Consultancy Services in beekeeping assessments and capacity building for the Mukungule Project

Job description

1.0         Background

Within the Mukungule Project, WeForest Zambia is  upscaling a beekeeping value chain across Mukungule and Mpumba Chiefdoms. The first bee hives were hung in quarter 2, 2023 and first assessment for harvesting was done in quarter 2, 2024. Noted was the extremely low honey availability for harvesting which was below expectation for hives already hung for over 1 year, and gaps in the competency of bee mentors and the rest of the honey value chain players. Regarding the low honey availability, we hypothesized several factors that could have contributed to this, including low occupation rates, slow colony build-up over the year and temporarily limited food availability and/or swarming which may have caused the bees to consume the earlier produced honey.

Due to the aforementioned, we have identified the need to engage a beekeeping  expert/consultant to;

1)      Conduct a Biophysical Assessment of apiary locations to advance our understanding of the apiary vegetation, local environmental conditions and bee colony performance.. The biophysical assessment will include an analysis of the environmental factors that impact bee health and honey production, i.e., availability and quality of forage (species composition and dominance), tree canopy around the beekeeping plots, water availability, weather conditions, and identifying potential threats like pests and diseases.

2)      Develop training materials to build the capacity of the beekeepers, bee mentors and WeForest Zambia staff in beekeeping best practices based on the  findings and recommendations of previous studies.

2.0         Scope of Work, deliverables and consultancy targets

The consultant will address the 2 issues raised through an 1) An in-depth assessment of beehives/apiaries conditions and 2) a review of previous reports on the knowledge gaps of  beekeepers and bee mentors in  order to develop tailored training and capacity building sessions. ,  The consultancy is broken down into the following specific activities, deliverables and targets:

Table 1:  Scope of Work, deliverables and consultancy targets

Targets (where appropriate)
Deliverables
Timeline
Payment
0
Signing of contract

1
Literature review of project documents and other relevant literature in beekeeping to get background information and an understanding of the beekeeping model being implemented in Mukungule.

Inception report outlining the approach and methodology for undertaking the assignment, including a work plan,  timeline and any suggested changes to the scope of work.
Inception report is submitted within two weeks after start of contract signing
30% downpayment
2
Physically assess the biophysical conditions in randomly selected apiaries. Complement field assessments with remote sensing analysis (e.g., NDVI, land cover change) and spatial mapping using QGIS shapefiles for the project’s apiary locations to evaluate surrounding vegetation structure, floral resource availability, and possible environmental constraints
5% (of 800 farms)  randomly selected apiaries across all the VAGs

_40 apiaries/Forest beekeeping plots for biophysical condition

Assessment report

The report should at least include:

(i) the biophysical conditions of apiaries established between 2023–2024, incorporating both ground-based observations and GIS/remote sensing analysis using QGIS shapefiles and NDVI/land cover data; and recommendations for remedial actions if necessary.
Draft assessment report and training materials submitted within two weeks after field visit;

Revised report and materials submitted within one week  before implementing training.
20% upon receipt of revised report.
3
Development of a capacity strengthening training program using the identified knowledge gaps in beekeeping for both farmers and bee mentors as well as the gaps identified in extension service provision to farmers by bee mentors.

Tailored training materials

The tailored training materials should at least include (i) Tracking Tool for apiary and bee colony performance monitoring to be used by bee mentors, (ii) Tracking Tool to monitor bee mentor performance in extension service provision to farmers to be used by project staff, (iii) tool to determine suitability of targeted sites for beekeeping (iv) Training materials in sustainable forest management and beekeeping best practices for farmers, bee mentors and project staff (simplified, easy to understand version of reference material/manual that include visual illustrations for the beekeeper and a detailed, user-friendly trainer of trainers (ToT) version for the bee mentors and project staff), and (v) tool to evaluate or assess training activities

4
Conduct a Training of Trainers (ToT) for project staff to build their capacity to  train and mentor bee keepers and bee mentors as well as a ToT for bee mentors to build their capacity in extension service provision to farmers and bee colony management.

All WeForest frontline staff and all 30 bee mentors, with specifically at least 20 occupied hives opened and discussed with beementors and all bee mentors trained for at least 7 days
Training activity and assessment report which includes i) details on training (ii) attendance registers

Draft training activity report submitted within two weeks after field visit, the final report will be submitted within three weeks from the date of receipt of feedback on the draft report.
20% upon receipt of draft report
5
Undertake an assessment of staff and bee mentor performance after ToT capacity building.

All trained staff and bee mentors
(iii)   assessment of the training intervention through a dedicated assessment (questionnaire)

Draft assessment report submitted within two weeks after field visit, the final report will be submitted within two weeks from the date of receipt of feedback on the draft report.
30% upon receipt of final reports (training & assessment) and if all aligned with requirements outlined in ToR
3.0         Timeline

The consultant will have to complete the scope of work within two months, starting from 1st September, 2025 and ending on 31st October, 2025. The assignment will be for a maximum of 20 man-days (8 hours per day). The consultant will be required to submit the inception report within two weeks from the start date. The final report will be submitted within two weeks from the date of receipt of feedback on the draft report.

4.0         Budget

The consultant will provide a detailed budget not exceeding US$4,100 for the scope of work, inclusive of all taxes, expenses related to travel, accommodation, and consultation with stakeholders. Payments will be made in accordance with the agreed milestones and deliverables.

5.0         Payment schedule

The consultant will provide a detailed budget for the scope of work, including all expenses related to travel, accommodation, and consultation with stakeholders. The budget should be inclusive of all taxes and duties. Payments will be made in accordance with the agreed milestones and deliverables (refer to table 2.0).

6.0         Deadline for submission

Dead line for submission: 22nd August, 2025

Submission email: zambia@weforest.org