Request for Proposal-

“Strengthen the capacity of Agriculture Knowledge Centre (AKC) and Veterinary Hospital and  Livestock Service Centre (VHLEC) (Koshi and Sudurpaschim Provinces) and agri-stakeholders/private  entity in Climate Change” 

1. BACKGROUND 

Scaling up Climate Ambition on Land Use and Agriculture through Nationally Determined Contributions  (NDC) and National Adaptation Plans (NAP) (SCALA) supports transformative climate action in the land  use and agriculture sectors to reduce GHG emissions and/or enhance removals, as well as strengthen  resilience and adaptive capacity to climate change in participant countries (12 countries in Africa, Asia,  and Latin America). Its specific objective is for countries to have translated their NDC and/or NAP into  actionable and transformative climate solutions in land use and agriculture with multi-stakeholder  engagement. It emphasizes collaboration between the public and private sectors to drive implementation.  This will be achieved through three outcomes: 

• Outcome 1: Information and assessments used by national stakeholders to identify and appraise  transformative climate actions to advance NDC/NAP priorities in land -use and agriculture.
• Outcome 2: Climate risk-informed land use and agriculture sector priorities integrated into  national and sectoral planning, budgeting, and monitoring. 

• Outcome 3: Private sector engagement in climate action in land-use and agriculture increased. 

SCALA is jointly implemented by FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) and UNDP (United Nations  Development Programme) until 2025. The project taps into technical knowledge and experience of both  agencies, working through the respective Regional Offices, Regional Centres of Expertise and Country  Offices in support of country programming frameworks. Both agencies have substantial global, regional,  and national initiatives which will be leveraged for knowledge exchange and complementary activities.  

In Nepal, SCALA is implemented by Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock development (MoALD) with  technical support from FAO and UNDP in Nepal. At the provincial and local levels, provincial agriculture ministry, agriculture knowledge centers, district livestock promotion centers, agriculture cooperatives,  local diary centers and farmers associations will be the major stakeholders. SCALA Nepal envisions to  enable the achievement of actionable AFOLU targets in the NDC implementation plan, and the agriculture  and food security sector’s climate actions in the 2021 NAP through transformative climate solutions for  rice, cattle and selected commodities1. The adoption of federalism in Nepal since 2017 has led to  significant changes in the governance and implementation of agriculture extension services and  agricultural development. The devolution of authority has resulted in exclusive rights for local  governments over agriculture extension services, while agriculture is under the concurrent jurisdiction of  all federal, provincial, and local governments2. This restructuring has led to various transformations in the  agricultural offices at the district level. In most provinces, the District Agriculture Development Office  (DADO) has been reformed into an Agriculture Knowledge Center (AKC) under the provincial ministry.  AKCs are responsible for disseminating agricultural innovations and facilitating supply chains among  farmers. They also play a vital role in implementing provincial policies through effective planning and  budgeting. For exception, In the Karnali province, the district-level office responsible for agriculture  development is referred to as the Agriculture Development Office (ADO)3. There is a total of 69 AKC  established in 7 provinces of Nepal.  

Another significant change is the establishment of Veterinary Hospital and Livestock Extension Centers  (VHLEC) replacing previous district livestock service office (DLSO) under the provincial ministry. VHLEC  focus on capacity development, promoting animal health, and diversifying animal products. They play a  crucial role in ensuring the well-being of livestock and supporting livestock-related activities4. In total, 69  VHLEC has been established in seven provinces of Nepal. Out of these there are 14 VHLEC in Koshi  Province. The planning and budgeting process for AKC and VHLEC takes place within the provincial  government guidelines. The provincial ministry asks AKC and VHLEC to formulate a proposed plan of  activities within the allocated budget limit and priorities set by the provincial government. AKC and VHLEC  develop proposed plan and action, aligning it with the respective province's plan, the 15th fifth-year Plan,  ADS (2015-2035), SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), and the NAP- 2004. Once developed, they  submit this plan to the provincial government. Subsequently, the province reviews the plan and finalizes  it, along with the budget, and sends it back to AKC and VHLEC for implementation. The AKC and VHLEC  are responsible to implement plan finalized by provincial ministry. 

The primary responsibilities of AKC include: 

o Assisting and coordinating the implementation of federal government agriculture initiatives  within the province. 

o Supporting the establishment of a seed and improved varieties resource center.
o Implementing programs focused on identifying, conserving, and utilizing local agrobiodiversity.
o Disseminating knowledge products related to innovative agriculture technologies for the benefit of farmers, Agri-entrepreneurs, and agriculture technicians. 

o Providing agricultural technical expertise at the local level in cases where local governments are unable to offer such support.

o Assisting in the implementation of agriculture insurance initiatives. 

The main responsibilities of VHLEC include: 

o Collecting and reporting district-level data pertaining to livestock and aquaculture.
o Assisting and coordinating the implementation of federal government initiatives concerning  livestock and aquaculture within the province. 

o Conducting capacity-building activities for livestock technicians, entrepreneurs, and farms. o Executing programs focused on the in-situ conservation of animal genetic resources.

o Supporting the implementation of livestock insurance initiatives. 

o Providing agricultural technical expertise at the local level in situations where the local  government is unable to offer such assistance. 

After federalization, AKC and VHLEC have been experiencing challenges concerning technical capacity,  institutional coordination, and policy-related matters. These issues have resulted in a gap between the  agricultural institutions of federal, provincial, and local governments, poor dissemination of agriculture  and livestock innovation technology, conducting small action research, poor planning process, and  effective implementation of activities at field level. Furthermore, there is a significant lack of awareness  regarding the integration of NDC and NAP into the planning process at the field level within AKC and  VHLEC. Therefore, the capacity building of AKC and VHLEC of Agri-stakeholders and private entity is also  a must. 

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To access additional information and documents, please visit www.undp.org for further application procedures.