Consultant to Facilitate a Training on Prince2 Project Management, AU-IBAR

Introduction and Context

The African Union InterAfrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) is a specialized technical Office of the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment (DARBE) of the African Union Commission (AUC). AU-IBAR’s mandate is to support and coordinate the sustainable development and utilization of livestock, fisheries and wildlife as a resource for both human wellbeing and economic development in the Member States of the African Union (AU) and Regional Economic Communities (RECs).

AU-IBAR and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) are collaborating in the implementation of an action: “Evidence Driven Short Term Solutions to Build Resilience and Address the Adverse Effects of Crises on African Feed and Fodder Systems” commonly referred to as the ‘Resilient African Feed and Fodder Systems Project’ (RAFFS Project). This emergency and short-term action will contribute to understanding the effect of recent and on-going global crises (3Cs: COVID-19, Climate Change shocks and the Conflict between Russia and Ukraine) on the African feed and fodder supply chain and subsequently their effects on the Livestock Sourced Foods (LSFs). This will generate evidence base critical to shaping coordinated action to respond to the feed and fodder shortages that have led to huge losses of livestock (e.g., over 9.5 million livestock in the Greater Horn of Africa region alone), eroded livelihoods, loss of incomes, and driven up prices of highly nutritive livestock sourced foods making them inaccessible to sections of the population that need them most.

Feed constitutes 60 – 70% of the total cost of animal production: the crises have exposed the significant weaknesses and vulnerabilities in the African feed and fodder input and supply chains. Addressing feed and fodder shortages in the short-term ensures business continuity and sustainable livelihoods. The multiplicity and increasing frequency and severity of shocks and their complex and interlocking effects demands an approach that will also strengthen resilience in feed and fodder systems.

The action proposes strengthening analytical capacity for evidence-based decision making and attracting investment, identifying and upscaling viable existing approaches and innovative models, and harnessing partnerships for coordinated action to galvanize impactful immediate and short-term investments. Women, who are largely rural-based or in the informal sector, are disproportionately poor and vulnerable to the increased prices and unavailability of livestock-sourced foods. Working through the African Women in Animal Resources Farming and Agribusiness Network, established under the ambit of AU-IBAR, the action proposes interventions to ensure women’s meaningful involvement in gainful activities in the feed and fodder and the livestock sourced foods supply chains.

Within this context, AU-IBAR, RAFFS Project is seeking to contract a firm to deliver a tailored instructor-led training on PRINCE2 for Project staff, so as to provide them with the practices, principles, and processes for on-time project delivery, within the available resource base.

Purpose

The PRINCE2 Project Management training is intended to provide the selected users with a thorough understanding of its features, and a working (application level) knowledge of its project planning and management capabilities in relation to the projects of the users present for the training. The training should be designed on the basis of the individual users’ knowledge gap, the project needs and the project management gaps as understood by the trainer. This proposed approach is aimed at enhancing the Projects’ management practices to ensure seamless working for the project teams, day to day project processes, and better project results.

In view of the projects under implementation, the users will be expected to adopt PRINCE 2 as the project planning and management program, and should therefore be able to assimilate their project plans, templates and the processes by the end of the training duration.

Scope

To achieve the intended objective, the provider of the PRINCE2 training and support service will be expected to:

• Review the project, this may involve reading through the key project plans and results.
• Develop a training and user support approach in line with the specific project requirements and compatibility with the features and capabilities of PRINCE2.
• Develop a set of expectations to guide the preparation of the users / project staff selected for the training.
• Adapt the training modules to the RAFFS project, use illustrations, and examples drawn from the project to facilitate comprehension and accelerate uptake of PRINCE2 and its application into the project.
• Develop and apply a proficiency assessment criterion for the users to examine the level of comprehension and identify the specific user support needs.
• Propose a post training user support approach and schedule (Maximum one month) with a clear indication of the expected proficiency per user at the end of the training and support duration.
• Provide resources and options for continuous support and self-learning either within PRINCE2 or associated learning resources, free access resources or inbuilt program updates.

Deliverables

The Service Provider is expected to:

• Provide a brief review report on their understanding of the project’s compatibility with PRINCE2, indicating the modules that will add the most value to the intended users / trainees.
• Provide the training program ahead of the scheduled training week.
• Share the proficiency assessment approach, the objectives, and the expected learning outcomes for the users.
• Conduct a pre-training brief (in-person or virtual), to facilitate adequate preparation of the users ahead of the scheduled training week.
• Provide the preparatory resources to the selected trainees/ users, with guidelines on the expected preparatory actions
• Organize and facilitate training sessions, and submit a training report indicating the modules covered, the overall state of proficiency of the users at the end of the training.
• Deliver on the job support, and submit a report on the extent of adoption of the program by the users, with a highlight on the areas for attention.
• Submit any post training materials covered as part of the training to the project, links, attachments etc.

Duration and Supervision

Five (5) days training, and One (1) month post-training (on the job) support to the Project teams to ensure proper application, utilization and assimilation of the PRINCE2 program and Microsoft Project Professional. The tentative starting date for the training is 22nd January 2024.

The training will be conducted in AU-IBAR offices or another suitable venue in Nairobi.

The consultancy will be under the supervision of the RAFFS Project Officer. Participants to be trained will be between 15 and 25 max.

Qualifications and Experience

• Accredited or registered project management training provider.
• Expertise providing PRINCE2 implementation in organizations.
• The instructor suggested by the service provider should:
  • Be fully certified PRINCE2 Trainer.
  • Experience in project management and related fields.
  • Enjoy strong facilitation and training skills.
  • An experience in managing donor funded public sector projects as well as project management within the AU system or organizations of similar scale.

Budget

Interested firms/individual consultants are required to submit technical and financial proposals covering professional fees, field travels, accommodation (where applicable), equipment hire, and any other related costs.

Selection Criteria

Criteria Scores

Qualifications and skills 20

General Experience of the Firm 25

Specific Professional Experience 40

Other skills and competencies 10

Working language(s) 5