RECRUITMENT OF CONSULTANTS
FOR THE REALIZATION OF TECHNICAL TRAINING

Terms of reference

July 2023

Background and rationale
The project “Women’s Empowerment for Resilient Economies and Peaceful Communities in the East and Adamaoua Regions of Cameroon where Refugees Live” funded by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) (2021-2024 ) aims to contribute to economic growth and social cohesion between refugee and host communities through the development of women’s entrepreneurship and cooperatives in agricultural value chains. The project will adopt local economic development and market-based approaches to build the capacity of women entrepreneurs and cooperatives, while creating opportunities in selected agricultural value chains. In parallel,

The context in which the project will be implemented is very unstable: Cameroon hosts the largest population of refugees from the Central African Republic (CAR) of more than 290,000 refugees, mainly in the East and Adamaoua regions. . While many refugees have been displaced for several years, and some for more than a decade, refugees from CAR continue to arrive. In December 2020 alone, nearly 5,000 people arrived in the east following election-related violence in CAR. More than 70% of Central African refugees live in host communities, putting pressure on limited resources and services, while the remaining 30% reside in camps run by humanitarian organizations.

The project “Empowering Women for Resilient Economies and Peaceful Communities in the East and Adamaoua Regions of Cameroon, where refugees live” (2021-2024) is implemented in the East Regions and Adamaoua and will primarily target refugees from the Central African Republic, internally displaced persons and host communities. More specifically, the project aims to contribute to the revitalization of economies and social cohesion between refugees and host communities through the development of female entrepreneurship in selected agricultural value chains.

The project pursues four (4) interdependent objectives:  
 
1. Strengthen local institutions and promote enabling mechanisms for inclusive economic development, social cohesion and community well-being: under this objective, the project aims to work with municipalities and other local stakeholders in East and Adamaoua to create a local economic development forum, select, design and pilot interventions in key agricultural value chains, build the capacity of business and cooperative service providers, and assist refugees and members of host communities to access national and international markets.
2. Support women refugees, internally displaced persons and host populations to establish sustainable, thriving and green agricultural enterprises and cooperatives: Under this objective, the project will build the capacity of women entrepreneurs and cooperatives to create sustainable businesses and facilitate access to suitable financial services.
3. Facilitate access of refugees and host populations to social protection and HIV/AIDS prevention and protection services: Under this objective, the project will work with local partners to adapt programs social protection and HIV/AIDS prevention and protection to the needs of refugees and host communities, and facilitate access to these services.
4. Generate and share knowledge on best practices to support women’s economic empowerment in situations of forced displacement: Under this final objective, the project aims to contribute to learning and knowledge generation while throughout its implementation.

As part of the activities of component 2, the project plans to recruit 3 national consultants to carry out technical training for host populations, refugees and internally displaced persons, beneficiaries of the project. They are:

• 1 expert in agroecology;
• 1 expert in food processing;
• 1 expert in the management/recovery of agricultural waste.

Overall objective  
In close coordination with the experts in Women’s Entrepreneurship and in the Development of Cooperatives, the consultants/experts will be deployed in the 16 municipalities of the project, each in their field for practical technical training of the beneficiaries.

Specific objectives  
Specifically, this will involve improving production, processing and waste management/recovery systems from activities along the cassava, maize and broiler chicken value chains. The Consultants will therefore have to build the capacities of the leaders of cooperatives, women’s associations and individual entrepreneurs.

Missions of the Consultants/Experts

The missions of each consultant/expert are as follows:
1. Consultant/expert in agroecology:

• In collaboration with the Regional Delegations of MINADER Est and Adamaoua , he or she will have to strengthen the knowledge and skills of maize and cassava producers in agroecological production techniques;
• Develop a module on agro-ecological production and put the training on a video support;
• Develop, in collaboration with the ILO-KOICA project team, a strategy for multiplying training in agroecology among beneficiaries.

2. Consultant/Expert in Agrifood Processing 

• Train cooperatives, women’s associations and individual entrepreneurs on cassava processing techniques, particularly in Gari, starch, bread flour, cosettes, pastry products, glue and any other innovative cassava product;
• Train cooperatives, women’s associations and individual entrepreneurs on techniques for drying, storing and processing maize, particularly into flour, starch, bread flour, pastry products, and any other innovative product made from maize;
• Strengthen the capacities of cooperatives, women’s associations and individual entrepreneurs on good hygiene practices and conservation techniques for processed products;
• Build the capacities of target groups on issues related to agri-food standards for target value chains.

3. Consultant/expert in agricultural waste management/recycling
• Strengthen the capacities of target groups on issues of reduction, reuse and recycling of waste from production and/or processing processes in the maize, cassava and broiler chicken value chains;
• Train the target groups on techniques for recycling waste from the target value chains, particularly in animal feed, ecological charcoal, compost, biogas and any other product that may result from the process of recycling waste from the target value chains;
• Strengthen the capacities of target groups on issues related to pollution and its effects on the environment;
• Strengthen the capacities of target groups on the notions of circular economy and the creation of green jobs.

Methodological Approach
Since these technical training courses are intended for adults, the andragogical method should be used to transmit knowledge to the target groups. The training will be carried out in groups of 35 to 50 participants. The mission will take place in three important stages:
1. The development of theoretical training modules in accordance with the missions listed above. These modules will be validated by the project team before any field trip for practical training.
2. Practical training will be carried out in the field with the target groups. These trainings will last from 1 to 3 days depending on the type of training to be carried out. This practical training phase should be an important part of the training cycle. During this phase of practical training in the field, the consultant will have to produce a 30 to 45 min video of the training session(s) with the target groups. The video must be able to resume the essential points of the training with a narrative allowing to reproduce the key points of the training and obtain the same results.
3. Preparation of the final training report
The final report of the training should include the training agenda, lists of participants, materials and documents used during the training, photos, evaluation of satisfaction with the training and evaluation of the knowledge acquired by the learners, recommendations and lessons learned.

Each consultant/expert in his technical proposal should make sure that the proposed modules are in accordance with his missions listed above and cover the different aspects desired for the training of the target groups.
Methods of implementation, timetable
The consultant, each in his field, will work under the supervision of the Technical Advisor, the experts in Women’s Entrepreneurship and in the Development of Cooperatives, of the BIT KOICA project.
The service will take place from August 15 to December 10, 2023.
The service provider will propose a financial offer for an effort estimated at 40 days.
Qualifications required  
Consultant/Expert in Agroecology Required qualifications include:  
• Agricultural Engineer or other relevant specialties;
• Demonstrated professional experience in agroecology and food production.
• Experience in training, popularization and animation of practical workshops.
• Have at least 4 years of experience in adult training;
• Good facilitation and presentation skills;
• Linguistic knowledge: proficiency in French. Knowledge of a local language of the Eastern Region or Adamaoua would be an asset.
•
 Consultant/Expert in Food Processing
Required qualifications include:  
• Engineer in food industries or other relevant specialties;
• Demonstrated professional experience in agro-industry and agricultural product processing techniques;
• Experience in training, extension and facilitation of practical workshops;
• Have at least 4 years of experience in adult training;
• Good facilitation and presentation skills;
• Linguistic knowledge: proficiency in French. Knowledge of a local language of the Eastern Region or Adamaoua would be an asset.

Consultant/expert in the management/recycling of agricultural waste

Qualifications required include:  
• Environmental engineer or other relevant specialty;
• Demonstrated professional experience in the management and recovery of agricultural waste;
• Experience in training, extension and facilitation of practical workshops;
• Have at least 4 years of experience in adult training;
• Good facilitation and presentation skills;
• Linguistic knowledge: proficiency in French. Knowledge of a local language of the Eastern Region or Adamaoua would be an asset.

Submission of applications 
Interested candidates must submit the following documents:  
– A letter of motivation addressed to the Director of the ILO Technical Support Team for Decent Work for Central Africa and ILO Country Office for Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Sao Tome-et-Principe. The letter must specify the field of training requested;
– A CV, specifying the Consultant’s/expert’s experience in the field of training requested;
– A brief technical proposal, which will include a technical plan that will enable the objectives to be achieved in an efficient manner. It should highlight the important activities to be carried out, as well as the deadlines and provisional dates on which these activities will be carried out.
– A financial proposal indicating the daily rate of fees, per diem (accommodation and nutrition) and transport. The number of days required for the development of the theoretical modules is estimated at 8 days and that for the drafting of the end-of-training reports at 2 days (takes into account only the consultant’s fees, no per diem or transport) and the number of days of practical training in the field to 30 days (take into account fees, per diem and transport).
The technical and financial proposals must be submitted in two separate files.

The deadline for submitting applications is August 10, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. Cameroon time.

Applications should be submitted by email to bertoua@ilo.org.