Consultant Trainer for Commercial Vegetable Farming

Consultant Trainer for Commercial Vegetable Farming

1. Background and Overview
ActionAid is a global justice federation working to achieve social justice, gender equality and poverty eradication. It was founded as a charity in 1972, and throughout its history it has innovated and evolved its approach to better address the structural drivers of poverty and injustice. ActionAid believes people living in poverty and exclusion have the power within them to create change for themselves, their families and communities and ActionAid is a catalyst for that change. ActionAid International Nepal (AAIN) has been working in Nepal since 1982. In the 1990s, ActionAid adopted a human rights-based approach to development, which is ongoing as its core approach. In 2003, the ActionAid International federation was established, comprising members in every region of the world, and headquartered in South Africa.

We believe in human rights and embrace the Human Right Based Approach to fight against not only the symptoms but also the structural causes of poverty, injustice, and inequality. Discriminated, excluded, and exploited people – particularly women and girls – living in poverty and injustice, whose rights are denied or violated, are our primary stakeholders. We take sides with them and stand by them; their stories, energy and activism inspire us and our work. AAIN believes that young people are the driving force and energy to bring positive changes in the community and therefore AAIN will work with young people while keeping women and girls at the centre among people living in poverty and exclusions.

ActionAid International (AAIN) Nepal is implementing Livelihood Techanical Assistance Project (LTAP) with the objective of increasing households’ income of the Harwa Charwa (HC) through increased agriculture production and access to loan investment in partnership with Freedom fund in Siraha, Saptari and Dhanusha District. The project is currently being implemented at 14 different municipalities/ Rural municipalities of these districts. AAIN is seeking a consultancy under the project to conduct two events of three days commercial vegetable farming for the members of Harwa Charwa in selected districts.

2. Objectives
The overall purpose of this consultancy assignment is to train and provide technical knowledge and skill on leader farmers and project staff so that they could cascade in commercial vegetable farming technics techniques to 52 Harwa-Charwa groups. Along with this, develop and refined the reference material of seasonal and off-season bio commercial vegetable farming process and techniques.

3. Scope of Work
The scope of the work requires a consultant who have in-depth conceptual and technical understanding and facilitation skill to deliver session on seasonal and off seasonal vegetable farming in context of terai region. He/she should be well known and aware of existing grant/subsidies support system in the agriculture sector as aware about agriculture policies and practice of Nepal.

4. Expected Deliverables
The consultant or assessment team is expected to provide the following deliverables:

• Two events on 3 days long commercial vegetable farming training conducted for the Harwa-Charwa group’s members of Siraha, Saptari and Dhanusha districts.
• To ensure high quality delivery of the training and make sure (during the training period) all the participants are gained and equipped with practical knowledge and skills about seasonal and off-seasonal vegetable farming.
• Prepare training schedule in close coordination with ActionAid team.
• As much as possible, organize training on the farm and site with practical know how, as method of training delivery.
• Provide simple training resource materials to the training participants so that after training they can cascade the training to the remaining member of the groups.
• Provide a comprehensive report in English after the delivery of training sessions.

5. Timeframe
The table below demonstrates the expected deliverables from the Consultant:

6. Reporting/Focal Person
The consultant or assessment team will report to Project Coordinator-East of AAIN.

7. Budget:
The consultant shall submit the details proposal and timeline with budget details for the above-mentioned deliverables. The consultant needs to submit a technical Proposal, working days schedule (time frame) along with deliverables as per TOR. Budget breakdown should be submitted in the separate sheet for the working days.

8. Consultant’s Profile
The consultant should be expert with the following competencies:

• Minimum a bachelor’s degree (master’s preferable) in veterinary fields.
• At least 5 years’ experience in facilitating trainings on seasonal and off seasonal commercial vegetable farming.
• Extensive knowledge on social inclusion, the issue of Harwa-Charwa and local policy context related to grant/ subsidy distribution by local, provincial, and federal government.
• Excellent report writing skills in both English and Nepali.
• Speaking and delivering the content in Maithili language is highly preference.
• Good understanding of poverty and exclusion in Nepal and the work of I/NGOs.
• Excellent analytical and communication skills

9. Confidentiality
All information related to this content/workshop slides will remain the property of ActionAid International Nepal. Except for the purposes of this assignment, the information will not be disclosed to the public nor used in whatever without written permission of the AAIN.

10. Proposal Evaluation Criteria

11. Proposal Submission Guideline
Interested consultancy firms/individuals who meet the above requirement should send their technical and financial proposals (which also includes detailed methodology, a work plan, a budget, and their CV) to jobs.nepal@actionaid.org by 7th February 2024, 5:00 pm. The selection will be based on a combination of technical expertise, relevant experience, proposed methodology and proposed budget.

12. Amendment of Terms
AAIN reserves the right to amend these terms of reference at any time, and any such amendments will be communicated in writing to the selected consultant.