ADB LOAN 4211/ Grant 0846 - NEP: Nuts and Fruits in Hilly Areas (NAFHA) Project, Package No. (NAFHA /CPMU/Consulting/PISC/CS-06)- Project Implementation Support Consultant

Funding Agency:  Asian Development Bank 
Client: Department of Agriculture, National Centre of Fruits Development, Nuts and Fruits in Hilly Areas Project(NAFHA), CPMU
Date: Feb 2025 – Aug 2029

The Nuts and Fruits in Hilly Areas Project (NAFHA) is a development initiative funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP), aimed at improving the livelihoods of approximately 40,000 farm households in 100 municipalities across five provinces in Nepal. The project focuses on increasing agricultural income through climate-resilient horticulture farming by developing approximately 10,000 hectares of new orchards for fruits and nuts, enhancing value addition and commercialization, and improving institutional capacity for nursery and horticulture management. Additionally, it supports smallholder farmers with less than 0.2 hectares of land to grow irrigated off-season vegetables and nutritious crops. The project aims to achieve its goals through improved nursery management, enhanced production and productivity, and strengthened cooperatives and value chains, ultimately contributing to rural livelihood improvement and climate resilience.

 Objectives of the project:

The main objective of this project is to increase the agricultural income of approximately 40,000 beneficiary farm households in Nepal's hilly regions by promoting climate-resilient horticulture farming. This will be achieved through developing fruit and nut orchards, value addition to horticultural produce, and institutional capacity building for nursery and horticulture management. The project also aims to support smallholder farmers in growing irrigated off-season vegetables and nutritious crops, thereby improving livelihoods and enhancing resilience to climate change.

Overall Services provided:

The Project Implementation Support Consultant (PISC) is required to provide a range of services to ensure the successful implementation of the Nuts and Fruits in Hilly Areas Project (NAFHA). These services include:

1. Project Management Support: Assisting in planning, monitoring, and evaluation of project activities, ensuring compliance with ADB’s procurement policies, financial management, and safeguard requirements, and preparing project reports.
2. Capacity Building: Strengthening the project management capacities of the Central Project Management Unit (CPMU) and Provincial Implementation Units (PIUs), and providing training for project staff, farmers, and cooperatives.
3. Technical Assistance: Supporting horticulture development, value chain enhancement, nursery management, and the implementation of climate-smart agricultural practices.
4.  Financial Management: Assisting in the preparation of withdrawal applications, financial statements, and budget estimates, and ensuring compliance with ADB’s financial reporting and audit requirements.
5. Safeguards Compliance: Monitoring and ensuring compliance with environmental and social safeguards, addressing grievances, and implementing the Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) Action Plan.
6. Procurement Support: Assisting in the procurement of goods, works, and services in accordance with ADB’s procurement guidelines, preparing bidding documents, evaluating bids, and managing contracts.
7. Communication and Stakeholder Engagement: Implementing the Stakeholder Participation and Communication Strategy, facilitating public consultations, and ensuring the dissemination of project information.

The PISC will play a crucial role in ensuring the effective implementation and monitoring of project activities, ultimately contributing to the project’s goal of improving rural livelihoods and agricultural income in Nepal’s hilly areas