Request for proposals (RFP): Training of field Staff in Business Entrepreneurship Development and Mentorship (RFP: PAFID/001/06/2022)

Terms of Reference (TOR)

Background

Participatory Approaches for Integrated Development (PAFID) is a Kenyan NGO registered with the NGOs coordination board in 2005 to uplift the living standards of Kenya’s rural population by integrating development intervention to increase the productivity and income of smallholder farmers. PAFID is sub-contracted to implement Farm to Market Alliance (FtMA), an initiative of the World Food Program (WFP) with the mission of making markets work better for smallholder farmers. Through a demand-led approach, FtMA works with local agricultural ecosystem players to sustainably improve farmer livelihoods whilst fostering the commercial viability of value chain stakeholders. The interventions under this programme are aimed at unlocking the sorghum, maize, soya beans, rice and Irish potato value chains to enhance the participation of smallholder farmers through increasing their marketable surplus thereby improving their livelihoods. The program works across 13 counties in Kenya ( Busia, Siaya, Bungoma, Kakamega, Kisumu, Homabay, Migori, Narok, Elgeyo Marakwet, Nakuru, Nyandarua, Meru and Tharaka Nithi) with PAFID training smallholder farmers, private and public sector actors in Climate Resilience Agriculture and Agroforestry. Activities in each county are coordinated by an Agribusiness coordinator (AC) through the Farmer Service Center (FSC) model.  The Farmer Service Center model focuses on rural entrepreneurs, aggregators, farmer groups and or cooperatives as a key service hub connecting private sector partners with smallholder farmers. They play a key role in bridging the first and last-mile gap between value chain players and smallholder farmers in a cost-effective and timely manner. The FSCs act as a bridge that provides solutions to smallholder farmers’ needs in improving on-farm productivity and profitability.

CA and AF components’ main goal is to increase farmers’ resilience to climate change resulting in increased yield and income. The strategic objectives are threefold:

1. To Increase the capacity of FtMA field teams, partners, area representatives and MoA staff by training them to transfer knowledge on CA, best farming practices and promote agroforestry
2. To transfer knowledge to farmers on CA, best farming practices and agroforestry through demonstrations, field days and group learning interactions
3. To increase the capacity of mechanization service providers (MSP) to offer the best land preparation techniques associated with CA

The adoption of Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) depends on building a sustainable service provision plan by MSPs and smallholder farmers. FSCs are at the core of service delivery by mobilizing and coordinating with MSPs, and Spray Service Providers (SSPs) to offer services to Smallholder Farmers (SHFs) whilst earning commission.  It is envisaged that additional skills in customer care, business development, negotiation and opportunity mapping will be ideal to FSC. The training should focus on:

• Skills to convince farmers to adopt productivity-enhancing and cost-saving technologies
• Skills to convince MSPs to invest in CA equipment as a viable business opportunity
• Business plan development that can attract financial support from banks
• Entrepreneurship skills and opportunity mapping
• General leadership skills
• Record keeping and financial literacy
• Business start-up (Farming as a business, MSP, SSP, aggregator)

Scope of the assignment

FtMA aims to build sustainable demand-led value chains based on long-term linkages between smallholder farmers, mechanization service providers (MSP), sprayer service providers (SSP), off-takers and other key market players such as suppliers of agricultural finance, inputs and technical expertise. We seek to build the capacity of ACs in business and commercial skills to support FSCs, MSPs and SSPs to support the adoption of CA and investment in the CA-related types of equipment.

Beneficiary Scope

• PAFID FtMA Staff

Deliverables

1. Inception meeting with PAFID
2. Conduct training needs assessment to inform training content
3. Create a training curriculum and material to be used during and after 3–5-day training
4. Hold training events. The training should include:

• Business training (General leadership skills, negotiation tactics, partner engagement, opportunity mapping, business plan creation and verification, basic accountancy)
• Different approaches to mentorship and coaching for rural agricultural entrepreneurs
• Vision casting and setting actionable goals
• Time management, planning and prioritization
• Establish a simple concise mentoring and coaching program for AC to implement with their FSC pool over the coming 6 months to improve the FSCs service delivery and business venture
• Develop tools that ACs can use in their day-to-day mentorship and coaching of FSCs

Phases and Deliverables

The assignment will be implemented over a period not exceeding one month based on the discussions and agreement with PAFID.

Qualifications

1. At least 5 years of experience in conducting similar activities in offering business training to empower field staff to be confident in mentoring agribusinesses in the same context (ToT approach)
2. The technical proposal should indicate at least two similar projects and contacts of relevant persons who can be contacted for reference purposes
3. The technical proposal should outline the names and qualifications of the lead consultant(s)
4. The financial proposal (Kes) should be submitted in an excel spreadsheet alongside the technical proposal. It must specify the cost against sub-activities and provide a short justification for each cost. PAFID will cover the travel and hotel costs for the 20 trainees and so this should not be costed.

Fees and Expenses

PAFID will negotiate the terms of the consultancy with the consultant. Submission of the deliverables will be linked to payments.

Submission of proposals

Eligible consultants are invited to submit their Technical and Financial proposals (Comprising their understanding of the assignment, approach, methodology and statement of capacity) and cost not later than 17^th June 2022 at 5.00 pm. The consultants are requested to quote a fee that will cover all their costs except for the meeting venues and trainees’ accommodation whose costs will be met by the project.

The proposal in soft copy should be submitted to:

The Project Director,

PAFID Kenya Office.

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.   

Cc:  Anthony Nyongesa (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) and Colin Gunson (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. )