Producer Groups Capacity Building Specialist

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in Lao PDR is implementing the project titled “Enhancement of Livelihood Resilience in Rural Areas (LRRA)” (GCP/LAO/034/JPN), funded by the Government of Japan. The project operates in 48 villages across seven districts in Luang Prabang and Oudomxay provinces and aims to strengthen the resilience, income, and food security of rural households.

Under Output 2, which focuses on strengthening small-scale agriculture businesses, the project supports 20 Producer Groups in key agricultural value chains: 12 in Luang Prabang and 8 in Oudomxay. Each group nominates two core members to participate in focused training designed to build their management, business, and leadership skills.

To support this work, the project seeks a specialist to develop and deliver a two-day training program in each province. The training will strengthen Producer Groups’ capacity in governance, financial management, business planning, and day-to-day group operations.

The assignment follows a Training of Trainers approach. Participants in the provincial sessions are expected to transfer skills gained to other members of their Producer Groups. This approach aims to reach 411 members out of 1,250 farmers, in line with Activity 2.1.4 of the project’s Logical Framework.

Reporting Lines

The specialist will report to the LRRA International/National Project Coordinator and will work closely with the Lao Farmer Association (LFA), Provincial Agriculture and Environment Office (PAEO), District Agriculture and Environment Office (DAEO), and FAO technical staff.

Technical Focus

The specialist will support Output 2 of the project, which focuses on strengthening small-scale agriculture businesses through enhanced Producer Group (PG) management and leadership. The role includes designing and delivering targeted capacity building for PG representatives and applying a Training of Trainers approach to extend skills to a wider group of members.
Key areas of focus include:

•     Designing a two-day training curriculum on Producer Group management covering governance, financial management, recordkeeping, group branding, negotiation, communication, and conflict resolution.
•     Preparing simple pre- and post-training assessments to measure learning progress.
•     Delivering two-day training sessions in Luang Prabang and Oudomxay provinces for selected PG representatives.
•     Supporting participants to apply the Training of Trainers approach to expand skills to other Producer Group members. 
•     Producing a final report with training results, analysis of assessments, and recommendations for future capacity-building efforts.

Tasks and responsibilities

1. Review and Training Design 
•     Review project documents including the Project Document, Needs Assessment, Baseline Report, and Logical Framework.
•     Design a two-day training curriculum on Producer Group management, covering:
o    Group structure and governance
o    Roles and responsibilities of members
o    Basic accounting and recordkeeping
o    Quality standards and certification
o    Negotiation with traders and buyers
o    Collective purchasing and contract negotiation
o    Group branding and promotion
o    Conflict resolution and decision-making
o    Training of Trainers methodology
•     Prepare pre- and post-tests to assess participant knowledge.

2. Conduct Training in Luang Prabang 
•     Deliver a two-day training for 12 PG representatives (two per group, total 24 pp.).
•     Administer pre- and post-tests and document results.

3. Conduct Training in Oudomxay 
•     Deliver a two-day training for 8 PG representatives (two per group, total 16 pp.).
•     Administer pre- and post-tests and document results.

4. Final Report 
•     Prepare a final report including training agenda, methodology, training materials, test results with analysis, participant list, observations, and practical recommendations.

5. Travel 
•     Travel to training sites in Luang Prabang and Oudomxay as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

•     University degree in agriculture, rural development, agribusiness, community development, or a related field.
•     At least 5 years of experience working with farmer organizations, producer groups, cooperatives, or community-based agriculture initiatives.
•     Working knowledge of English and Lao (written and spoken).
•     National of Lao PDR or resident of the country with valid work permit.

FAO Core Competencies

•     Results Focus
•     Teamwork
•     Communication
•     Building Effective Relationships
•     Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

•     Experience working in more than one province or district on agriculture, rural development, producer group support, or value chain strengthening.
•     Strong background in community engagement, including collaboration with government partners, farmer organizations, NGOs, and local stakeholders.
•     Experience in designing or applying monitoring tools, conducting pre- and post-training assessments, and analyzing capacity-building results.
•     Good understanding of farmer group management, basic accounting, recordkeeping, group governance, and small-scale agribusiness operations.
•     Demonstrated ability to organize and facilitate training sessions, workshops, and meetings using participatory methods.
•     Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to capture lessons learned, best practices, and practical recommendations.

Selection criteria

•     Proven experience in designing and delivering capacity-building programs, including Training of Trainers approaches.
•     Strong background in group governance, financial literacy for farmers, recordkeeping, or agricultural business management.
•     Demonstrated ability to work with local authorities and community groups, including facilitation and participatory training skills.
•     Excellent analytical, communication, and report-writing abilities.