TOR for a consultant to Develop the Farmers Market School (FMS) Manual for Dairy Farmers and Facilitation of Training of Trainers (ToT)

Terms of Reference (TOR) for a consultant to 

Develop the Farmers Market School (FMS) Manual for Dairy Farmers and Facilitation of Training of Trainers (ToT)

1. BACKGROUND 

Heifer Project Nepal (HPN), a non-government organization, has been working in Nepal since 1996 to support national efforts to end hunger and poverty while caring for the Earth. Over the years, HPN has operated in 53 districts in partnership with more than 100 local non-governmental organizations and in close collaboration with local, provincial, and federal governments, as well as private sector partners. Grounded in sustainable, locally led development, HPN contributes to national and local development priorities, particularly in agriculture and livestock sectors, by promoting holistic development through social transformation, effective resource mobilization, and community empowerment. The organization believes that lasting development comes not merely from distributing inputs, but from strengthening people’s capacities, recognizing their potential, and enabling self-driven, sustainable change.

The Agriculture Development Strategy (2015-2035) of Nepal has identified dairy as the second most important value chain. Aligning with the national priority, Heifer has also prioritized Dairy as one of the major value chains in Nepal programs. Within the MilkyWay Signature Program, HPN, implementing a project entitled “Jersey Valleys Nepal: Fostering Resilience through Sustainable Dairy Development” aiming to increase the income and resilience of smallholder dairy farmers in Nepal, through the strengthening of productivity and the development of an inclusive dairy market system. HPN intends to introduce a Farmers Market School (FMS) approach tailored to the dairy sector in Nepal, aimed at enhancing farmers’ market literacy, business skills, and collective action capacity. For this, HPN seeks a consultant(s) to develop a practical FMS Manual and deliver a 5-day Training of Trainers (ToT).

2. OBJECTIVES

The overall objective of this assignment is to develop a user-friendly, context-specific Farmers Market School (FMS) manual in the Nepali language and build the capacity of frontline staff and volunteers as facilitators to implement the FMS model at the community level.

The specific objectives of the assignment are: 

a. Provide a clear and accessible introduction to the FMS approach, principles, and practices 

b. Develop a practical FMS manual specifically tailored to Nepal’s dairy sector. 

c. Integrate business skills, market analysis, collective action, gender equality, and resilience concepts.

d. Design and deliver a participatory 5-day TOT.

e. Provide a complete training package for FMS implementation.

3. SCOPE OF WORK

The specific scope of this assignment is to develop a comprehensive manual on FMS targeting smallholder dairy farmers in Nepal. The primary users of the manual are frontline extension workers, cooperative leaders, and leader farmers. So, the consultant shall consider the following during the manual development and TOT delivery: 

• Consultation with the project team for a better understanding of the TOR, expectations, and context
• Conduct desk review and stakeholder consultation to understand the small farmers market participation, dairy sector context, challenges, and opportunities 
• Review the past and ongoing FMS or similar approaches with their pros and cons in relation to the Nepalese context.  
• Draft the manual, which should encompass sessions with engaging methodologies such as games, role play, appropriate pictures and sketches, storytelling, to increase understanding, acceptance, and adoption by the adult farmers, possibly with low literacy.
• The content and structure of the FMS manual could be finalized later jointly with the consultant and Heifer. However, the manual should cover the following, not limited to, contents in 5-6 modules and 10-14 sessions:
  • Introduction to FMS and adult learning principles
  • Defining North Star 
  • Entrepreneurship, risk management, and resilience 
  • Dairy farm business management and entrepreneurship skills
  • Know your market and market system analysis, including demand, supply, and seasonality 
  • Stakeholder Mapping and analysis
  • Quality standards and market requirements 
  • Cost of production, pricing, and negotiation basics  
  • Record keeping, financial, farm business, and market literacy 
  • Buyer specifications, requirements, quality standards, compliances 
  • Marketing and branding 
  • Collective marketing and negotiation
  • Climate resilience and climate action in dairy enterprises 
  • Gender, youth, and social inclusion in market participation 
  • Practical tools, templates, and case studies for each module and sessions 
  • Monitoring and learning 
• Finalize methodologies of the assignment in consultation with Heifer team.
• Prepare the manual in the Nepali language following the adult learning method. 
• Design and facilitate 5 days TOT using participatory methods.
• Develop presentation slides, facilitator guides, and training materials.
• Incorporate feedback and finalize materials.
• Prepare and submit a comprehensive assignment completion report outlining the processes adopted and suggestions for next steps and scaling up for impact at scale.  

4. METHODOLOGY

The consultant(s) shall adopt an inclusive methodology involving extensive consultation with the project team and the target audience to ensure the final product best suits the needs and opportunities of the smallholder dairy farmers. The consultant shall outline the detailed methodology in the proposal document, which can still be discussed and finalized during the inception meeting. However, for reference, the following, not limited to, methodology and steps are suggested:

• Submission of a technical proposal outlining the methodology in detail, both the manual development and training delivery. 
• The proposal shall include the table of contents of the proposed manual, session breakdown with a brief paragraph to describe each session's contents, objective, and methodology to deliver.
• The proposal shall include a 5-day TOT design and a table of contents in elaborate form. 
• Upon selection, the consultant(s) shall hold an inception meeting with the Heifer team for further clarity on the TOR, deliverables, and detailing the methodology for the entire assignment. 
• Submission of an inception report outlining the updated methodology, tools, timeline, and deliverables.
• The consultant shall adopt a comprehensive and inclusive approach, which may involve desk review, consultation meetings with the frontline extension staff, field visit, and interaction with the targeted farmers’ participants for training need assessment and design of manual and TOT. 
• Prepare a draft manual and share with Heifer for review and feedback
• Deliver 5 days TOT for the participants selected/organized by Heifer. The consultant(s) may take the opportunity to revise the manual after reflecting on their experience facilitating the TOT. 
• Finalization of the manual after incorporating inputs and comments.

5. OUTPUTS/DELIVERABLES

a. Inception Report (methodology and work plan)

b. Draft FMS Manual (Nepali)

c. Final FMS Manual (print-ready and digital format)

d. ToT Training Package (agenda, slides, facilitator guide)

e. Delivery of 5-day ToT

f. Final Completion Report

6. REQUIRED PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES AND QUALIFICATIONS OF CONSULTANTS

The consulting firms or experts with substantial experience in the dairy value chain, with special experience in designing manuals for market development, are sought for this assignment. The consulting firms/experts shall constitute a team with the following key experts:

Market System Expert: As lead consultant for this assignment, the Market System Expert shall have a master’s degree in agricultural economics, agribusiness, economics, or business management, or a related field with a minimum of 10 years of experience in dairy value chain development. 

Dairy Expert: Master's degree in veterinary science or dairy science, or related field, with a minimum of 10 years of experience in dairy production and market promotion. 

Extension Expert: Master's degree in agricultural extension or related field with a minimum of 5 years of experience in extension services, extension material development, and training facilitation.  

The team should also consider the expertise of gender to incorporate a gender perspective.

• Extensive knowledge of Nepal’s livestock and dairy sector development, 
• The team should have proven experience in similar training manual development and training facilitation for the frontline non-technical extension staff and lead farmers
• Proficiency in analytical, facilitation, and writing skills in the Nepali language.

7. INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS AND REPORTING 

HPN shall provide relevant information, project documents, and resources to the consultant and support as and when necessary. The project shall not provide any direct logistical support to the consultant during the assignment, particularly for manual development. However, Heifer will take the leadership role in organizing the TOT, including identification of training participants, arrangements for training materials as requested, and logistical support for the training. HPN shall designate a primary contact person who will function as a professional and support counterpart to the consultant team for any necessary assistance. The consultant shall collaborate closely with her/him and the team members concerned for quality deliverables. Similarly, s/he will liaise with other collaborating partners and stakeholders as necessary. 

8. TIMELINE

The assignment spans over two months from February 2026 to April 2026, with the final assignment completion report due by the end of April 2026. 

• Inception Report within a week of the contract
• Draft manual sharing with Heifer within 3 weeks of contract
• Incorporate comments/inputs from Heifer in the 4th week of the contract
• Facilitate/deliver TOT within 6 weeks of the contract
• Final submission within 8 weeks of the contract

9. PAYMENTS

Payments will be made in two installments

• First installment (30%) after submission and acceptance of the inception report
• Final installment (70%) after submission and acceptance of the final manual, assignment completion report, and associated resources. 

10. HOW TO APPLY 

Interested eligible consultant(s) or firms are requested to apply to Procurement-NP@heifer.org, including following documents mention email subject line “Application for FMS Manual development and TOT” by 1st March 2026, 5 : 00 PM. 

• Cover letter
• Brief technical proposal including methodology, outline of the manual, and training schedule
• Financial proposal including appropriate cost breakdown 
• Curriculum-Vitae of the consultant(s) highlighting similar relevant experience
• Sample of a few similar assignments undertaken 
• Firm/company registration/renewal certificate 
• Copy of VAT/PAN registration certificate 
• Tax clearance certificate (FY 2081/82) 

Applications received with incomplete documents and after the due date will be disqualified. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for the further evaluation process. Applications will be evaluated based on understanding of the assignment, proposed methodology and approach, relevant experience, qualifications, and cost-effectiveness of the proposal. All the application information and documents shall be kept strictly confidential and used only for this evaluation process. HPN reserves all the rights to reject any or all applications without providing any reasons.