TERMS OF REFERENCE

Consultancy for Developing CSA Training Materials and Delivering CSA Training

Activities of Rice, Shrimp and Banana Production – BASIN Project

 

1. BACKGROUND

The Mekong Delta is Vietnam’s key agricultural production region, contributing more than 50% of the country’s rice output, approximately 65% of aquaculture production, and a major share of national fruit exports. However, it is recognised as one of the world’s most climate‑vulnerable delta regions due to climate change and sea‑level rise.^[1],[2]

 

Over the past decade, extreme climatic events in the Delta have increased in both frequency and intensity, including:

1. Deep saline intrusion into inland areas during the dry season;
2. prolonged droughts;
3. extreme rainfall and increasingly erratic precipitation patterns; and
4. declining freshwater availability combined with land subsidence.

 

These risks have heightened uncertainty in agricultural production, particularly for livelihood systems highly dependent on hydrological conditions such as rice–shrimp farming and fruit cultivation.^[3],[4],[5]

 

An Giang province is one of the key agricultural hubs of the Mekong Delta, with a land area of approximately 9,889 km² and a population of nearly 5 million. Most households rely directly on agriculture and aquaculture for their livelihoods. The province maintains around 600,000–620,000 ha of rice production annually, yielding over 4 million tonnes per year. It is also a centre for freshwater pangasius farming with an output of roughly 700,000 tonnes, contributing significantly to the region’s agricultural export value.

 

However, climate change impacts in An Giang have become increasingly evident, including drought and freshwater shortages during the dry season, extreme rainfall causing localised flooding during the wet season, and irregular fluctuations in Mekong River water levels. These factors directly affect cropping calendars, crop yields, and aquaculture productivity. The challenges are particularly severe for small‑scale production systems and major value chains such as rice, freshwater aquaculture, and fruit crops. As a result, livelihood risks are increasing while the competitiveness of local agricultural products is declining amid market demands for higher quality and sustainability.^[6]

 

The Building Climate-Adaptive Solutions through Inclusive Market Networks (BASIN) project, funded by the Mekong Australia Partnership (MAP) under the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) of the Australian Government, aims to enhance economic resilience through the promotion of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices and inclusive market systems in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.

 

The project focuses on three main components:

1. Improved economic resilience through inclusive and climate-resilient business models;
2. Improved agency and more equitable social systems for women and marginalized groups; and
3. Improved regional coordination and knowledge- and evidence-based learning for resilience building.

 

The project duration is 48 months, from May 2025 to April 2029.

 

In Vietnam, BASIN is implemented in Vinh Thuan and U Minh Thuong communes, An Giang province. According to Market assessment report conducted in August,2025, BASIN will be focusing on three key value chains: Rice, Shrimp and Banana due to their market linkage, economic importance, climate vulnerability and strong engagement of private sector, local farmers, including women and marginalized groups.

 

In February, 2026, the project has conducted a Participatory Climate Smart Agricultural (CSA) to identify indigenous and local CSA practices that currently applied by local farmers in the Rice, Shrimp and Banana value chains and assess their vulnerability, effectiveness, inclusiveness, and scalability, particularly in improving resilience, productivity, engagement of small producers, particularly women and marginalized group. Based on the CSA assessment report (attached) the project has identified key climate risks affecting these value chains, including flooding, salinity intrusion, soil-borne pests and diseases (e.g., banana weevil), and temperature variability in rice–shrimp systems. Followings are summarized climate risks and technical gaps and limitation of current CSA practices and proposed recommendations for improved climate adaptive Rice, Shrimp and Banana value chains.

 

Selected value chains	Climate risks and technical gaps	Recommended solutions
Rice	Deep saline intrusion (3–10‰), Reliance on spontaneous, non‑standardized practices and high dependence on farmer experience, creating vulnerability during abnormal climatic events. Lack of standardized CSA protocols.	CSA rice–shrimp protocol Plan for water‑quality monitoring Low‑carbon production, GHG reduction, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), ecosystem restoration Technical training and standardization Promote ecological synergies and nature‑based solutions to reduce chemical inputs and enhance natural soil regeneration.
Shrimp	Heatwaves causing “overnight shrimp mortality” caused crop failure up to 100% Reliance on spontaneous, non‑standardized practices and high dependence on farmer experience, creating vulnerability during abnormal climatic events. Lack of standardized CSA protocols.	CSA rice–shrimp protocol Plan for water‑quality monitoring Technical training and standardization Promote ecological synergies and nature‑based solutions and enhance water quality monitoring.
Banana	Soil‑borne fungal disease in banana (Fusarium wilt) which caused crop failure up to 70%, absence of disease control or treatment. Local banana varieties are susceptible to disease and show declining productivity. Reliance on spontaneous, non‑standardized practices Lack of standardised CSA protocols.	CSA banana‑production protocol + Fusarium wilt control Technical training and standardization Disease tolerance seedlings improvement

 

To address these challenges, there is a need to develop standardized CSA training materials and strengthen the capacity of farmers, cooperatives, and local stakeholders involved in Rice, Shrimp and Banana value chains through practical training and field-based coaching, thereby establishing a solid foundation for subsequent technical interventions of the project and ensuring sustainable agricultural production aligned with green and resilient value chains.

 

BASIN project is looking for 03 Consultant Trainers for delivering 03 ToT training packages of CSA improvement for Rice – Shrimp and Banana production in project area in An Giang province.

 

2. OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSIGNMENT

2.1 Overall Objective

The objective is to:

• Provide ToT training for communal collaborators and relevant project stakeholders on improved climate-smart agricultural (CSA) practices, enabling them to adopt more climate-resilient and adaptive production methods in Rice–Shrimp and Banana production; and
• Conduct coaching and promote the rolling – out training and expansion and replication of these practices by strengthening the capacity of targeted group (farmers, cooperatives, and local actors) of Rice, Shrimp and Banana, thereby supporting the wider scaling up of CSA models along the Rice–Shrimp and Banana value chains.

 

2.2. Specific Objectives

2.2.1. Develop 03 Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) training materials packages of Rice, Shrimp and Banana cultivation, including:

• CSA Banana production model, focusing on climate-resilient cultivation practices, soil and water management, and sustainable pest control by Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach and production/ processing of banana related products as well e.g fiber, leaves, flower, fruit, sweet/candies.
• CSA Rice cultivation model, emphasizing adaptive salinity management, integrated crop–aquaculture systems, and seasonal climate responsiveness for rice; Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach
• CSA Shrimp farming model, emphasizing adaptive salinity management, integrated crop – aquaculture systems, and seasonal climate responsiveness for Shrimp.

 

2.2.2. Deliver 03 ToT training courses:

• Training course 1: 03 days training course on CSA improvement of Rice for 25-30 participants in Vinh Thuan commune
• Training course 2: 03 days training course on CSA improvement of Shrimp farming for 25-30 participants in Vinh Thuan commune
• Training course 3: 03 days training course on CSA improvement of Banana cultivation with 25 – 30 participants in U Minh Thuong commune.

 

2.2.3. Deliver coaching and follow-up field scale up:  each Consultant Trainer to provide 02 days field coaching and follow-up.

 

3. NUMBER OF CONSULTANT/TRAINERS: 03 Consultant Trainers, 1 Trainer of Rice, 1 Trainer of Shrimp and 1 Trainer of Banana CSA improvement training.

 

4. TIME, LOCATION AND PARTICIPANTS

Time:  May 2026 – June 2026

Location: Vinh Thuan and U Minh Thuong communes, An Giang province

 

Targeted Participants:  

Training of CSA improvement of Rice and Shrimp farming: 25-30 participants who are local collaborators coming from Vinh Thuan commune, including:

• Representatives of Commune Agricultural Service Centers.
• Representatives Provincial Agricultural Extension Service
• Representatives of Agricultural cooperatives/Farmers/Producers groups in rice, shrimp value chains in Vinh Thuan commune
• Commune People’s Committee and technical departments
• Communal Women’s Union, Farmers’ Union
• Private sector actors (input suppliers, collectors, processors)
• Local technical agencies

Training of CSA improvement of Banana Production: 25-30 participants who are local collaborators coming from U Minh Thuong commune:

• Representatives Provincial Agricultural Extension Service
• Representatives of Commune Agricultural Service Centers.
• Representatives of Agricultural cooperatives/Farmers/Producers groups of Banana value chain in U Minh Thuong commune
• Commune People’s Committee and technical departments
• Communal Women’s Union, Farmers’ Union
• Private sector actors (Representatives of Duong Hung company, local traders)
• Local technical agencies

 

5. METHODOLOGY

The assignment will apply participatory and inclusive approaches, including:

 

• Desk Review: Existing CSA assessments, Baseline survey, Market Assessment, technical guidelines
• Key Informant Consultations: Project staff and local stakeholders,
• Participatory Training Methods:

• • Apply a learner-centered and participatory approach that actively engages trainees in the learning process, encouraging them to share experiences, discuss challenges, and co-develop solutions based on their local context.
  • Use adult learning principles that recognize participants’ existing knowledge and practical experience, ensuring training is relevant, practical, and problem-oriented

 

Promote learning-by-doing through hands-on exercises, field demonstrations, and real-life practice to strengthen understanding and facilitate the adoption of CSA practices

 

Demo training to test the training documents prior to the official training delivery

• Participatory Tools:
  • Seasonal calendars
  • Climate risk mapping
  • CSA action planning

• Integration of Cross-Cutting Approaches ( this section will be delivered by WVI CCR Lead)
• CEDRIG+ Integration (to be inputted by WVI staff):

• • Climate and disaster risk screening integrated into training design
  • Identification of environmental and social risks and mitigation measures

• GEDSI (Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion): to be inputted by WVI staff

• • Ensure participation of women and persons with disabilities
  • Apply inclusive facilitation methods
  • Address barriers to participation and adoption

• ESCA (Environmental and Social Compliance Assessment): to be inputted by WVI staff

• • Promote environmentally sustainable practices
  • Avoid negative environmental impacts
  • Ensure occupational health and safety
  • Align with WVI and DFAT safeguard requirements

 

6. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

No	Number of Consultant	Responsibilities	Manday (day)
1	03 Consultants	Develop Training Material for Rice, Shrimp and Banana. Adapt and consolidate existing CSA training materials into concise packages for Rice–Shrimp and Banana systems.   Training Delivery Deliver Training of Trainers (ToT) sessions (03 days per course) for core staff (ACs and PGs) using participatory and learner-centered approaches.         Reporting Prepare a concise technical report summarizing training results, field observations, and initial lessons learned.   Coaching and follow-ups	05 days x 3 trainers = 15 days       Training course 1: 03 days Training course 2: 03 days Training course 3: 03 days = 9 days   3 training courses x 02 days = 6 days       03 Consultants x 02 days/month x 6 months =36 days
		Total: (for 3 Consultant Trainers)	66 days

 

BASIN staff involved will provide the following support to the Training courses:

1	WVI CCR Lead/ GEDSI Lead	Provide technical oversight and quality assurance throughout the assignment; review and endorse technical deliverables and training materials; contribute to the development and refinement of CSA content to ensure technical accuracy and contextual relevance; ensure integration of climate resilience, GEDSI, and safeguard requirements (including DFAT and WVI standards); support facilitation of training sessions where required; and ensure overall technical compliance and alignment with project objectives
2	BASIN project	Overall coordination, quality assurance, consultation with provincial partners, approval of deliverables. Coordination, logistics, data collection
3	PMU	Mobilize participants and support field activities

 

7. DELIVERIABLES

• 03 separate completed CSA improvement training packages of Rice, Shrimp and Banana.
• Deliver three training courses on:

• • 03 days ToT training course on CSA improvement of Rice
  • 03 days ToT training course on CSA improvement of Shrimp farming in Vinh Thuan commune
  • 03 days ToT training course on CSA improvement of Banana production in U Minh Thuong commune.

 

8. DETAILED IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

No	Activities	Time	Location	Remark
1	Secondary information review	Week 4, May, 2026	An Giang	Reference to: FAO, WVI, MAE – VN
2	Develop training material	Week 4, May, 2026	Remote	Draft & validation
3	Training delivery	Week 2,3 June, 2026	Communes	3 training courses
4	Final reporting	July, 2026	–	Submission

 

9. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE 

• At least Master degree in Agriculture (including aquaculture), Climate Change, or related fields
• Proven experience in climate-smart agriculture (CSA) for 3 selected value chains
• Experience working in Mekong Delta farming systems and An Giang province is an advantage
• Strong facilitation and training skills (adult learning/TOT)
• Experience in GEDSI integration and participatory approaches with support from WVI staff
• Knowledgeable in applying climate risk screening tools (e.g., CEDRIG+) is preferred.

 ________________________

[1] World Bank (2020). Climate Risk Country Profile: Vietnam.

[2] IPCC (2022). Sixth Assessment Report – WGII.

[3] FAO (2013). Climate-Smart Agriculture Sourcebook.

[4] CGIAR (2021). Climate Change Adaptation in the Mekong Delta.

[5] IPCC (2022). AR6 WGII – Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability.

[6] CSA assessment report, BASIN project, 2026