TOR for Consulting Service for Facilitating to Formulate Dairy Sector Development Strategy of Local Governments

Terms of Reference (TOR) for Consulting Service for Facilitating to Formulate Dairy Sector Development Strategy of Local Governments

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-government organizations and in close collaboration with local, provincial, and federal governments. 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.

Heifer Project Nepal focuses on transforming rural communities by co-creating inclusive, resilient, and sustainable food systems with smallholder farmers, especially women, youth, marginalized, and climate-vulnerable groups at the center. Through partnerships with over 90 local governments and more than 100 non-government organizations, HPN has been working with an approach that integrates regenerative agriculture, livestock development, market system strengthening, cooperative and enterprise development, and climate resilience. To date, HPN has supported around 400,000 families by strengthening self-help groups, cooperatives, producer organizations, and local agro entrepreneurs, ultimately aiming to help rural households achieve sustainable living incomes, improved food and nutrition security, and resilience to economic and climate shocks.

To support Local Government in the areas of dairy sector development, Heifer plans to provide technical support through mobilizing experts to formulate dairy development strategy of 1 (one) Local Government in Chitwan and 1 (one) Local Government in the mid-hill/inner terai districts.  

2. Objectives

The overall objective of this assignment is to provide technical assistance to 2 (two) Local Governments (LGs) to formulate dairy development strategy.

The specific objectives of the assignment are, 

• Collect data/information regarding the current production and its trend, inputs, technical services, financing, aggregation, marketing, market centres, plan of farmers and their institutions, dairy related policies, gaps, challenges and opportunities in dairy sector.
• Formulate investment plans with the alignment of current revenue projection of LGs, investment of private sectors, Provincial and Federal Government subsidies. 
• Identify immediate and long-term support sectors for sustainable growth of dairy sector.
• Formulate a capacity development plan of LGs to implement a long-term dairy development plan. 
• Organize consultative meetings/workshops and sharing sessions with stakeholders.
• Define mission, vision, goals, objectives, and activities with an estimated budget for dairy sector with resource sourcing plan.
• Develop annual plan to translate long term plan of dairy sector development.
• Organize inception and validation workshops at Local Government level.

3. Scope of Work

The specific scope of work includes:

• Review of existing annual development plans, periodic plans, sectoral plans and policies promulgated by LGs with focus on dairy sector development.
• Finalize methodologies, data collection processes, and planning frameworks in consultation with LGs and Heifer ensuring the ownership.
• Facilitate inception workshops at Local Government level to build consensus on the strategy formulation process, stakeholder roles, and action plans.
• Develop checklists and questionnaires for focus group discussions (FGD) and key informant interviews (KII).
• Conducting orientation sessions for mobilizers, facilitators, project staff, and LG technical staff to support data collection.
• Facilitating consultative visioning workshops at the LG level to establish a vision, mission, and goals for dairy sector development.
• Collect and analyse primary and secondary information on dairy value chain to inform strategy documentation.
• Draft the strategy document, including a clear vision, mission, goals, expected outcomes, outputs, and major activities with resource requirements and resource sourcing plan.
• Share and revise the draft strategy based on feedback from Local Government, stakeholders, and Heifer.
• Facilitate validation workshops to gather input and foster ownership of LGs.
• Finalize long term and annual plans and facilitate LG to endorsement of the strategy.
• Prepare and submit a comprehensive report outlining the processes referred for plan formulation.

4. Methodology

The consulting firm/organization shall adopt an inclusive methodology involving extensive consultation with Local Government and allied stakeholders to ensure ownership and effective implementation of the long-term plan. This includes consultations with LG’s leaderships, ward chairpersons, sectoral staff, cooperatives, farmers, and dairy value chain actors.

Steps include:

• Consultations with Heifer, project partners, and LGs.
• Literature review of existing reports and materials.
• Developing tools for data collection (e.g., FGDs, KIIs).
• Organizing workshops at various stages of the plan formulation process.
• Gather information, analyse and prepare dairy sector development plan.
• Conducting validation workshops and revising drafts based on feedback.

5. Outputs/Deliverables

• An inception report with methodology, planning framework, tools, and checklists.
• Draft and final copies of the plans (electronic and hard copies).
• Milestone and assignment completion reports.

6. Required Professional Competencies and Qualifications 

The firm or the technical support team should have composition of agriculture economist, dairy expert with respective roles and technical inputs to the strategy.

The lead consultant should have:

• At least Master’s degree in agricultural economics, livestock science, or related fields, with 15 years of relevant experience.
• Extensive knowledge of Nepal’s livestock and dairy sector development and roles, working modalities, priorities, and powers conferred to Local Governments by the constitution of Nepal.
• Experience in dairy sector planning, policy formulation, and service delivery.
• Proficiency in analytical, facilitation, and writing skills in Nepali language.

7. Timeline

The assignment spans two months from 25 February 2026 to 24 April 2026, with the final report due by the end of April 2026.

8. Payments

Payments will be made upon completion of the assignment

9. Required Documents for Submission: 

• Cover Letter
• Brief profile of the firm/organization
• Updated CV (relevant competency and experience) of the proposed team
• Technical proposal including proposed methodology, calendar of operation, deliverables, and roles and responsibilities of key professionals.
• Financial proposal with detail breakdown
• Firm/organization registration certificate
• VAT certificate
• Tax clearance certificate (FY 081/82)

10. Submission Guidelines

Applications, including a cover letter, firm/organization profile, CVs, and proposals (technical and financial), must be submitted by the email by 15th February 2026, 5:00 PM to Procurement-NP@heifer.org  with the subject line: “Application for Facilitating to Formulate Dairy Sector Development Strategy of Local Governments.”

Heifer Project Nepal will only contact the shortlisted firms/organizations. Verbal and telephone calls will not be entertained.

Heifer Project Nepal reserves the right to accept or reject any proposal.