TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR A CONTRACT OF SERVICES ON AGRICULTURE CONSULTANCY

COERR FOUNDATION
Nonprofits / องค์กรไม่แสวงหาผลกำไร
1841
28 Nov 2018
13 December 2018

TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR A CONTRACT OF SERVICES ON AGRICULTURE CONSULTANCY

Introduction

COERR FOUNDATION formerly known as Catholic Office for Emergency Relief and Refugees (COERR) is a Thai NGO which was founded by the Catholic Bishops Conference of Thailand in 1978. Since then it provides humanitarian developmental services to displaced persons living in all nine temporary shelters and affected Thai communities along the Thai-Myanmar Border.

COERR FOUNDATION has been continuously operating as a frontline service provider for providing humanitarian assistance to refugees, as well as to victims of natural disasters in Thailand.

Mission

COERR FOUNDATION aims to proactively render appropriate humanitarian assistance services, particularly to Extremely Vulnerable Individuals (EVIs), that will enable them to live their lives with dignity and encourage them to be productive and caring members of their communities.

Guiding Principles

Community-based ownership
Protection of beneficiaries
Gender equality
Environmental protection
Non-discrimination
Consultation and participation of beneficiaries
Capacity-building
Coordination

2. Project framework

The LEAP project (Livelihoods Enhancement and Acceleration Project) is designed to contribute to the generation of sustainable livelihoods in the 9 camps along the Thai-Myanmar border. The project builds on the results of a previous project implemented in 2017 and 2018 and it is further backed by 17 years of experience of COERR FOUNDATION in the same sector. Following a progressive approach, the intervention has transitioned from a need-based approach towards a strengthened capacity building, community management and networking with key stakeholders for the sustainability of the results.

The acceleration of knowledge and skills for the increase of sustainable food production is the main focus, although other components of the livelihoods approach will be promoted and facilitated, like the creation of self-organized groups and animal banks to create systems for the increase of producers’ self-reliance. The action is meant to support the overall objective of the EC Aid to Uprooted People Thailand Programme contributing to a long-term solution to the challenges encountered by the Myanmar refugees living in the 9 temporary shelters along the Thai Myanmar border by strengthening camp residents’ knowledge and skills on sustainable agriculture-based livelihoods, pursuing strategies that promote self-reliance and empowerment of refugees’

communities and increasing community management of livelihoods in the agriculture sector supporting refugees to prepare for transition to life beyond the camps.

The LEAP Project will be implemented through the continuation of a strong and long-standing partnership between Caritas Spain (the lead applicant) and the local co-applicant COERR FOUNDATION which successfully achieved the objectives of the 2017-2018 project.

In line with the overall goal of the EC-AUP call, this project is designed to contribute to solutions to the challenges encountered by the encamped Myanmar refugees in two operational contexts: i.e., while the refugees continue to live in the camps in Thailand and, simultaneously, to improve their preparedness for repatriation to Myanmar in the near future. In both contexts, this Project will contribute significantly towards increasing self-reliance among the participating refugees while they continue to live in the refugee camps, as well as upon repatriation. Developing their livelihood skills now to promote self-reliance, while we have the opportunity to do so, will have a major impact on preparing them for viable and sustainable lives in Myanmar, and providing them with livelihood skills to help them avoid becoming 'welfare clients' once again, upon returning to their homeland. Furthermore, the two main set of livelihood activities (organic agriculture and small animal raising and micro-business) proposed under the project ensure broad-based inclusiveness, including the most vulnerable and the affected Thai communities.

The project is being implemented in all nine camps along the Thai-Myanmar border, and includes residents of Thai host communities nearby/affected by the camps who choose to participate in this project. The project includes appropriate activities that foster participation of Extremely Vulnerable Individuals (EVIs).

Objectives and Scope of the Consultancy

The selected candidate will have to:

Organize and conduct trainings on organic and low input agriculture to COERR FOUNDATION program officers in the field;
Organize and facilitate trainings in co-op model and other collective systems of rural organization;
Develop trainings methodology and materials for project participants and staff;
Provide technical guidance to COERR FOUNDATION staff in the field to improve productivity and for an effective transfer of technology to participants;
Conduct soil test analysis and provide relevant feed-back and report;
Provide guidance and advice in case of natural disaster affecting the farming activities;
Participate in the relevant project meetings, workshops and knowledge management events;
Assist COERR FOUNDATION staff in the monitoring of farming activities;
Develop technical reports upon request.

The duration of the Consultancy is 2 years, from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2020.

Profile of the consultant

The consultant will have to fulfil the following requirements:

Academic degree in agriculture or similar.
Minimum of 5 years’ recent field experience in low-input organic agriculture production.
Demonstrated experience in organizing and conducting trainings on organic agriculture in the field and in developing training methodology and materials.
Full availability for regular travel to and coverage of 9 project locations for providing technical assistance, monitoring of project activities, and participation in management meetings in Bangkok or elsewhere.
Strong knowledge and experience in development project cycle.
Thai- and English-speaker.
Knowledge of humanitarian context and working in a temporary shelter setting.

Budget and method of payment

The maximum available Budget for the contract of services is THB 2,496,000 (VAT or other taxes included). This budget includes travel costs, accommodations, communications and other miscellaneous costs in order to perform the consultant services as per defined work scopes. The payment method will follow COERR FOUNDATION procedures. The issue of monthly invoices from the consultant for processing the payment will be required.

Submission of the technical and financial offer and evaluation criteria

In order to participate in the tender process, the tenderer must submit its proposal in digital format, according to the data indicated in this TOR, within fifteen (15) calendar days from the announcement date. The technical proposal should focus on the description of the consultant experience and methodological approach. The technical proposal should also include the consultant’s detailed CV. The economic offer should include the proposed monthly fee and should be inclusive of VAT or any other taxes in accordance with Thailand’s related regulation.

Bidders will be informed of their exclusion or success within twelve (12) calendar days from the close date of the submission, which is up to and including 25 December 2018.

The effective date of the contract of services will be 1 January 2019, however it is subject to an approval of the LEAP project grant contract of the European Union, which is currently under negotiation and it is foreseen to be concluded before the end of 2018.

The selected candidate undertakes to execute the contract in its own right, as any third-party assignment or subcontracting is prohibited, unless specifically authorised by COERR FOUNDATION.

The bids submitted will be scored with a possible total of 100 points, broken down as follows:

1. Technical quality of the proposal and its suitability for the purposes fixed: 80 points. The quality of the bid submitted will be scored on the following basis:

Experience of the consultant in the field of organic agriculture;
Academic profile of the consultant;
Experience of the consultant in working with refugees or vulnerable Thai communities in developmental processes.

2. Financial bid submitted: 20 points

Precision and efficiency of the financial offer.

In order for the bids submitted to qualify for evaluation, consultants must accredit their experience in performing similar tasks over the last five years.