Second call!!!Donau Soja is seeking an Consultant to provide services on Quality Assurance



Call for offers

Consultant to provide services on Quality Assurance

  1. Background

The Donau Soja Organisation 

The Donau Soja Organisation is an independent, international, non-profit, multi-stakeholder organization aiming to effectively meet protein market demand and to provide a baseline for the development of high-quality soy cultivation in the Danube region (www.donausoja.org). The Organization seat is in Vienna, Austria with regional offices in Novi Sad Serbia, Kiev Ukraine and Chisinau Moldova.  

Strategic Partnership Programme 

At the beginning of 2017, Donau Soja and Austrian Development Agency (ADA) started the Strategic Partnership Programme in Moldova, Ukraine, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina planned to be implemented until August 2023. 

The overall objective of the program is to build sustainable, inclusive and well-functioning value chains (local, regional and international) for Non-GM soya and organic soya in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Serbia and Ukraine.  

The Program proposes measures in nine areas (components: Production and processing, Value chain development, Awareness raising and sensitisation, Certification and labelling, Business environment and policy framework, International market development, Knowledge and technology management and transfer, Project development and Technical assistance, General administration and programme management) planned to be implement by Donau Soja through numerous measures and activities. All Program activities are to be implemented according to General Contract Conditions (Allgemeine Vertragsbedingungen), guidelines and requirements described in Guidelines for Visibility, considering DS and standards in international development, with special emphasis of DECD Standard (http://www.enterprise-development.org/dced-guidance/). 

  1. Context

The Donau Soja Protein Partnership Programme (DSPPP) supports small and medium-sized farms in disadvantaged regions, such as rural areas in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova and Ukraine, in their entry into sustainable and GM-free soya production. In the long term, this will enable physical flows of goods to be established in Europe and certified sustainable soya from Europe to be made available for the European market. By participating in the partnership programme, local farmers receive training and advice regarding soybean production. Furthermore, farmers and agricultural collectors are supported by certification according to Donau Soja Standard and Europe Soya Standard. This leads to the fact that in the non-EU countries, where 2/3 of the European soya produced, significantly higher EU standards and the Donau Soja / Europe Soya requirements, that are expanding on the EU standards, are fulfilled during soya cultivation.

  1. The work of the expert/service provider

The Service Provider will support and perform the quality assurance and system control on the implementation of Donau Soja Standard in Moldova on the level of farmers and collectors participating in the DSPPP.

All the activities and tasks are carried out in close coordination with the QM team in Vienna and Kiev. 

3.1. Expected outputs

  • Organization of Trainings courses and workshops for the certification bodies, laboratories.
  • Training of DSPPP participants (farmers and collectors) on the implementation of Donau Soja Standard.
  • Monitoring of implementation, support and work with DSPPP partners in Donau Soja certification system.
  • Collaboration and support to certification bodies approved for Donau Soja certification.
  • Support independent performance and monitoring of Donau Soja Integrity control system.
  • Support to sampling and analysis of soybeans for GMOs, pesticides, isotopes.
  • Administrative acquisition and support of the DSPPP in Moldova and certification bodies.
  • Tendering of Certification bodies to provide activities in the framework of DSPPP in Moldova.
  1. Reporting

A monthly report on the activities carried out shall directly be reported to Ms. Dagmar Gollan, Head of Quality Management of Donau Soja Organization (Gollan@donuasoja.org), to the Protein Partnership Programme, Mr. Klaus Palmetzhofer (Palmetzhofer@donausoja.org) and Ms. Susanne Fromwald (Fromwald@donausoja.org) and to Ms. Ela Malai (malai@donausoja.org).   

As person directly in contact with many project stakeholders, the QM must demonstrate gender, diversity and environmental competence in order to be able to promote Donau Soya values.

The delivery of services will be based on providing a time tracking describing the time and deliverables of work on a monthly basis.

  1. Time schedule

The Service Provider will start providing requested services as soon as an agreement is reached between contracting parties, and the contract is signed. 

The total amount of working hours in 2022 should be about 240h and will be requested in the period from the 15th of February until the 31st of December 2022. Most work hours are expected in summer and autumn.

It is expected to have a similar amount of working hours in 2023.

The Service Provider is expected to use one’s office and equipment for the assignment.  

  1. Requirements
  • Bachelor or Master’s degree
  • Experience in the implementation of quality management systems in food, feed or agriculture sector.
  • Professional experience in work with grants and project funded organisations
  • Experience in performing operational audits independently.
  • Ability to understand complex workflows and processes.
  • Good knowledge of English and Romanian both verbal and written, German is an asset.
  • Good knowledge of Moldovan agricultural sector and quality and certification regulatory framework.
  • Will to work autonomous, proactive, dynamic and solution-oriented while committed to teamwork.
  • Setting and implementation of control concepts.
  • Implementation of support programs.
  • Experience in control sectors is an asset.
  • A high level of motivation, communication and teamwork
  • Strong communicator and strong intercultural skills with high attention to details
  • Willingness to travel and flexibility

Selection criteria

The evaluation will be done based on following criteria: 

1. Professional experience in work with grants and project funded organisations 

2. Reputation/references 

3. Price.

4. Fulfilment of the formal requirements defined in the ToR 

Award criteria

1.Best price-quality ratio.

  1. Remuneration
  • The service provider will work under a framework agreement.
  • Remuneration instalments will be based on offer and agreement between Donau Soja and the service provider.
  • Payments will be done based on issued invoices.
  1. Documents to be provided

Offers are to be sent by email to Tomek@donausoja.org and moldova@donausoja.org by 06.02.2022, indicating “Quality Manager and Certification Moldova” in the subject, with the following documents (in English):  

  • Financial offer 
  • Curriculum vitae
  • References (at least 3 contacts, including the names of last supervisor of previous job)
  • Motivation letter

Annex 1*

 Please use following Table 1.

No.

Service

Duration (hours of consultant)

Fee per service (net)

1

Trainings courses and workshops for the certification bodies

   

2

Training of DSPPP participants (farmers and collectors)

   

3

Monitoring of implementation

   

4

Support to sampling and analysis of soybeans for GMOs

   

5

Administrative acquisition and support of the DSPPP

   

6

Tendering of Certification bodies

   

7

Total Net

   

8

Total (including VAT)

   

* Please list other related costs and estimate them, if applicable.

  1. Additional notes

Donau Soja is committed to achieving diversity within its workforce, and encourages all qualified applicants, irrespective of gender, nationality, disabilities, sexual orientation, culture, religious and ethnic backgrounds to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.

Articol adaugat de: Verein Donau Soja