Consultancy Service for Establishing Model Farm Demonstration for Aquasilvicuture in Ca Mau Province

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Consultancy service for establishing model farm demonstration for aquasilvicuture in Ca Mau province

Country:          Vietnam
Organisation:    SNV - Netherlands Development Organisation
Project:           Scaling up Mangrove EbA in the Mekong Delta (MAM2 project)
Location:         Ca Mau, Tra Vinh province
Duration:         15 March 2019 – 30 December 2019 (indicative 60 days)

I.  Background to the assignment

SNV Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV) is a non-profit, international development organisation founded 53 years ago, and now operating in 28 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Our global team of local and international advisors use their expertise in three sectors – Agriculture, Renewable Energy and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene – as well as the cross-cutting topics of gender, climate change and youth employment to contribute to solving some of the leading problems facing the world today. We work with local partners to equip communities, businesses and organisations with the tools, knowledge and connections they need to increase and gain access to basic services – empowering them to break the cycle of poverty and guide their own development.

SNV has been working in Vietnam since 1995, and currently has over 30 national and international staff. SNV Vietnam operates from a head office in Hanoi and projects in over 50 provinces in the country, including in the poorest and most remote areas.

Southeast Asia has lost half its mangroves over the past 30 years, primarily as a result of clearing for shrimp ponds.  This has serious consequences, as mangroves protect against tidal waves and storm surges. They are vital fish nursery-grounds, provide timber, honey, and other products and raise land levels by trapping sediment.  They also sequester carbon faster than any other forest type.  Healthy mangroves thus make important contributions to both climate change adaptation and mitigation and form the basis of coastal ecosystem-based adaptation.

The “Scaling up Mangrove EbA in the Mekong Delta” (MAM2) project is funded by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), and implemented by SNV and IUCN in coordination with Ca Mau, Tra Vinh, Ben Tre Provincial People’s Committee (PPC). This project builds capacity of local stakeholders (Aquaculture/forestry sectors, local authority, private companies, and farmers), improves livelihood of mangrove – shrimp farmers on degraded mangroves by promoting shrimp certification and restoration, provides policy recommendations on Payments for Ecosystem Services on Aquaculture and creates enabling conditions for accessing climate change funds. The project’s focus sites are in Ca Mau, Ben Tre and Tra Vinh.

The MAM project, SNV-Vietnam Agriculture programme has cooperated with Ca Mau Provincial People’s Committee/Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, seafood enterprises, Forest Management Boards and shrimp households in Ca Mau since 2012.

II.        Consultancy service description:

1. Assignment Objectives and Outcomes:

The MAM2 project is now seeking a national specialist for establishing model farm demonstration for aquasilvicuture in Ca Mau province. In order to replicate achievements from model farm studies (2015-2018) to improve productivity of shrimp farmers in the Mekong Delta.

The specific goals of this assignment are:

• Demonstrate good model farms that adopted improved practices for better productivity and higher incomes for scaling up these models;
• Suggestions for integration aquasilviculture into mangrove shrimp farming in CM for added values;
• An on farm training area that’s able to prove field practices for visiting and training other farmers;
• Providing technical manual that accepted by DARD, aquaculture department to guide shrimp farmers to apply improved practices in their mangrove shrimp farming;
• Developing a cost benefit analysis for all integrated products (native shrimps, mud crab, fish, other cultivation, crops on shrimp farms) to recommend for scaling up of polyculture and aquasilviculture models;
• Provide scientific base and knowledge sharing in the Mekong delta and the region about aquaculture model farm studies from 2015 – 2018, an international journal article.

The outcomes of this assignment will support for replicating project achievements and polyculture. It contributes to sustainable development of supply chains for business and livelihoods for shrimp farmers to adapt to climate change risks.

2. Scope of the assignment:

The project aims to set up model farm demonstration for aquasilvicuture in Nhung Mien Forest Management Board area, Vien An Dong commune, Ngoc Hien District, Ca Mau province where model farm studies were carried out 2015 – 2018.

The selected consultants will work closely with Ca Mau PPC/DARD, Ngoc Hien district, FMBs, regional/national aquaculture institutions and MAM2 project to make sure the quality of information, data and research results to adapt requirements, coincide with reality and farmers’ interests.

3. Methodology/Tasks

• Review existing studies and results of mangrove shrimp studies in the project areas and existing models the Mekong delta;
• Site selection and designing for aquasilviculture demonstration farms as requirements (polyculture, mangroves cover, gardens, cash crops...);
• Designing, applying and demonstrating successful results from earlier studies and/or other existing models to show and pursuit other shrimp farmers to apply these improved practices;
• Technical training to involved/designed partners, shrimp farmers inside and outside of project/provinces; provide technical manuals to guide farmers;
• Up dated models and recommendations for up scaling models;
• Cost benefit analysis for new/added models;
• Provide scientific base and knowledge sharing in the Mekong delta and the regional countries on aquaculture model farm studies (2015 – 2018). Inputs, analyse, edit and submit for publishing model farm studies’ results on international technical publishers (Aquaculture/polyculture/ aquasilviculture...)

4. Deliverables:

All deliverables should be both in Vietnamese and English with the following content:

• A proposal for fulfilling the assignment that includes method, design, materials, monitoring work-plan and estimated costs for the package;
• Technical manual to train households and detailed field implementation practices;
• Technical report/present to all project partners for the project (Nov, 2019);
• Materials for trainings/workshop with related stakeholders at beginning and at the end of this study;
• Three trained model farms (households) that are able to prove field practices for visitors and training facilities to other farmers;
• Technical manual to guide shrimp farmers to apply improved practices in their mangrove shrimp farming that are able to improve productivity and incomes of shrimp farmers (compare to controlled farms). One brief manual 2 pages; one full detailed manual shrimp farming (at least 4 pages);
• A cost benefit analysis for new/added models on aquasilviculture;
• All relevant data collected (in files) from field collection of model farm studies;
• Conduct 2 trainings for local stakeholders (communes, local associations), farmers and related district, provincial departments (about 100 participants/each training);
• Presenting in 2 workshops (province and project final workshop). Consultant will give training materials and PowerPoint presentations for training/workshop (in soft copy);
• An international journal/article on aquaculture about model farm studies;

5. Timeline:  This work should take place within a period not exceeding 60 working days, from 10th March to 30th December 2019.

III. Qualifications, skills and experience required:

The consultants should prove expertise and capacity in the following areas:

• Having certification of ability in Aquaculture research and practical institutions in the Mekong Delta.
• Capable to work with community, local stakeholders and farmers;
• Preferred knowledge, skills, and experience in mangrove shrimp aquaculture, model farm study in Ca Mau province, or other provinces in the Mekong delta;
• Having knowledge, experience from working in organic shrimp certification project;
• Excellent facilitation and communication/training skills;
• Having capacity of reporting in Vietnamese, English and writing research journal;

IV. How to apply:

Interested consultants/ firms are requested to send:

• Detailed proposal demonstrating the ability to deliver on this assignment, included financial proposal, area survey, logistical support etc. during implementation of this assignment; Estimated working days to offer the deliverables.  Support will be provided by the SNV Field Coordinator, partners in the Provinces, Forest Management Boards (FMBs) on carrying out field activities and working with local farmers.

Components of the technical proposal:

• Understanding of the assignment
• Proposed assignment approach, method and tools
• Work plan and resource arrangements
• Team roles and specific tasks

Annexes: CVs of team members, relevant publications or other evidence of relevant capacities

Components of the budget proposal:

• Package rate of the work and daily rate of each member
• Operational and support costs
• Total estimated costs

Deadline for proposal submission: March 15, 2019

Interested applicants are invited to send their completed proposals via email to: [email protected]