ABOUT WFP

The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity, for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

At WFP, people are at the heart of everything we do and the vision of the future WFP workforce is one of diverse, committed, skilled, and high performing teams, selected on merit, operating in a healthy and inclusive work environment, living WFP’s values (Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion) and working with partners to save and change the lives of those WFP serves.

BACKGROUND:

In July 2023, the World Food Programme (WFP) Zambia Country Office commenced a new five-year Country Strategic Plan (CSP), informed by, and aligned with national and United Nations priorities and global commitments under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It embraces the Government’s long-term Vision 2030; aligns with 16 key strategic areas of the 8th National Development Plan (NDP8); and contributes to the joint Zambia-United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF).

WFP Zambia’s integrated and pragmatic CSP shifts away from unsustainable localized and micro-level interventions, to embrace more effective advocacy and engagement with national policies, systems, and programmes to achieve national impact on SDG2. Given the Government’s commitment to budget support for nutrition, social protection, and agriculture, despite the constraints in the country’s fiscal position, WFP’s overarching strategy seeks to enable the government to meet its national priorities with better systems, expertise, and resources for implementation. This means a decisive shift of WFP’s country positioning towards the provision of innovative, sustainable, upstream technical assistance for nationally owned solutions.

Advancing the global WFP Strategic Plan (2022-2025), the CSP addresses both SDG2 and SDG17, and WFP’s Strategic Results 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. WFP will implement seven activities to achieve five Strategic Outcomes (SO).  These SOs include: responding to crises and shocks, including support to refugees (SO1); addressing the root causes of malnutrition (SO2); building the resilience, enabling environment and market access for smallholder farmers, especially women and youth (SO3); supporting government institutions to provide social protection systems (including home grown school meals) and disaster preparedness and response and anticipatory actions (SO4); and improving access to supply chain services for humanitarian and development actors (SO5).

REPORTING

The consultant will report to Head of Innovation and Field Operations, World Food Programme. Regular progress updates and meetings will be scheduled to ensure the consultancy is on track and aligned with the project objectives.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES 

Main objective

Develop and make comprehensive update of existing community information packs and training package materials for key topics essential for enhancing local knowledge and skills in agriculture, food security, and sustainable development.

The specific objectives of this consultancy are to:

1. Develop user-friendly and community-appropriate training materials for the specified topics to be used by staff in Agriculture, Social protection, education and health and nutrition
2. Develop a comprehensive user friendly and community reference material that will be used by farming households containing relevant topics of interest in including:

• climate-smart agriculture, agroforestry, post-harvest management,
• food processing and preservation, food safety, food value addition,
• smallholder market access (including through school feeding), flexible financing (including Village Savings and Lending Associations),
• business development skills, nutrition integration in finance access initiatives,
• use of clean energy solutions, and water harvesting solutions to address climate related challenges affecting food production.
• Document current models and standardised practices employed by WFP under School Feeding, nutrition, smallholder support, social protection etc.

Guiding principles

• Include visual aids, case studies, and real-life examples to enhance comprehension and applicability.
•  Cover both theoretical knowledge and practical applications comprehensively.
• Incorporate practical, hands-on training approaches

3. Scope of Work

The consultancy will involve the following tasks:

Needs Assessment

• Conduct a thorough needs assessment to identify the specific training needs of the target communities for each topic.
• Engage with key stakeholders, including community leaders, local farmers, and relevant organizations, to gather insights and information.

Development of Training Materials and User guides

• Create detailed training manuals for each topic.
• Develop visual aids such as posters, charts, and presentation slides.
• Produce interactive materials such as workbooks, activity sheets, and multimedia content.
• Develop and enhance use friendly digital storage option for documents and all materials.

Customization and Localization

• Ensure all materials are contextually appropriate and sensitive to local cultures and languages.
• Use local examples and case studies to make the training relatable and practical.

Pilot Testing and Feedback

• Conduct pilot testing of the training materials in selected communities.
• Collect feedback from participants and facilitators to refine and improve the materials.

Finalization of Materials

• Integrate feedback from pilot testing to finalize the training packages.
• Ensure all materials are high quality, comprehensive, and ready for dissemination.

4. Deliverables

The consultant will be expected to deliver:

• A comprehensive report on the needs assessment findings.
• Training manuals for each of the specified topics, including visual aids and interactive materials.
• A report on the pilot testing process and feedback received.
• Finalized training package materials incorporating feedback and improvements.

5. Duration of the Consultancy

The consultancy is expected to be completed within four months from the start date.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education: A master’s degree or higher in agricultural sciences, nutrition or a related field.

Experience: Proven experience in developing training materials for community-based programs and expertise in agriculture, food security, sustainable development, and related fields.

Knowledge & Skills: Strong understanding of adult learning principles and participatory training methods, Experience in conducting needs assessments and pilot testing and excellent communication and writing skills.

SUBMISSIONS

Interested applicants should include the following in the applications:

•  A detailed work plan outlining the approach to carrying out the tasks.
• A financial proposal with a detailed budget breakdown.
• CVs of the consultant
• Samples of previous relevant work

DUE DATE:

Deadline for submissions is 6th July 2025 by 23:59hours (Zambian time)