REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS Capacity Building Consultancy to Support Training of Community Based Entreprises in Honey Processing, By-products and Product Quality under FEXTE AFD-AVSF Bush2Business Project

Agronomes & Vétérinaires Sans Frontières (AVSF) Job Description

Agronomes & Vétérinaires Sans Frontières (AVSF) is a French NGO implementing a project entitled ‘Bush 2 Business (B2B) project in Zambia’s Mpika and Lavushimanda districts, in Muchinga Province. This project, which is being funded by the French Development Agency (AFD) through its FEXTE fund, has the following objectives:

• Community development and green jobs/income are created, particularly for women and youth, through better market access and value addition at community level;
• A sustainable private sector related to biodiversity and forest-based non-timber products is promoted and supported along value-chains (SMEs of producers, off-takers and French companies); and
• Investments in biodiversity and forest conservation contribute to the integrated landscape management and resilience towards climate changes.

The project area includes four communities in Chief Mpumba’s area, and four communities in Chief Mukungule’s area and is supporting honey value chains. The Project aims to empower a community’s role in both primary production and in potential value addition for non-timber forest products, particularly honey and mushrooms.

Honey is the growingly popular NTFP and is consumed nationally, both in rural and urban areas. However, the development of the honey as an income generating activities for rural households is limited by low added value at local level. Honey by-products are rarely valorized at community level with minimal processing and packaging. Furthermore, key valuable products of the honey value chain such as beeswax are underutilized.

Objectives

The consultancy will aim to design and deliver trainings of trainers focused on techniques to process and package high quality honey and honey by-products among targeted producer groups in the Project.

Scope of Work

The consultancy will be based in the Mpika district, the project office, with some days spent in the Lavushimanda district. Trainings will take place in the project area, which is in Lavushimanda and Mpika districts. It will involve Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) such as Community Forest Management Groups (CFMGs), cooperatives, and conservancies.

Trainees will include the project’s field technicians from the AVSF team, government technical staff from the district Forestry Department and technical staff from other partner organisations in the landscape.

Key Activities

• 1. Rapid assessment of existing processing and packaging knowledge and capacity – 4 days

A rapid assessment will be conducted in eight Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) located in Mpika and Lavushimanda districts. This assessment aims to identify the existing processing knowledge and infrastructure, as well as key challenges to develop processing techniques and ways to address them (capacities, basic infrastructure that is needed etc.).

• 2. Development of a training manual – 5 days

Using the recommendations derived from the assessment, a detailed comprehensive training manual will be developed specifically for producer groups in the target communities. The manual will also cover essential topics including:

• Honey and honey by-products processing techniques such as filtered honey and beeswax, emphasizing hygiene, quality enhancement, and compliance
• Packaging options (including innovative packaging options)
• Appropriate storage methods for products

The training must take into account challenges linked to community-based processing linked to infrastructure, storage, investment capacity and transport. Recommendations to overcome these challenges and foster market linkages for honey products will be expected.

• 3. Training of Trainers (ToT) – 6 days

A Training of Trainers program based on the recommendations from the assessments will be conducted, targeting project field staff, government personnel, and staff from partner organizations. Target beneficiaries of these trainings will include beekeepers and bee mentors. This ToT will include:

• Theoretical and practical sessions for 10 to 15 trainers in honey and honey by-product processing and packaging ;
• At least two demonstration trainings delivered alongside the trainers, with one session held in Lavushimanda and another in Mpika for producer groups; and
• Emphasis on hands-on learning to ensure trainers are fully equipped to cascade knowledge effectively.
• 4. Post-training assessment and follow-up – 4 days

Following the training sessions, a post-training assessment will be conducted during the next harvest periods (November/December) in sampled communities. This evaluation will measure the impact of the training on honey processing and packaging.

Based on the assessment outcomes, further recommendations will be made to refine processing techniques practices and the training manual will be refined accordingly.

Budget

The manual processing machines and office supplies necessary for the training will be provided by the project. Transportation within Lavushimanda and Mpika districts to visit beekeeping sites and to train 1 community group will be provided by the project.

The processing equipment (except consultant’s PPE equipment) and office supplies necessary for the training will be provided by The Project. The Consultant must agree in advance on the necessary equipment with AVSF Zambia in order to guarantee its timely availability.

The expert must come with his/her own bee-keeping personal protective equipment and will cover transport costs to and from his place of origin to Mpika as well as his/her accommodation and food costs.

Consultant Qualifications

• Professional beekeeper with experience in processing and packaging techniques, particularly for honey and beeswax. Experience in innovative packaging to enhance commercialization and value-addition is an asset
• Training experience in beekeeping projects with communities and in developing manuals for community-based organizations (CBOs)
• Strong reporting skills
• Relevant academic qualifications in food processing, packaging, quality compliance or related topics

How to Apply

Interested candidates (Individuals, Consortium or Companies) should submit their applications by Email with title ‘Proposal- AVSF Zambia Bush2Business Honey Processing Consultancy’ to the following addresses: c.bwalya@avsf.org and copy to k.mukoma@avsf.org and ophelie.robineau@expertisefrance.fr .