Global GAP Consultant

SCOPE OF WORK

Position: Global GAP National Consultant

Period of Performance: May 15 – September 30

Total Level of Effort: Short-term Technical Assistance; LOE of 25 days

Number of Consultants: 2 individual consultants each working with 7 SMEs

Activity Background:

The Feed the Future Ghana Trade and Investment Activity (GTI) aims to grow and diversify exports to boost national GDP and household income for Ghanaian citizens through the adoption and enforcement of internationally recognized standards along agricultural value chains, the reduction in time and cost to move goods across borders, and increased investment, especially among small and medium enterprises.

A component of GTI is to improve the quality of high-value agricultural goods and products by strengthening traceability systems, incentivizing small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) awareness and use of these systems, and ensuring that the enforcement of SPS standards aligns at the national and international levels. To do this, GTI seeks to support export-oriented enterprises in adopting and achieving compliance with internationally recognized market-driven standards.

GTI is actively seeking a Global G.A.P Consultant to support and work closely with 7 SMEs in achieving compliance with the standards necessary for certification. This assignment is a crucial step in building the capacity of exporters and producers, preparing them for local and international audits, and enabling export to the USA, Europe, and other major markets.

The consultant will provide training, drafting bespoke food safety management plans for each enterprise, and develop prerequisite programs to support the plan and food safety objectives necessary for certification. This will involve creating standard operating procedures for supplier verification, sanitation, staff training, warehousing, pest control, and waste management. You will also be responsible for ensuring that the farm management policies and plans created are being followed. This assignment will commence in May 2024 and continue through September 2024.

Responsibilities and Tasks:

The Scope of Assignment for the Global G.A.P consultant includes:

· Conduct a gap analysis for seven GTI enterprises.

· Perform site visits to at least seven SMEs to perform a mock audit (gap analysis) and provide individual recommendations for implementation by the SMEs.

· Provide training to 80 staff of seven SMEs and selected internal auditors/inspectors on Good Agricultural Practices (Site selection, Seed selection/ nursery preparation, agronomy, IPM, safe use of Pesticides, scouting, calibration of spraying machines, and other topics) to enable them to meet GLOBAL G.A.P standards for internal and external Farm inspections.

· Supervise the implementation of the farm’s internal control system per developed farm policies.

· Develop documented steps to handhold seven SMEs to attain certification.

· Take SMEs through completing the requisite forms needed to be certification-ready.

Deliverables

· Gap analysis reports for seven enterprises to identify outstanding non-conformances that need to be addressed before applying for certification.

· Training guide for internal auditors and inspectors chosen from within the SMEs.

· Training for SMEs' staff and internal auditors/inspectors selected from within the SMEs.

· Step-by-step guidelines to each of the seven SMEs to correct non-conformities before 3rd party audit by a certification body.

· Complete Quality Management Systems (QMS) document and all documentation (including Farm policies, GLOBAL G.A.P management structure, and the qualifications and roles of appointed management team members) for all seven SMEs.

· End of Assignment Report, including a summary of tasks undertaken, analysis of pre-test and post-test questionnaires, and attendance of people trained.

Qualifications and Skill

· Educational requirement: a bachelor’s degree in food science, agriculture, crop science, or a related field with experience in training and preparing farmers and exporters in GLOBAL GAP.

· Certified Trainer Global G.A.P version 6 (Required).

· Must have at least 7 years of practical experience developing and training producers/exporters in GLOBAL G.A.P. Certification.

· Must have in-depth practical knowledge of challenges facing producers and exporters in attaining GLOBAL G.A.P. in Ghana.

· Experience in developing materials and delivering training in GLOBAL G.A.P. readiness.

· Experience working on USAID-funded programs is preferred.

Location and Reporting:

This STTA assignment will be conducted in Accra, with a brief travel out of Accra. The consultant will report to GTI’s Quality Standards Director and liaise with the Quality Standards Coordinator. Activities and progress on deliverables will be reported to the designated lead to ensure deliverables are attained as targeted.

The expected Level of Effort (LOE) for this assignment is maximum 25 days for all tasks. This activity is expected to take place between May – September 2024.