Consultancy Services: Specialized national/international con
Terms of Reference
Consultancy Services: ‘Specialized national/international consultant’
Improving Food Security and Enhancing Resilience in Gaza through optimized rehabilitation of agricultural infrastructure after the 2014 conflict
The Agricultural Development Association (PARC)
Partnering with
Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe (DKH)
1-Context
Gaza makes up part of the Palestinian territories which includes the West Bank. The Gaza Strip is considered as one of the highest population densities in the world, high poverty and unemployment rates, chronic lack of potable water, electricity shortages, and longstanding economic restrictions severely impeding everyday life.
Within the last seven years the Gaza Strip suffered of the ongoing conflict with Israeli. In 2014 the Israeli offensive lasted for 51 days from July to August 2014. The damage was extensive and has affected many aspects of life in the Gaza Strip. The damage to the agricultural sector is estimated to amount to approximately 550 Million USD (PNGO & MoA). More than half of the cultivation land of Gaza (more than 14,000 hectares) was destroyed, hundreds of sheep and cows died and a large number of the irrigation wells, irrigation systems, greenhouses, productive trees, post-harvest facilities and agricultural equipment was heavily damaged or destroyed.
In addition, the Gaza Strip is categorized as highest-risk area for a looming hydrological drought with devastating consequences for the population that already start to show. Other natural hazards such as floods and winter storms happen regularly in Gaza. The population’s vulnerability is high due to difficult social and economic circumstances, making their resilience to face these hazards low.
Note: Additional references and data are enclosed in Annex I
2-Background
The Agricultural Development Association (PARC) is a leading Palestinian Agricultural Development Organization, established in 1983 under the name of the Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees (PARC). Since its establishment, PARC has been efficiently engaged in Palestinian land development, water resources and environment, poverty reduction and women empowerment, olive oil marketing, as well as other crucial rural development programs.
Already, PARC has built a solid partnership with Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe (DKH) a German humanitarian aid NGO that has been serving the most in need worldwide especially in the field of disaster risk reduction DRR and management. Both PARC and DKH aim to enhance the resilience in the Gaza Strip through the implementation of a systematic approach to identifying, assessing and reducing the risks of disasters in previous and in ongoing projects – including Building Back Better after the 2014 offensive.
The need to build back better is urgent because any disaster in the Gaza Strip brings temporary changes to a community. PARC and DKH see these changes as opportunities to rebuild in a better way, and enable communities to take advantage of this window of opportunity that disaster recovery and rehabilitation brings to enhance resilience levels. Involving communities and individual farmers to develop tailor-made solutions for the recovery of their livelihood and enhance their coping mechanisms for future shocks will do this.
Therefore, as a proper response within, PARC and DKH are implementing a project entitled “Improving Food Security and Enhancing Resilience in Gaza through optimized rehabilitation of agricultural infrastructure after the 2014 conflict”. The German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) funds this project.
The project aims to build back better medium scale agribusinesses that were affected by the last 2014 offensive in the Gaza Strip. The activities of the project include rehabilitation and reconstruction of targeted households that rely for their livelihoods and employment on green houses, poultry farms, livestock and dairy farms or fisheries. Over the next 18 months, the project targets 310 farmers with the aim to build back better through individual rehabilitation plans in accordance with Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) principles.
Immediately after the 2014 offensive PARC conducted a rapid damage and loss assessment of the agricultural sector in Gaza. The assessment took place among 4,684 businesses and 37 CBO’s in 29 locations – covering 5 Governorates in Gaza. The results can be found in the table below: 
For this project, PARC with the support of DKH is seeking the expertise of a consultant to provide short-term guidance in the initiation stage of the project.
3-The Project
3.1-Project Goal and Results
Project goal: rehabilitate 310 agribusinesses/fisheries and build the resilience against future disastrous shocks to improve the food security situation through the return of minimum subsistence means and an improved supply of fresh food products to the local markets.
-Result 1: By project end, the resilience of 310 HH and their agribusinesses and fisheries against future shocks will be strengthened via the use of a building back better approach in the rehabilitation process.
-Result 2: By end of the project, the minimum subsistence means have been restored to 310 HH and their food security situation is improved.
-Result 3: By project end, 310 agribusinesses and fisheries are rehabilitated and are contributing to food security in the region by increasing production and supply of food products to the markets in Gaza.
-Result 4: By project end, the building back better approach has been introduced in the agricultural sector of Gaza, and best practices have been shared with the relevant actors and allow for possibilities of replication and improvement of the approach.
3.2-Target group:
Agricultural households (HH) , Fishery households, young agronomists, Community Based Organizations (CBOs), Food Security Cluster, Population of Gaza
Direct beneficiaries: 310 HH = 1,860 people
-100 HH with medium-sized farms (green house cultivation)
-100 HH with poultry farms
-60 HH with livestock and dairy farms
-50 Fishery HH
In addition, 15 young agronomists will be learning from the agricultural rehabilitation with the building back better approach.
4-The Assignment
4.1-General Information about the Assignment
Location:Gaza Strip with visits to project locations throughout the Gaza strip
Reporting to: Project Manager and DKH Representative of Gaza
Assignment Period: 15 days (of which a minimum of 10 working days in Gaza) with possible follow-up assignment for the next project phases (to be confirmed).
Starting date: mid-September, October
4.2-Deliverables
The consultant, together with the PARC project team and under supervision of the DKH Representative of Gaza, and the direct beneficiaries will develop a roadmap and guide the implementation of the rehabilitation process of the four productive sectors – based on a ‘building back better’ approach. The consultant will play an active guiding role to build capacities of the project team, and provide practical solutions that can be tailored to the different agricultural value chains and individual cases. He or she will:
-Provide capacity building trainings for PARC staff and CBO’s regarding the practicalities of agricultural rehabilitation through a ‘building back better’ approach which will be used to enhance resilience of the targeted project beneficiaries.
-Develop a roadmap for the implementation of the agricultural rehabilitation. Including practical examples and project specific recommendations of how a ‘building back better’ approach can be used during the design and implementation of interventions.
-Conduct short field investigations and interviews with (potential) beneficiaries in order to assess and adapt possible rehabilitation and recovery solutions. The existing knowledge, solutions and practices among farmers and PARC staff will serve as a foundation to contextualize an approach to build back better and select the most appropriate solutions.
-Facilitate the development of assessment tools for the monitoring and evaluation of project interventions. Tools will be practical and easy to replicate, developed in line with existing monitoring and evaluation practices within PARC. The development of these assessment tools will be done in collaboration with PARC project team, the DKH Representative of Gaza and beneficiaries.
-Based on needs, is available to provide remote follow-up after the delivery of the abovementioned outputs. This may include providing inputs for the mid-term review and evaluation in order to adapt and suggest corrective measures if necessary.
5-ualifications of the Consultant:
-Postgraduate degree/s in agriculture, environmental sciences, management, and/or social science.
-Demonstrated agricultural experience in one or more of the four agribusinesses sectors of this project: (greenhouses, poultry farms, dairy and livestock) – as well as fisheries.
-Experience working with disaster risk reduction, recovery and rehabilitation (including the building back better approach), tools and techniques – ideally related to the agriculture
-Experience working on disaster preparedness / disaster management projects
-Preferred Arabic speaker, fluency in English essential
-Affiliation with the region is desirable
-Additional condition: willing to travel to the Gaza Strip and able to obtain the necessary permits to access the Gaza Strip to and conduct the task personally
6-Application for the Assignment
Interested candidates are requested to submit the following documents:
-CV including a minimum of 3 references
-Cover letter
Shortlisted candidates will be requested to:
-Submit an initial action plan and timeline (allocated amount of days needed for each deliverable and intended means of reporting).
-Daily rate and a budget based on anticipated fees. Local transport and accommodation will be provided during field visit.
-To apply for the assignment E-mail to
-For further details on the ToR, please do not hesitate to contact
Closing date: Saturday 1 August, 2015 (only shortlisted candidates will be contacted)
Annex I
Relevant references as background reading on the current situation in the Gaza Strip:
National Agriculture sector Strategy 2014-2016
http://foodsecuritycluster.net/sites/default/files/National%20Agriculture%20sector%20St rategy%202014-2016.pdf
The National Early Recovery and Reconstruction Plan for Gaza
http://www.mfa.gov.eg/gazaconference/documents/finalGaza%20ERP%20report%20ENG30092014.pd f
Fragmented lives Humanitarian Overview 2014 March 2015
http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/annual_humanitarian_overview_2014_english_final.pdf
Gaza Blockade in Numbers
http://www.maan-ctr.org/files/server/Publications/FactShee ts/Gaza%20Blockade%20In%20Numbers.pdf
Report of the Rapid Qualitative Emergency Food Security Assessment (EFSA) Gaza Strip
http://foodsecuritycluster.net/sites/default/files/EFSA%20Report-Gaza-Nov2014.pdf
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