Latrine Compost/Agriculture Consultant -WASH

Background / Context of Assignment

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) - Pakistan is implementing a 3.5 year WASH project in selected UCs of Kashmore district of Sindh in continuation to its previous WASH activities in the area. The project was designed to provide extensive hygiene promotion sessions to increase the knowledge around the importance of good hygiene practices and safe disposal of human excreta. The WASH programming in Northern Sindh is designed to ensure the ownership of new facilities through community contributions and involvement, in addition to capacity building on the proper use and maintenance of facilities provided. CRS assessments and staff observations affirmed that the main Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) needs were improved knowledge of proper hygiene practices and access to improved water and sanitation facilities. Therefore, the WASH strategy was designed to provide intensive participatory hygiene sessions as the platform for creating lasting hygiene behavior change in the communities supported by provision of appropriate water and sanitation facilities.

 

Scope of Work (SoW)

The aim of this component of the project is for project field staff and beneficiary farmers to enhance their understanding of appropriate composting techniques, to deliver trainings for all project target villages, and to enable staff to replicate the trainings at the village level.

The agricultural expert will provide guidance, tools and support to project staff in order to improve their skills and knowledge on the use of compost as fertilizer and also train staff and farmers in the communities on safe handling and use of compost. The expert will use a mix of methodologies, including developing written and pictorial guidance and tools, staff capacity building through a comprehensive training, providing practical sessions, and conducting jointtrainings in the communities.

 

Among other responsibilities, the agricultural expert will be expected to:

1. Design and implement a series of high quality training modules (pictorial tools and facilitation guides) on best use of human waste compost manure, safe handling of Eco-sanitation and Pour Flush composed material, its use as a fertilizer in field and kitchen gardens, how to establish demonstration plots, and operations and maintenance guidelines.
2. Collaborate with CRS and partner project staff to design appropriate training manual and resources for latrine project beneficiaries in local language-Sindhi.
3. Conduct a pilot activity where farmers use the compost on their fields.  Ideally there would be a compost plot, a plot using traditional practices and a control plot with no-compost.  Farmers could see the difference and the value added of using compost on their fields.   
4. Identify farmers who will be “agents of change” and willing to use compost on their agricultural lands and kitchen gardens.  Ecosan latrines could be clustered and the farmer would collect the compost from multiple EcoSan and use on his/her fields.

Training topics will focus on, but will not be limited to:

• Use of quality composed contents in field

• Proper and safe handling of compost manure

• Compost manure cycle and best utilization of compost manure

• Ecosan and Pour Flush latrine safe handling and composting guidelines

• Compost proper decomposition from latrines

• Using balanced amount of compost accordingly

   

  Methodology:

  The agricultural expert will work closely with the CRS and partner WASH team in developing the training program.  He/she will design training resources, conduct a comprehensive training for WASH staff, and lead community training sessions alongside project staff. The agriculture expert will train households with Ecosan and Pour Flush latrines in 16 villages on proper handling, preparation, and use of compost, with technical support, as needed. He/she will conduct specific trainings on use of compost from Ecosan in 9 of the 16 villages, and will also conduct trainings about the decomposition process and cycle for compost from septic tank of pour flush latrines in 7 villages. 

  After target villages and households have been trained, the agricultural expert will conduct 3 “demonstration” plots in communities and develop the capacities of farmers to use the new methods, with project staff accompanying.

  The agricultural expert will write a final report about the process and all contents are described in the “Deliverables” section below.

  This consultancy is planned for 37 working days, detailed in the “Scope of Work Activities” section.

   

  Scope of Work Activities:

1. Prepare proposed work plan/timeline and review of key documents, best practices, and other relevant material (2 working days)
2. Meet with CRS and GSF WASH staff to discuss strategy and finalize work plan/timeline (1 working day)
3. Visit communities to familiarize with context, community and potential challenges (1 working day)
4. Prepare draft training modules, including training techniques appropriate for the content and context and design training resources, and key messages (information packet—pictorial and written) (3 working days for draft)
5. Conduct staff trainings (including evaluation of trainings) (1 working day)
6. 8.      Provide practical demonstration of preparing a plot with composted material in 3 villages and coach staff through initial demonstration plots in the villages and how to do follow up visits (3 working days)
7. 9.      Write final report (all training materials, methodology, village level training results, and lessons learned and recommendations for follow ups and future programming) (3 working days)

5. Finalize training manual and resources, incorporating CRS feedback (3 working days)

7. Conduct community trainings for 16 target villages, with clear documentation of all participants and participant pre and post test knowledge results, and with daily/weekly debriefs with CRS/GSF staff about challenges and successes (20 working days)

 

Deliverables[1]:

1. Proposed methodology and schedule, for CRS approval By 12 December 2014

1. 2.      Draft information package / resource for trainings (pictorial and written) By 19 December 2014
2. 3.       Draft training modules By 19 December 2014
3. 6.      Final information package/ resource for trainings (pictorial and written), incorporating CRS feedback By 9 January 2015
4. 7.       Conduct all village-level composting trainings By 13 February 2015
5. 8.      Evaluation of trainings, with clear documentation of all participants and participant pre and post test knowledge results, and with daily/weekly debriefs with CRS/GSF staff about challenges and successes As they are completed, on a weekly basis, but all final versions by 13 February 2015
6. 9.      Conduct 3 village-level demonstration plot trainings By 25 February 2015
7. 10.   Evaluation of trainings, with clear documentation of all participants and participant pre and post test knowledge results, and with daily/weekly debriefs with CRS/GSF staff about challenges and successes By 25 February 2015
8. 11.   Final Report first draft (all training materials, methodology, village level training results, and lessons learned and recommendations for follow ups and future programming) By 4 March 2015
9. 12.   Final Report final draft (all training materials, methodology, village level training results, and lessons learned and recommendations for follow ups and future programming) By 10 March 2015

4. Conduct training for project staff By 6 January 2015
5. Final training modules, incorporating CRS feedback By 9 January 2015

 

Note: The consultant will be expected to prepare all training materials in English and Sindhi.

 Period of Performance

 37 working days over a three-month period (10 December 2014 to 10 March 2015)

 Reporting / Work Relationship

 The agriculture expert will report to Program Manager WASH and will work closely with:

 

• CRS Project Coordinator for WASH

• CRS Project Officers WASH

• GSF Partner WASH staff

   

  Working Conditions:

  The consultancy activities are based in Kashmore District, and the consultant will be expected to travel to the CRS Sukkur and GSF Kandhkot offices. While working in Kandhkot district the consultant will stay the night in a CRS-approved guesthouse/hotel. CRS-GSF staff will accompany the consultant on all field visits.

  Consultant Qualifications:

• Masters in Agronomy or relevant degree, or Bachelors in Agronomy with additional years’ experience

• At least 3-5 years’ experience in agriculture and organic material composting

• Demonstrated knowledge of organic material composting processes

• Already-developed composting training manuals a plus

• Previous experience with human waste composting a plus

• Previous experience with international non-governmental organization a plus

   

Consultant Fees:

The consultant is requested to provide a proforma with his/her daily fee rates at the time of application.

CRS will provide accommodation in Kandhkot at a local hotel, transportation between Kandhkot and the target villages in Kashmore District, and per diem for any meals not included during the working activities. Per diem rates are based on CRS’ national per diem policy.

 

Requirements for Consideration of a Latrine Compost/Agriculture Consultant Candidate

WASH Program Northern Sindh

Consultant for December 2014 to March 2015

 

Requirements

Candidate must submit all documents listed below in a closed/sealed envelope with no writing on it.

 

Required documents include:

• A note acknowledging understanding of the SoW and any proposed amendments

• CV

• References from at least 2 recent agriculture/composting trainings who can discuss candidate’s performance

• Tentative training plan

• Agriculture/composting training manual (if possible)

• Proposed daily fees (please provide a proforma with fees broken out by type of cost)

 

Selection

A selection committee will evaluate each candidate’s file and contact only those candidates who are selected for an interview/further discussion