Food Security through Co-operatives in Northern Ghana (FOSTERING) Project Terms of Reference Consultancy for the Development of an Environmental Strategy

1.0 Background Information

The Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA) in partnership with SEND-Ghana and the Ghana Credit Unions Association (CUA) Ltd is implementing a five year Food Security Through Cooperatives In Northern Ghana (FOSTERING) project which is aimed at increasing sustainable, gender equitable food security for over 42,000 women and men in eight districts in the Eastern Corridor of Northern Ghana (East Gonja, Kpandai, Nanumba South, Nanumba North, Krachi-Nchumuru, Zabzugu, Tatale-Sangule and Chereponi). When family members are included, this project will reach over 331,800 individuals. The project is being funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD) of Canada. The FOSTERING project tackles directly four key areas of improving food security and sustainable economic growth for small-holder farmers: improving production; better marketing of products; expansion of household activities into off-season businesses; and access to finance. The project’s direct beneficiaries are women and men small-holder farmers that are members of credit unions. The project concomitantly builds the capacity of these farmers as members of financially viable agricultural co-operatives as well as strong and resilient community-based co-operative credit unions. Successful agricultural co-operatives help improve production, diversify farming activities, enhance processing and storage, and improve marketing. Strong and resilient community-based co-operative credit unions will help provide a stable source of financing, required by the agricultural co-operatives and farmers. The project also builds on previous DFATD initiatives in the region by increasing responsiveness of representative institutions in the districts targeted by the project. Environmental concerns are an integral part of the FOSTERING Project. The project seeks to ensure that there is no negative impact on the environment through its activities (the project works to ensure that not only is the environment further undamaged, but that there will also be remarkable environmental amelioration during the project span and beyond). In addition the project seeks to build the adaptive capacities and increase the resiliency levels of communities to climate change shocks to ensure sustainability of outcomes of results of the FOSTERING project. As such the project aims to build the capacity of stakeholders to address environmental issues from a multi-disciplinary and integrated perspective that supports sustainable production and diversification of household income. It is for this reason that CCA and its partners are seeking the services of a consultant to conduct an environmental analysis of communities in the eastern corridor to inform the development of an environmental strategy to inform the integration of environmental issues in project implementation, particularly ensuring that project activities are implemented in an environmentally sensitive manner, build the resiliency level of communities and co-operatives so they are able to adapt to the changes in climatic conditions that affect their livelihoods.

2.0 Overall Goal and Objective of Consultancy

2.1 Goal of Consultancy

The main goal of this consultancy is to develop an environmental strategy to guide the implementation of sustainable, environmentally friendly project activities and to reduce the vulnerability and low level of resilience of communities and co-operatives to extreme weather conditions (droughts, erratic rainfalls and flooding).

2.2 Objectives of Consultancy

There are three main objectives for this consultancy assignment;

• To conduct an environmental risk analysis (using CCA’s Environmental Assessment tools) of the project in communities in the eastern corridor and identification of mitigation strategies for negative impacts and strategies to support positive impacts
• To conduct a climate change risk assessment of project communities and identify adaptation strategies to address the negative impacts and strategies aimed at improving positive impacts
• To conduct an assessment of climate change resilience of project beneficiaries (households, farmer co-operatives and credit unions) – including economic, social, and environmental resilience

3.0 Scope and focus of the assignment:

3.1 Scope of work

The consultant will lead the process for conducting the environmental analysis and the development of an environmental strategy for the project in the Eastern Corridor of Northern Ghana. For the purposes of this assignment, it is expected that a representative sample of FOSTERING Project communities and beneficiaries will be selected from the 8 operational districts of the project for data collection purposes. The assignment is expected to begin 26th May 2014. The Consultant will work closely with the Environmental Officer and report to the Project Management Team of the FOSTERING Project.

3.2 Proposed Methodology

The Consultant will:

• Provide a proposed draft methodology for a) the environmental analysis and b) the development of the environmental strategy, including questionnaires and other instruments, as well as a work-plan and time-table, which will be discussed and validated with the Project Management Team. The methodology would involve; ? Review and analysis of relevant documents, including SEND’s report on Mainstreaming Climate Resilience in SEND Programming and project evaluation reports, the FOSTERING project PIP documents, CCA Environmental Accountability Framework/ CCA’s Environmental Assessment tools, Ghana Environmental Management Program (GEMP) Gender Toolkit and any manual/document or information to help identify relevant environmental gaps and make recommendation for programming; ? Interviews with key informants e.g. management and staff of SEND-Ghana, district staff of Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), district staff of National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), Savanna Agriculture Research Institute (SARI), etc; ? Focus group discussions with women and men in a representative sample of communities in the FOSTERING project area (within towns, rural and hard to reach with ethnic minorities) to identify environmental issues to be included in the development of the strategy; ? The use of participatory rapid appraisal techniques for data collection in the communities. (Possible tools for data collection: Agriculture seasonal calendar; 24 hour clock; organization venn diagram; etc.); ? Discussions with FOSTERING’s gender equality consultant and staff person to assess potential differentiated impacts of climate change on gender equality to inform project’s Environmental Strategy to ensure gender mainstreaming in all activities; ? Sourcing additional information through their established contacts; ? Applying gender perspectives on climate change into all information analysis for the report;

3.3 Deliverables Results

The draft methodology for the Environmental analysis and environmental strategy, complete with time table and proposed work plan.

• Develop and submit an electronic copy of the ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS AND STRATEGY REPORT in English to the Project Management Team. This will include; ? A 10 to 15 page environmental analyses report (document #1) that assesses the environmental concerns prevalent in the eastern corridor including a climate change risk assessment of project communities and assessment of climate change resilience of beneficiaries, looking at its differentiated impacts on men and women and ? A 10 page document (document #2) that outlines specific recommendations/measures to promote the implementation of environmentally friendly agricultural practices, climate change adaption strategies and guides the monitoring of the projects activities to the benefit of both men and women.

3.4 Key Tasks of Assignment

The consultant’s responsibilities will include, but not be limited to, the following tasks:

• Preparation of a proposal and work plan for the work, based on this Terms of Reference, for approval of the FOSTERING Project Management Team;
• Review and analyze relevant environmental documents and sex-disaggregated project monitoring data;
• Conduct field work in project targeted communities to obtain data on the environmental situation in the targeted communities of the eastern corridor;
• Identify and review key environmental policies (government and other) affecting the sector at the national and regional levels.
• Assess the potential environmental impacts and make recommendations for mitigation of adverse impacts and enhancement of positive impacts to the FOSTERING Project Management Team

Qualification Required & Experience

Competencies

The consultant should have the following qualifications and expertise

• Extensive experience (at least 10 years) in the application of participatory methodologies for data collection and in developing environmental strategies that address gender concerns within the food security and agriculture sectors;
• Good knowledge and understanding of alternative development in food security and agriculture;
• Good understanding of poverty, social and cultural issues;
• International work experience preferred;
• In-depth knowledge of environmental and climate change issues;
• Demonstrated high level of professionalism and an ability to work independently and in high pressure situations and under tight deadlines
• Ability to write and communicate in English;
• Knowledge and understanding of rural northern Ghana context 5.2 Education The Consultant should have the following qualifications:
• At least a Master’s degree related to agriculture science, environmental studies, development studies, rural development and extension, social research, and related fields.

Experience

• At least 10 years experience in the area of environmental, agriculture and food security with proof of activities carried out within the last 5 years
• Strong professional knowledge in agriculture, environment, rural development, food security, gender and co-operative development in Northern Ghana
• Work experience in NGO's, INGO'S, donor funded projects and other relevant institutions will be an added advantage;

Remuneration

The Consultant will receive a remuneration that corresponds to their level of experience and in accordance with SEND-Ghana’s policy on remuneration for services rendered. SEND-Ghana will pay travel expenses for the assignment, including transportation, food, incidentals, and lodging expenses. Modalities for payment will be specified in the service contract, which will be signed between the Consultant and SEND Ghana

Location: Accra

How To Apply For The Job

Expression of interest

The Consultant should express his/her interest in this call through a motivation letter accompanied by detailed curriculum vitae with three referees and samples of recent work to SEND-Ghana, by electronic mail to Raymond@sendwestafrica.org  and copied to Lucie.Tremblay@coopscanada.coop

Closing Date: 16 May, 2014

Only selected candidates will be contacted.