TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR) FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE COMMUNITY BASED CENTERS FOR INFORMATION SHARING AND LEARNING

Background

BIOCOOR is currently executing the project titled "Community-Based Natural Resources Management and Governance" in the Nyaruguru and Nyamagabe Districts of Southern Rwanda. The project is funded by Irish Aid through TROCAIRE Rwanda. The primary goal is to ensure that individuals living in poverty, especially rural women and youth, are actively engaged in natural resources management and governance including their valorization. As part of the project's second-year activities, BIOCOOR intends to establish the centers for information sharing/education system within the villages/cells targeted by the project. The ultimate desire is to see the villages/cells members accessing information related to their daily livelihoods activities with an emphasis on practical actions and learnings on: (1) Climate change adaptation; (2) agroecology practices, natural resources management and governance and (3) access to markets for their produces, (4) food and nutrition security, etc…. It is recommended to set up a system locally managed as a way to make it sustainable beyond the project life.

Objectives of the Assignment

The objective of this consultancy is to set up the village/cell-based centers in rural areas to allow the members to access basic information and learning opportunities in line with their livelihoods daily work using visual and audio technologies. The ultimate desire is to use the centers to learn about the promising technical practices from other areas and to access information in the following areas:

1. Climate change adaptation practices
2. Natural resources management practices/approaches
3. Agroecology practices
4. Information related to the potential markets for farm and non-farm produces.
5. Food and nutrition security information in line with the 6 UN dimensions and 12 food groups

Expected deliverables from the consultant.

The consultant will:

• Design education materials (posters) for each of the topics listed above by using simple language adapted to the farmers in rural areas. The posters should have at least 2mx2m to facilitate the visibility using the real case studies to be placed to the public places in each of the targeted villages
• Develop an audio system with similar messages as those shown on the posters
• Equip the centers with the TV screen in each of the sector selected from Nyaruguru and Nyamagabe. It is advised to liaise with the local authorities at cell level to agree on the best way to use existing public infrastructures in a more secured and sustainable way.
• Develop visual and audio messages and cases studies to be aired using the TV screens and associated microphones. This will be developed in collaboration with other Trocaire partners in Nyamagabe and Nyaruguru delivering on Goal 2.
• Propose and set up continuous mechanism to access the promising success within the areas through video and audio and air them regularly using the systems established by the community members trained.
• Link the center with other systems used to disseminate information/learning in agriculture such as E-Isok, Kumva, etc…
• If possible, connect the centers with the early warning system to allow the the community members to access information required for a better preparation around the potential disasters
• Training of local volunteers on how to use and maintain the material and equipment provided.

Timeline for the consultancy

This assignment will be implemented in 2 months period starting from July to August, 2024 The consultant will make sure that the messages are in Kinyarwanda language as the target group use Kinyarwanda only.

Scope of Work

The consultant will be responsible for the following tasks:

Assessment and Planning:

• Conduct a needs assessment for the target communities in Nyaruguru and Nyamagabe Districts.
• Develop a detailed implementation plan for the pilot project, including timelines and resource allocation.
• Conduct a consultative meeting to collect the inputs that will help the successful implementation of the activity related to climate data sharing, agroecology, market systems development, and natural resources management and governance

Material and equipment required in each centre

• 1High-resolution big screens TV (Samsung, size 54 inches)
• Four outdoor water-resistant round speakers (capable of reaching at least 1 km)
• 2 solar panels with accessories to power the TV and speakersTwo small mixers
• 4 megaphones with an audio projection range of up to 1200 square yards, with 16 seconds recordable & usable feature and rechargeable batteries
• Renovate the 2 centers by painting and cementing the 10x8 meters conference halls
• 8 wooden office chairs and two tables per center
• 100 benches (50 per center)
• 4 Flash discs with the capacity of 32 GB
• 2 community radios that will be set where there large agricultural activities

Integration with Online Platforms:

• Develop and integrate BIOCOOR’s online radio into the website.
• Ensure connectivity with other online platforms for seamless information sharing.

Training and Capacity Building:

• Conduct training sessions for community members and BIOCOOR staff on using the new systems.
• Develop educational content focused on climate change adaptation and agroecology practices.
• Produce the pamphlets and brochures that will be in the centers and that will be shared to the local communities

Monitoring and Evaluation:

• Develop a monitoring and evaluation framework to assess the effectiveness of the pilot project.
• Provide regular progress reports and a final report with recommendations for scaling up the project.

Key milestones

The consultant is expected to deliver the following documents in line with expected milestones:

1. Submission of the technical and financial offers for the assignment. The conclusion for the analysis will inform the next following steps.
2. Development of the comprehensive implementation plan with detailed calendar
3. Document specifying the material and equipment to be used with all details including the cost for each.
4. Scenario of the cases studies/learning cases to be developed. This will consider both audio and video cases.
5. Installation and operational equipment at the centers.
6. Training plan and topics for the community volunteers
7. Report specifying the activities implemented and recommendations toward the sustainability of the system

Timeline for the consultancy

This assignment will be implemented in 2 months period starting from July to August, 2024. The consultant will make sure that the messages are in Kinyarwanda language as the target group use Kinyarwanda only.

Required Qualifications and Experience

The consultant should have:

1. Proven experience in implementing community-based information and education systems.
2. Expertise in climate change adaptation and agroecology.
3. Strong technical skills in installing and managing audio-visual equipment and solar panels.
4. Experience in developing and integrating online platforms.
5. Excellent training and capacity-building skills.
6. Strong monitoring and evaluation skills.
7. Company Certificate

8. VAT Certificate
9. RRA and RSSB Tax clearance Certificates
10. 5 Certificates of good completion from the Partners

Application Process

Interested consultants are invited to submit the following:

1. A detailed proposal outlining the approach, methodology, and timelines for the assignment.
2. A financial proposal with a detailed budget.
3. A summary of relevant experience and qualifications.
4. References from previous similar assignments.

Submission Deadline

The interested companies and experts are invited to submit the technical and financial proposals to BIOCOOR Office on email that is in this call. All applications must be submitted by July 18, 2024

Contact Information

For further information or queries regarding these ToRs, please contact: determinedyouthbiocoor@gmail.com

BIOCOOR looks forward to receiving your proposals and working together to enhance the resilience and sustainable practices of the communities in Nyaruguru and Nyamagabe Districts.

Done at Huye on 11^th July, 2024

Dr Ange IMANISHIMWE, PhD

Country Executive Director of BIOCOOR