TERMS OF REFERENCE
Title:	Capacity Building Curriculum Development Expert – Aqualink
Locations:	Lilongwe
Expected Period:	November 2024 to December 2024

 

1. CASA PROGRAMME OVERVIEW

CASA is an FCDO-International Climate Finance (ICF) funded programme driving global investment for inclusive climate-resilient agri-food systems that increase smallholder incomes. CASA makes the case to impact and return-oriented investors for increased investment in agribusinesses that work with smallholder supply chains. The programme achieves this goal by:

• Demonstrating the commercial viability and investment-readiness of small and medium-sized (SME) agribusinesses with significant smallholder supply chains
• Helping investors to increase the impact of their investments through the provision of inclusive technical assistance
• Strengthening the socio-legal empowerment of smallholders within value chains
• Tackling the information and evidence gaps holding back investment

For demonstrating the commercial and development potential of smallholder sourcing models, CASA focuses on catalytic interventions in the agriculture sectors of Ethiopia, Malawi, Nepal, and Rwanda that support agri-SMEs prepare for and secure investment while connecting smallholders to commercial markets.

 

CASA’s work on research and communications is structured around identifying constraints, opportunities and addressing evidence gaps through research; shaping the debate on smallholder agriculture to influence actions of investors, governments, and donors; and creating networking opportunities through events and stakeholder engagement.

 

2. ASSIGNMENT BACKGROUND

In Malawi’s poultry and aquaculture sectors, smallholder farmers are the predominant players. Despite their vital role, these smallholder fish and poultry producers struggle to meet market demand in terms of both volume and quality. Rising costs of imported and locally produced feed for both sectors continue to impede their ability to produce adequately. To address these challenges, CASA has partnered with AquaLink Services to enhance production efficiency and output among smallholder fish and poultry farmers, ultimately increasing their incomes.

 

This partnership aims to promote sustainable strategies to ensure an affordable and consistent supply of feed for both poultry and fish. Specifically, it will encourage the use of Black Soldier Fly as the main protein source for feeding chickens and fish among smallholder farmers who supply their fish and poultry to processing and marketing enterprises, many of which are working with CASA as implementing partners. This initiative is designed to reduce production costs, boost the commercialization efforts of smallholder farmers, and enhance their climate resilience, providing a viable solution to the productivity issues exacerbated by rising feed costs.

 

In pursuit of this objective, CASA seeks the services of a Short Term Technical Assistant (STTA) who will work with AquaLink Services to refine the design of a prototype for a Black Soldier Fly larvae rearing set and tailor it to the needs of various smallholder fish and poultry farmers. The expert will also build the capacity of AquaLink services in manufacturing the designed units and device guidelines for containing the uncontrolled spread of Black Soldier Flies in the environment from the smallholder farms rearing them.

 

About AquaLink Services Limited

AquaLink Services is a Malawian-owned company established and registered as a partnership in 2020. The company has three partners, each with an equal share in the company. AquaLink Services supplies aquaculture inputs, equipment and related services to smallholder farmers, NGOs and government projects throughout the country. The company has its head office in Lilongwe and three branches in Blantyre, Zomba and Mzuzu. The company is currently piloting a new business model full-scale local production of Black Soldier Fly (BSF) based feed in Malawi, by producing and selling on-farm BSF production units to smallholder farmers whilst also providing technical expertise on the use of the units to the customers.

 

3. OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE OF ASSIGNMENT

In line with Workstream C of the AquaLink project business plan and budget group 2.4, the main objective of this assignment is to build the capacity of AquaLink and its staff in integrating various areas of climate change, who will cascade the training to the frontline staff of CASA’s six poultry and aquaculture SMEs, and to the group leaders of the out-grower groups under the SMEs. Specifically, STTA will

• Conduct a rapid capacity needs assessment (SHFs and Aqualink personnel),
• development of training curriculum and materials and
• Conduct training of trainers for Aqualink personnel and SHFs
• Produce regular progress reports and outputs for relevant project interventions in accordance with communication guidelines and requirements; and,
• Adhere to the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) manual and other relevant requirements of NIRAS Malawi.

 

4. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the overall management of the CASA Market Manager for aquaculture, the Expert will support AquaLink to fully orient the end users of the BSF production units, by building the capacity of the company.

 

The specific tasks of the Expert will include the preparation of the following:

• Inception report, outlining a detailed methodology for the assignment, including a brief training needs assessment for AquaLink´s staff.
• Training curriculum and materials to be used for ToTs for AquaLink staff.
• Training of Trainers report based on ToT to AquaLink staff.
• An assignment completion report outlining the activities conducted as part of the assignment with recommendations for improvement.

 

Deliverable Timelines

 

#	Deliverable	Man-Days
1	Inception Report	1
2	Training curriculum and materials	10
3	Training of Trainers report	3
4	Assignment completion report	1

 

5. ASSIGNMENT MANAGEMENT and DURATION

a. Duration

Expected Start Date: November 2024

Expected End Date: December 2024

 

b. Assignment Days

Up to 15 Workdays.

 

c. Reporting Lines

The consultant will report to the CASA´s Aquaculture Market Manager Aquaculture.

6. 6. REQUIREMENTS and EXPERTISE

Key qualification and field of expertise for the ideal expert are:

• Possession of a bachelor’s degree in agriculture, entomology, or a related field. Those with a master’s degree in the same field will have an added advantage;
• Extensive knowledge and experience in the cultivation, management and use of black soldier flies;
• Demonstrated understanding of the biological, environmental and practical aspects of black soldier fly farming, including optimal rearing conditions, nutritional requirements, waste management techniques and potential applications in various industries such as animal feed production;
• Demonstrable experience in conducting training of trainers;
• Excellent organizational and time management skills;
• Excellent writing and oral communication, listening and interpersonal skills with the ability to deal tactfully and diplomatically with a wide range of people combined with an appreciation of the importance of confidentiality;
• Willingness to take on new tasks at short notice and travel to remote places;
• Ability to make decisions regarding own work, often in ambiguous situations and suggest recommendations regarding own function/discipline;
• Ability to function with minimum guidance and under pre-set procedures with attention to detail; and
• Able to exercise independent judgment within defined policies and practices.

 

7. MODE OF APPLICATION

Applicants should send an EOI comprising the following:

1. An EOI submission letter outlining your suitability for the role and stating your preferred daily rate in GBP (maximum two pages)
2. A proposed methodology for the assignment (Maximum 4 pages)
3. Up to date CV suitably tailored to the TORs concentrating only on relevant experience. Emphasis will be placed on consultancy experience in the last 10 years (Maximum 3 pages)

 

Applications will be evaluated on a rolling basis and we will settle for the first suitable candidate we get even before the deadline.

 

Applications should be received by Thursday, 31^st October 2024. Send applications to rhch@niras.com Indicate the position being applied for in the subject line.