Company Profile

SNV is a not-for-profit international development organisation that applies practical know-how to make a lasting difference in the lives of people living in poverty. We use our extensive and long-term in-country presence to apply and adapt our top-notch expertise in agriculture, energy, and WASH to local contexts. SNV has an annual turnover of €130 million, over 1,250 staff in more than 25 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. We are proud to be a not-for-profit organisation that uses project financing to implement our mission. This requires us to work efficiently and to invest in operational excellence.

SNV has worked in Ghana since the 1992 and currently has offices in Accra, Tamale, and Nandom. 

For more information on SNV, visit our website: www.snv.org

Job Description

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Construction of Twelve Bio digester systems for Households in Builsa North, Builsa South and Kessena-Nankana Districts in the Upper East Region under the Peaceful Cross-Border Pastoral Mobility and Social Stability in the Sahel (MOPSS) Project.

Background

SNV has been present in Ghana since 1992 and is currently implementing a pastoralism and livestock project in Ghana's Builsa North Municipal, Builsa South and Kassena-Nankana West Districts in the Upper East Region. The three-year project is called Peaceful Cross Border Pastoral Mobility and Social Stability in the Sahel (MOPSS). It is aimed to contribute to peaceful cross-border transhumance by improving the perception of pastoral mobility in the host communities. It is also to support new regulation and security mechanisms by States as well as structuring the inclusion of pastoral and agropastoral households in sustainable livestock value chains. Additionally, it will strengthen the influence of Regional Producer Organizations (RPOs) in political dialogue spaces from local to global level in selected communities in the Builsa North Municipal, Builsa South and Kassena-Nankana West Districts.

Objective of the Assignment

The main objective of the assignment is to construct FASO BIO-15 bio digesters. 

Specifically, the assignment is to enhance sustainable agricultural practices by providing 12 FASO BIO-15 biodigesters to farmers in the Builsa North Municipal, Builsa South, and Kassena-Nankana West Districts.

Biodigester model

A FASO BIO-15 model biodigester, with a volume of 4m³ with a fixed dome, using bovine manure as a material, will be built in each selected household. The biodigester will be equipped with an effluent tank. The digester will be equipped with two solar lamps.

Scope of Work

1. Validate the list of communities and households suggested for the construction of bio digesters in the Builsa North Municipal, Builsa South, and Kassena-Nankana West districts
2. Conduct site assessments to ensure the selected locations have the appropriate conditions and commitment for the installation of the FASO BIO-15 biodigesters, including soil stability and proximity to livestock.
3. Finalize the list of communities and households for their suitability for the construction of bio digesters with the project team.
4. Plan the layout for the placement of the biodigesters, ensuring efficient manure input, gas output, and effluent management.
5. Source and procure high-quality construction materials, including bricks, cement, sand, gravel, pipes, valves, and other essential components required for the biodigesters.
6. Acquire solar lamps and related equipment to be installed with each biodigester. The features of the solar lamp are: Brightness: 150 lumens; Battery: Durable Lithium Ferro-Phosphate (LFP), with a lifespan of five years of daily use; Battery life: 36 hours of light in low-light mode or 6 hours in high-brightness mode with a single day of solar charging2; Phone charging: The lamp has the ability to charge two mobile phones simultaneously; Solar Panel: 2.35W,
7. Excavate and prepare the foundation for each biodigester according to the specifications provided in the design.
8. Construct the 4m³ fixed dome biodigesters using appropriate masonry techniques, ensuring durability and gas-tightness.
9. Install the effluent tank for each biodigester to manage the outflow of the digested slurry.
10. Equip each biodigester with two solar lamps, ensuring proper wiring, placement, and functionality.
11. Test the solar lamps to confirm they are working effectively and provide sufficient illumination for the household.
12. Connect the biodigesters to the manure input and gas output systems, ensuring all connections are secure and leak-proof.
13. Ensuring the first loading of biodigesters with cow dung.
14. Test the biodigesters by initiating the anaerobic digestion process and monitor the production of biogas and the functioning of the effluent tank.
15. Ensure that the biodigesters are operating efficiently and that the gas production meets the expected standards.
16. Educate the households on the use of biogas for cooking and lighting, as well as the proper handling and application of the effluent as a bio-fertilizers.
17. Conduct regular monitoring with the consultant of the biodigesters during the initial operation phase to ensure they are functioning as expected.
18. Handover the completed biodigesters to the respective households through SNV, ensuring they are fully operational.
19. Document the construction process, challenges faced, and lessons learned to inform future projects.

Deliverables

1. A detailed report documenting the confirmation or rejection of the pre-selected households and communities for the construction of the biodigesters.
2. Records of all materials and equipment procured for the construction, including specifications, quantities, and sources of procurement.
3. Reports on the testing and commissioning of each biodigester, demonstrating that the biodigesters are operational, leak-proof, and capable of producing biogas.
4. Acknowledgment from each household confirming their understanding of the operation and maintenance of the biodigesters.
5. Initial monitoring reports showing the performance of the biodigesters during the early operational phase.
6. Final report on the construction and handing over of the bio digesters.
7. Report on cost share contributions of beneficiaries.

TARGET GROUPS/CUSTOMERS

The potential users of the biodigesters are the households of agro-livestock farmers who are members of the RPO’s in the above-mentioned intervention municipalities. Heads of household should be young men and women aged 18 to 35 and women aged 18 and over. Consideration will also be given to the proximity of households to each other to facilitate monitoring and mutual learning between user households within each district. Women beneficiaries should constitute at least 40% from the agropastoral households.

Beneficiary households will contribute substantially to the cost of building the biodigester. This contribution is estimated at 20% of the price of the biodigester. This can be in kind and/or cash. This will ensure the ownership and sustainable use of the biodigester. The elements (materials) to be contributed by the household equivalent to its contribution will be clarified by the successful company and submitted to the MOPSS project and RPO for dissemination to the RPOs members concerned. This contribution is part of the household/client's eligibility criteria.

Household eligibility criteria

1. Be an agro-pastoralist in one of the MOPSS intervention communities.
2. Be a member of one of the RPOs (RBM, APESS, ROPPA).
3. Be aged 18 to 35 or a woman.
4. Have cattle farm (at least 6 heads in stalls).
5. Always have at least 40 kg of cow dung per day.
6. Commit to feeding the biodigester every day with at least 40 Kg of cow dung.
7. Have a permanent and inexhaustible source of water less than 500 meters from home.
8. Have suitable soil (non-rocky, non-hydromorphic) for the construction of the biodigester.
9. Commit to contributing 20% to the cost of the biodigester in kind or in cash.
10. Commit to setting up a room to house the kitchen.
11. Commit to the use and maintenance of the biodigester.
12. Commit to the production of compost and its use or the sale of part of the quantity produced.
13. Commit to continuing the use of the biodigester after the project intervention.

Each selected household will enter a contract with the RPO of which it is a member before the start of construction work. Only households that meet the eligibility criteria and have secured their in-kind or cash contributions will benefit from the MOPSS subsidy which will be paid to the provider.

IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS

Under the responsibility of MOPSS, the construction activities will be implemented with and in coordination with the following actors:

1. Construction companies.
2. The consultant.
3. The three RPOs APESS, RBM and ROPPA.
4. Affected districts assemblies.
5. Decentralized technical services for livestock and agriculture.

Timing/Duration of Assignment

The construction works required in the three districts over an estimated period of Eight (8) weeks. The first stage of the assignment will focus on the procurement of construction materials for biodigesters whiles the other phase will focus on construction works and post initial construction monitoring of services.

Reporting Line

The contractor will report to the MOPPS Advisor and will be supervised by the consultant (Bio Tech).

Required Skills or Experience

Qualifications and Experience

Interested parties must be companies with the needed expertise in building and construction.  The following qualifications are required (Building Technology, Masonry).

1. A diploma or higher-level certificate.
2. A minimum of 5 years’ experience in undertaking construction of biodigester system.
3. Knowledge of sustainable agricultural practices, waste management, and the environmental impact of biodigesters is highly beneficial.
4. Experience working in rural and agricultural communities, particularly in the regions of Builsa South, Builsa North, and Kassena-Nankana West, would be an advantage. Familiarity with the local context, including cultural and environmental factors, is important.
5. The team should include skilled labourers with experience in masonry and biodigester construction techniques. 
6. Ability to communicate in any of the local languages from the Northern and Upper East Regions will be an added advantage.