Consultancy: Policy and regulatory determinants of honey market performance: Domestic and export dimensions at International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe)

1. Introduction

1.1. International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology:

The International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) was established in Kenya in 1970. ICIPE is the only independent international institute working primarily on arthropods. It employs a diverse range of scientific disciplines to perform original research on pests and beneficial insects and arthropods with the goal of improving human and livestock health, crop production, ecological systems, and the well-being of communities. ICIPE has carved out a leading role in what may be termed tropical insect science, as reflected in the range, depth and impact of its strong publication record. The focus of it’s work is sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), particularly the large population of smallholder farmers.

At the core of its mission is the development of affordable and effective tools and strategies to combat insect pests and vector-borne diseases to help alleviate poverty, ensure food security and improve the overall health status of peoples of the tropic. Its mandate is to develop alternative and environmentally friendly pest and vector management strategies that are effective, selective, non-polluting, non-resistance inducing and affordable for uptake by resource-limited rural and urban communities.

1.2. ICIPE’s Role in the MaYEA (Mass Youth Employment in Apiculture) Program. The MaYEA program, implemented in partnership with ORDA Ethiopia, IIRR and the Mastercard Foundation, aims to create mass youth employment in Ethiopia’s apiculture sector. ICIPE’s responsibilities within the program include enhancing honey quality to meet market standards and creating an enabling environment for youth engagement in the apiculture sector.

1.3. Background and rational

Honey production and trade contribute to domestic food markets, rural livelihoods, and export diversification. Policies and regulations governing the sector span agriculture, food safety and quality, standards, trade, and customs, aiming to promote market development, ensure product integrity, and facilitate access to domestic and international markets.

Despite these policy frameworks, honey export performance has experienced volatility and periodic decline, while domestic markets continue to absorb the majority of production. Policy discussions have highlighted concerns related to quality assurance, standards compliance, adulteration, and informal or unrecorded trade flows. However, these issues are often examined in isolation, with limited analysis of how policy design and implementation interact with market incentives and institutional capacity across domestic and export channels.

Honey production is characterized by diverse systems, ranging from traditional to more technology-intensive practices. From a policy perspective, it is necessary to examine whether regulatory requirements and enforcement expectations are aligned with prevailing production realities, and how any misalignment may influence compliance behavior, market participation, and channel choice.

In Ethiopia, honey and apiculture development have received increased attention through various public and development initiatives. Among these is the Mass Youth Employment in Apiculture (MaYEA) program, which operates across ten regions of the country and supports beekeeping-related activities through a multi-component approach. Implementation experience from such initiatives has underscored broader, system-level policy and regulatory questions affecting honey market performance that extend beyond the scope of individual programs. This assignment is therefore commissioned to provide an independent, system-level policy and regulatory diagnostic, examining how existing policies, regulations, and institutional arrangements shape honey market outcomes across domestic and export dimensions.

2. Objectives of the assignment

2.1. Overall objective

To assess how existing policies, regulations, and institutional arrangements influence honey market performance, with consideration of domestic–export interactions and the policy relevance of prevailing production systems.

2.2. Specific objectives

The study shall:

1. Examine the alignment between existing policy objectives and observed outcomes in domestic and export honey markets.
2. Assess the effectiveness and coherence of quality regulation, trade governance, and enforcement mechanisms.
3. Analyze how honey domestic market conditions and regulatory asymmetries influence incentives for export participation, quality compliance, and formal trade.
4. Evaluate institutional roles, coordination mechanisms, and capacity constraints affecting policy implementation.
5. Include a high-level assessment of prevailing honey production systems and technology use only insofar as they affect the feasibility and effectiveness of existing policies and regulatory expectations.

3. Purpose and nature of the assignment

This assignment is diagnostic and evaluative. It seeks to explain how policies and regulatory systems function in practice and how they shape honey market outcomes. Findings should be evidence-based and framed as policy implications, not prescriptions.

4. Scope of Work

4.1. Policy and regulatory framework analysis

• Review laws, regulations, standards, and policy instruments governing honey production, quality assurance, and trade.
• Assess internal consistency, clarity of objectives, and suitability of regulatory instruments.
• Examine whether compliance and enforcement expectations are proportionate and feasible relative to market conditions.

4.2. Domestic export market interaction

• Analyze how honey domestic prices, demand, and enforcement conditions influence export supply decisions.
• Assess whether regulatory differences between honey domestic and export markets shape quality management or channel choice.
• Evaluate whether domestic market dynamics contribute to observed export performance trends.

4.3. Quality regulation and assurance systems

• Assess the design and operationalization of quality standards, testing, certification, and traceability systems.
• Examine enforcement credibility, detection probability, and sanction structures.
• Analyze quality related outcomes, including adulteration where evidence exists, as system level responses to policy and regulatory conditions.

4.4 .Trade governance and informality

• Examine honey formal trade procedures, transaction costs, predictability, and compliance burdens.
• Analyze conditions under which informal or unrecorded trade emerges as a rational response to policy and regulatory environments.
• Assess implications for policy effectiveness without profiling or naming individual actors.

4.5. Institutional roles and coordination

• Assess clarity of mandates among relevant public institutions.
• Identify overlaps, gaps, and coordination failures affecting market oversight.
• Evaluate institutional capacity relative to assigned regulatory responsibilities.

4.6. Production systems and technology use (contextual, policy-relevant)

• Account for dominant honey production systems and technology levels only to the extent they influence the feasibility and effectiveness of existing policies and regulatory requirements.
• Focus on policy alignment and market outcomes, not on technical recommendations, productivity analysis, or extension advice.

5. Analytical Approach and Methodology

The consultant/team shall adopt a policy and institutional diagnostic approach, including:

• Triangulation of evidence from policy documents, administrative and trade data, aggregated quality records, and stakeholder interviews.
• Explicit testing of alternative explanations, including non-policy factors such as global market trends, logistics constraints, or macroeconomic conditions.
• Clear distinction between evidence, inference, and interpretation.
• Transparent documentation of data gaps, uncertainty, and contested findings.

6. Deliverables

1. Inception report:- analytical framework, hypotheses, methodology, data limitations, and independence safeguards.
2. Draft diagnostic report: – integrated analysis of policy, markets, institutions, and policy-relevant production-system context.
3. Final report: – consolidated findings, evidence-based policy implications (non-prescriptive), and explicit statement of limitations.

7. Evaluation of Proposals

Proposals will be evaluated through a competitive process based on the following criteria:

7.1. Technical Evaluation

The technical proposal will be assessed on:

• Demonstrated understanding of the policy and regulatory issues outlined in the TOR
• Soundness and rigor of the proposed analytical approach and methodology
• Relevant experience of the consultant/team in policy analysis, regulatory assessment, and institutional diagnostics
• Quality and clarity of the proposed work plan and deliverables
• Demonstrated capacity to deliver independent, objective, and policy-relevant analysis

7.2. Financial Evaluation

The financial proposal will be evaluated for cost reasonableness, consistency with the technical proposal, and overall value for money. Final selection will be based on the combined assessment of technical quality and financial proposal, in accordance with applicable procurement rules and procedures.

Required Qualifications

Education

• Advanced university degree (Master’s level or higher) in public policy, economics, agricultural economics, development studies, trade policy, or a related field relevant to policy and regulatory analysis.
• A PhD or equivalent research qualification is an advantage.

Experience

• At least 10 -12 years of demonstrated professional experience in policy analysis, regulatory assessment, or institutional diagnostics, preferably in agri-food systems, trade, or market governance.
• Proven experience conducting independent analytical studies for governments, development partners, or international organizations.
• Experience analyzing policy implementation, regulatory effectiveness, and institutional arrangements, including interactions between domestic and export markets.
• Familiarity with food quality, standards, and trade-related regulatory systems is highly desirable.

Skills and Competencies

• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills, with the ability to distinguish clearly between evidence, inference, and policy interpretation.
• Demonstrated capacity to synthesize complex information into clear, balanced, and policy relevant analysis.
• Excellent written communication skills in English, with a proven record of producing high quality policy or analytical reports.
• Strong qualitative research skills, including stakeholder consultation and institutional analysis