Hiring a National Consultant to conduct technical investigation, IEC material update and development,

and TOT training courses on improved chicken raising and income generation livelihood

The Project “Improving nutritional status of ethnic minority children living in Northern mountainous areas” will be implemented in Sop Cop & Bac Yen District, Son La Province. The main objectives are:

• Project essential documents (implementation guidelines, training manuals and IEC materials on maternal and child nutrition care and NSA) are finalized.
• Relevant staff (from Heath, Agriculture sectors and Women’s Union) at commune and district levels have increased capacity to promote and carry out maternal and child nutritional care to targeted households
• Relevant staff (from Heath, Agriculture sectors and Women Union) at commune and district levels have increased capacity to promote and implement nutrition-sensitive agriculture models

The rates of underweight and stunting in Sop Cop and Bac Yen were very high, at 24.7% and 59.0%, respectively. One of the main causes of child malnutrition in these two districts is that 90% of the daily meals of children and pregnant women do not have enough four food groups. Most of these meals lack protein, fat, minerals and vitamins. The food supply of households such as raising chickens, vegetable gardens at home and on the fields is inefficient, leading to a lack of food groups in daily meals. During the preliminary investigation in March 2021, SC identified one of the nutrition sensitive agriculture models for the project area is chicken farming. However, due to the improper application of techniques, the chicken raising effectiveness is very low. The survival rate when chickens reach 6 months old is only 20-30%. In addition, the poverty rate in the project commune is quite high: in some communes, this rate ranges from 35% - 50%, or even up to 70%. Therefore, people do not have enough cash to buy food supplements for their daily meals.

The project will conduct a technical survey to assess the current context of chicken farming, and simultaneously determine the most suitable income-generating livelihood activities for local people. The results of the survey will be the foundation for updating technical requirements for the improved chicken farming model and developing the income-generating livelihood model for households. On that basis, training and IEC materials on improved chicken raising will be updated and completed. The project will develop the training and IEC materials on income generation livelihood. Following that, the project will organize TOT training courses to raise awareness and strengthening capacity of district and commune officials on nutrition sensitive agriculture models and income-generating livelihood models. Therefore, the project will recruit an experienced consultant to improve the effectiveness of chicken raising and promote household income-generating activities, thereby improving the food supply for daily meals of target households, contributing to the mitigatigation child malnutrition in the project area.

Objectives of the Consultancy

• Update technical requirements for an improved chicken farming model to limit the inadequacies in the current status of household chicken farming in the locality, thereby improving the effectiveness of the chicken raising model, contributing to increase income for households, improving the food supply for daily meals of the target group, and strengthening the repopulation to sustainably maintain household chicken flocks.
• Identify suitable income-generating livelihood activities to local and household conditions. Accordingly, develop technical requirements for that livelihood model.
• Update IEC materials and training materials on improved chicken raising. Develop IEC materials on household income-generating activities.
• Raise awareness and build skills for commune and district officials on farmer-centred training methods, improved techniques for household chicken raising, and income-generating livelihood activities. After being trained, these officers have enough knowledge and skills to effectively train households with similar topics.

Location and official travel involved

The Consultants will be based outside the SCI office. Consultant is responsible for using his/her own IT equipment. The Consultants will be required to travel to Son La province. Any required travel will need approval by SCI in accordance with SCI’s Travel Policy.

Services the Consultant will provide

Task 1.  Conduct a survey to update technical requirement for improved chicken farming model and to develop technical requirement for household income-generating model that are locally suitable

1.    The Consultant will conduct a survey on the current situation of household chicken raising in the locality, including the following survey contents: i/ Current results of household chicken raising with the main criterion of survival rate up to 6 months old, mortality rate of chickens at each stage of development and its main causes, ii/ inadequacies in chicken care, feeding and disease prevention techniques, and iii/ on the above basis, discussion with the people and village officials on improving these inadequate techniques.

The Consultant is required to develop a technical protocol for the survey, which will use FGD, in-depth interviews with commune and district officials, combined with field transect observations and household interview. The Consultant should refer to the experience of chicken raising development of similar projects that have been implemented in Son La and the mountainous Northern provinces to propose suitable improved chicken farming model for local conditions. The improved chicken raising model should achieve the following goals:

• Increasing household income through selling products (chicken, breeding chicks, eggs),
• Improve the food supply (chicken and eggs) for the meals of children and pregnant women
• Sustain household chicken flocks by improving the effectiveness of chicken repopulation

Simultaneously, the improved chicken farming model must meet the following requirements:

• Chicken species are suitable to local natural conditions, and must have meat and egg.
• Technical Improvement is only happen in some stages of the current local chicken raising. The improved techniques should be suitable to the level/experience of the farmers.
• Do not cause conflicts within the local community, do not exclude poor households, and do not negatively affect the environment.

2.    Besides, also in this survey, the consultant will support the provincial technical staff to identify suitable income-generating livelihood models for household, thereby developing technical requirements for the livelihood model.

The result of the survey must be shared and achieve mutual agreement among communal and district partners.

Task 2. Update and Develop training and IEC communication materials for the TOT course

Based on the results of task 1, the Consultant is required to complete a number of tasks related to the improved chicken raising model:

• Update technical requirements for the improved chicken raising model
• Update training materials for TOT training, including training agenda and handouts for TOT students. The training program must include discussion of current technical inadequacies, classroom training to practice the farmer-centred training skills, and a focus on practicing vaccination for chickens.
• Update training materials for farmer training including training agenda and handout for farmer trainees
• Update IEC materials on improved chicken farming model. This document will be used in the TOT and farmer training, and for monitoring and supervision activities as well.
• Support provincial officials for the development of training materials for TOT and farmer classes, and to develop IEC documents on livelihood activities

Task 3. Conducting TOT training in 02 project districts

The consultant will conduct 02 TOT training courses for Sop Cop district and Bac Yen district. The purpose of this training course is to equip participants with knowledge and skills to effectively apply the improved techniques of the chicken raising model, as well as the techniques for household income-generating activities. In addition, the training will equip effective farmer training skills. Participants include district and commune technicians, women's unions, farmers' unions, and commune youth representatives.

During this training session, the Consultant will support provincial officials to train techniques for income-generating livelihood activities.

Experience and skill set required

• Master’s degree in Livestock Science
• Have at least 15 years of working experience.
• Have extensive experiences in chicken raising, pig raising and household income-generating activities in ethnic communities in the mountainous Northern region.
• Have experience in conducting training on chicken and pig farming for district/commune technicians and for mountainous ethnic communities
• Have experience in developing IEC materials on chicken raising, pig raising and income generating activities for ethnic minority communities in the mountainous Northern region.
• Have experience in working with ethnic minority communities in the North.

How to apply

Proposals should be sent to [email protected] by 10:00 AM on 5 September 2022 at the latest.

• CVs
• financial Proposal

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Organization: Save the Children
Location:
Application deadline: 2022-09-05
Send application to: [email protected]