Terms of Reference:

REF NO: HIHEA/014-2021/OP

Project Title: On the Farm and Beyond: Growing Hand in Hand’s capacity for impact through sustainable agriculture

Date: December 2021

Title of Piece of Work: Agroecological Demonstration Farms Design and Development

Organisational Background:

Hand in Hand International (HiH I) is part of the Hand in Hand network, a group of organisations stretching from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe that since 2003, has helped create or improve some 4 million jobs – 90 percent of them for women. HiHI supports network partners in implementing its programs through donor reporting, capacity building, technical assistance, strategic guidance and oversight.

The organization works with marginalized communities in the areas of economic and social empowerment using a participatory approach aimed at helping people fight poverty and vulnerability. The Hand in Hand enterprise and job creation approach is based on a philosophy of self-help, providing training, skills and support to enable people living in poverty, particularly women, to build and sustain independent, market-based, economic activities. This provides for a higher level of income for them and their families, which in turn contributes to greater food security, better education for children, increased access to healthcare, improved housing and overall improved livelihoods.

Hand in Hand Eastern Africa (HiH EA) is a registered Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in Kenya, working for the economic and social empowerment of its poorest citizens to enable program participants to lift themselves out of poverty and vulnerability. HiH EA is part of the Hand in Hand (HiH) network that seeks to reduce poverty through job creation. HiH EA works with the marginalized, vulnerable poor rural and peri-urban smallholder farmers (80% women) to help them lift themselves out of poverty through the power of entrepreneurship. The organisation started operations in Kenya in October 2010 and is currently is operating in 21 Field offices within 26 out of 47 Counties in Kenya. HiH EA has so far mobilised, trained and is training over 300,000 members (80% women, 40% youth) who have created over 296,000 enterprises and over 400,000 jobs on the Kenyan programme. **

Background to the Project:

With nearly 70% of our members managing farms and agricultural enterprises, Hand in Hand views environmental sustainability as an essential contributor to enterprise survival and improved livelihoods. Our goal is to improve environmental sustainability across all Hand in Hand programmes. To achieve this, we need to strengthen our approach and capabilities in regenerative agriculture and circular economy practices. We have made good progress integrating climate resilience into our programmes, but a more ambitious approach is required to ensure sustainable production and improved resilience among our rural members. Our long-term vision is to promote profitable enterprises while also directly supporting a healthy environmental ecosystem that contributes to the resilience of such enterprises.

Hand in Hand is currently implementing a 3-year project to help us achieve this vision by building up the resources, skills and tools we need to successfully integrate regenerative agriculture and circularity into our enterprise creation model. The project consists of 3 stages:

● Stage 1 will equip Hand in Hand with a clear strategy and approach for introducing regenerative agriculture and circularity in target communities, including dedicated training tools that can be adapted to different contexts.

● Stage 2 will allow Hand in Hand to validate this approach with 1,600 members, applying the strategy and training tools in practice and assessing which aspects are most effective.

● Stage 3 will lay the groundwork for awareness raising and advocacy by testing a new curriculum with community-based organisations representing Hand in Hand members, aiming to equip them to directly advocate for improved natural resource management.

This project will leave Hand in Hand with an enhanced enterprise model which consistently safeguards environmental integrity in addition to improving incomes. Our success will lie in having the expertise to tailor regenerative practices to our members regardless of where they are located, and in helping communities to build healthy circular economies. Having field tested our approach, we will have the start of a proof of concept that demonstrates the financial value of a regenerative agriculture approach. We also aim to have an expanded network of like-minded partners to leverage for systemic change, and the ability to support effective grassroots advocacy. This will enable us to replicate and scale our enhanced approach across Kenya.

Purpose of this assignment:

Currently Hand in Hand’s approach to transfer farming technologies is through group demonstration farms. The farms are prone to a lot of external influence and interference especially when working with long term value chains such as Tissue culture bananas and cassava. To counter these influences and other limiting factors HiH EA has possessed two farms (one in Bomet and the other in Busia) for demonstration and training purposes for its members and staff. Through the on the Farm and Beyond program, the organisation has also developed a Circular economy and Regenerative Agriculture Strategy and is currently working with experts to develop a CE&RA Curriculum. All these are meant to build the organisations capacity to implement CE&RA projects across the country.

HiH EA is therefore seeking the service of an expert in the field of Agroecology and sustainable agriculture to support in the design and development of the demonstration farms in Bomet and Busia. He/she will need have a strong knowledge and background of Agroecology to design and develop the demo farms on behalf of the organisation. The design should be firmly rooted in Hand in Hand’s new circular economy and farmer-centred regenerative agriculture (CE&RA) strategy and curriculum including applying a landscape management approach.

Key objectives:

· Produce an in-depth Agroecology farm design for the two farms (one in Bomet and the other Busia), and supporting materials, to be used by Hand in Hand to develop the farms**

· Produce a bill of quantities for all the materials that will be required for the development of the demonstration farms for the purposes of Training HiH EA staff and members in the two regions. Further details on this to be discussed at the next stage of the call.**

· Closely consult with the HiH EA project team to ensure the design and development work progress as anticipated **

· Conduct a 2-day design workshop training to the HiH EA CE&RA Technical Unit and HiH EA senior management and use the opportunity to validate the design work and the demo development plan.

· Produce a summary design guide for Hand in Hand staff to refer to during and when supporting farmers develop individual farm plans**

Activities:

· Do a desk study of Hand in Hand’s CE&RA strategy and curriculum to inform the direction for this assignment.

· Field visits to some of the existing demonstrations farms done by HiH EA in the region in previous projects and the current demo farms to be designed.

· Lead the development of a bill of quantities for all the materials, tools, seeds, equipment and structures that will be required for the development of the demonstration farms for the purposes of Training HiH EA staff and members in the two regions

· Develop detailed farm and farm structures’ set up/placement/location/situation in the farm (farm design) with efficient explanation on how regeneration and circularity initiatives will take place within the farm:

o Show how different farm set up decisions will help in circularity and energy flows within the fam

o Introduce all the necessary farm enterprises and structures and explain why they are necessary

o Develop simple BQs for the proposed farm structures

o Do labour requirement design/proposal for the farms having the farmers and any other labour requirement in mind

· Validate the design, the bill of quantities and the demo development plan with the CERA Technical Unit and HiH EA Management though a validation workshop.

Key Deliverables:

1. Inception meeting and detailed work plan including key activities, the expert responsible for each task and the timeframe (number of days) required
2. A detailed list and bill of quantities for all the materials, tools, seeds, equipment, structures etc. that will be required for the development of the demonstration farms for the purposes of Training HiH EA staff and members in the two regions
3. Detailed Agroecology design for the two demonstration farms;

a. Bomet

b. Busia

1. A detailed development and implementation plan for the designs at the two locations
2. A 2- day validation and training workshop for the design and implementation plan with HiH EA CE&RA Technical Unit team and management staff.
3. A guide for the design of the individual farmers plots with a layout farm plan

Profile of Technical Experts:

Hand in Hand invites qualified and interested Technical Experts to submit proposals responding to these Terms of Reference. Experts will need to demonstrate excellent skills and experience according to the following criteria:

· A demonstrated track record of successfully designing and developing Agroecology or sustainable agriculture demonstration farms

· A team member with sufficient skills in drawing of farm structure designs and bill of quantities for those structures.

· Experience and background in the building and construction design will be necessary as an embedded role in the team

· Clear expertise in Agroecology approach to regenerative agriculture and circular economy via either programme implementation and or research. A combination of the two will be more preferred.

· Previous experience working with projects targeting grassroots entrepreneurs and enterprises, self-help groups, and financial institutions.

· Proven experience of working alongside international and national teams within civil society organisations; NGOs, academic institutions, social enterprises, etc.

· Previous exposure to regenerative agriculture approaches or programmes will be an advantage.

· Ability and willingness to travel to and/or within Kenya. The project will be based in Nairobi with travel to branch offices across Kenya.

· Fluency in verbal and written English, as well as Kiswahili will be considered an advantage.

Both individual experts and organisations are welcome to apply. **

Timeframe

It is anticipated that this assignment should take no more than two calendar months.