Consultant - Training on Local Greenhouse Technology for Smallholder Farmers Under the Prosell Project at Oxfam

Objectives of the Consultancy

• The main objective of this consultancy is to acquire the services of a qualified individual(s) or firm for the purpose of training and capacity building of smallholder farmers, mainly women and young people, on greenhouse technology using locally available materials and processes.

Specifically, the consultancy will be expected to:

• Develop training manuals covering important sections of greenhouse production, construction, production management for productivity and profit;
• Deliver training to selected representatives of smallholders, extension workers from the States Agricultural Development Program (ADP), and project staff from across project locations on greenhouse production techniques, improvement practices, and sustainability planning. The training will adopt a training of trainers approach.
• Demonstrate how to practically construct and set-up local greenhouse facilities suitable and appropriate for small-scale production by women and young people. One greenhouse demonstration site will be established in each of the project LGAs for this purpose.
• Provide hands-on training for participants on the construction of investment outlays, risk management, efficient running of the greenhouses, and marketing / sales strategies among others.
• Develop appropriate monitoring and evaluation systems to periodically assess progress made by participants in the implementation of the project;
• Provide three months (or 90 days) post-training hand- holding support services to the project in order to ensure proper foot holding of the new knowledge.

Methodology
The following mix of methods will be expected to be adopted for the consultancy service:

• Structured class room training using adult learning methods with PowerPoint presentation and audio-visual materials;
• Onsite practical demonstration sessions using field training workshop (FTW) approach;
• Group works and syndicate sessions;
• Mentoring and coaching methods to support participants to best understand the core principles and to acquire needed skills
• Learning tour of Taraba State Greenhouse Farm at the University and State's College of Agriculture.

Training Locations

• The training would be conducted in Taraba State with travels to the six implementing LGAs as may be required.

Qualifications and Experience

• An Advanced Degree in Agronomy, Crop Production, Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, Sustainable and Inclusive Agriculture or other related fields.
• Cognate and requisite experience in greenhouse production management, greenhouse construction, precision farming, farm management, farm quality assurance, and farm project establishment.
• Demonstrated capacity in integrating gender equality and diversity concerns in programming, advocacy, monitoring and evaluation.
• Extensive experience in livelihood programmes and projects, preferably in northern Nigeria and with appropriate experience in mentoring and coaching.
• Sound knowledge of resilience programming, rural development, rural livelihoods enterprise, family farming, agricultural markets and agricultural private sector actors.
• Excellent training facilitation skills, report writing, and capacity assessment skills.