Environmental Assessment and Environmental management Plan Report

Consultant’s Qualifications

This assignment will be undertaken by a local company, the key staff of which has to meet the following minimum qualification requirements:

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  Appropriate education in environmental and/or soil sciences
  
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  Relevant knowledge of the current environmental situation in Tajikistan
  
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  Knowledge of the national environmental policies and legislation
  
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  At least 5 years experience in the area of environmental management and training
  
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  Knowledge of World Bank Safeguard policies and EA requirements
  
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  Good communicational, presentational and organizational abilities
  
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  Experience with similar assignment is a plus
  

Annex 9

REPUBLIC OF TAJIKISTAN

EMERGENCY FOOD SECURITY AND SEED IMPORTS PROJECT
FIELD DEMONSTRATIONS FOR FARMERS
TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR A LOCAL TRAINING COMPANY

Background

The Emergency Food Security and Seed imports project (EFSSIP) objective is to provide long-term support to accelerate agricultural recovery and growth so that Tajikistan’s agricultural and rural sectors can play their full role in providing the underpinnings for future income growth and poverty reduction.

The original objective of EFSSIP is to increase domestic food production and reduce the loss of livestock to help at least 28,000 poorest households in a timely manner to reduce the negative impact of high and volatile food prices. More specifically, the project provided agricultural production inputs and critical livestock-related inputs to the poorest farmers and female–headed households, to support their immediate food security as well as to recover their production losses and livelihoods.
The above development objective would be amended to cover additional 55,500 poorest households and include the following objectives: (i) to improve the institutional environment for mitigating future food price shocks for the poorest households through creation of a network of Community Seed Banks, and (ii) to develop private agro-input supply system to enable food supply response and agriculture diversification.
The targeted population is mainly in rural areas, where most poor reside. The intended beneficiary groups will be – private farms, emerging farmer organizations, cooperatives, and other private, rural entrepreneurs that aim to improve their production capacities and efficiency to compete in a new market economy.

Rationale

The economic and business activities in rural areas created and financed through the project Components may have direct or indirect impact on the environment. Therefore, environmental issues command increased attention, and raising environmental awareness among the staff of the business development agencies, participating financial institutions, and the implementing agencies is a key aspect of the capacity building activities designed under the Project.

During the Project preparation, an environmental review was undertaken, which both (i) reviewed the environmental aspects of Project implementation and (ii) provided guidance on a range of measures to raise environmental awareness in the project institutions during the Project implementation. One of the recommendations stated in the report was that Field demonstrations with field demonstrations with improved crop production and agrochemicals usage technologies to support the Environmental training program on pest management and environment friendly land use practices ranging from raising awareness to more detailed environmental management should be provided to the project participating agencies. The usage of different mineral fertilizers should be done depending on such factors as type and quality of the soil, type of the crop, system of crop rotation, weather and climate conditions, ways and terms of their application. Consequently, it was recommended to further strengthen the stakeholders’ capacity to ensure the environmental requirements will be fully integrated into their activities. In addition it is also proposed the field demonstrations will be attended by the state ecological inspectors, which are responsible for enforcing the national regulations at the local level.

Statement of Work

Objectives
The objective of the assignment is to increase the awareness of environmental issues related to safe handling of treated seeds and fertilizers and pesticides for the involved participants – farmers, local and district authorities and pest management and strengthen the capacity of project stakeholders to ensure that potential environmental impacts could be recognized, avoided or at least minimized through mitigation; sustainable land use practices, including information about full implications of mono-culture on soil fertility, land degradation and crops quality.

The trainings are aimed at minimizing the potential impacts of supplied seed and fertilizer packages and pesticides and should ensure that there will be no wastes in the result of their usage, that transport and handling, as well as application, are made in a safe and effective manner.

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Tasks to be Performed

The consultant hired under this assignment will:
(i) design the appropriate program for field demonstrations, based on the environmental legislation of the Republic of Tajikistan, Environmental Safeguards of the World Bank, Environmental Impact Assessment carried out during the preparation of the EFSSIP, and the Environmental Standards Section of the Rural Investment Guidelines (RIG) and best practices on pest management and land use. Main stakeholders are to be consulted before the final shaping of the field demonstration program;
(ii) design and agree with MoA the field demonstration agenda and plan for delivery of this activities. The agenda should reflect, at least, the following themes: sustainable land use practices, including information about full implications of mono-culture on soil fertility, land degradation and crops quality, environmental problems in Tajikistan agriculture, including lessons learned from the past; and effective pest control methods, safety measures on usage and handlings of pesticides, treated seeds and fertilizers. While keeping the emphasis on environmental aspects of agriculture, the field demonstrations agenda and plan will be tailored to the needs of every specific training group;
(iii) prepare a short reference manual for the lending staff, identifying the likely impacts of land use and pest management activities on the environment, as well as optional measures to reduce and/or mitigate those impacts during Project implementation
(iv) deliver the training through a series of seminars to the target audience defined in these Terms of Reference;

(v) ensure the organization and logistics of the training seminars (more details are given below)

(vi) ensure meeting follow-up i.e. evaluation of feedback from participants, sending out training materials, list of participants, etc.

In the design of the training program, the consultant should take into account the following: (i) the training program should be practical and include work with realistic case studies, based on actual loan proposals and types of business activities supported by the Project; (ii) the field demonstration program should cover an explanation and practical application of the environmental standards and forms designed for use by the participating financial institutions and included in the Rural Investment Guidelines (Section VIII and Annex 5). A special attention has to be paid to interrelations between irrigation and pest management.

Target Audience

The target audience for this assignment will include staff of the Development Agencies, staff of the Participating Financial Institutions, staff of regional extension offices (ACSA) and staff of the Consolidated Agricultural Project Management Unit and

Other Provisions

The consultant will work closely with the hired FAO Environmental Specialist and under the supervision of Project Manager.

All activities under these Terms of Reference should be completed by .

Inputs and Deliverables
It is expected that the consultant will train 10 groups of target audience. Each training group will consist of up to ____ participants in order to ensure maximum learning opportunities. All training will be continuously evaluated and the evaluation results shall be used to modify the training program in order to suit perfectly the participants’ needs.
Each training seminar will be 2 day long. The assignment will be carried out in place

The Consultant should arrange logistics for each of field demonstration as follows:

6. 
   Participants’ accommodation
   

Accommodation for not more than ____ people;

Minimum accommodation requirements

1 person / room for 1 nights;

accessible conveniences;

included breakfast;

The venue of the training location and place of accommodation is preferable to be in the same sector of rayon.

7. 
   Reimbursement of expenses for the rayon participants
   

- Reimbursement of the expenses related to the travel of rayon participants (both directions);

- Per Diem for covering dinner and incidentals cost for 3 days.

8. 
   Venue for meetings
   

Select Venue as per specification given below:

Main meeting area should be big enough to hold circa 20 persons at round tables.

Airation – air conditioning (preferable);

Lighting – to be adequate and have blackout facilities, if there is need to show a film;

Electricity – enough number of sockets, extension cables and adapters if necessary;

Furniture – enough chairs and tables and the possibility to move them around when required;

Access – easy to find the building.
The company will identify space for:

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  Registration area;
  
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  Main meeting area;
  
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  Observer area.
  

Equipment required for main meeting room as per venue specification including:

Notebook (with DVD-RW and at least 2 USB ports)

Multimedia projector

Screen

Extension cables/leads and tape

Flipchart, pad and pen for each working table (5 tables)

Printer

Photocopier

Equipment for pest control

Other relevant field equipment for demonstrations

Equipment & furniture required for registration:

2 tables (for registration packs, badges and delegate list)

Registration sign

Registration List

Badges

Small stationery pack containing stapler, staples, high lighters, hole punch, scissors, sellotape, post it notes, ruler, white sticky labels, lanyards for badges.

Make any security arrangements if necessary.

9. 
   Meals
   

1) Launch for up to 20 people during 2 days in the working building;

2) Coffee breaks (two per day) for up to 20 people during two days in the working building;

3) Providing drinking water for the working team during the work;

4) Agree catering for participants ensure special dietary requirements have been taken into consideration.

10. 
    Invitation, Registration and providing of participants with training materials and office supplies.
    

Selected organization should perform the following:

10. 
    Send out participant invitation letter & proforma for completion. Completed proforma to be returned as confirmation of participation;
    
11. 
    Produce and distribute copies of all relevant guidelines and plans (key documents), including information pack (training course agenda, accommodation details, etc.) to participants with at least 10 days prior to the event;
    
12. 
    The copies of all relevant guidelines and plans to be placed on each working table at the start of training course;
    
13. 
    Printing and copying of scenario, injects and questions and other additional reference material required for training course;
    
14. 
    Produce color badges for participants;
    
15. 
    Organize set up of participants’ registration, including drawing up registration list;
    
16. 
    Produce group lists for registration and to go on each table;
    
17. 
    Copies of presentations to be printed and given to participants;
    
18. 
    Certificates of participation for all participants.
    

Selected organization should provide participants with supplies during 3 days of training courses:

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  Folders;
  
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  Pens;
  
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  Block notes;
  
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  Training agenda.
  

Reporting Requirements
Within 15 days from the start of assignment the Consultant should present to the Client an Inception report including draft training program, draft training agenda and draft reference manual for the lending staff of the PFI. The training seminars could be started only after the Client’s approval of the above-mentioned documents.
Upon the completion of the assignment, not later that 10 days after the last training seminar, the Consultant will provide a report, summarizing all activities carried out within the assignment, including the description of the training program, detailed information on the training plan implementation and delivery of the training, feedback from participants, and the financial report.
The report shall be presented both in English and Romanian languages and shall be delivered in hard copy as well as in electronic format, to the Project Manager/FAO Director.