[newdevjobsindo] Vacancy in Rainforest Alliance - Consultant of Field Implementation Strategist for Sustainable Farming in Tropical Asian Landscapes (SFITAL)

November 12, 2020   Comment  

CONSULTANCY OPPORTUNITY: Field Implementation Strategist for Sustainable Farming in Tropical Asian Landscapes (SFITAL)

 

Under direction of:                  Project Manager

Department:                            Landscapes and Community Program

Location:                                 North Luwu, South Sulawesi

Commitment:                          240 days (November 2020 to November 2021)

 

1.0  Background

 

The Rainforest Alliance works in more than 70 countries at the intersection of business, agriculture and forests. We are building an alliance to create a better future for people and nature by making responsible business the new normal. For more information, please visit http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/about. 

The Rainforest Alliance has worked in Indonesia for more than 16 years and is legally registered in the country as PT Rainforest Alliance. Given the country’s wealth of biodiversity and the critical interplay between agricultural development and deforestation/environmental degradation, the Rainforest Alliance has developed a diverse program to support sustainable production systems and community enterprise in forestry, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, and tea.

Cocoa is one of six RA priority sectors in the Strategic Plan for 2019 –2021. In the cocoa sector, RA began working in Sulawesi in 2012 with key stakeholders: government officials at all levels (district, provincial and national), the private sector (Mars Inc Indonesia, PT Olam Indonesia), indigenous communities, cooperatives  and smallholding farmers, international partners (IFAD, CEPF, FORD Founation GrowCocoa, Swisscontact, ), local NGOs and national platforms (Cocoa Sustainability Partnership/CSP). RA has been working with IFAD and MARS on several cocoa initiatives in Poso, Central Sulawesi and Banteang South Sulawesi.

Rainforest Alliance with its extensive experience are trusted by ICRAF ((International Centre for Research in Agroforestry) Southeast Asia region’s leading agroforestry research-in-development organization under IFAD funding to Implement SFITAL (Sustainable Farming in Tropical Asian Landscapes)-Project for cocoa and Palm oil commodity in Indonesia.

The goal of this project is he emergence of smallholders who are both entrepreneurs and environmental stewards benefiting from well-functioning agri-service providers and enabling environments for sustainable commodity value chains in Asia. In Indonesia, this project goal aligned with Indonesia’s COSOP 2016–2019, which targets an inclusive rural transformation to enable rural people to reduce poverty and achieve sustainable livelihoods. The project works towards targets to encourage more participation from smallholders in agri-markets, improve the resilience towards risk of rural female and male smallholders, and strengthens rural institutions to provide enabling environments for development.

In order to ensure smooth field implementation of the project Rainforest Alliance cocoa program needs to expand its local capacity and optimizing the existing longtime engagement with beneficiaries as well as encouraging local initiative. Full time existence of Rainforest Alliance is vital so that consultant is hired to support daily project operation.

 

2.0 Objectives:

Support RA Cocoa Project Manager and Cocoa Associate with regular monitoring, field organization and implementation of project while maintain close engagement and coordination with local stakeholder, government and private sector also farmer as targeted beneficiaries.

3.0 Scope of work

From the objectives of this terms of reference, the following task should be addressed:

Issue	Actor	Description
Farmer challenge on value chain and farming Assessment and business plan pilot	Farmer, Farmer Groups, Private company, local government	Managing in conducting initial data verification on Beneficiaries and interest party Collaborate with the Associate Cocoa and cocoa project manager from RA in the beneficiary’s assessment and identification on successful local practice on value chain and cocoa farming. Assist, supervise and monitor FGDs in collaboration with associate cocoa, manager and field staff Report the result of FGD and resume of assessment Identified and select promising beneficiaries to piloting selected business plan Report the progress and achievement of business plan pilot Support in mapping land suitability Support in carry our workshop related to policy in cocoa
Capacity Building and Coaching	Farmer, Field staff, farmer groups	·       Support Cocoa Associate and Manager to design feasible capacity building approach to smallholder cocoa farming business ·       Supervise and monitor field training, and identified opportunity for third party training provider ·       Set up monitoring system for training implementation and provide monthly progress
Tracebility, data and mapping	Cocoa associate and manager	Facilitate Replication of existing traceability system into SFITAL Disseminate data management capacity to groups or cooperative and local resource Support Cocoa Associate visualization of beneficiaries’ data and GIS point into readily available format for further analyses included profiling farm and mapping land suitability for cocoa
Field liaison for ME and Coordination	Cocoa associate and manager	In coordination with cocoa project manager and cocoa associate or global team to synchronize and validate the project database of farmers and facilitate in field survey. Support team in conducting survey or other relevant data as project requirement Communicate with RA Cocoa Manager on a regular basis and prepare periodic/monthly reports or information as required. Support coordination with local stakeholder

 

4.0 Selection Criteria

If Consultant Firm, a dedicated staff person with the following qualifications is required, if consultant is an individual the following demonstrated skills and knowledge are required:

·      Relevant studies in Socioeconomics, or agronomic;

• At least 5 years’ relevant experience of working in the fields of ‘new-normal’ cooperative for smallholder, technical skill in cocoa nursery and side grafting is preferred:
• Ability to work efficiently under tight deadlines and ready to stay in project site at minimum 20 day per month;
• Proven ability and experience to work as field coordinator and work in the Project site is preferred);
• Proven ability and experience in mapping, familiar with arcGIS is preferred;
• Proven experience of delivering and managing training to smallholders;
• Ability to operate Microsoft Office suite;
• Working experience sustainability farming environment is desirable;
• Having experience working with cooperatives, and sustainability program both UTZ and RA is preferred;
• Having experience working for traceability system and marketing product from smallholders to company (experience work with MARS or other cocoa company is preferred);
• Understanding the cocoa market and experienced in promoting business in farmers level (community nursery, solar dryer and agro input) is preferred;

·     Knowledge of local language is an advantage;

·     Female candidate is encouraged to apply.

 

Selection of the consultant is based on the following criteria:

-            Relevant Studies/Education              20%

-            Relevant Technical expertise            70%

-            Availability                                     10%

 

Please send the following documentation to: hhafid@ra.org and mhestiawan@ra.org, no later than November 17, 2020:

•                Daily rate; include basis for costing i.e. previous rates;

•                List of previous engagements that addresses the above experience desired;

•                Current CV.