1. CASA PROGRAMME OVERVIEW

CASA is an FCDO-International Climate Finance (ICF) funded programme driving global investment for inclusive climate-resilient agri-food systems that increase smallholder incomes. CASA makes the case to impact and return-oriented investors for increased investment in agribusinesses that work with smallholder supply chains. The programme achieves this goal by:

• Demonstrating the commercial viability and investment-readiness of small and medium-sized (SME) agribusinesses with significant smallholder supply chains
• Helping investors to increase the impact of their investments through the provision of inclusive technical assistance
• Strengthening the socio-legal empowerment of smallholders within value chains
• Tackling the information and evidence gaps holding back investment

For demonstrating the commercial and development potential of smallholder sourcing models, CASA focuses on catalytic interventions in the agriculture sectors of Ethiopia, Malawi, Nepal, and Rwanda that support agri-SMEs prepare for and secure investment while connecting smallholders to commercial markets.

CASA’s work on research and communications is structured around identifying constraints, opportunities and addressing evidence gaps through research; shaping the debate on smallholder agriculture to influence actions of investors, governments, and donors; and creating networking opportunities through events and stakeholder engagement.

2. ASSIGNMENT BACKGROUND

In Malawi’s poultry and aquaculture sectors, smallholder farmers are the predominant players. Despite their vital role, these smallholder fish and poultry producers struggle to meet market demand in terms of both volume and quality. Rising costs of imported and locally produced feed for both sectors continue to impede their ability to produce adequately. To address these challenges, CASA has partnered with AquaLink Services to enhance production efficiency and output among smallholder fish and poultry farmers, ultimately increasing their incomes.

This partnership aims to promote sustainable strategies to ensure an affordable and consistent supply of feed for both poultry and fish. Specifically, it will encourage the use of Black Soldier Fly as the main protein source for feeding chickens and fish among smallholder farmers who supply their fish and poultry to processing and marketing enterprises, many of which are working with CASA as implementing partners. This initiative is designed to reduce production costs, boost the commercialization efforts of smallholder farmers, and enhance their climate resilience, providing a viable solution to the productivity issues exacerbated by rising feed costs.

In pursuit of this objective, CASA seeks the services of a Short Term Technical Assistant (STTA) who will work with AquaLink Services and their five poultry and aquaculture partners to facilitate the selection and mobilization of smallholder fish and poultry farmers from five outgrower schemes.

About AquaLink Services Limited

AquaLink Services is a Malawian-owned company established and registered as a partnership in 2020. The company has three partners, each with an equal share in the company. AquaLink Services supplies aquaculture inputs, equipment and related services to smallholder farmers, NGOs and government projects throughout the country. The company has its head office in Lilongwe and three branches in Blantyre, Zomba and Mzuzu. The company is currently piloting a new business model full-scale local production of Black Soldier Fly (BSF) based feed in Malawi, by producing and selling on-farm BSF production units to smallholder farmers whilst also providing technical expertise on the use of the units to the customers.

3. OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE OF ASSIGNMENT

In line with activity (ii) of Workstream C and budget line 2.1 of AquaLink’s project business plan, the main objective of this assignment is to provide technical support to AquaLink by profiling and mobilising 300 commercially oriented smallholder farmers who will be targeted as early adopters of the BSF technology and become lead farmers. The STTA is expected to work with AquaLink to identify a pool of the farmers from CASA´s existing implementing partners. Specifically, the STTA will:

• Identify and mobilise 300 commercial farmers, organise them around 30 demonstration site for the BSF technology, and position each of the 300 early adopters to be able to anchor groups of 10 of their farmers each;
• Map out and facilitate the establishment of atleast 30 demonstration sites for the BSF larvae production units;
• Develop farmer profiles that specify the overarching needs of these smallholder farmers and also the capacity of these farmers to operate the on-farm BSF production units;
• Fully integrate Gender and Social Inclusion (GESI) in the identification process and in facilitating the strengthening of governance structures by incorporating women and youth that have requisite skills and competencies;
• Preparing periodic progress reports and outputs for relevant project interventions in accordance with communication guidelines and needs; and,
• Complying with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) manual and other relevant requirements of NIRAS Malawi.

4. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the overall management of the AquaLink Services management team with oversight from the CASA Market Manager for aquaculture, the Farmer Identification, Profiling and Mobilization Expert will support AquaLink by mobilising smallholder farmers to pilot the use of BSF production units.

The specific tasks of the Expert will include the preparation of the following:

• Inception report, outlining a detailed methodology for the assignment.
• Farmer profiles which will include specification of the overarching needs of these smallholder farmers’ enterprises, the capacities of these farmers to operate the on farm BSF production units and any capacity building needs, and the financial positions of the enterprise
• A list of 300 proposed leader farmers, including a mapping of their proposed affiliated demonstration sites.
• Capacity building for AquaLink on how to influence others as lead farmers, for subsequent cascading to the lead fa
• An assignment completion report outlining the activities carried out as part of the assignment with recommendations for improvement.

 Deliverable Timelines

 5. ASSIGNMENT MANAGEMENT and DURATION

a. Duration

Expected Start Date: 10^th September 2024

Expected End Date: 10^th October 2024

 b. Assignment Days

Up to 10 Workdays.

c. Reporting Lines

The consultant will report to the AquaLink’s management team, with oversight from CASA´s Aquaculture Market Manager Aquaculture.

6. REQUIREMENTS and EXPERTISE

Key qualification and field of expertise for the ideal expert are:

• Possession of a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Extension, Agriculture General or any other relevant fields. Those with master’s degree in the same field will have an added advantage;
• Demonstrable prior experience in agricultural extension, particularly those with working experience in smallholder fish and/or poultry farmers using the lead farmer model. Knowledge of Black Soldier Fly cultivation will be an added advantage;
• Excellent organizational and time management skills;
• Practical knowledge of CASA’s crosscutting themes of gender equality and social inclusion; climate change and environment; food and nutrition security, and animal welfare coupled with practical knowledge of strategies of integrating these in commercially oriented inclusive business models designed around anchor SME firms;
• Excellent writing and oral communication, listening and interpersonal skills with the ability to deal tactfully and diplomatically with a wide range of people combined with an appreciation of the importance of confidentiality;
• Willingness to take on new tasks at short notice and travel frequently to remote places;
• Ability to make decisions regarding own work, often in ambiguous situations and suggest recommendations regarding own function/discipline;
• Ability to function with minimum guidance and under pre-set procedures with attention to detail; and
• Able to exercise independent judgment within defined policies and practices.

7. MODE OF APPLICATION

Applicants should send an EOI comprising the following:

1. An EOI submission letter outlining their suitability for the role and stating their preferred daily rate in GBP (maximum two pages)
2. A proposed methodology for the assignment (Maximum 3 pages)
3. Up to date CV suitably tailored to the TORs concentrating only on relevant experience. Emphasis will be placed on consultancy experience in the last 10 years (Maximum 3 pages)

Applications should be received by Wednesday 4th September, 2024. Send applications to rhch@niras.com

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