Tổ chức Helvetas Thụy Sĩ cần tuyển chuyên gia tư vấn. Hạn nộp hồ sơ: 31/08/2010.
1. Introduction
Helvetas, the Swiss Association for International Cooperation, has started a five-year programme to develop Organic and Fair-Trade Cocoa in Vietnam. The program aims to increase the living standard of the rural population in the southern regions of Vietnam via improved social, economic and environmental conditions related to agriculture. This project will be coordinated by Helvetas and implemented by three project partners: the Nong Lam University, Ben Tre Province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) and Tien Giang Province’s Department of Science and Technology (DOST). The primary target groups for the project are the small-scale farmers in the two selected provinces. At least 2000 farmers will directly benefit from the project through their participation in the training organized by the project and via involvement in the farmer networks to be developed by the program and supported to obtain organic and fair-trade certifications. If successful, the program will have the ability to reach some 10,000 additional farmers in a follow up phase.
Started in 2009, the program has attained encouraging results. After one year of conversion, organic cocoa has been proven technically feasible under the local context. Farmers are able to apply recommended organic cocoa farming techniques such as composting and using ants to control cocoa mirids instead of using agrochemicals. As a result, starting with 22 demonstration farmers in June 2009, there are now 154 local cocoa farmers converting to organic cocoa and the number of converting farmers are expected to increase over time once local farmers are convinced of the cost effectiveness associated with organic cocoa. This is practically accepted in the sense that it usually takes time for local farmers to test and learn newly introduced farming
technologies and therefore, it would be desirable to promote organic agriculture to a local area gradually, at least during the first few years. Also, the international experience also shows the likelihood of organic production success will be greater if farmers are highly motivated, particularly by health and environmental concerns in addition to the economic advantages.
With an increasing number of farmers converting to organic cocoa, it is very crucial to set up a stable market for this type of cocoa via promoting a functional and transparent organic cocoa value chain in the program area through which all value chain actors have functional relationships to maximize the generation of value along the chain.
Generally speaking, a value chain encompasses the issues of organization and coordination, the strategies and the power relationship of the different actors in the chain in order to effectively accomplish a range of activities to bring a product or service from conception to end users. Accordingly, for promoting sustainable organic cocoa production in the Mekong River Delta, it is very crucial for key program stakeholders to have a thorough understanding of cocoa value chain development parameters, such as (1) the characteristics of value chain actors, (2) margins and profits for individual actors within the chain, (3) functional relationships and linkages among the chain actors; (4) the role of upgrading within the chain, (4) the flows of product, information and knowledge in the value chain, (5) the value change throughout the chain, (6) types of services feeding into the chain and (7) the structure of relationships and coordination mechanisms that exist between actors in the value-chain. Therefore, Helvetas decided to hire a qualified national consultant to facilitate a training workshop on cocoa value chain development.
2. Objective of the mission
The overall objective of the mission is to enable cocoa value chain actors to better understand the current cocoa value chain in Tien Giang and Ben Tre Provinces and accordingly devise plans to improve the performance of the organic cocoa value chain
to make it more transparent and fairer for local cocoa farmers. Accordingly, the specific objectives of the missions are:
After the training, the participants will be able to:
• Understand and explain the basic concepts of value chains for an agricultural product and the importance of promoting effective value chains for a sustainable crop
• Describe the current cocoa value chains in Vietnam in general and in the program provinces of Tien Giang and Ben Tre in particular, and accordingly explain the pros and cons of the current chains
• Apply the approaches and tools for value chain analysis in order to devise action-plans for improving the performance of the current cocoa value chains. The action-plans will clearly describe the roles of key actors along the value chains
3. Expected Results
• Training materials, and teaching aids for the training workshop are prepared
• 30 key value chain actors participating in the current cocoa value chains are trained on the basic concepts of value chains and the approaches and tools for value chain analysis
• The current cocoa value chain with the current roles of individual actors is described
• The roles of key actors will be re-defined and action-plans are devised for improving the performance of the current value chain to make it more transparent and effective
• A training report is produced specifying the training activities, contents and recommendations for improvements
4. Specific aspects of the consultancy
• Conduct literature review and discuss with Helvetas staff to better understand the current cocoa value chain in the Mekong River Delta
• Prepare and discuss with the program staff the training materials and schedule for the workshop and revise them where relevant
• Develop an agenda for the training workshop specifying session topics, sequence and time breakdown and facilitation methods for each session. The training materials should describe the objectives of and the methods for using value analysis tools such as mapping the value chain, calculating costs and margins, analysing incomes in the value chain, and depicting value chain governance and services.
• Facilitate the workshop in such a way that after the training, the trained local staff have capacities stated in the specific objectives. During the workshop, the participants are enabled to use the value chain analysis tools such as mapping the value chain, costs and margins, analysing incomes in the value chain and value chain governance and services in order to fully understand the current cocoa value chain that they are participating and accordingly devise action-plans to promote an effective and sustainable organic cocoa value chain in the context of the Mekong River Delta.
• Conduct training evaluation to better understand the usefulness effectiveness of the training and solutions for improvements afterwards
• Submit a training report to Helvetas, describing training activities implemented, people involved and recommendations for improvements
5. Methodology
The consultant will conduct a review to better understand the current cocoa value chain, and accordingly prepare training materials and teaching aids for effective delivery of the course. The training program is designed in accordance to the level of the trainees’ understandings and thus simple pre and post training assessments are conducted. Also, interactions between the trainer and trainees are expected. The leaner centred teaching and participatory methods are applied throughout the training. It is also important that the training is balanced between the theory and practical contents. The practical part (discussion and practice) should be 60% at the minimum of the whole training program. Moreover, the trainer makes daily reviews in order to adjust the training program if necessary.
6. Workshop facilitators
The training workshop is facilitated by the following persons:
1. Facilitator: the national consultant
2. Assistants: Helvetas staff and local partner staff
7. Participants
A total of 30 people are attending the training workshop: 3 Helvetas staff, 4 from Tien Giang Province, 4 from Ben Tre Province, 1 from Cargill, 1 from Amajoro, 1 from ACDIVOCA, 1 from Grand Place, 1 from VINA CA CAO, 1 from Department of Crop
Production (MARD), 1 from NLU, 2 from Cho Gao Cooperative and 10 organic cocoa farmer group leaders.
8. Time
|
No. of Days |
Activity |
|
1 |
Conduct a review of the current cocoa value chain and discuss with Helvetas staff |
|
3 |
Prepare training content and methodologies |
|
1 |
Discuss the methodologies, content of training and schedule with Helvetas staff and revise them if needed |
|
5 |
Conduct the training including travel times |
|
1 |
Prepare and submit a training report in consultation with Helvetas staff |
9. Workshop Venue
My Tho City, Tien Giang province
10. Report
A brief report (maximum 5 pages) on the results of the training against the expected results will be sent to Helvetas one week after the training. Lessons learnt and follow up recommendations are made. All the hand outs of the training are attached to the report as annexes.
11. Qualification of national consultant
The consultant is expected to have:
• Master’s degree or higher in economics, social sciences, agriculture or other related subject.
• Substantial hands on experience in agricultural value chain in Vietnam
• Experience in preparing and conducting adult training
• Good facilitation skills and English proficiency
• Knowledge about cocoa production and experience in working with local people in the Mekong Delta will be an advantage
• Interested candidates should send the following documents electronically:
• Two samples of training reports that he/she has conducted
To the following persons: Ms Nguyen Lam Giang at lam.giang@helvetas.org and/or Mr Vo Van Phong at vo.phong@helvetas.org before 31th August 2010
Curriculum Vitae, 3 pages maximum, with at least 2 letters of reference from prior places of employment or contact names and details of your referees
