Consultancy for ITC GRASP Project

Term of Reference of the consultant for

‘Capacity strengthening of SMEs and ABSPs on quality, value addition and food safety compliance through smart technologies’.

The Project

GRASP is a six-year project designed to reduce poverty in Pakistan by strengthening small-scale agribusinesses in two provinces: Sindh and Balochistan. The Project will help small and medium-sized enterprises in horticulture and livestock become more competitive by making improvements at all levels of the value chain. GRASP is implemented by the International Trade Centre – the joint agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization – with active participation from local partners. The project is funded by the delegation of the European Union to Pakistan.

GRASP will take a holistic approach to building MSME competitiveness in agribusiness value chains starting from a deep understanding of markets and working back through the value chain to enable MSMEs and ultimately producers to create and capture additional value. To do this, GRASP will implement three outputs:

• Output-1. Institutional capacity strengthened and business environment improved for rural MSME development
• Output-2. Agribusiness service providing MSMEs (run by Male/Female) and their BIOs are capacitated to enhance primary production and quality.
• Output-3. Commercially operating MSMEs Male/Female) are trained in appropriate environmentally sustainable technologies value and enhance marketed volumes.

Background:

Under output-02 of GRASP Implementation Plan, ITC GRASP conducted demonstration of Climate Smart Technologies in two technologies that is 1. Mango de-sapping/hot water treatment 2. Silage making for livestock in Sindh last year in coordination with GRASP Partners. The participants comprised of Farmer Marketing Collectives (FMC)s, Agribusiness Service Providers (ABSPs) and SMEs from GRSASP target districts.

During these pilot demonstrations the need for and importance of scaling-up the activity was realized and it was, after internal detailed discussions, decided to conduct similar and additional CSA technology demonstrations through expert consultants in GRASP target districts of Sindh around GRASP Value Chains.

Key purpose of this initiative is to improve performance of the FMCs and ABSPs/SMEs members for improved business environment and competitiveness in the province. This initiative will directly contribute to enhancing the capacity of the FMCs and ABSPs/SMEs in areas of value addition and entrepreneurship.

Process:

GRASP ITS Sindh team will engage expert of respective value chains to undertake CSA technology demonstrations in target districts of Sindh and make sure that all the training material is developed keeping in view the needs and requirements of the trainees, is easy to understand and translated in local language.

Total 260 beneficiaries will be trained in CSA technologies i.e. 200 from FMCs and 60 from ABSPs/SMEs in target districts of Sindh. In this connection, a basic criterion will be developed in consultation with the trainers in addition to TNA conducted in the first week of the commencement of the plan.

Deliverables:

Training needs assessment will be done by the expert trainer in target districts to finalize the training plan in accordance with the CSA technologies and project Value Chains.

• Identification of demonstrations sites + venders and facilitation in procuring the demonstration equipment
• Design training material in local language after the finalization of the participants.
• Conduct around 12 training sessions of two days each (one day for theoretical and one day for practical demonstration) for the FMC and ABSP/SME members in target districts.
• Final report of the capacity building programs submitted by the expert trainers on demonstrations sessions.

CSA Technologies:

GRASP Sindh team has finalized following CSA technologies for demonstrations following chart highlights the technologies and the tentative trainings venues:

Methodology:

GRASP, ITC Sindh office will engage one expert trainer CSA technology demonstrations who has sufficient practical experience and qualifications in respective sector, is well-known with the local agricultural/livestock CSA technologies with excellent communication skills in addition to linkages with leading organizations/firms/companies working on selected value chains.

The expert trainers will conduct an assessment of the value chains, needs and requirements of the proposed trainees, local resources available for the demonstration technologies, available facilities for exposer/demonstration of the respective technologies in the province and out of Province.

The identification of the participants from FMCs, ABSPs/SMEs will be done by GRASP team in consultation with the partners. All other necessary arrangements will also be made by the GRASP ITC in consultation with the expert trainer and partners in respective districts.

It is estimated that 2 trainees from each FMC out of 102 FMCs will be identified making a total of 200 in addition to 60 non-FMC members i.e. ABSPs/SMEs

The exposure sites will be identified by the expert trainer in consultation with GRASP team and necessary arrangements made by GRASP Sindh to facilitate the process.

Throughout the process, cross-cutting themes such as environment and gender mainstreaming will be given due consideration and efforts will be made to ensure 30% women trainees.

Expected Deliverables and Timeline:

Travel

Travel, within the province to conduct trainings. Consultant’s travel and boarding with be facilitated by ITC

Required education, skills and experience:

The consultant should have the following education, skills and experience.

Education:

Master’s degree (or higher) in food technology or a closely related field with sound experience of working in Sindh.

Experience:

15 year experience in relevant field

Sound experience of conducting relevant training

Language proficiency:

English, Urdu and Sindhi

Skills:

• Excellent presentation, training and communication skills
• Strong capacity to design training modules
• Good knowledge of institutions involved in Pakistan at the Federal and provincial level
• Extensive knowledge of institutional and regulatory frameworks in Pakistan
• Excellent report writing skills