Consultancy For Trainings in Home-based vegetable Gardening

GENERAL INFORMATION Vulnerability of Syrian refugees in Akkar has increased due to the protraction of the crisis, poor socioeconomic conditions, limited skills and capacities, and gaps in overall assistance. This situation impacts most vulnerable populations in term of food security, with many unable to cover their dietary needs and thus resorting to negative coping mechanisms.

In response, the objective of this PU-AMI livelihood project is to improve short-term food security of targeted people while improving community resilience through the creation of productive assets and agricultural/livelihoods trainings.

More specifically, based on vertical agriculture techniques, PU-AMI will conduct a pilot training on home-based vegetable production and distribute small gardening kits to 80 Syrian refugee women. This aims to provide women with know-hows and capacity to improve their access to vegetables in urban areas or settlements despite a lack of access to land, contribute to diet diversity, and improve mid-term food security and livelihoods.

CONSULTANCY

As part of this training activity, PU-AMI aims to hire a consultant(s) to design and implement trainings on home-based vegetable gardening to projects beneficiaries composed of Syrian refugee women. The mission has been divided in 2 lots related to 2 different locations: Mount Lebanon (Chhrim) and Akkar (Fnaidek and Tal Mayan).

Content of the consultancy

1. Lot 1/ Vegetable gardening training

     - Components: Vegetable gardening at home, vertical and urban agriculture, vegetable storage and preparation

     - Based in: Fnaidek & Tal Mayan, AKKAR

     - Period: 20 days between August 13th 2018 and September 7th 2018.

2. Lot 2/ Vegetable gardening training

     - Components: Vegetable gardening at home, vertical and urban agriculture, vegetable storage and preparation

     - Based in: Chhrim, Chouf, BEIRUT-MOUNT LEBANON

     - Period: 10 days between August 13th 2018 and August 24th 2018.

General objective

1 – To train 60 women on home-based vegetable gardening:

• 40 women in Lot 1
• 20 women in Lot 2

Specific objective

1. Provide 10 sessions of 4 hours (1 session per day) for 20 participants per sessions

2. Reinforce the knowledge and capacity of participants in vegetable gardening at home, vertical and urban agriculture, vegetable storage and preparation.

3. Provide field and practical training to participants in how to set-up their own production at home (e.g. through home visits, experimental plots / kitchen garden).

4. Develop training materials for participants to sustain their knowledge after the training (e.g. seasonal calendar, best practices sheet, checklist, manual, etc.)

METHODOLOGY

Location: The training will take place in Fnaidek and Tal Mayan (Lot 1) and in Chhim (Lot 2).

Organization: The training will be divided in 3 groups of 20 participants (2 in Lot 1 and 1 in Lot 2) composed of Syrian women. Each training should last for a maximum duration of 10 consecutive working days. Each daily session will last 4 hours, for a total of 40 hours of training per group.

The training should be mainly composed of field sessions organized in informal settlements. The exact location will be provided by PU-AMI in collaboration with local municipalities. In case theoretical sessions are required, a room can be provided for the training by PU-AMI.

Other tasks related to the organization of the training (selection and contact of participants, transportation, incentives, monitoring…) will be managed directly by PU-AMI field officers.

Table 1 Example of traininng planning for each group on the below link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1irMI5Lrod0xsOaZycJXuSLba6ybZhQkl/view?…

Methodology:

A detailed methodology should be provided in the technical bid. PU-AMI will value methodologies that emphasize practical and field trainings as much as possible. Theoretical sessions should only be considered to complement field sessions. It should be noted that participants are often illiterate, though they often have basic understanding of agricultural concepts and know-hows in home-based gardening (e.g. onion production in boxes).

Experimental plots or gardens, allowing practical trainings during sessions, will be considered an asset in proposed methodologies. PU-AMI can support the set-up of such plots with required inputs and material.

Methodologies relying on participative approaches (e.g. Farmer Field School approach) will considered in priority.

Training content:

The 10 days (i.e. 40 hours) should aim at building the know-hows of participants in vegetable production for self-consumption. At the end of the training, each participant will receive a kit of tools and seeds to set-up their own production at home.

Know-hows transferred should remain accessible (low technicalities) and should not require important investments or inputs, to match with refugee’s capacities.

As most participants leave in informal settlements or apartments, the training content should focus on productions fitting urban contexts: vertical agriculture, cropping in bags or boxes…

Trainings should also provide information on vegetable productions for the whole seasonal calendar and focus on local varieties matching food habits.

Topics to be addressed:

• Introduction on vegetable production in urban contexts
• How to grow vegetables in bags / boxes / vertically
• Seasonal calendar and technical itinerary of vegetables
• Soil preparation, fertilization
• Pest management
• Harvest and conservation of vegetables

The training and related support documents or materials must be provided in Arabic.

INPUT PROVIDED BY PU-AMI

PU-AMI will be responsibility for organizing the trainings (participant’s invitation and transportation, availability of the training room, logistic support for the projection equipment, refreshments).

OUTPUTS EXPECTED FROM THE CONSULTANT

The consultant must provide the following elements:

Before the training:

 A training outline and a detailed summary of each session with the pedagogic support in Arabic with the English translation.

 One technical sheet vegetable specie and its technical route (cropping techniques).

After the training:

 Technical guidelines on vertical agriculture production.

QUALIFICATIONS

Mandatory requirements

 Language skills: Fluent in Arabic and in English

 Education degree: Diploma in agriculture

 Work experience: Previous experience in training on similar topic. A previous similar experience with women or refugees is an asset.

 Other:

- Excellent communication and animation skills

- Capacity to adapt the training considering the level of the participants and their activities field

- Strong experience in training

- Experience with NGOs (through consultancies or other)