of professional experience in the field of Management, training bookkeeping
and farmers’ organizations strengthening. Specific professional experience
•
Have at least 3years of specific experience in capacity building of training of farmers/cooperatives
in accounting or Management.
•
Have a good command of written and spoken French and an average knowledge of the other.
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Other personnel and support staff.
Curriculum vitae of experts other than main experts should not be included in bids. The Service Provider
chooses and hires other experts according to its needs.
The cost of technical support from other experts and support staff, which is at the sole discretion of the
Service Provider, is not invoiced and is covered in the fees and other costs of the main Experts.
Office and material,
An office will not be allocated to the Service Provider, however, the Service Provider may use, if necessary and availability, the facilities of the project unit based in the study area.
No material will be made available to the Service Provider
7. REPORTING
Mandatory reports
The service provider will submit in French:
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A Report: On the organizational and institutional diagnosis of the 3 cooperatives and the capacity
building plan. The report should be one but structured in separate sections for each cooperative.
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A Report: On the capacity strengthening of the cooperatives. This report will be submitted when 70% of
the activities contained in the support plan are realized.
•
Pre-Final Report: the final report will be submitted at the end of the implementation of the support plan
and within the indicated implementation period. This report will be submitted in three (3) copies in paper and electronic version. If this report gives rise to observations, then the service provider will have one week after receipt of said observations to submit the final report.
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Final report: This final report will be produced after validation of the pre-final report by all stakeholders during the feedback session. The final report will be provided no later than 7 days after receipt of comments on the pre-final report and will give rise to payment of the balance of the Amount of the service.
Composition of the application files
Bidders' files will include:
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A complete file highlighting the legal existence of the service provider
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A complete Technical offer;
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A detailed financial offer;
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The detailed CV of each Expert
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Certificates of exclusivity and availability for Experts.
•
National identity card of the manager, and if it is a firm, have a tax file (tax compliance certificate);
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The RIB ;
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The NIU
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8. TENDER EVALUATION CRITERIA
Eligible proposals will be evaluated based on full and open competition, in strict compliance with the combined score method, where the proposed technical proposal will be weighed at 80%, and combined with the price offer, which will be weighed at 20%.
It should be noted that failure to comply with the constituent elements of the bid offer is a disqualification criterion.
9. HOW TO APPLY
Interested candidates are requested to submit their offerconstituted as listed in point 7in French or English to the email address wwfcopprocurement@wwfcam.orgor at the WWF Cameroon offices in Yaoundé – Bastos, located behind the Bastos factory. Contacts: (237) 222217084/83, 222007703, 677500035, 699503621
For any further information, please write to the address wwfcopprocurement@wwfcam.org
Please mention in the subject line: “RECRUITMENT OF A CONSULTANT TO CONDUCT THE CAPACITY STRENGTHENING OF 02 COCOA PRODUCERS”
Deadline for receipt of applications: 6th February 2026
Thank you in advance for your interest in this call for expressions of interest. Please note that only pre-selected providers will be contacted for further consideration.
If you are not contacted three (03) weeks after the deadline for submitting applications, consider that your offer has not been accepted.
10. Disclaimer Statement for Job/Consultancy/Service Provider Offers or Tenders
WWF is an equal opportunity employer, committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals, regardless of gender, race, religion, experience, or background.
The publication of any job, consultancy or service provider opportunity and any subsequent communications, interviews, or discussions does not constitute a binding commitment by WWF. No contractual or financial obligation shall arise on the part of WWF until a formal written contract has been duly signed by both Parties following completion of the selection process.
All stages of this process remain part of the negotiation phase and are subject to WWF’s internal validation and administrative approvals. WWF reserves the right, where necessary, to modify, postpone, or cancel the process at any stage prior to formal engagement, without incurring any liability toward applicants or third parties.
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Technical Proposal
80%
Cover letter, Expertise and experience
25 points
Description of the method of providing the service
40 points
Schedule for the delivery of the service
15 points
Monitoring plan
10 points
Financial proposal
20%
Complete offer (mentioning and pricing of all expenditure items, conditions and payment methods)
10 points
Budget
10 points