CLP Project Summary
Livestock Service Providers
A. Brief Background
Poor char dwellers depend heavily on livestock and poultry for supplemental income and
asset building. Chars livestock are commonly reared traditionally. Cattle mainly subsist on a
straw-based diet with limited green fodder and little or no concentrate. This inadequate
nutrition interacts with growth and reproductive characteristics (i.e. poor nutrition leads to
illness, incomplete growth, low production and reproductive problems) (Yeasmin et al, 2004).
Furthermore, government livestock services are very much limited in the chars due to lack of
communication and adequate efforts from related government departments. The combination
of these factors means that productivity of livestock and poultry are lower and morbidity and
mortality are higher in the chars than on the mainland.
The CLP is improving the productivity of the livestock and poultry sectors in the chars by:
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Providing livestock to the poorest char dwellers, known as Core Participating
Households (CPHHs) through the Asset Transfer Project (ATP);
Improving animal husbandry skills through training CPHHs;
Supporting community based Livestock Services Providers (LSPs) to provide feed,
vaccination, deworming, treatment and Artificial Insemination through technical and
business skills training and subsidies for working capital (such as technical
equipment, cool boxes and solar fridges);
Providing vouchers to ATP participants to pay for vaccine, deworming and poultry
feed from LSPs, in order to facilitate and subsidise market entry;
Supporting farmers to grow fodder grass commercially to eliminate fodder shortage;
and
Teaching LSPs to train and supply poultry rearers how to improve their yields for egg
and meat sale.
In CLP1, activities of LSPs (Livestock Services Providers) played a vital role in improved
livestock husbandry practices on the chars. LSPs help to reduce morbidity and mortality of
cattle within CPHHs below 1 %, which is statistically significant. In addition, people became
aware of the benefits of vaccination, using feed and primary treatments to improve livestock
productivity (LSP monitoring report, December 2009).
Based on the experiences learned from CLP1, some modifications are proposed in CLP2 to
increase the income and sustainability of LSPs. Presently, LSPs are earning around 4% (LSP
monthly report, Dec2009) of their total income from feed sales, so there is potential to
increase their incomes by increasing feed sales. Greater emphasis will also be placed on
Artificial Insemination in CLP2 (see Artificial Insemination project summary). The payment
system for LSPs has also been revised, in response to issues with delayed payment under
CLP1.
The other key revisions to the operation of the LSP project under CLP2 relate to the need for
increased transparency. Firstly, Livestock Services Officers (LSOs) have now been recruited
directly by CLP, rather than through IMOs, to reduce possibility of staff collusion and misselling to cattle owners, which was an issue confronted during CLP1. Furthermore, quality of
vaccines and drugs supplied by LSPs will now be explicitly monitored by IMO Livestock
Officers (LOs), as outlined below.
B. Objectives
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To keep livestock healthy both in CPHHs and in the wider community through
primary health care; and
To support the LSPs in creating markets for livestock goods and services.
C. Results Expected
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307 LSPs working to improve livestock and poultry husbandry practices and provide
primary treatments and implement preventive health measures; 85% LSPs will be
self-employed and earn around Tk 2,500/ month/LSP or more at the end of the
project;
Livestock of 55,000 CPHHs and around 0.25 million community livestock will receive
primary treatment, preventive measures and other services from the LSPs; and
Livestock mortality is expected to be below 1% (as under from CLP1), external and
unexpected health shocks notwithstanding.
D. Activity outline
Methodology
All training modules to be reviewed and updated based on CLP1 experience by a hired
consultant; reviews/updates to be completed by first quarter of Phase 2 of CLP2 asset
transfer.
i. LSO selection and training
 Recruitment of LSOs: To be recruited by open competition and from CLP1
 3 day Project Orientation provided to LSOs, covering implementation process of
proposed LSP activities, quality control mechanism for LSP supplies and services
and voucher scheme guidelines;
 3 day TOT for LSOs to update their knowledge and facilitation skills
ii. LSP selection and training
 Selection of LSPs by LSOs with the assistance of CDOs and CLP Market
Development staff, with numbers selected based on allocation of CLP2 CBHHs (150175 CPHHs and 600-800 community HHs) phase by phase. Selection will take into
account 10% drop out and be based on set selection criteria:
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Physically and mentally fit to work on the chars;
Permanent resident of the char on which he will be working or adjacent chars;
Willingness to work with livestock & poultry;
Qualified to at least SSC level (Science graduate preferred); qualifications may
be relaxed for experience candidates;
Those with training on livestock from Youth Training Centre (YTC) / other
recognised institutions will be preferred;
Basic knowledge of improved livestock husbandry practices and reasonably
accurate knowledge of the manner in which common livestock diseases, injuries
and reproductive disorders are treated and ideally possess a history of providing
these services for several years (as a “quack”); and
Those who have a relationship with the Upazila Livestock Officers will be
preferred
 15 days technical and business skills training (7 days basic foundation, 5 days clinical
and 3 days advanced) provided to all LSPs in 3 phases, to be completed within 6
months of final selection of LSPs, to ensure they can provide necessary services as
soon as asset distribution has taken place (followed up by on-going technical
support, including a 2-day annual refresher training, whose contents will be based on
identified field problems). LSPs will deposit Tk. 500 through IMOs as cost sharing for
this training, which will be facilitated by selected LSOs (basic foundation) and hired
trainers (clinical and advanced);
 Day- long training for LSPs on solar fridge management focused on maintenance and
operational procedures, to be organised with the assistance of Phocos (solar energy
installation and maintenance contractor. Interested LSPs can purchase solar fridges
on a cost-sharing basis.
iii. Other aspects of the project
 Quarterly upazila level meetings between LSPs, DMLOs, local Department of
Livestock Services (DLS) staff, Veterinary Surgeon (VS) / Upazillas Livestock Officer
(ULO) and private sector representatives to strengthen linkages, especially with
regards to vaccine and medicine procurement and discuss any problems related to
supplies/services;
 Three ULO/ VS workshops1 to strengthen linkages between LSPs and local DLS
officials. The workshop will present a brief overview of the project and allow feedback
from DLS officials to be incorporated into the project for future strengthening;
 Upon completion of their training, each LSP will organise a vaccination campaign
within the community in which they work, to raise awareness of their services;
 Promotional materials (e.g. stickers, posters, leaflets, vaccination cards) will be
developed for LSPs to increase the awareness of their services amongst community
people;
 Pocket books guiding LSPs on primary treatments to will be developed, to support
them post-CLP
 Upazila-wise LSP indexes will be developed for their identification – these will include
LSP names, addresses and contact numbers and a colour photo and will be
distributed amongst LSPs, IMOs and local DLS offices.
Roles of IMO and other field staff
Project Manager (PM)
 Responsible for coordination and have overall responsibility for ensuring IMO staff
carry out their responsibilities under the revised voucher scheme
CDOs
 Assist LSOs in primary selection of LSPs
LSPs:
 Procure quality vaccines for cattle, goats, sheep and chickens from government
(public) sources i.e. Upazila Livestock Office (ULO), District Livestock Office (DLO) or
the Livestock Research Institute (LRI);
 Buy de-worming tablets and livestock medicines from medicine shops, local agents
or representatives of reputed pharmaceutical companies, checking the batch number,
date of manufacture and expiry and the producer before purchase. Only listed brands
of de-worming drugs will be reimbursed by CLP;
 Vaccinate and de-worm livestock and poultry arranged camps;
 Sign CPHH passbooks following vaccination and de-worming and make records of
any illnesses and treatments in passbooks;
 Sign vouchers and give them to LOs or IMO Accountants for repayment, depending
on the agreed re-payment system;
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One covering Kurigram/Gaibandha, one covering Rangpur, Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat, and one
covering Pabna and Tangail.
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Purchase and resell poultry feed at market rates, based on voucher guidelines.
Check to ensure that no fake vouchers are submitted. Action must be taken to
determine if the LSPs have been duplicating vouchers;
Any suspicion of malpractice should be reported immediately to a CLP staff member.
DMLOs:
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Select LSPs with the help of CDOs;
Train LSPs as per guideline of LSPP
Directly involved in the implementation of LSP planned activities and monitor the
knowledge and practices of LSPs;
Assist LSPs to establish linkages with suppliers to ensure they can purchase quality
medicines, vaccines and feeds at reasonable prices;
Report vaccines, de-worming drugs and feed supply problems from both government
and private sources to LSC;
Monitor the quality (i.e. date of manufacture and expiry, batch numbers, producer,
etc.) of vaccines and drugs bought by LSPs by checking their products and stock
registers through frequent field visits and randomly interviewing 5% HHs using a
structured questionnaire to verify quality of products and services provided;
Ensure the LSPs are properly paid by IMOs by checking with the LSPs and the IMO
records;
Check to ensure that no fake vouchers are submitted. Action must be taken to
determine if the LSPs have been duplicating vouchers;
Any suspicion of malpractice should be reported immediately to CLP senior
management.
Livestock Services Coordinator:
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Develop ToR for consultants or hired trainers;
Organise necessary training for LSPs;
Provide a list of the LSPs to the IMO PMs;
Manage the LSOs and Districts Livestock Services Coordinator;
MIS reporting requirements
LSPs will keeps all the records of their activities in a monthly monitoring format covering the
following:
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No. of doses vaccines and medicines used
Profit from vaccines, deworming, feed sale (disaggregated by type of feed), treatment
and medicine supply
No. of treated, dewormed and vaccinated livestock and poultry, disaggregated by
CPHH and non-CPHH
DMLOs will compile this information and prepare IMO/ Upazila wise LSP monthly reports and
submit these to LSC, who will compile these reports and submit them to the Market
Development Unit Manager, the CLP’s Innovation, Monitoring and Learning (IML) Division
and respective management staff on a quarterly and annual basis.
Impact monitoring
At the end of each year, LSPs will be evaluated and ranked on their performance in order to
help assess further training needs and future selection.
Risks and how they are mitigated
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Environmental risks arising from floods, other natural disasters, migration and
specific threats such as Foot & Mouth Diseases and avian influenza - the programme
is planned as a form of risk mitigation so these are not unexpected;
The main social risk is that the target groups remain resistant to change and reluctant
to adapt improved husbandry practices - this requires continuing awareness
campaigns at the community level
Procurement plan
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Purchase and distribution of essential instruments (i.e. syringe, needle, knife,
danching bottle, dush cane etc.) to LSPs at a 50% subsidized rate. Amounts to be
deposited in a timely fashion so LSPs can receive equipment at the end of clinical
training. Procurement will be carried out by a team consisting of the LSC, Livelihoods
Coordinator and a representative from LSOs, following the procedures outline in the
CLP procurement manual will be followed, and referring to CLP Procurement
Manager for advice on process;
Tk 1,000 will be provided to each LSP to cover start-up medicine and vaccine costs,
to help them initiate their businesses;
CLP will purchase around 324 cool boxes with ice packs and gels from India through
Crown Agents as per CLP procurement guidelines, on a phase by phases basis and
provide them to all LSPs in a timely fashion so that LSPs will receive them
immediately after successful completion of training;
Appropriate locations for installing solar fridges in the chars will be identified; 25 solar
fridges of approx. 50 litres capacity will be purchased from a reputable company in
Germany at the beginning of the project, as per CLP procurement guidelines These
will be distributed to interested LSPs at a subsidized rate (Tk 30,000/ solar fridge)
LSOs will monitor the quality of supplies of vaccines, medicines and feeds, as well as
services delivered by LSPs and there will be provision to check the potency of
vaccines delivered to the field.
Key milestones and deadlines
The project will continue to operate throughout the period 2010-2016 in CLP2. Each LSP will
receive service from LSOs for 36 months (2 years at the LSO: LSP ratio 1:12 and the
remaining 12 months at the ratio 1: 25). LSP activities will initiate one quarter before the
asset distribution, so LSPs can provide services immediately following asset distribution. See
below for a detailed project timeframe:
Sl.
NO
1
Activities
Recruitment of LSOs
2
3
4
5
6
Orientation to LSOs about the program
LSP module updating
Selection of LSP
ToT for LSOs
Provide 15 days training to LSPs
7
8
Focal group discussion with LSPs
Purchase & supply of equipments
9
Ensure supply of quality feeds and vaccines
10
Quality control of vaccines, medicines & other supplies
11
Linkage with DLS/Private sources for vaccines/medicines
12
Ensure quality feed, vaccines to LSPs
13
14
LSO, LSPs meeting at Upazila level with other service
providers
Purchase of cool box
15
16
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18
Purchase of solar & electric fridges
Installation of solar fridges
Training on solar fridges to LSPs
Workshop with ULO,VS and DLOs
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20
Refreshers course of LSPs for 2 days
LSPs business assessment
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22
23
Quality control of vaccine & medicines
Developing pocket book for LSPs
Development of promotional materials
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25
26
27
28
29
Vaccine efficacy test
Evaluation & ranking of LSPs
Development of LSP index
Program documentations
Monitoring
Evaluation
2009-10
Q3 Q4
Major activities with time frame (2010-2016)
2010-11
2011-12
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1
2012-13
Q2 Q3
Q4
Q1
2013-14
Q2 Q3
Q4
Q1