CONSULTANT – LEAD TECHNICAL WRITER – Integration of the Extension Activity’s Private Sector-Led Approach to Agricultural Extension in the Government Extension System.
The USAID Feed the Future Nigeria Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services Activity, being implemented by Winrock International, is an innovative extension model that partners with micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and key market actors to test, replicate, and scale models of smallholder-oriented service delivery that will rapidly, effectively, and sustainably provide access to agro-inputs and services and disseminate extension messaging to two million smallholder farmers in Benue, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Kaduna, Kebbi, and Niger states.
The main objective of the Extension Activity is to:
i. Build the capacity of private extension service providers by leveraging the power of MSMEs to deliver extension and advisory services to value chain stakeholders, smallholder farmers (SHFs) to increase their production and productivity due to the increased availability and accessibility of private extension services providers. It targets to increase the availability of and accessibility to quality agricultural inputs/ services as well as pilot and scale up use of ICT-enabled extension services platforms to reach value chain stakeholders. It also aims to increase access to financial products and services.
ii. Strengthen linkages between agricultural research institutions, agro-allied companies, the public and private extension services providers, and agricultural value chain stakeholders.
This approach is underpinned by (a) leveraging the MSMEs as change agents to provide extension services to smallholder farmers sustainability; (b) eliminating on-farm waste and identifying most impactful practices (MIPs) that present commercial value to the MSEs and serve as a business growth and expansion strategy for them; (c) enhancing the enhancing the capacity of the MSMEs to to commercialize the MIPs to smallholder farmers to enable them to increase their income and productivity; (d), using community of practice as a system scale to ensure replication, scale-up, and sustainability of successful extension models.
The Federal Ministry of Agricultural Extension Activity is working with the Extension Activity to integrate this model in the public sector extension system. The first step is to review the extension manual and harmonize the approach in the context of the Extension Activity’s private sector extension delivery model. The Rural Resilience Activity, Farmer to Farmer and IFAD-assisted livelihood enterprise project are partnering with the FMARD and Extension Activity in this process. The parties established a technical committee whose members represent various government institutions involved in agriculture and rural development to shepherd the institutionalization of the private extension model into the government extension system. In this regard, the Extension Activity seeks to engage an expert with good knowledge of the USAID system and its private sector extension model to provide technical guidance and leadership to the technical committee. The committee is expected commence sitting on June 14, 2022.
The Extension Activity wishes to engage the services of a short-term consultant as the Lead Technical Writer to work with the technical committee set up by the parties to lead the production of a high quality harmonized extension manual, which will ultimately be presented to agricultural stakeholders by the Honourable Minister of Agriculture. The Lead Technical Writer must have a strong background in the development and implementation of pluralistic extension models in Nigeria, knowledge and relationships with the key stakeholders in public extension systems, and an understanding of current and past USAID investments in strengthening agriculture innovation systems in order to provide technical guidance and leadership to the technical committee. The committee will commence sitting on June 14, 2022
1. Scope of Work
The specific objective is to lead the writing, synthesis and harmonization of the ideas from the sitting of the technical committee to produce a harmonized government extension manual. The consultant will perform the following tasks:
a. Actively participate in the meetings of the technical committee and facilitate outcome-oriented discussions, leading to consensus and validation of a harmonized extension manual that integrates the Extension Activity’s private sector led extension delivery approach.
b. Work with the team to review the government’s extension manual and produce a harmonized document in the context of mainstreaming private sector extension in the document. The document will:
(i) Demonstrate the relevant private sector participation in extension and strategies for its service delivery
(ii) Identify the key considerations needed to promote a private sector led extension delivery system
(iii) Provide the framework and workflows needed for a pluralistic extension system, focused on private sector service delivery, to function and reach scale. This includes, but is not limited to identifying who are the key players in extension systems, how they must interact to achieve a common purpose, and the incentives and inhibitors to collaboration and extension service delivery
(iv) Establish the sustainability of the model as well as the pathway for scaling the approach
c. Lead the writing of the harmonized government extension manual
2. Qualification and Experience.
The ideal consultant will have the following qualifications.
· Minimum of MSc in agricultural extension, agricultural economics, or other relevant fields.
· Minimum of 8 years’ experience working in the Nigerian agriculture system, with a focus on the design and implementation of pluralistic extension preferred.
· Experience working with international development organizations. USAID experience is an advantage, particularly as it relates to the promotion of agriculture innovation systems.
· Strong writing, communication, and environmental management skills.
3. Timing/Duration:
The level of effort for this assignment is 17 workdays.
4. Reporting
The technical direction for this activity will come from the Extension Activity’s Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP). The Chief of Party (COP) of the Extension Activity will provide general oversight to the entire exercise.
5. Deliverables
The consultant will deliver the following deliverables to the Extension Activity:
Deliverable #1: Workplan
The consultant will submit a work plan that will include: a detailed timeline of activities and a description of activities including any other innovative ways of achieving better result. This plan will be submitted for review and concurrence by the Extension Activity. The consultant will obtain concurrence from the Extension Activity for any modifications made to the work plan.
Timing – One working week after signing consultancy agreement, and orientation by the Extension Activity
Deliverable #2: Private Sector integration Report
Harmonized extension manual that substantially incorporates the private sector extension strategy the USAID Extension Activity strategy.
Timing – June 25, 2022
Deliverable #3: Final Report
Final copy of the harmonized extension manual incorporating comments from stakeholders workshop and Winrock International.
Timing – July 31, 2022
The deliverable timelines stated above are just estimated delivery dates and are subject to change upon signing of the consultant agreement and initial meeting with the technical committee.
How to apply
Method of Application:
Interested and qualified candidates should submit their applications to: prequal@agextensionactivity.org using the position as the subject of the email.
Applications should include: Detailed CV, and proposed daily rate for the consultancy assignment.
Closing date for submission of application is June 10, 2022.