INTRODUCTION

World Wide Fund for Nature Zambia (WWF Zambia) is part of WWF International, the world’s leading independent conservation organisation with a global network in over 100 countries. Our mission is to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which people live in harmony with nature, for the benefit of both people and nature. The organisation has been working in Zambia since 1962; focusing on wildlife, forests, freshwater as well as People and livelihoods

BACKGROUND

World Wide Fund for Nature Zambia (WWF Zambia) is seeking a competent Consultant on Capacity Building on Agriculture Products Value Chains. The objective of the assignment is to use identified participatory approaches, to build skills and capacities of women, youth and men to identify agriculture value chains that can be sustained in the respective landscapes. This will enable the Community Forest Management Groups and Forest Farm Producer Organizations (FFPOs) and other groups to develop viable agricultural value chains that will culminate into viable businesses.

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT

The Climate Change Adaptation in Forest and Agricultural Mosaic Landscape project is being implemented by WWF Zambia in collaboration with FAO and the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment through the Forestry Department. The main objective of this project is to increase the resilience of productive landscapes and rural communities through organisational innovations and technology transfer for climate change adaptation. The project has four main components that provide pathways to change, thus; Component 1. Strengthening the management capacity at national level and within productive landscapes for climate resilience including water management; Component 2: Promoting innovations and technologies in agriculture and forestry value chains. Component 3: Enhancing diversified farm-based livelihood strategies for climate resilience and Component 4: Project monitoring, evaluation, and dissemination of results. The project is being implemented in Nyimba, Lusangazi and Petauke in Eastern Province and Sioma, Mwandi and Sesheke in Western Province.

Specific terms of reference that the consultant will address are as follows:

1.     Identification of the full range of agriculture products that are collected/harvested for either commercial or domestic use from the forests and or farms by the FFPOs  of Sioma,

Sesheke and Mwandi districts of Western Province and from Petauke, Lusangazi and Nyimba districts of Eastern Province. Particularly: –

a.     Defining a ranking of the relative commercial and cultural importance of each of these products to local community Users;

b.     Breaking down this ranking of importance for the men and women of the villages and for people from outside the villages who also harvest these products;

c.     Providing a detailed description of each value chain, including the actors, the processing, the means of transportation, the prices and value added at each step of the chain and who are the ultimate consumers of each product.

2.     Identify value chains capacity training needs to have them developed.

3.     Prepare Training Needs Assessment (TNA) Report based on the identified value chains.

4.     Develop training materials for the key identified value chains including value addition, legal requirements and any special considerations such as equipment needs.

5.     Using the developed training materials, build the skills and capacities of District Implementation Teams (DITs), women, youth and men in the identified value chains.

6.     Identify the existing and new market actors including government, NGOs, private sector and other partners able and willing to collaborate and uptake the produce

7.     In collaboration with relevant partners, suggest and recommend possible strategies that will augment/ support delivery of the following interventions.: Technical training in value chain production (e.g agriculture products aggregation, good agricultural practices, post-harvest management, Integrated Pest Management e.t.c)

8.     Prepare training reports.

9.     Share the training reports with other stakeholders through a validation meeting.

10.  Presentation of results at stakeholders’ validation meeting or as requested.

1.     DELIVERABLES

a)    An Inception Report

This should be drafted within 7 days of signing the contract outlining the envisaged methodology, tools, timelines and modalities of how the assignment shall be undertaken within the duration specified, clearly stating how the anticipated deliverables will be achieved.

b)    Training Needs Assessment Report

A report clearly identifying the training needs of the target communities and or groups in relation to the Agriculture Value Chains of the Farm Producer Organizations (FPOs) and individual farmers found in target local communities that should be developed.

c)     Training Materials

d)    Training Report

e)    Full report on Agriculture value chains for community/ farmers found in the Project sites for development as FFPOs value chains.

2.     DURATION OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The duration of the assignment is hundred (100) working Days

3 A) QUALIFICATIONS AND WORK EXPERIENCE

• A University Degree in Agriculture, Agribusiness, Business Management, and any other related field.
• A Master’s Degree in a relevant field is an added advantage.
• Five years demonstrated experience working with similar assignments, particularly community level value chain development.
• Demonstrated experience in the analysis of value chains and in the identification of value chain modifications in favour of the producer level.
• Demonstrated Experience in developing training materials for various value chains
• Demonstrated Experience in participatory capacity building of local communities
• Ability to collaborate with government structures at district level
• Technical proficiency in the field of agriculture, natural resource economics, forestry, agriculture, wildlife, and social development studies.
• Ability to understand and speak local languages used in Western and Eastern Province is desirable.
• Good communication skills
• Strong technical writing skills.

3B) QUALIFICATIONS FOR ORGANISATIONS

Interested corporate entities in providing the consultancy services must meet or provide the following requirements;

• Company profile with company registration certificates and any relevant certifications
• Proposal demonstrating understanding of the assignment and similar institutional experience
• Work plan detailing execution of assignment
• Copies of relevant Qualifications as above for key staff to spearhead the activities.
• Six months’ bank statements for the business
• Valid Tax Clearance Certificate
• High regard for quality and tangible impact
• Proof of registration with all relevant regulatory bodies such as PACRA, NAPSA, ZRA and Workers Compensation Fund
• Five years demonstrated experience working with similar assignments, particularly community level value chain development.
• Demonstrated experience in the analysis of value chains and in the identification of value chain modifications in favour of the producer level.
• Demonstrated Experience in developing training materials for various value chains
• Demonstrated Experience in participatory capacity building of local communities
• Ability to collaborate with government structures at district level
• Technical proficiency in the field of agriculture, natural resource economics, forestry, agriculture, wildlife, and social development studies.
• Facilitators must have the ability to understand and speak local languages used in Western and Eastern Provinces respectively.
• Good communication skills.
• Strong technical writing skills.

4.   REPORTING

The consultant reports to the Project Manager of the GEF7 /FAO Project. He will be required to work closely with the Business Incubation Officer and the District Technical Assistants on the Project.

5.   DUTY LOCATION

Lusaka, Zambia.

Interested applicants may send through proposals complete with:

• Cover letter addressed to the Procurement Officer, WWF Zambia Country Office.
• Both Technical and Financial Proposals inclusive of detailed work plan and methodology
• CVs of Lead Consultant
• Trade references relevant to the assignment at hand.
• Valid ZRA Tax Clearance Certificate

The above should be submitted in Soft copy as a single PDF document and if this is not manageable, the documents should be submitted as a SINGLE zipped folder containing all the requested.

All submissions should be emailed to zcoprocurement@wwfzam.org no later than Friday 28th June, 2024 at 17:00 hrs, with the email subject being Consultancy for CAPACITY BUILDING OF AGRICULTURE PRODUCTS VALUE CHAINS.