Vacancy: Consultant (PROVISION OF TRAINING IN CASHEW SOFT WOOD GRAFTING)

Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) is a faith based international development organization based in Canada and operating since 1963.

Job Description

REQUEST FOR QUOTATION, PROVISION OF TRAINING IN CASHEW SOFT WOOD GRAFTING

1. Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) is implementing a large scale, long term agricultural development project in Ghana – the Farmers’ Economic Advancement through Tree Seedlings (FEATS) project with part funding from the Global Affairs Canada (GAC). The FEATS project is a Can$ 22 million project which aims to contribute to improving the yields, incomes and well-being of Ghanaian tree crop farmers by; 
   
   
   
   • Supplying 21 million quality seedlings for Cocoa, Cashew, Rubber and Shea to 100,000 mostly female small holder farmers including youth;
   
   
   • Creating a sustainable seedling production and distribution network owned and operated by local small and medium enterprises and generate local employment;
   
   
   • Helping smallholder farmers gain access to finances and offering price incentives;
   
   
   • Providing training and capacity building in good agricultural practices to cultivate the seedlings profitably in an environmentally sustainable manner
   
   
   • Fostering an enabling environment through favourable policy and strategy reforms.
   
   
   
   


2. One approach to achieve these objectives is to engage with at least 35 Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) and associated Farmers Cooperatives to productively engage in key activities along the tree crop value chain including supply of 2.7 million high quality seedlings and to productively engage in other value chain activities including processing and marketing. The FEATS focus on four (4) major tree crops in Ghana including Cocoa, Cashew, Rubber and Shea.


3. MEDA has identified a number of SMEs (Cashew Nursery Operators) who shall require training in Nursery Management activities. This next phase of the training shall cover activities preceding, during and after soft wood grafting of the root stock. The SMEs are clustered within a number of districts of the Bono, Bono East and Ashanti Regions including Wenchi, Kintampo North and South, Techiman North, Techiman Municipal, Tain, Jaman South, Sunyani Municipal, Sunyani West and Offinso North Districts (Kindly request for specific location of SMEs during response to RfQ). 


4. You are invited under this Request for Quotation (RfQ) to submit a quotation as basis for negotiations

Technical Proposals

Prepare a Training Plan for Cashew Nursery Management on Softwood Grafting stating (i) objective of training, (ii) itemise all key activities from selection of nursery site to production of root stock up to pre-grafting stage; (iii) for each key activity describe in detail how you intend to conduct training to enable participants carry out activities; (iv) prepare a training schedule defining the lessons content and duration, etc. 

Specifically, the training must include but not limited to:

• Overview of Cashew Nursery Management on Softwood Grafting 


• Preparatory activities for Softwood Grafting;


• List and uses of resources required for softwood Grafting, including furniture, tools, equipment, materials, etc.


• Setting up of infrastructure for Softwood Grafting


• Selection, Harvesting, Storage and Management of Scions


• Preparation, Treatment of Root Stock and Scion and Joining during Softwood Grafting;


• Management of Grafted Seedlings


• Identification of Mother Trees


• Any other activities relevant to “Care for Graft” 

The proposals shall include the logistics required to conduct training over a period of One Week.

Identification of a suitable location for the training and identification of suitably located “Scion Banks” for each nursery. 

The Trainer shall also attach a detailed Curriculum Vitae showing qualifications and work experience relevant to the assignment.

Financial Proposals

Financial proposal must be detailed & itemized for each phase of the assignment. For each phase the firms shall provide the following:   

1. FEES: Proposed staff, rates, number of person-days needed to accomplish the work.  


2. REIMBURSABLE EXPENSES: This shall include but not limited to: (i) Travel Costs, (ii) Communication costs for Operations etc. 

The detailed cost proposal should be accompanied with a budget narrative explanation and justification for each line item. The budget narrative serves as justification for each cost included in a budget; should be presented in such a way as to be easily referenced from the budget; and should provide sufficient information so that MEDA may review a proposed budget for reasonableness. Please indicate the inclusion/exclusion of any applicable taxes such as VAT.