Consultancy Service: Review of the Pan African PPR Strategy and Development of the Africa PPR Endgame Strategy 2027–2031 (FIRMS ONLY)

Introduction and context AU-IBAR supports and coordinates the sustainable development of animal resources in African Union Member States. Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) threatens small-ruminant production, food and nutrition security, trade and the livelihoods of livestock-dependent communities, including women, youth and mobile livestock keepers. AU-IBAR proposes an evidence-based review of implementation of the 2015 Pan African Strategy for the Control and Eradication of PPR and development of the Africa PPR Endgame Strategy 2027–2031. The assignment will produce an overarching continental framework that consolidates national priorities and regional plans, aligns them with the FAO–WOAH Global Eradication Programme, and provides the strategic basis for the period following the Pan-African PPR Eradication Programme 2023–2027. The review will cover implementation from 2015 through the latest validated evidence available at a cut-off date agreed at inception. It will cover all AU Member States through five regional consultation processes. Action-funded expenditure will follow the sub-Saharan scope and arrangements with ECCAS, ECOWAS, IGAD and SADC; North African participation requires a separately confirmed coordination and financing arrangement. The assignment is anchored in Output 2.2 of the EU-supported Action: Activity 2.2.2 provides standardised national planning templates and needs-based guidance; Activity 2.2.3 supports stakeholder validation; and Activity 2.2.4 supports updating the continental strategy, programme and implementation plan. Activity 3.2.4 anchors the regional consolidation of national vaccination strategies and plans and their integration into the continental vaccination component. Member States retain authority over national plans and operational decisions, RECs coordinate cross-border action, and AU-IBAR/PAPS consolidates these contributions into one continental framework for prioritisation, financing and accountability. The Endgame Strategy will frame Africa’s PPR endgame as a differentiated effort to interrupt remaining transmission, demonstrate freedom from infection and protect that freedom. The 2030 eradication objective remains the planning anchor; for planning purposes it is understood as the interruption of virus transmission and the cessation of vaccination in the priority episystems, while the demonstration of freedom and official WOAH recognition follow the time requirements of the Terrestrial Code. Each country pathway will therefore distinguish four milestones: interruption of transmission, vaccination cessation, demonstration of freedom and official recognition. The year 2031 provides for sustaining gains, completing outstanding verification and recognition processes, and implementing explicitly approved corrective action where infection persists; the strategy period does not extend the eradication deadline. Vaccination will be a central operational component of the endgame, linked to surveillance, diagnostics, veterinary services and community participation. The 2025 Vaccination Strategic Framework will be integrated into the strategy as a substantive vaccination chapter within a single, coordinated review, so that strategy review and vaccination planning form one institutional approval package. The strategy will also retain the continental commitments to control other priority small-ruminant diseases and to strengthen veterinary services. Objectives To lead the evidence-based evaluation of the 2015 strategy and develop the theory of change, results, monitoring, evaluation, learning and accountability arrangements for an evidence-based, country-owned and financeable Africa PPR Endgame Strategy 2027–2031. This evaluation and strategy-development role is distinct from the separately commissioned independent peer review. Assess relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability and equity, including vaccination and regional coordination, across the three original results areas (PPR eradication, other priority small-ruminant diseases and strengthened Veterinary Services), separating evidence of contribution from unsupported attribution. Translate validated findings into measurable outcomes, one costed implementation and investment plan, institutional responsibilities and corrective-action arrangements. Support inclusive validation and produce an integrated strategy and endorsement package with the Animal Health Expert. Main functions Serve as evaluation and results lead within the firm / expert core team. Lead review design, evidence synthesis, institutional performance assessment and strategy integration; co-develop technical priorities and financing scenarios with the Animal Health Expert and designated institutional specialists. Animal-health economics and costing are secured as a dedicated input, with its funding source identified at inception. Key responsibilities Specific responsibilities Evaluation design and inception Develop an evaluation matrix linking each question to indicators, sources, analytical methods, limitations, strategic decisions and accountable institutions. Agree sampling, stakeholder coverage, a source register, questionnaire, consultation tools and a quality-assurance plan. Integrate the five progression elements of diagnosis, surveillance, prevention and control, legal framework and stakeholder involvement. With the Animal Health Expert and PAPS, maintain a dependency register recording the approval, contracting and completion status of each related assignment and each input’s output, owner, version, availability date, intended use and contingency for delay (including the FAO and ILRI models), with preliminary and final handovers scheduled separately. Draw on existing Action activities rather than duplicating them, in particular Activity 3.1.2 (AU-ARIS–WAHIS linkages), Output 2.2 and Activities 2.2.5–2.2.6 (resource mobilisation and business-model work), and Activities 2.2.1–2.2.3 (national and regional planning support and stakeholder validation). Performance and contribution assessment Review strategy implementation and the contribution of national, regional and continental programmes, including PAPS where relevant. Assess financing, results, coordination, resource use, sustainability and equity across the three original results areas through contribution analysis and triangulation, distinguishing reported achievements from outcomes attributable to the strategy itself. Test alternative explanations; examine expenditure against outputs and outcomes where records permit and disclose comparability limits. Prepare the evidence-to-strategy matrix showing, with reasons and supporting evidence, which provisions of the 2015 strategy and the 2025 vaccination framework should be retained, strengthened, revised, differentiated, replaced or added. Evidence management and baseline Lead the common dataset, data dictionary, source traceability, response tracker and evidence-grading system. Invite every Member State through its veterinary authority; with the Animal Health Expert, PAPS and the Regional Coordinators, pre-fill country profiles from material already held, invite validation by Chief Veterinary Officers, follow up non-response and disclose it. Work with the Animal Health Expert on dated country readiness profiles (full profiles for priority episystems, summary profiles for others), distinguish missing information from zero values and set baseline-completion actions. Support the agreement with the RECs of one reference table reconciling national small-ruminant populations, PMAT stages and unit costs before any costing, documenting sources and dates. Governance and participation Assess institutional mandates, national PPR committees, regional mechanisms and delivery accountability, including the CAG, the TWGs and the single Technical Reference Group. Analyse participation, reporting incentives and service-access barriers for women, youth, mobile livestock keepe