Agricultural Consultant

1. Background Information:

The Community Organization for Development and Empowerment-TCODE-INITIATE is a Nongovernmental, nonprofit, youth-oriented organization based in Lebanon and dedicated to assisting vulnerable communities through youth inclusion and empowerment. While keeping youth at its focus of its mission, TCODE-INITIATE continually endeavors in creating comprehensive and inclusive programs aimed towards the empowerment of youth, and its concentric circles of influence.

In the process of delivering its Mission TCODE-INITIATE aspires to keeping its status as a hub for youth allowing them to: access a safe space, and acquire knowledge and access to a network of social and political influencers enhancing their social participation in decision making processes.

The Women’s Programs Association (WPA) is a non-governmental organization registered in the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities in 2008 under license number 344. WPA targets Palestinian refugee women and youth in eight camps throughout Lebanon with a wide range of activities to build their capacity, skills, knowledge and assets to develop themselves and their families and widen their opportunity for employment and decent life.

WPA’s programs include skills training, support education to school drop-out children, adult literacy and numeracy and life skills, pre-school education, lending programs for micro-businesses and consumer loans, psycho-social support, awareness raising on wide range of topics of concerns to women and girls, social cohesion and recreational activities in addition to production units in food catering.

 “Partners for Elements of WEE Humanitarian Assistance to Women by Women” Project:

United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls, the empowerment of women and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security. Placing women’s rights at the center of all its efforts, the UN Women leads and coordinates United Nations system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality are translated into action throughout the world. It provides strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts while building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors. UN Women in Lebanon works across the humanitarian-development-peace and security nexus to support national efforts for the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. To create an enabling environment for the realization of gender equality and women’s empowerment, UN Women advocates and supports social mobilization for legislative reform, works with partners to build gender responsive institutions, and delivers essential services to women and girls in need, both host government nationals and refugees. This is complemented by work that seeks to engage communities, women and men, on issues of gender equality with the objective of addressing discriminatory gender norms. This work is done through the following focus areas: 1. Women’s Economic Empowerment and Protection from Gender Based Violence. 2. Women’s Political Participation 3. Women, Peace and Security 4. Social Norms work – to engage men and women in issues of gender equality This call for proposal focuses on the area of: Women’s Economic Empowerment The escalating economic crisis in Lebanon, which poses historic threats to the country and its population as a whole, have significantly challenged livelihoods of Lebanese, migrant workers and refugee women, their engagement in the labour market and the coping mechanisms they are able to employ, which negatively affected their ability to negotiate equal treatment, rights and protections from violence. The crisis has been exacerbated by the impact of COVID-19 in Lebanon, the devastating Beirut Port blast of August 2020 and the economic crisis, which has manifested itself in currency depreciation, shortages and inflation. To support the Women’s Economic Empowerment, under both its project entitled: “Addressing escalating gendersensitive socio-economic needs by supporting women’s presence in the labor market” and “Humanitarian Assistance to Women by Women: Women at work to reduce to period poverty and food insecurity in the Lebanon Crisis”, UN Women Lebanon is seeking partner organizations to work on supporting women’s economic empowerment to allow women living in Lebanon and their families to access emergency livelihoods, whilst experiencing less period poverty and food insecurity. Vulnerable women affected by crises, become front liners and agents of change in their communities, receiving humanitarian assistance to support them to produce and provide humanitarian assistance for other vulnerable women in their communities.

2. Purpose of the Contract:                                                                              

The purpose of the contract is to install model for gardening on the rooftop of WPA Center at Beddawi camp – North (Size= 50 m2 available for agriculture).

3. Tasks:

    I. Hydroponic rooftop garden installation:

• Installation of a customised 100 m2 rooftop greenhouse
• Installation of a rooftop hydroponic garden
• Three A shape system h= 2m, l= 2.75 W=1.8 with 12 PVC pipes @ L= 2.80
• 11 PVC pipes @ L= 5 m
• 3 PVC pipes @ L= 5.5 m
• 7 PVC pipes @ L= 8m
• 3 PVC pipes @ L= 3.8
• 62 half barrel on concrete blocks
• Installation of an automated irrigation system with controller, solenoid valve, water pump, pipes and fittings
• Installation of the drainage system: Collection of all irrigated water solution of the hydroponic garden system by PVC pipes and fittings to be returned to nutrient solution tank to be reused in irrigation (closed system)
• Installation of the nutrients solution tank with the air pump , fittings

  II. Training the hydroponic team on how to plant, harvest and manage the hydroponic rooftop garden:

• A pre and post-tests.
• Training materials.

Training materials includes:

• Planting, harvesting of leafy vegetables, herbs, fruiting vegetables.
• Irrigation.
• Fertilization.
• Crops diseases and treatment.
• Hydroponic concept.
• Nutrient solution calculation.
• 12 training days (4 hrs/day)

4. Qualifications:

The Expert Consultant in Agriculture must have the following minimum qualifications:

1. Academic Qualifications:

A bachelor's or master's degree in agriculture, agronomy, agricultural economics or a related field.

2. Experience:

• A deep understanding of agricultural practices, crop production, animal husbandry, soil management, pest and disease control, and other relevant areas is essential.
• Practical experience gained through internships, fieldwork, or previous employment in the agriculture industry is highly valuable.

3. Competencies/Knowledge:

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills;
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills;
• Fluent in Arabic;
• Fluent in English;
• Adaptability and Flexibility