Consultancy Services for "Supporting Organic Production for Cinnamon Value Chain in Lao Cai"

TERMS OF REFERENCE

WORK PACKAGE FOR
SUPPORTING ORGANIC PRODUCTION FOR CINNAMON VALUE CHAIN IN LAO CAI

The project: “Women’s Economic Empowerment through Agriculture Value Chain Enhancement” (WEAVE)

1. Background

SNV Netherlands Development Organisation has been working in Vietnam since 1995. Using market-based approaches, SNV is committed to reducing poverty by catalysing inclusive, gender sensitive and environmentally sustainable solutions for the poor in agriculture, energy, water & sanitation, and REDD+ with essential cross-cutting themes of climate change, women’s economic empowerment and inclusive business.

Currently, SNV, together with our consortium partners, CARE and Oxfam is implementing the Women’s Economic Empowerment through Agriculture Value Chain Enhancement project (WEAVE) funded by the Australian Government. WEAVE aims to address barriers to women’s full participation in the banana, cinnamon and pork value chains, and better support women’s genuine economic empowerment. We will link women producers and entrepreneurs with each other to increase opportunities for women’s collective action, and will strengthen links between women and other value chain actors to create opportunities for women’s economic participation. By working to overcome these gender-based barriers to social and economic development, WEAVE will contribute to overall poverty reduction and the promotion of gender equality in Lao Cai and Bac Kan provinces.

SNV’s role focuses on the development of a higher profit cinnamon value chain for Lao Cai province as a vehicle of women economic empowerment. SNV aims to introduce sustainable production practices with added value by supporting cinnamon organic certification in project’s site and presenting sustainable standards and practices to cinnamon farmers, Cinnamon Farmer Interest Groups (FIGs) with focus on women’s economic empowerment theme. The pilot model covering 200 cinnamon farmers at Nam Det commune, Bac Ha district, Lao Cai province are expected to be equipped necessary capacity to move forward to cinnamon organic practices and being granted cinnamon organic certification as a way for achieving higher profit cinnamon value chain.

2. Consultancy services

General objectives of this assignment aims to: i) assess the current capacity and context of cinnamon farmers to propose interventions for obtaining cinnamon organic certification; ii) increase capacity for cinnamon farmers to apply sustainable standards in their cinnamon production; and iii) guide cinnamon farmers on procedures to obtain cinnamon organic certification.

3. Scope of work

The activities to be carried by the consultants will be essentially composed of the followings:

• Assess the current status of cinnamon production in Nam Det commune, set up database (e.g. data collection on farmers; mapping and develop production profiles) and propose project’s interventions to help cinnamon farmers obtaining cinnamon organic certification
• Develop and conduct trainings cinnamon organic production & Internal Control System (ISC), and develop profiles FIGs for obtaining organic certification
• Internal assessments on organic cinnamon application in Nam Det commune
• Support farmers/FIGs to undertake any corrective actions identified by certification body

4. Deliverables

• Assessment report: which assess feasibility of cinnamon organic production, cost-benefit analysis of obtaining organic certification and propose practical solutions on progress of support cinnamon farmers in Nam Det obtaining cinnamon organic certification.
• One set of document on organic cinnamon production (i.e. Training curriculum for cinnamon farmers covering topics of Internal Control System, record book for farmers; Training report)
• Short assessment report with practical recommendations

5. Timeframe:

The assignment will be undertaken in the period from middle of June to Dec 2018. The number of exact days will be discussed and agreed with the selected consultants later

6. Requirement

The individual or group of consultant team should meet the following requirements:

• Vietnamese citizen
• Having good understanding on organic standard, good agriculture practices  
• Proven experience in developing training program and training materials to local stakeholders and local people in good agriculture production
• Having experienced in supply chain management in private sector/enterprises
• Working experience with farmers local and communities will be an advantage.
• Any experience with organic coconut will be an advantage
• Being able to deliver the committed outputs on time;
• University background on agriculture or biology;
• Strong capacity and experience in delivering trainings on agricultural sustainable production
• Demonstrate strong knowledge on spice sector especially in cinnamon

7. Submission of the Proposal

Interested consultant(s) are invited to send their technical proposal and financial proposal with the title “Supporting organic production for cinnamon value chain in Lao Cai province” by 15 June 2018 to: SNV Netherlands Development Organisation, 3rd floor, D Building, La Thanh hotel, 218 Doi Can, Ba Dinh, Hanoi, Email: [email protected] 

Only short-listed applications will be contacted for interviews.

The technical and financial proposals should cover the following components:

Technical proposal template

Table of contents

I. Understanding of the ToR……………………………………………………………

II. Methodology/ Approach……………………………………………………………
2.1     Activity………………………………………………………………………………………
2.2     Task…………………………………………………………………………………………

III. Deliverables ………………………………………………………………………

IV. Work-plan …………………………………………………………………………

V. Staffing plan………………………………………………………………………

Financial proposal template

Table of contents

I. Staff cost ………………………………………………………………………………………
1.1     Name of the consultants/ position……………………………………………
1.2     Input …………………………………………………………………………………………
1.3     Daily rate………………………………………………………………………………
1.4     Total cost ………………………………………………………………………………

II. Operational costs/ other costs ………………………………………………