I. PURPOSE OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
The purpose of this assignment is to assist the project in undertaking environmental examination and develop Environmental Documentation Forms (EDFs) and Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring Plan (EMMP) for selected value chains/ enterprises in the project regions. The initially conducted UAP Scoping Exercise (SE), Risk Assessment and Mitigation, and, EMMP will be the base for conducting grants specific environmental examination and in developing EDFs and EMMPs for value chain/ enterprise grants to be awarded in the project regions. The Environmental Examination will incorporate the environmental mitigation measures in the grants implementation and improve the environmental mitigation monitoring in enterprises grants. The project requires service of enumerators - environmental examination to assist Environmental Specialist
to undertake these examinations and to develop EDFs and EMMPs for all the grants.
II. BACKGROUND
The UAP is implemented by USAID in collaboration with ASF and will contribute towards achievement of the broader development objective envisaged under USAID’s 2011-2015 Pakistan’s Agriculture Sector Strategy especially regarding Objective 1 i.e. “competiveness of horticulture and livestock value chains increased”. The overall goal of the project is to “support improved conditions for broad-based economic growth, create employment opportunities and contribute to poverty alleviation through increase in competitiveness of horticulture and livestock value chains in partnership with all stakeholders”.
Specific objectives of the project are to; (i) strengthen capacity in horticulture and livestock value chains to increase sales to domestic and foreign markets; (ii) strengthen capacity of smallholders and farmer enterprises to operate autonomously and effectively; and, (iii) increase agricultural efficiency and productivity through adoption of new farming techniques and technological innovation among targeted beneficiaries. Activities of the project are organized into two components i.e. (i) Technical Assistance (TA) for Capacity Building and Program Support; and, (ii) Partnership Window for Cost-Sharing Grants.
Under component-1, the project will provide on-going technical and capacity building assistance to upgrade and strengthen capacities in the priority value chains within horticulture and livestock sub-sectors through its four sub-components including: (1) International Technical Assistance & Program Delivery Support, (2) International Market Linkages Development, (3) Kisan Field Schools (KFS), and (4) Capacity Building, Training & Awareness.
Component-2 of the Project involves launching of a national cost-sharing grants program, offering a wide range of customized assistance to key players within the priority value chains. Focused assistance will be provided in the priority value chains, including: agribusinesses (including processors, exporters, market operators, value adding and other related SMEs), farmers and farmer enterprise groups, strengthening farmers’ associations, processors and exporters, transporters, service providers including business development service providers, and other key players in order to address weakness and market failures with the ultimate objective to strengthen private sector and market systems. Focus of investments will be on up-stream marketing and processing (off-farm) aspects of the value chains for fostering value addition and to capitalize on strengthened capacities through assistance provided under component-1.
As one of the important activities under the componenet-1, the baseline studies will cover the initial situation with regard to all the output, outcome and impact indicators necessary under the performance based framework covering project planning, monitoring and evaluation and impact assessment. The baseline studies are planned in the current year (first year) of the project and findings from this will be used for periodic progress and performance review and evaluation. The specific scope of work for the technical assistance regarding baseline studies is section III, below:
III. SPECIFIC SCOPE OF WORK
A team of Enumerators/ Environmental Examiner will be hired to assist the Environmental Specialist to undertake the environmental examination and to develop EDFs and EMMPs of selected VC/ enterprise grants in project regions. The enumerators will undertake a comprehensive examination, through site visits, of the processed enterprise grants. The enumerators will also assist in developing EDFs and EMMPs of all the grants. The EDFs and EMMPs will be used for monitoring and tracking the environmental mitigation measures for all the processed grants throughout the implementation of the project.
The enumerators are expected to address and undertake the following key activities and tasks summarized below:
1. Understand UAP Activities’ Environmental Issues and Mitigation Measures:
The enumerators will have to acquire complete understanding of UAP activities i.e. of pickle production, solar dryer, tunnel farming, orchards, milk chillers, (Farmer Entrepreneurs Groups) FEGs, Tissue Culture Labs, and Germ Plasma; and, associated environmental issues and their mitigation measures. Environmental Specialist will provide a comprehensive training to the enumerators so that they have the needed capacities and skills to conduct the environmental examination of UAP activities in the field and compile the collected information to develop EDFs and EMMPs.
2. Conduct Environmental Examination in the UAP Project Regions:
The enumerators will have to develop, under the supervision and guidance of Environmental Specialist, the checklist for the examination of environmental issues of each UAP activity. Once developed, the enumerators will have to visit UAP activity/ enterprises sites to practically conduct the environmental examination. The environmental examination will include visiting grants site in 5 UAP-ASF regional clusters i.e. Lahore, Faisalabad & Multan; Karachi & Sukkur; Peshawar & DI Khan, Gilgit-Baltistan, and ICT & AJK. The examination will obtain information on the checklist to validate, “Negative determination with Conditions” of the selected enterprise/ VC grants
3. Compile Information; develop EDFs and EMMPs:
The enumerators will have to compile the environmental examination information, collected through checklist, and direct observation, based upon the type and scale of enterprise grants i.e. pickle production, solar dryer, tunnel farming, orchards, milk chillers, (Farmer Entrepreneurs Groups) FEGs, Tissue Culture Labs, and Germ Plasma. The compiled information will be then reviewed by Environmental Specialist and M&E Environment Compliance Officer. The enumerators will use the information to develop EDFs and EMMPs for each of the enterprise grants.
Services are required in all the regions of the project especially in Lahore, Multan & Faisalabad, Karachi & Sukkar, ICT and AJK, Peshawar and DI Khan and Gilgit-Baltistan.
IV. ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY
The enumerators/environmental examiner will be expected to perform the following tasks in a systematic manner and under the supervision of Environmental Specialist.
- Completely understand the purpose of UAP project activities, possible environmental adverse impact and proposed mitigation measures, EDF and EMMP;
- Develop checklist for the environmental examination during site examination;
- Visit UAP activities/ enterprise grants sites and collect the data and information, using checklist and direct observation;
- Clearly and completely document all the collected data and information;
- Consolidate and compile all the collected data and information;
- Develop EDFs and EMMPs for all the examined enterprise grants
- Review, correct, finalize, validate and submit examined grants’ EDFs and EMMP; and,
- Work under the supervision of M&E Compliance Officer.
V. DURATION, TIMING AND SCHEDULE
It is anticipated that the period of performance of this assignment will be for about 60 days. A possible schedule of activities follows:
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Task/Deliverable
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LOE (days)
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Completely understand the purpose of UAP project activities
|
2
|
|
Develop checklist for the environmental examination during site examination
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3
|
|
Visit UAP activities/ enterprise grants sites and collect the data and information
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30
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Develop EDFs and EMMPs for all the examined enterprise grants
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20
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Review, correct, finalize, validate and submit examined grants’ EDFs and EMMP
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5
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Total Working Days
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41
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VI. COMPOSITION OF TEAM:
The team of consultants will include;
(i) 01 Environmental Specialist
(ii) 05 Enumerators/Environmental Examiners
VII. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Masters in Environment Sciences, Economics, Sociology and/or any other related field;
- A minimum 2 year of experience in field work, i.e. monitoring and evaluation, field data collection;
- Previous experience of conducting survey, and data collection from rural and urban areas of Pakistan;
- Should have ability to speak Urdu, English and other local languages;
- Good understanding of MS Office (Word, Excel and Power Point);
- Strong observation and note taking skills; and,
- Ability to manage field work independently.
- For the position of Environmental Specialist, preference will be given to M.Phil and PhD.
- For the position of Environmental Specialist, experience must not be less than 10 Years.
Female candidates will be given preference