Consultant to Conduct Good Agricultural Practices to Identify Food System Actors at Helen Keller International

The name Helen Keller is known around the world as a symbol of courage in the face of overwhelming odds, yet she was much more than a symbol. She was a woman of luminous intelligence, high ambition and great accomplishment who devoted her life to helping others. Helen Keller, our co-founder, envisioned a world without barriers to human potential. Guided by her fierce optimism, we have been working on the front lines of health and well-being for more than 100 years. Working in 19 countries across Africa and Asia-as well as in the United States-we are dedicated to eliminating preventable vision loss, malnutrition, and diseases of poverty.

Job Type : Full Time

Qualification : MBA/MSc/MA

Experience : 10 years

Location : Bauchi , Kebbi , Sokoto States Nigeria

Job Field : Agriculture / Agro-Allied , Consultancy

A. Background

USAID Advancing Nutrition is the Agency’s flagship multi-sectoral nutrition project, led by JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. (JSI), and a diverse group of experienced partners. Launched in September 2018, USAID Advancing Nutrition implements nutrition interventions across sectors and disciplines for USAID and its partners. The project’s multi-sectoral approach draws together global nutrition experience to design, implement, and evaluate programs that address the root causes of malnutrition. Committed to using a systems approach, USAID Advancing Nutrition strives to sustain positive outcomes by building local capacity, supporting behavior change, and strengthening the enabling environment to save lives, improve health, build resilience, increase economic productivity, and advance development. In Nigeria, the project aims to meet the following objectives

B. Objectives of the Project

Objective 1: Strengthen multi-sectoral linkages and coordination through technical assistance to the Government of Nigeria, the Mission, and implementing partners
Objective 2: Support the Government of Nigeria to strengthen wasting prevention and treatment services
Objective 3: Generate evidence and test innovative approaches to improve nutrition programming and inform future designs
In FY22, USAID Advancing Nutrition organized consultation workshops with various food systems actors across the implementing states to select priority value chain/food groups. Stakeholders identified issues related to capacity and technical know-how as some of the challenges hindering high production and productivity of Cowpea, Soybeans, Groundnut, OFSP, Millet, Rice, Maize and Dark Green Leafy Vegetables.

As part of the USAID Advancing Nutrition effort to strengthen the state level food systems activities, the project is seeking to contract competent and experienced facilitators to conduct these trainings in the selected states of Bauchi, Kebbi, and Sokoto. The objective of the training is to build and strengthen the capacity of the Agric Extension Agents, Women in Agriculture members, and lead farmers on good agricultural practices. The training will prepare the participants with requisite skills on land preparation, seeds/planting materials selection, planting, weeding, pest and disease control, harvesting and post-harvest handling/storage with special reference to the value chains of Cowpea, Soybeans, Groundnut, OFSP, Millet, Rice, quality protein maize, Dark Green Leafy Vegetables. These trainings will enable the participants to step down the training to other farmers within their catchment areas. Emphasis on Striga and its management/control, Agro-ecosystem analysis (AESA), farmer group formation, dynamics & management and elements of farming as a business.

C. Schedules and Deliverables

The contractor is responsible for the timely submission of the following deliverables, as part of the SOW

Deliverable Name
Desk review, develop and agenda and training package/slides
Conduct trainings across Bauchi, Kebbi and Sokoto
Write and submit activity reports to include pre-and-post test results of participants’ performance.
The total LOE is approximately 30 days. All required deliverables and reports shall be submitted to the Technical Advisor, USAID Advancing Nutrition
D. Tentative Timeline

The anticipated duration to complete this task is 30 LOE non-consecutive, between April 1 to May 31, 2023.
E. Ethical and Legal Matters

The ownership of the draft and final documentation belongs to the agency and the funding donor exclusively. The document, or publication related to it, will not be shared with anybody except USAID Advancing Nutrition has approved of it. USAID Advancing Nutrition is to be the main addressee of the report. USAID Advancing Nutrition is likely to share the training report with the following groups:

Donors
Various coordination bodies
Government stakeholders
For independent consultancies, the consultant must not have any links to project management or any other conflict of interest that would interfere with the independence of the activity.

F. Intellectual Property Right

All documentation related to the assignment (whether or not in the course of duties) shall remain the sole and exclusive property of USAID Advancing Nutrition.
G. Consultant

Qualifications

The consultant will have the following minimum qualifications:

Minimum of a master’s degree in Agriculture, Agric-Economics, Agronomy, Crop Science.
10+ years of experience in agriculture, Value chain, food security and food systems programming
High facilitation skills
Experience in Food Security and agriculture-based programming will be an added advantage
Extensive experience in conducting capacity building
Experience in writing high-level reports.
Proficient in English and the local language (written and oral).

Have strong communication skills
Strong personal discipline and capacity to respect deadlines, even if under pressure.
The ability to work closely in a team, to be patient, adaptable and flexible.

Relevant experience in similar work will be an added advantage.
Terms & Conditions

This is a local posting in Nigeria, and as such, is subject to local terms and conditions.

In the spirit of our founder and namesake, Helen Keller is dedicated to building an inclusive workforce where diversity is fully valued.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer where all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need to request an accommodation during the application or interview process, please contact us at the email above.

Method of Application

Interested and qualified candidates should forward their CV to: [email protected] using the position as subject of email.

Application Ends on March 14.. Apply Now!