Overcoming the hunger and food crisis as well as the climate crisis cannot be achieved without a transformation of agricultural and food systems and fundamental paradigm shifts. Through the United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS), many countries have developed national pathways for transforming their food systems, putting the issue firmly on the global agenda. There exists a fundamental acknowledgement of the necessity of transforming agricultural and food systems, but the realization is complex and influenced by diverse, pronounced and conflicting interests and values. The GIZ Global Project "Transformation of Food Systems" (TES) contributes to this by supporting "transformative initiatives" (partnerships) at local, national, regional and global level that actively promote the transformation of food systems. Transformative initiatives within TES are alliances of diverse stakeholders who jointly develop visions and solutions for the transformation of food systems. As potential change agents, intermediaries are accompanied and supported in tackling transformative changes in partnerships. The change agents and partnerships aim to achieve multidimensional, comprehensive and sustainable changes to contribute to sufficient and healthier food for all people at all times within planetary boundaries. The necessary negotiation processes are aimed at developing and testing transformative, context-specific solutions and establishing change in the wider social environment. Good governance for improved nutrition is promoted. The programme also places a special focus on collective learning and the sharing of experiences by establishing a learning network between global and national initiatives and beyond. Moreover, it aims at strengthening capacities, particularly in leadership, and transformative processes and concepts. Through collaboration with other actors, such as the Global Alliance for Nutrition (GAIN) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), TES creates synergies to achieve greater impact together. TES is part of the Special Initiative "Transformation of Agricultural and Food Systems" (SI AGER) of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
Food Systems can play a more powerful role than they do today to improve consumption of healthy and nutritious food, raise incomes, create inclusive opportunities, and strengthen environmental conditions. For that they need a cadre of passionate professional food system leaders who can see, make and deliver on the necessary hard choices to reshape current systems. By investing in transformational leadership, both across stakeholders and bureaucracies, planning capacities for sustainable food systems can be revitalized. By encouraging ownership of the local narratives and respecting realities, inclusive science-policy-society processes and partnerships to stimulate accountable leadership and responsive institutions can be encouraged. As a supportive measure besides a transformative initiative in Zambia that is already being supported by GIZ, a food system leadership ecosystem shall be developed. As a result, the leadership capacity and networks in Zambia shall be strengthened to enable the realization of the pathways and visions defined by the existing national entities, stakeholders and initiatives working towards a food systems transformation.

LOT-0001
81321256-Food System Leadership Ecosystem Zambia (Trainee Program and Network): development, implementation and evaluation.
The objective of the service under tendering is to strengthen food system leadership capacities for the acceleration of a transformation of the food system(s) of Zambia. The objective shall be reached through the development and implementation of a concept for a food system leadership ecosystem development in Zambia. The elements of this ecosystem shall entail at least a food system leadership trainee program (FSLP) and a food system leadership network (FSLN) for alumni (of the FSLP) and further relevant actors. As a result, the ecosystem is supposed to strengthen the capacity of national, private, academic and civil society organizations through improved leadership. Moreover, it shall improve intersectoral collaboration through a dynamic network amongst the targeted change makers. The FSLP shall be conceptualized for three consecutive trainee groups. Each for a duration of approx. 12-18 months from recruitment and start of delivery until graduation for 30-40 trainees per group. It shall be implemented with first modules for a first trainee group within the contract term under tender. The contractor is responsible for the design and implementation of the capacity development measures. This includes the content and methodologies of the training modules as well as the means of implementation. The modules of the training program shall be held virtual. Contents of the FSLP modules shall cover at least the following 5 thematical areas: Food systems thinking; Leader-ship skills; Food systems analysis; Tools for scenario development and planning; and Transformative food system actions. A special focus shall be laid on planning techniques and on tackling complex problems as core competence to transform systems. The contractor is supposed to lecture/train on these with an a renowned tested method/concept. The target group are professionals from the agricultural and food sector as well as sectors that are important for a just and environment friendly food system transformation. The program shall equally target early career professionals and senior personnel in key positions of key institutions. The selection process shall be designed and processed by the contractor in the service delivery, taking into account a gender and age balance. A concept for the development of a FSLN shall be developed (for an implementation period of 3.5 years). A basis network for the ecosystem is formed by the training program participants. The concept to be developed shall detail which exchanges of the network can be facilitated, and which additional measures are selected to curate a meaningful leadership ecosystem (this might include e.g. further mentoring, coaching and communication measures). To ease the delivery of both, the trainee program (FSLP) and the network building (FSLN), digital platform solutions shall be identified and build into the concept for the trainee program and network. The leadership ecosystem (FSLP and FSLN) shall gain attention and reach within Zambia. Therefore, the contractor shall employ communication measures to reach visibility. The contractor shall be responsible for the monitoring and evaluation of the implemented capacity development measures.