Consultancy for Capacity Building on Greenhouse and Kitchen Garden farming in Ifo 1 camp in Dadaab Refugee Camps

1. PURPOSE

The main objectives of the consultancy is to;

• Impact knowledge and skills on greenhouse and kitchen garden farming to selected Income Generating Activity (IGA) refugee groups in Ifo 1 refugee camp
• Promote vegetable production as a source of income and access to nutritious foods to therefugees in Dadaab refugee camps.

2. BACKGROUND

Dadaab refugee complex is a large refugee settlement situated in northern Kenya, 80 km from the Somalia border. It has five camps: IFO, Dagahley, and Hagadera were opened in the early1990s while IFO 2 and Kambioos were setup in 2012 as the population expanded due to famineand renewed conflict in the Horn of Africa region in 2011. The total population of refugees in Dadaab camps stands at 351,446 (UNHCR Statistical Report March 2015). Most of the people have lived in this refugee camps for more than 15 years without being involved in any meaningful livelihood activities largely depending on relief assistance from humanitarian organizations.

With the protracted nature of the refuge situation in Dadaab, ensuring sustainable livelihood in the refugee context is key. One of the means to ensure sustainable livelihood is enhancing the engagement of the private sector in and around the refugee camps to create job opportunities for refugees and transfer skills to host community so as to help refugees enhance their livelihood

assets and strategies.

The main source of food in the refugee camps is food assistance which has been provided by World Food Programme (WFP). The food assistance lacks sufficient nutritious food items such as vegetables and meat. Refugees have no enough financial capacity to buy fresh food items such as vegetables. Moreover, there is limited supply of fresh nutritious food which is locally produced and easily available in the Dadaab refugee camps. On, the other side, there is high demand for vegetable in Dadaab area as there are many NGO who also uses the same market to get vegetables. DRC recognizes renovating and making use of the already present greenhouses in Ifo1 refugee camp in partnership with private partner will increase the availability of vegetables in Ifo 1 and surrounding and refugees households will have sustainable access to nutritious food for their household. There is also limited knowledge and experience on vegetable production and nutrition in general as there are no major nutrition projects that focus on enhancing knowledge and practice on nutrition.

DRC intends to develop small irrigation schemes by establishing greenhouses in Ifo refugee camp which will be constructed and managed by a private partner (herein-after referred to as "Greenhouse and Kitchen Gardening Facilitator” or “Facilitator”) for the first six (6) months working jointly with 2 Income Generating Activity (IGA) refugee groups for the Greenhouse activities and another 10 IGA groups for the Kitchen Gardening activities in order to encourage sharing of knowledge and skills between the private sector and refugees. DRC will engage the Facilitator to renovate and support the management of two greenhouses for a period of six months based on an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) Contract. It is expected that the greenhouses will serve as demonstration centre and to supply horticultural products to Dadaab main office (DMO) and surrounding areas. The Facilitator will also support the establishment of 9 (nine) Kitchen gardens demonstration plots at selected individual refugee households based on multi-storey / garden-in-a-sack production technique and set up one (1) the DRC Compound in the Camp. The greenhouses and the kitchen gardens which will be established around the homestead of volunteer refugee farmers will serve as a source of income for the households, a learning field for the surrounding refugees while stimulating the engagement of the private sector in the refuge context.

3. SCOPE OF THE CONSULTANCY

The Facilitator will liaise closely with DRC Dadaab office as well as beneficiaries to execute his/her

task.

The scope of work for the Facilitator include:

i. Procurement and supply of all the materials, implement, equipment and tools required for the renovation of 2 greenhouses and for purposes of production of selected vegetable crops based on bill of quantities prepared in consultation with a designated DRC technical staff.

ii. Renovate two (2) greenhouses in Ifo refugee camp;

a) Replacement of the covers-glazing (greenhouses sizes each 8 meters by 24 meters)

b) Installation of new irrigation driplines and mainlines.

c) Elevation of one 5,000 liters reservoir watering tank and laying of inlet and outlet pipes

iii. Support establishment of selected vegetable crops, including but not limited to tomatoes, kales, spinach, capsicum and okra in the renovated greenhouses; Develop and oversee the implementation of planting schedules, fertilization application program, crop

protection plan / spraying schedules.

iv. Facilitate/Support the beneficiaries in establishing 9 multi-storey gardens (20 sacks per garden) at selected refugee homesteads. Facilitate the production and distribution of seedlings of selected vegetable crops (including and not limited to tomatoes, kales,

spinach, capsicum, and okra) and transplanting in the multi-storey garden;

v. Training of 30 beneficiaries of 2 IGA refugee groups on greenhouse, vegetable production and kitchen garden farming; Training of 150 beneficiaries from 10 IGA refugee groups multi-storey kitchen gardening.

vi. Provide monitoring tools and in conjunction with DRC field officer, provide continues monitoring and supervision of the project till 31st December 2015.

vii. Provide a final project report at the end of the consultancy period highlighting key successes, best practices, challenges and recommendations for future similar interventions. Separate training reports should be submitted such as monthly interim reports.

4. METHODOLOGY

The selected Facilitator will co-own the 2 greenhouses with two IGA groups comprising of 15 members each. As a co-owner, the Facilitator will be entitled to 15% of the total net revenue realized from the sale of the produce from the green houses during the period of the consultancy. This entitlement will be part of the total payment for the consultancy. The Facilitator is required

to work hand-in-hand with selected refugee groups coaching them on best practices for the greenhouses and kitchen gardening. The Facilitator will ensure active, hand-on participation by respective IGA groups in all the greenhouse and the multi-storey garden activities so as to impact relevant skills for the farming.

Interested and qualified Facilitators are hereby required to provide a detailed methodology of

how they will carry out the greenhouse/kitchen garden farming capacity building exercise.

• The Facilitator is expected to design all the necessary tools required for the greenhouse/kitchen garden capacity building exercise.
• The Facilitator is expected to use Participatory Learning Approach Methods to train the refugee groups. This is a combination of methods that encourage people to participate in all project activities so as to gain hands-on-skills and experience in greenhouse/kitchen garden farming.
• The Facilitator should incorporate best practices and lessons learnt from his/her past experiences to improve upon sustainability of the activities.
• The Facilitator will be entitled to 15% of the net revenue generated from the sale of produce from the greenhouses during the period of this consultancy. The total amount will be deductable from the total amount due for the full consultancy.

5. EXPECTED OUTPUTS

1. The consultancy will generate the following outputs or deliverables: Renovation of two greenhouses in Ifo refugee camp and supporting the entire production cycle of selected vegetable crops.
2. Facilitating the establishment of ten 10 muilti-storey gardens (20 sacks per gardens), one (1) at the greenhouses area and nine (9) at selected refugee homesteads.
3. Providing training on vegetable production / kitchen gardening to 150 members of 10 selected IGA refugee groups.
4. Improved farming knowledge and skills among the selected IGA refugee groups.
5. Better harvest from the greenhouses and kitchen gardens.
6. Improved access to fresh nutritious vegetables and dietary diversity among refugees.
7. Improved income for the selected refugee groups from sale of greenhouse/kitchen garden produces.
8. Providing training on greenhouse management, vegetable production and kitchen gardening to 2 IGA groups of refugees comprising 15 members each;
9. Monthly interim reports indicating progress made towards attainment of specific agreed milestones
10. Final synthesis report detailing the achievement of objectives, key methodologies, successes, challenges, replication lessons leant and recommendations.

6. SKILLS REQUIREMENTS FOR THE FACILITATOR

The Facilitator should have a minimum degree in agriculture, Agronomy, Agricultural Engineering or related fields from a recognised Institution. He/she should have thorough knowledge and experience in agronomy and particularly in greenhouse and kitchen gardening. Prior engagement in an agribusiness consultancy will be an added advantage. The Facilitator must be willing to travel to the field in Dadaab refugee camps within Dadaab District in Garrisa County.

7. CONDITIONS

The Facilitator must be available to commence the consultancy engagement by 20 July 2015. The total duration for this consultancy is 62 days spread along six months with effect from 20 July 2015 as follows;

Proposed Tentative Working Plan/Duration

• Renovation works (replacing the greenhouse covers and installing irrigation drip lines)5days
• Land preparation and ploughing-3 days
• Planting and observation-14 days
• On-site groups training (on modern greenhouse)-5 days
• Training and supporting setting up of 10 muilti-storey kitchen gardens (20 sacks per garden)-27 days
• Field monitoring visits (spread along six months)-8 days

The Facilitator must be available to offer day to day technical support to the selected refugee groups and DRC Dadaab field office for the first two (2) months and thereafter periodic field monitoring visits for the remaining period ending 31st December 2015.

A final project report covering key activities implemented during the consultancy period supported by relevant statistics/table, pictorials e.t.c, achievements, challenges, best practices, lessons learned and recommendations for future similar intervention will be expected upon completion of the consultancy.

For general information about the Danish Refugee Council, please consult www.drc.dk.

8. APPLICATION, BUDGET AND PLAN

Interested and qualified candidates are encouraged to submitting a concise application consisting

of;

• Cover letter.
• Curriculum vitae of the applicant.
• A detailed methodology to be used to carry out the assignment/consultancy.
• Detailed work plan.
• Detailed budget for undertaking the assignment.
• Detailed bill of quantities for renovation and planting of the two greenhouses and establishment of the 10 muilti-storey kitchen gardens.
• References for similar works, or documented evidence for other similar assignments previously undertaken.

9. EVALUATION CRITERIA

DRC will evaluate the qualified applicants based on their technical and financial proposals

submitted.

About DRC

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is a private, independent, humanitarian organization working on all aspects of the refugee cause in more than twenty five countries throughout the world. The aim of DRC is to protect refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) against persecution and to promote durable solutions to the problems of forced migration, on the basis of humanitarian principles and human rights. DRC works in accordance with the UN Conventions on Refugees and the Code of Conduct for the ICRC and NGOs in Disaster Relief.
The protection and assistance to conflict affected population is provided within a long-term, regional and rights-based approach in order to constitute a coherent and effective response to the challenges posed by today’s conflicts. Assistance consists of relief and other humanitarian aid, rehabilitation, support to return and repatriation as well as promotion of long-term solutions to displacement and its causes. In addition, support and capacity building of local and national authorities and NGOs form an integral part of DRC’s work.

HOW TO APPLY:

Submit your application here.

Applications MUST be received on or before Tuesday 7th July 2015.

Late applications will not be considered. Due to urgency for the assignment, shortlisting, interviews and subsequent

contracting may be done on a continuous process upon receipt of applications.