Company Profile

Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. CRS works to save, protect, and transform lives in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding. CRS Ghana was established in 1958, a year after Ghana gained independence. In Ghana, CRS works with local partners to tackle poverty on several fronts including improving health and nutrition; increasing access to safe water and improved sanitation; promoting agriculture to enhance food security; and increasing financial assets through Savings and Internal Lending Communities. 

Job Description

Scope of Work 
Assignment:  Consultant to train at least 30 persons in agro-input (including seed, fertilizer and pesticides as well as non-traditional products like inoculum) salesmanship.

Timeframe:  Week of July 10th 2017.

Background 
The Feed the Future USAID Agriculture Technology Transfer (FTF-USAID ATT) project is financed by the
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by International Fertilizer Development Center, (IFDC). The Agricultural Technology Transfer (ATT) Project, seeks to ensure increased availability and use of agricultural technologies to maximize and sustain productivity in Northern Ghana to achieve increased competitiveness of rice, maize and soy value chains to foster broad-based economic growth.

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is collaborating with IFDC to scale up the ATT Project to communities in six (6) districts in the Northern Region (Mion, Saboba, Tolon, Chereponi, West Mamprusi and West Gonja).

CRS will conduct a salesmanship training for at least 30 persons from the above named districts in agro-inputs. This is to impart to them basic skills and knowledge they need to be able to effectively sell such products to farmers in their localities. The training participants will be identified in conjunction with but not limited to ATT’s Seed Van Owners/Operators, current Agro-dealer companies working with the ATT Project, Seed Producers and agro-chemical sellers in the relevant districts.

Training Description
Five participants will be drawn from each of the six districts to participate in the training. The training will be residential for a maximum of three (3) days in a venue to be identified by CRS which would be easily accessible for all participants.

The training objective include:

• Participants trained in basic salesmanship skills
• Participants trained in understanding of the basic attributes of agro-inputs (including seed, fertilizer and pesticides as well as non-traditional products like inoculum) which farmers need to know before they buy such products and how to help farmers make a good choice and use them appropriately.
• Participants trained on basics of safe usage and handling of pesticides and first aid.
• Create a network of well-trained agro-input salesmen who can collaborate to ensure provision of effective products and services to farmers in Northern Region.

 
Objectives of the Consultancy:
The consultant is required to develop a training curriculum that addresses the above training objectives, prepare and deliver the training to the participants during the training sessions. 

Deliverables:
Consultant to provide:

• Draft training curriculum for CRS review
• Finalize training curriculum with CRS feedback
• Facilitate the training sessions for the participants for the agreed number of days as per the finalized training curriculum
• Submit a training report and recommendations for any follow-up actions by CRS.

CRS to arrange: 

• Identify and register training participants from the districts
• Organize the logistics including training venue, and transportation for the participants
• In collaboration with the consultant, print any training materials in adequate numbers for the participants
• Facilitate access to the training venue for the consultant

Required Skills or Experience

An individual or consultancy firm with the following qualifications: 

• Demonstrate sound technical knowledge and relevant experience in agro-input sales and marketing, including first aid and safety.
• Relevant Academic Qualification – Agriculture, Agronomy, Horticulture
• Good track record of designing and applying participatory approaches
• Good knowledge of working with communities and smallholder farmers 
• Good communication and presentation skills
• Appreciable working knowledge and experience of different cultures in Northern Ghana.