Background

Mafisa Community Transformation Trust Limited is a Zambian non-profit organisation established in 2018. Currently focused on Mwandi and surrounding districts, Mafisa is strengthening climate-smart, productive pastoralist livelihoods in Zambia’s poorest and most climate-impacted regions. The Mafisa model helps local traditional cattle-raising communities to improve herd health, adopt regenerative rangeland management, and access fair market opportunities so they will have larger, more sustainable incomes. Mafisa also supports other sustainable livelihoods in the same communities.

From 2023, Mafisa has been expanding operations through carbon financing. This is an innovative programme – a methodology that has not been used in Zambia, rapid growth for a young Zambian non-profit, and a significant expansion in programming in the livestock sector. The Mafisa team is committed to building an impactful and respected programme.

Purpose of the Assignment

Mafisa Community Transformation Trust Limited is seeking to strengthen the technical capacity of its frontline community-based service providers, Community Agents and Rangeland Field Monitors so that they can provide effective frontline support to rural communities in animal health, sustainable rangeland management and fire prevention. To enhance their effectiveness, Mafisa is looking to engage experienced trainer(s) to design and/or update the animal health, rangeland and fire management curricula and deliver targeted training programs that will equip agents with technical knowledge and practical skills, in:

• Animal Health: disease prevention, treatment, vaccination, and livestock husbandry. (Refer to Annexure 1: Course Outline for Community agents) (these available upon request)
• Rangeland & Fire Management: sustainable grazing, rangeland rehabilitation, fire prevention, and suppression techniques. (Refer to Annexure 2: Rangeland Training Manual) (these available upon request)

Objectives of the Assignment

The objectives of this assignment are to:

• a) develop a comprehensive curriculum covering animal health, rangeland and fire management
• b) facilitate training for Community Agents and Rangeland Field Monitors that equips them with technical capacity and skills in basic veterinary practices, rangeland and fire management.

Scope of Work

The consultant will be expected to undertake the following tasks

Curriculum Development:

The consultant will develop a comprehensive training curriculum through a consultative process informed by Mafisa’s operational experience, field implementation model, field teams, community structures, and technical priorities. The curriculum, training modules, and accompanying materials should be tailored to the local context and to the specific roles, responsibilities, and capacity needs of Community Agents and Rangeland Field Monitors. This will ensure that Mafisa has a structured, practical, and standardised training package that can be used for current and future training needs. The curriculum should be designed to respond directly to Mafisa’s field implementation model and should combine technical knowledge with practical, field-based skills. It should establish clear learning objectives and include structured session plans, facilitator notes, participant handouts, practical exercises, field demonstration guides, assessment tools, and monitoring templates. The materials should be simple, user-friendly, and appropriate for delivery in both classroom and community settings, using clear messages that support both knowledge acquisition and hands-on learning.

A comprehensive animal health component should be developed and fully integrated into the curriculum. This component should cover key livestock health topics relevant to Mafisa’s work, including basic animal disease identification, disease prevention, vaccination support, dipping and spray race management, deworming, livestock handling, reporting of disease outbreaks, referral pathways, and the roles of Community Agents and Rangeland Field Monitors in supporting animal health service delivery at community level.

In addition, the consultant should review Mafisa’s existing rangeland and fire management curriculum to assess its relevance, practicality, and alignment with current field realities. Where necessary, the curriculum should be updated to reflect lessons learned from implementation, community feedback, seasonal grazing patterns, fire prevention needs, monitoring requirements, and Mafisa’s evolving rangeland management approach. The updated curriculum should strengthen practical skills in grazing planning, rangeland condition monitoring, firebreak management, community mobilisation, data collection, and the facilitation of community-based rangeland management activities.

Training Delivery:

Training delivery will use a blended and participatory approach, including classroom-based learning, field demonstrations, group discussions, role plays, practical sessions, community-based learning, and peer-to-peer exchange. This approach will ensure that participants are not only exposed to theory but are also able to apply the knowledge in real-life situations, including grazing planning, monitoring rangeland conditions, supporting community engagement, collecting field data, facilitating farmer discussions, and promoting improved rangeland management practices.

The training should be tailored to the local context, taking into account the realities of pastoral communities, traditional leadership structures, seasonal grazing patterns, local ecological conditions, and the existing knowledge and experience of Community Agents and Rangeland Field Monitors. Particular emphasis should be placed on practical application, problem-solving, communication skills, and community facilitation, so that participants are equipped to serve as effective links between Mafisa, communities, and other stakeholders.

The curriculum should also recognise the complementary roles of Community Agents and Rangeland Field Monitors. It should ensure that both groups develop a shared understanding of Mafisa’s approach and are able to support one another in the field when required. This will strengthen coordination, improve consistency in implementation, and ensure that there is sufficient field-level capacity to support communities effectively. The training is expected to strengthen the agents’ ability to serve as community-based extension workers and to link farmers and communities with relevant government, veterinary and technical services.

Methodology

The consultant will be required to travel to Mwandi to provide in-person training for Community Agents and Rangeland Field Monitors.

The training methodology should enable participants to understand key concepts while also building the practical skills required to support communities effectively. It should therefore include participatory learning methods such as group discussions, role plays, field demonstrations, practical assignments, peer learning, and community-based exercises. These approaches will help ensure that Community Agents and Rangeland Field Monitors are able to apply the training in real field situations and support communities in a consistent and practical manner. S/he will assess learning outcomes using appropriate tools, including pre- and post-training assessments, practical exercises, observation of field-based activities, and participant feedback sessions. The Consultant should be able to provide coaching and mentorship to trainees throughout the training period to strengthen their confidence, reinforce learning, and support the practical application of the skills and knowledge acquired.

Mafisa will provide transport, accommodation and logistics for the training in Mwandi. Additionally, it will provide all required administrative support, such as access to relevant documents or coordination with staff and community, stationery and printing of materials.

Key Deliverables

By the end of the assignment, the consultant should produce a complete training curriculum and accompanying training materials that are locally relevant, practical, and directly applicable to the day-to-day work of Community Agents and Rangeland Field Monitors. The final package should support standardisation of training across Mafisa’s programme areas and provide a strong foundation for future in-house training, refresher courses, and possible accreditation.

Expected Deliverables

• Training curriculum and materials (manuals, handouts, visual aids).
• Deliver training sessions
• Pre- and Post-training evaluation reports with recommendations.
• Mentorship plan for ongoing support
• Final Training Report that documents the training process, key achievements, challenges encountered, lessons learned, and recommendations for continued capacity building and field-level support.

Management

The Consultant will report directly to the Chief Operating Officer.

Time Frame & Location

The assignment will be implemented over a period of 6 Weeks.

Duration: The assignment is expected to commence from 17th August to 25th September 2026

Location: Lusaka and Mwandi, Western Province

Proposed consultancy fee and terms of payment

The consultant is required to submit a proposed consultancy fee as part of the proposal. The proposed fee should clearly indicate the consultant’s rate and should include all applicable taxes, including withholding tax where applicable.

Payments will be linked to satisfactory completion and approval of agreed deliverables, including:

Mafisa is in full compliance with the tax laws of the Republic of Zambia and will make any necessary deductions for withholding taxes (WHT) or any other applicable taxes when making any payment to an independent contractor. Guidance on applicable deductions and rates can be obtained on the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) website - www.zra.org.zm/

Insurance Coverage

Note that Mafisa contractors travelling to the field should be in possession of emergency medical evacuation insurance.

Required/Desirable Experience

The consultant should have the following qualifications and experience:

• A Master's Degree or Pst Graduate in Veterinary Science, Animal Health, Rangeland Management, Natural Resource Management or related fields.
• Minimum 10 years’ experience in training, extension services, and animal health.
• Strong facilitation and participatory training skills.
• Proven experience in developing training materials and delivering practical field-based training.
• Familiarity with rural community dynamics. Knowledge of local languages, particularly basic Lozi, will be an added advantage.

• Develop a comprehensive training curriculum through a consultative process informed by Mafisa’s operational experience, field implementation model, field teams, community structures, and technical priorities.
• Tailor the curriculum, training modules, and accompanying materials to the local context and to the specific roles, responsibilities, and capacity needs of Community Agents and Rangeland Field Monitors.
• Ensure the curriculum includes structured session plans, facilitator notes, participant handouts, practical exercises, field demonstration guides, assessment tools, and monitoring templates.
• Develop a comprehensive animal health component covering basic animal disease identification, disease prevention, vaccination support, dipping and spray race management, deworming, livestock handling, reporting of disease outbreaks, referral pathways, and the roles of Community Agents and Rangeland Field Monitors in supporting animal health service delivery at community level.
• Review Mafisa’s existing rangeland and fire management curriculum to assess its relevance, practicality, and alignment with current field realities.
• Update the rangeland and fire management curriculum to reflect lessons learned from implementation, community feedback, seasonal grazing patterns, fire prevention needs, monitoring requirements, and Mafisa’s evolving rangeland management approach.
• Strengthen practical skills in grazing planning, rangeland condition monitoring, firebreak management, community mobilisation, data collection, and the facilitation of community-based rangeland management activities.
• Deliver training sessions using a blended and participatory approach, including classroom-based learning, field demonstrations, group discussions, role plays, practical sessions, community-based learning, and peer-to-peer exchange.
• Tailor the training to the local context, taking into account the realities of pastoral communities, traditional leadership structures, seasonal grazing patterns, local ecological conditions, and the existing knowledge and experience of Community Agents and Rangeland Field Monitors.
• Place particular emphasis on practical application, problem-solving, communication skills, and community facilitation.
• Ensure that both Community Agents and Rangeland Field Monitors develop a shared understanding of Mafisa’s approach and are able to support one another in the field.
• Assess learning outcomes using appropriate tools, including pre- and post-training assessments, practical exercises, observation of field-based activities, and participant feedback sessions.
• Provide coaching and mentorship to trainees throughout the training period.

• Strong facilitation and participatory training skills.
• Proven experience in developing training materials.
• Experience delivering practical field-based training.
• Familiarity with rural community dynamics.
• Knowledge of local languages, particularly basic Lozi, will be an added advantage.

• A Master's Degree or Post Graduate in Veterinary Science, Animal Health, Rangeland Management, Natural Resource Management or related fields.
• Minimum 10 years’ experience in training, extension services, and animal health.