Farmer-to-Farmer Volunteer Opportunity: Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning Trainings

Volunteer Assignment Duration: 16 days, including travel

Background

Land O’Lakes Venture37 is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to helping communities around the world build economies by strengthening local agriculture, helping agribusinesses create jobs and linking farmers to markets. Since 1981, it has implemented over 315 integrated dairy, livestock and crops development programs in nearly 80 countries — creating lasting impact by linking farmers, businesses, and the public and private sector in local and global contexts. Land O’Lakes Venture37’s long-standing affiliation with Land O’Lakes, Inc. sets it apart. Land O’Lakes, Inc. is one of America’s largest farmer-owned cooperatives. It supports Land O’Lakes Venture37 project implementation with nearly 100 years of expertise in dairy, animal nutrition, crop inputs and agricultural insights and technologies. This gives Land O’Lakes Venture37 development projects a unique global view of agriculture, food and the power of well-functioning market systems. Land O’Lakes, Inc. supports these efforts as part of its enterprise purpose of Feeding Human Progress at home and around the world.

Program Overview

The Farmer-to-Farmer Inclusive Food Systems (F2F-IFS) program is boosting productivity and profitability of market actors across local food systems in Egypt, Lebanon, and Rwanda by providing targeted, sequenced, and layered volunteer technical assistance. As food systems become more productive and profitable, F2F-IFS is contributing to sustainable, broad-based economic growth within the agricultural sector. F2F-IFS is also facilitating people-to-people exchanges that promote connection and understanding in the global food and agriculture community.

To ensure that food systems are more inclusive and efficient in Egypt, Lebanon, and Rwanda, Land O’Lakes Venture37 is leading a five-year, $7.5 million Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) program. Venture37 will complete 181 assignments, which will be specifically designed to make food systems more inclusive and accessible across the three core countries.

Since 1987, Land O’Lakes has sent more than 1,400 U.S. highly qualified volunteers — including 160 of our affiliate Land O’Lakes, Inc. staff and cooperative members — on assignments in 27 countries. As a quality-driven food company, Land O’Lakes, Inc. is uniquely positioned to drive improvements in food safety and quality by offering a broad range of agricultural technical expertise on a voluntary basis, including improved agri-business management, quality assurance, improved policy and regulatory regimes, and production and post-harvest activities. The program is funded through the USAID John Ogonowski and Doug Bereuter Farmer-to-Farmer Program. F2F initiatives generate rapid, sustained and broad-based economic growth in the agricultural sector. These programs also promote international goodwill, an understanding of U.S. foreign assistance programs, and private involvement in development activities.

Description of Assignment

Problem Statement

The effectiveness of associations and the quality of the services they offer to their beneficiaries and the ability to receive grants are severely impacted by a lack of effective Monitoring and Evaluation (MEAL) systems. Inadequately structured training for their staff on this topic is a major problem as well. When development associations have established effective MEAL systems, they are better able to monitor the status of their projects, pinpoint development interventions, determine what needs to be changed to better achieve their goals and objectives and fulfill the requirements of donors. 

Assignment Scope

F2F IFS team is fielding US volunteer experts on a 16-day assignment to introduce technical support to development associations’ teams. The objective of this assignment is to support the management team of the host organizations in developing MEAL systems that will enable them to plan effective, efficient, and community-impactful activities.

Throughout this assignment, the volunteer expert is expected to visit and meet with the targeted associations to assess their current MEAL systems and provide recommendations for improvements. Drawing from her/his observations, the volunteer is expected to train and instruct the host organization teams on:

• How to design and oversee an effective MEAL system
• Developing SMART indicators to track progress and define targets for indicators.
• Data collection, analysis, storage, reporting, budget, and timelines
• How to develop TOR for evaluation Identify data evaluation roles and reporting
• Developing MEAL Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) 
• Accountability and transparency in project management and development initiatives.
• Enhancing learning practices to ensure continuous improvement and adaptive management in projects.
• Complying with the international donors’ requirements of MEAL systems.

The volunteer is expected to introduce recommendations to the host organizations during the field visit, if needed.

Host Profile

In 2015, the Government of Egypt (GoE) has allocated 37.5 KM2 to establish the largest solar power station in the world at Benban village in Aswan Governorate. The location is considered the sunniest area in the world, and project companies were able to carry out individual projects on 41 plots to produce 2000 megawatts of electrical energy.

In 2017, the Benban Solar Developers Association (BSDA) was established to improve the efficiency of social, health, and environmental services and to expand the scope of social protection available to Benban residents. The BSDA works in the fields of solar energy production, providing cultural, scientific, environmental, economic and religious services that include social assistance, maternal, child and family care, health and environmental protection. BSDA is planning to establish a packhouse for agricultural crops to serve the rural community in Aswan governorate.

Deliverables

Each volunteer must submit a Final Report to the F2F Program, which includes the following sections:

• A summary of tasks and observations from site visits
• A list of 3-5 specific and actionable recommendations for the host organization(s). The recommendations are very important to the program as they are used to track host adoption of recommendations and the impact on hosts’ farms and businesses. These recommendations will be reviewed during the debriefing session with country staff at the end of the assignment and the volunteer may make revisions to them in their Final Report.
• A section listing the assignment objectives above and how they were met or why they were not met.
• A short summary of the assignment with relevant photos that can be shared on various media platforms.

Outreach

Upon return to the United States, the volunteer is requested to communicate his or her F2F experience to their peers and communities. Outlets to share the volunteer experience include home groups (e.g., civic and religious groups, professional associations, etc.), workplace presentations, local newspapers, community or workplace newsletters, personal blogs and social media sites. It is important to give recognition to USAID for funding the F2F IFS program. At least two outreach events are requested and should be communicated to Elizabeth Laferriere ([email protected]). Volunteers will be invited to join a volunteer group through LinkedIn and will receive occasional surveys requesting information about completed outreach activities during each period.

Volunteer Qualifications

The recruited volunteer is expected to have the following skills and qualifications:

• Educational Background: University degree in social sciences, development studies, business management or similar field.
• More than 10 years of practical knowledge and experience within Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and learning-related functions.
• Training Skills, including training in group settings
• Sufficiently physically fit, with appropriate medical clearance
• Familiar with conducting trainings through translators/interpreters

Land O’Lakes Venture37 is an equal opportunity employer and an organization striving to help global communities thrive through agriculture. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or veteran status, among other factors. Our culture values a diversity of voices. So bring us your unique experiences, your workstyle, and your dreams — they’ll only make us stronger.

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