BRAC Liberia

Term of Reference for training manual review & validation and production of new training manual for UNDP Leh Go Green Project

Position Title: Consultant for the review & validation of existing training manual and Developing a Honey Bee Farming and Keeping Training Manual, Comprehensive Home stead gardening manual, and practical and comprehensive agro-business manual.
Location: BRAC Liberia, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP.
Project: “Supporting Increased Forest-Based Revenue and Livelihoods for Forest Users and Forest Fringe Communities in the Gola and Grebo-Krahn Landscape of Liberia” (LEH GO GREEN)

• Background

BRAC Liberia, in partnership with UNDP and FDA, is implementing the LEH GO GREEN project aimed at enhancing the livelihoods of forest fringe communities in the Gola and Grebo-Krahn landscape through sustainable forest-based income-generating activities. Some of the key components of this initiative are, increase seed production and strengthen rice and maize value chain in Liberia, lowland rice production, vegetable production, livestock production, honey bee farming and keeping, and village Saving and loan Association (VSLA), which provides a sustainable livelihood opportunity while contributing to forest conservation.

The project seeks to engage a qualified individual/entity to review and validate existing Rice production manual, livestock production manual, Climate Smart Agriculture, VSLA manual and to develop a comprehensive beekeeping, home stead gardening training manuals for farmers, climate resilient rice and maize seed production manual, which will serve as a key resource in teaching best practices in crops and livestock production including honey bee farming and management. All manuals are to be produced or validated along with flipbooks

3. Objective of the Assignment

The overall objective of this assignment is to review and validate existent rice, animal, climate smart agriculture, post-harvest and VSLA manuals and also develop a detailed and practical training manual on honey bee farming, Home stead gardening, agri-business manual and climate resilient rice and maize seed production manuals. All manuals are to be produced with flipbook and the manuals must have visual aids and pictures. The manual will serve as a comprehensive guide for trainers and trainees in forest fringe communities, encompassing best practices, innovative techniques, and essential knowledge that will lead to sustainable practices, the economic benefits and increase in production and productivity, and strengthen agriculture value chain in Liberia.

3. Scope of the Consultancy

The consultant will undertake the following tasks:

Conduct an initial review of existing manuals on lowland rice production farming, livestock production, climate smart agriculture, post-harvest, and VSLA including global and local best practices.

Develop a well-structured training manual with content that covers:

• Introduction to bee biology and behavior.
• Establishing and managing bee colonies.
• Hive construction and maintenance.
• Harvesting honey and bee products.
• Ensuring the sustainability of bee populations and their environment.
• Pest and disease management in beekeeping.
• Market opportunities and business management for honey producers.
• Health and safety considerations in honey bee farming.

Kitchen/home stead garden should cover the below content but not limited to:

• Introduction to kitchen/home stead gardening
• Planning and designing
• Soil preparation
• Crop selection and rotation
• Planting techniques
• Water and irrigation
• Pest and disease management including IPM
• Fertilization
• Harvesting and storage and
• Record keeping

Agri-business training manual should cover the below contents and not limited to:

• Introduction to agri-business
• Business planning
• Legal and regulatory requirement
• Financial management
• Marketing and sale
• Production management
• Supply chain and logistic
• Human resource
• Technology and innovations
• Sustainable environmental management
• Networking and partnership
• Case studies and success stories

• Ensure that the manual is suitable for both beginners and experienced farmers, incorporating simple language and visuals where necessary.
• Pilot test the draft manual with a sample group of farmers and adjust based on feedback.
• Provide a final, professionally formatted manual ready for print and dissemination.

5. Services and Facilities to be provided by BRAC:

BRAC Liberia will supply all necessary documents and information for the assignment e.g. s existing training manuals staff contact information. BRAC will provide venue for work if needed.

6. Key Deliverables

• A draft outline of the training manual for review by BRAC Liberia and its partners.
• A draft version of the manual and flipbook to be tested in training sessions.
• A finalized training manual incorporating feedback from stakeholders.
• A validation meeting with key stake holders to validate the manuals
• A summary report detailing the process, feedback received, and any recommendations for future manual updates.

7. Duration

The assignment is expected to take 6-8 weeks (40 working days), beginning from the date of contract signing. The consultant will work closely with BRAC Liberia during this period to ensure that the manual meets the project’s objectives.

8. Budget and Payment

The budget for the Assignment will be covered by BRAC Liberia. Payment terms will be stipulated in the contractual agreement.

10. Disclaimer

The BRAC Liberia management reserves the right to amend the terms of reference at any time as required upon mutual discussion with the consultant. BRAC Liberia reserves the right to terminate the contract at its sole discretion in case of non-compliance of the terms and conditions that will be finally agreed.

10. Selection Criteria

Applications will be assessed according to the following criteria:

11. Required qualifications, experience and competencies

The successful consultant should have the following qualifications to effectively carry out the assignment:

• At least a bachelor’s degree in agriculture, environmental studies, apiculture, or a related field.
• Proven experience in beekeeping and the development of training materials for farmers.
• Knowledge of sustainable agricultural practices and community-based livelihood programs.
• Excellent writing skills with the ability to create clear, engaging, and informative training materials.
• Familiarity with the social and environmental context of forest-based communities in Liberia or similar settings.
• Previous experience working with international NGOs or development projects is an asset.

12. Proposal Submission/ Application and Selection Details

Interested candidates are invited to send a complete application:

• A cover letter outlining their qualifications and relevant experience.
• Detailed CV reflecting your qualification and experience in supporting project evaluations with Professional references from previous clients.
• Names, addresses, mobile numbers of the selected organizations that will act as professional referees
• Samples of previous similar work (preferably a training manual).
• A proposed timeline for completing the assignment.

13. Application and recruitment process

This procurement of the consultant will be through a headhunting/ internal candidate identification process because of the time-constraints, type of skills required and short-lived duration of the assignment. Individual experts are preferred over consultancy firms. National and international candidates are qualified for this position.

Qualitative researchers experienced in agriculture production, production data analysis and publication of of research work on agriculture and other agricultural products, interested candidates should send their CVs and other required documents mentioned above . Only short-listed candidates will be interviewed for selection and negotiation.

Application: bracrecruitement@gmail.com

All applications must be submitted no later than (October 05 2024)