Business Trainers for Farmers and Breeders (x2)

Background

Mada Association is seeking qualified trainers to conduct  FAO’s  the Farmer Business School (FBS) training for farmers and breeders under the BMZ-funded project ‘Strengthening the resilience of Syrian refugees and Lebanese host communities in northern Lebanon to the consequences of the country's socio-economic crises by promoting food and income security, rehabilitation of water-related and agricultural infrastructure, trainings, initial provision of households’, implemented by Mada Association in partnership with arche noVa.

The project targets Lebanese and Syrian farmers through the distribution of toolkits, capacity building and training focused on business development, and support to build and/or enhance professional capacity, including integration into the formal market.

Main Tasks and Responsibilities

The trainers will train approximately 10 groups of farmers each (25 farmers/breeders per group), with often two groups running in parallel. The number of groups of farmers might be increased.

The training sites are located in Akkar (Mohamara, Borj El Arab, Hrar, Daouret Akkar, Ain Dahab and Qabeit), Dannieh (Bet Fakes, Bqarsouna, Es Sfireh, Btermaz), Minnieh and Bhanine.

Two trainers will be selected and Mada will decide on the distribution of groups among the selected trainers based on the activity's schedule, timeline and trainer’s availability.

Main tasks:

1. Provision of 7 training sessions (consisting of 14 training modules) for each group. The session is equivalent to 3 hours. Mada will provide the materials using the FBS training package developed by FAO. The sessions will be scheduled to take place on workdays, with at least two sessions per week per group.
2. Conduct pre and post-tests (provided by Mada) to evaluate the capabilities of the participants and to monitor their progress following the training sessions.
3. Monitor the attendance of participants and report any issues or dropouts to Mada’s focal point.
4. At the end of the training sessions, provide Mada with a final report (template provided by Mada) that includes: progress of farmers knowledge, attendance, challenges, recommendations on further support needed and specific areas of focus required for the skills development of the participants

The curriculum developed includes 14 modules covering the following topics but not limited to:

1. Farm Management as a Business
2. Agricultural Calendar and How to Select the Production Unit
3. Evaluation of the Production Unit Feasibility
4. Farm Profit, Income, and Costs
5. Cash Flow and Liquidity
6. Investment Evaluation and Break-Even Point
7. Fundraising
8. Market Evaluation 1 – Defining Marketing
9. Market Evaluation 2 – Market Analysis – Field Visit
10. Market Evaluation 3 – Evaluation of the Visit
11. Current Situation Analysis of Agricultural Work
12. Strategic Planning
13. Risk Identification and Planning for Mitigation
14. Preparing and Using an Agricultural Business Plan

The selected trainers will deliver the above-mentioned training topics and work closely with the farmers and breeders to create a healthy training environment while using interactive approaches and providing individual support when necessary. Furthermore, Mada’s team will work in close cooperation with the selected trainers to ensure that trainings are adequately delivered.

Minimum Qualification and Experience

• Degree in agriculture, agribusiness, business, plant production or relevant fields; OR the relevant experience required.
• Completion of 3 to 4 missions in delivering similar trainings to famers and / or breeders from Akkar and North Lebanon/
• Demonstrated proven experience in delivering the FBS package to farmers and / or breeders is mandatory.
• Time management, good organizational and communication skills, with the ability to be flexible.
• Strong interpersonal, reporting and facilitation skills.

Time Frame/Duration

The selected trainers are expected to deliver the training from September 2024 to April 2025.