Type of Contract: Individual Contract

Location: Home-based

Project: Climate Promise

Additional Category: Resilience, Agriculture and Climate Change

Starting Date: 1st August 2024

Duration: 63 days spread over 6 months (till 30 December 2024)

BACKGROUND

The Agriculture Development Strategy (ADS) is Nepal's national sectoral strategy for 2015-2035.  The ADS is a living strategy designed to evolve and improve through continuous monitoring and  review. The ADS has five key objectives: enhancing food and nutrition security, reducing poverty,  increasing competitiveness, ensuring higher and more equitable incomes for rural households, and  strengthening farmers' rights. Regarding food security, the ADS outlines that all its outcomes,  outputs, and activities aim to improve food and nutrition security, either directly or indirectly. It  focuses on sustainably increasing food production through higher productivity and sustainable  resource use; reducing farmers' vulnerability by improving food, feed, and seed reserves,  emergency preparedness and response, and implementing climate-smart agricultural practices;  increasing farmers' incomes; enhancing market access; reducing post-harvest losses; improving  food safety; promoting trade for a more diversified diet; and accelerating the growth of micro,  small, and medium agro-enterprises, particularly those led by women, youth, disadvantaged  groups, and individuals in disadvantaged regions. Additionally, the ADS supports the development  of legislation related to food rights and food sovereignty in line with the principles of the Interim  Constitution 2063 (2007 AD)1. 

The ADS also aims to boost the prosperity of farmers and agro-entrepreneurs through higher  incomes, improved livelihoods, and enhanced food and nutrition security. It emphasizes the  inclusion of disadvantaged groups and regions and adopts a value chain development approach  based on the markets for the poor framework, which focuses on more equitable benefit  distribution along the value chain. The ADS promotes the growth of agro-enterprises led by  traditionally excluded groups such as women, youth, Dalits, and Janajatis. 

The Flagship Programs represented about 37% of the total program cost. Among the core  programs, the forestry sector included 8% of the budget. The ADS refers to the broader agriculture  sector that: a) Includes crops, livestock, forestry, and fisheries, Develop, and integrate land use  models with forestry. Productive, commercial, socially inclusive, agro-forestry production land use  models are also integrating into existing forest management practices across the  landscape/physiographic region. 

Review of ADS is an important task for GON to revise it in line with new domestic and international  contexts, including the federalized governance structure. For this purpose, it is important that  MOALD, DPs, and related stakeholders, who jointly formulated the ADS, need to hold common  understanding on the rationale and scope. As review and revision of ADS is planned in FY2023/24,  it was timely and relevant to document its rationale and scope, which is incorporated in the report  as one of the contemporary issues.  

OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSIGNMENT 

The assignment's purpose is to provide technical support for the review and revision of Agriculture  development Strategy (ADS) and incorporate Gender equality and Social Inclusion perception in  the document. 

DURATION OF THE ASSIGNMENT AND REMUNERATION  

The contract duration is for 63 days on an intermittent basis spread until (31st December 2024).

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE 

The consultant will have competency and demonstrated experience and expertise in undertaking  the assignments. The consultant shall possess following qualifications: 

Education 

• Master’s degree in Gender Studies, Sociology, Agriculture/Extension Education, or  development studies or any other relevant field. 

Experience 

• At least ten years of experience in gender equality and social inclusion in agriculture and  natural resources sector with government, UN agency or development partners. • Demonstrated track record experience in similar assignment to support policy advice and  policy advocacy on agriculture, forestry, land use and Natural resource management.  • Track record of leading multi-disciplinary team in complex assignment with experience in  liaising and coordination with government agencies and  
• Good understanding, knowledge and prior experience in Gender sensitivity and mainstreaming  of GESI.  
• Strong knowledge of agriculture, forestry, climate change, setting national and sub national  climate priorities, implementation framework, policies and strategies development and other  key requirements to advise government.  
• Also have a proven track record of publications in GESI and governance and generation and  dissemination of knowledge products. 
• Excellent communication skills both written and oral in English.  

Competencies 

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards. • Displays culture, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability. • Fulfills all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment. 
• Demonstrated excellence in clear, concise, and convincing writing and communication  skills. 
• Ability to work with diverse partners and ensure coherence in activities. • Ability to work under pressure and time constraints.  
• Excellent written and oral communication skills. 
• Fluency in English is required. 

For detailed TOR, CLICK HERE.

To access additional information and documents at UNDP | Procurement Notices for further application procedures.