Short-term Agricultural Consultant

Objective(s) The overall objective of this assignment is to update the existing agriculture guidelines and develop new value chain fact-sheets. Scope of Work and Methodology • In collaboration with STEP team and PCF employees, develop agricultural technical guidelines which include selling; opportunities and market prices, based on best practices and observation of farmers’ current practices; • Collect and validate technical information and guidelines relevant to yield (for application of fertilizer, pesticide, soil preparation etc.) provided by local government extension services; • Support the PCF employees and STEP team in the credit assessment of agricultural activities; • Identify where farmers could benefit from technical improvements at a low initial investment with a positive impact on generated income; • Conduct a mapping of local value chains to identify areas where farmers could improve their margins by conducting; additional activities (storage, transformation etc.) and actors that could be financed by the PCFs; • Support the STEP team in indentifying potential technical innovations in agriculture activities and any gender gap within the value chain approach. The short-term national consultant will accompany STEP project team to conduct works mostly in the field. The consultant will report to STEP Field Director and Optimization and Deployment Advisor. The consultant will also need to ensure that the PCF employees and project partner Co-opBank employees understand the purpose of the agricultural guidelines and how to prepare them, and are able to update them on a yearly basis. Deliverables The consultant will provide the following deliverables in English and Vietnamese languages: • Updated versions of guidelines for the 4 agricultural activities including pig husbandary, beef raising, shirmp production and rice cultivation in the North, Center and South; • Identifying and mapping for up to 5 new value chains that could be financed by the PCFs in the North, Center and South; • Supporting to validate the agricultural guidelines updated or newly developed; • Developing guidelines to PCFs regarding the annual update of the agricultural technical guidelines; • Consultant activity report(s) including time sheets. (Tentative) Assignment Planning: March - April 2020 (Total work days: 30) Required Qualifications • Master’s Degree in Agronomics, Agricultural Economics or Agro-Ecology; major in Husbandry is an advantage; • Having general knowledge and experiences related to the related value chains; • Experience working directly with local farmers in improving agricultural practices; • Long-term experience working with governmental institutions and agencies; • Experience in the banking/microfinance sector, in particular in credit operations (optional); • Proficiency in English language (written and oral); • Strong presentation and facilitation skills. Reporting Requirements • Agricultural guideline in related topics. • Guideline for updating annual agriculture fact-sheet • Monthly activity reports and timesheets • Final report at the end of the assignment How to apply • Interested consultants should send their CV to Rachel Tardif, Optimization and Deployment Advisor, Rachel.Tardif@did.qc.ca and Tuan Luong Quoc, banking and finance advisor tuan.luong-quoc@did-step.com • Application deadline is February 28th 2020. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Tags: Développement International Desjardins (DID)