Call for Consultancy Services

AERC calls for applications from potential consultants to train farmers in two (2), three-day workshops on “farming as a business” to enable the transformation of African agriculture from subsistence to a vibrant, commercialized agricultural enterprise, proposed for November 21-23, 2023, in Egerton, Njoro, and February 2024, in Nairobi, Kenya. 

The three-day workshops are specialized short-term farmer training that are part of AERCs efforts to engage the private sector in mutually beneficial research and training activities to enhance innovation, and to deepen and broaden AERC capacity building. The themes of the trainings include financial inclusion, financing agribusiness, market linkages, farming as a business, value addition in agribusiness, and mitigation of climate change, among others. Interested consultants must provide CVs indicating that they are qualified to perform the services by describing similar assignments and indicating availability of appropriate skills.  

Scope of the Consultancy

The scope of work broadly entails delivery of entrepreneurship skills with the following subject matter areas: Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs); Farming as a Business; Financial Literacy; Financial Management; Credit Management; Investment in Agribusiness; Keeping Farm and Agribusiness records; Risk Management in Agribusiness; and Case Studies of Financing Agribusiness. Given the strengths of online delivery systems, the consultant, with the support of the AERC will upload the training materials (notes, power point slides, assignments, etc) onto the AERC Learning Management System for continued access to course materials by the technologically savvy agri-preneurs.

Deliverables and Expected Outcomes

The consultant will be required to provide training materials (notes, power point presentations, tutorials, and examples) and instruct the trainees under a workshop environment. Upon completion of the training, a report to the AERC/CMAAE detailing the following will be required of the consultant: The preparedness of the learners to undertake the training; AERC/CMAAE support offered to the consultant to deliver the training; The topics covered, their sequencing and appropriateness to agricultural transformation in Sub-Saharan Africa; Any constraints in developing the training materials and course delivery; and Recommendations for future adoption in the preparation and execution of similar trainings. 

Qualifications and Selection Criteria

1. Must possess a bachelors degree in Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness, Agricultural Finance, Development Economics, Business Management or related field. Possession of MSc in the same fields will be an added advantage.
2. Have at least five years’ hands-on experience in farmer training in farming as a business with bias to agribusiness financing.
3. Familiarity with use of various multimedia appropriate to the presentation of content to adult learners.
4. Ability to translate technical content and train in the local, national language that is understood by most farmers.

Application Procedure

An application letter addressed to The Executive Director, African Economic Research Consortium, Middle East Bank Towers, 3rd Floor, Jakaya Kikwete Road, P.O. Box 62882 – 00200; Tel: (254-20) 273-4150, Nairobi, Kenya, clearly indicating “Consultant for Farmer Training on Entrepreneurship in Agribusiness” on the subject line, and an updated CV can be uploaded on https://training.aercafrica.org/facultyresearchgrantapplicant before October 31, 2023. The CV should clearly indicate similar consultancy assignments undertaken and have a personal declaration as follows: – 

“I hereby certify that the details provided in my CV are at the best of my knowledge true, complete, and accurate. I acknowledge that an inaccurate statement or omission in a personal declaration or other document might result in rejection of my application or termination of my contract. The African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) may verify any statements which I make in my application”.