Consultancy - Cross-Border Control Measures for ASF Prevention and Control in Sub-Saharan Africa

Background

African Swine Fever (ASF) remains one of the most devastating transboundary animal diseases affecting domestic and wild pigs, with significant socio-economic impacts on food security, livelihoods, and regional trade across Sub-Saharan Africa. The informal and uncontrolled cross-border movement of pigs and pig products is one of the key pathways for the spread of ASF between countries and regions.

The Regional Strategy for the Control of ASF in Africa, developed by AU-IBAR, FAO, ILRI, and other partners, recognizes the urgent need to strengthen border controls, harmonize protocols, and address gaps in informal trade management to effectively contain ASF outbreaks and prevent further spread.

In line with a Letter of Agreement (LoA) between FAO and AU-IBAR, a regional workshop will be organized to strengthen coordination, partnerships, and advocacy for resource mobilization to implement the strategy. As part of this process, a specialized consultant will be hired to develop a Practical Approach and Guidance on cross-border control of pigs and pig products for effective ASF control in Sub-Saharan Africa context.

Objectives of the Assignment

The main objective of the consultancy is to draft a practical, context-adapted approach for improving official border control measures and managing informal cross-border movements of pigs and pig products in Sub-Saharan Africa, aligned with Regional ASF Control Strategy.

Specific objectives are to:

• Review existing regional regulations governing cross-border pig movement control in ASF-affected Sub-Saharan countries;
• Outline the applicability and gaps of existing regulations related to official and informal cross-border pig movement control within the zone;  
• Propose actionable measures and guidelines for coordinated cross-border ASF prevention and control in ASF-affected Sub-Saharan countries.
• Draft practical recommendations to Member States in operationalizing these measures within their national and regional frameworks;  
• Participate in a validation meeting and present for enrichment and adoption the practical recommendations formulated;
• Produced the final adopted guidelines in English and French.

Scope of Work

The Consultant shall undertake the following tasks:

• Review regional and international regulations, policies, and SOPs on animal health and border controls relevant to pig trade;
• Based on lessons learned and good practices from other transboundary disease control frameworks (e.g., rinderpest, avian influenza, PPR), analyze the constraints to the applicability of these regulations in ASF-affected Sub-Saharan countries;
• Develop clear, context-sensitive guidelines for strengthening official border inspections, quarantine measures, and risk-based surveillance at border points;
• Propose mechanisms for engaging communities and informal traders in ASF risk reduction;
• Identify opportunities for harmonized cross-border collaboration between neighboring countries;
• Present draft findings and proposed measures during the planned regional workshop;
• Incorporate workshop feedback and finalize the Practical Approach Document with clear implementation steps;
• Produce a concise report summarizing the review, consultations and highlighting key advocacy policy actions for AU-IBAR, RECs, and national governments. 

Criteria for Scoring 

The applications will be evaluated on the basis of the relevant technical qualifications, experience and competence of the candidates. 

Criteria	Scores (%)
Qualifications	20
General experience	30
Methodology & Work plan / Technical Proposal	35
Other skills	10
Language	5
Total	100

Qualifications and Experience

The Consultant should meet the following criteria.

An individual consultant or a group consultant meeting the following requirements:

• Advanced degree in Veterinary Medicine, Animal Health Policy, Transboundary Animal Disease Control, or related fields.
• Minimum 10 years of professional experience in animal health systems, border control measures, or transboundary disease management in African countries.
• Demonstrated knowledge of informal livestock trade dynamics in Sub-Saharan countries.
• Strong facilitation, consultation, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Excellent analytical and report-writing skills in English or French; bilingual skills are an asset.

Expected Output and Deliverables

	Deliverable	Due Date
1	Inception Report (methodology and work plan)	Within 1 week of contract signature (5 pages)
2	Draft Practical Approach Document (with recommendations)	By week 5 (30 pages)
3	Presentation of draft at regional workshop	October 2025
4	Final Practical Approach Document (integrating feedback)	Within 2 weeks after the workshop

Gender Mainstreaming

The AU Commission is an equal opportunity employer and qualified women are strongly encouraged to apply.

Duty Stations

The consultancy will be home–based with the assignment being delivered through a hybrid model with some in-person and virtual activities at FAO/ AU-IBAR, RECs, and select Member States.

Duration and Workload

The consultancy is expected to be completed within 20 working days spread over October 2025, including participation in the regional workshop.

Remuneration

In total you will be paid a lump sum amount of USD 6,000.00 for this assignment. Expenses for missions will be covered separately in accordance with the applicable African Union Commission rules and regulations.  

Reporting and Supervision

The Consultant will report directly to the Head of Animal Health Unit under the overall supervision of the Director of AU-IBAR. He/She will work closely with the relevant staffs of Animal Health Units and RECs as well as experts from FAO.

Regular updates will be provided through virtual check-ins and progress reports.

Medical & Travel Cover for Consultant

The consultant will be responsible for their medical and travel insurance cover/s during the duration of the consultancy.

Disclaimer

All data, information and reports generated form the consultancy is intellectual property of AU-IBAR.

Submission of Applications

Applications should be submitted through email to: procurement@au-ibar.org and should include the title “Cross-Border Control Measures for ASF Prevention & Control” in the subject of the email.

The deadline for submission of applications is Friday 07^th November 2025 at 23:59 Nairobi local time.

Applications should include the following:

1. Detailed curriculum vitae
2. Copies of academic and professional qualifications
3. Proposed Methodology & Workplan (Technical Proposal 3-5 pages)
4. Completed declaration on exclusion criteria in the format attached and to be signed by applicant; and,
5. Copies of identification documents.

A Personal Data Protection and Privacy Statement is attached as information for the applicants.