National Cocoa Research Consultant for TRACE Project at Lutheran World Relief

Background to the Project

• The United States of Agriculture under its Food for Progress program is providing funding support for Lutheran World Relief (LWR) to implement Traceability and Resilience in Agriculture and Cocoa Ecosystem Project (hereinafter referred to as “TRACE’’) in Nigeria in partnership with CRIN, IITA, C-lever.org and Ecometrica. 
• The objective is to support Nigeria to increase cocoa productivity using climate smart agriculture and to develop an effective and cost-efficient traceability process aimed at addressing current and future challenges in the cocoa value chain across Abia, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ekiti, Ondo and Osun states and benefitting approximately 68,000 farmers. In addition, the project will support improved access to inputs, technical resources, and capacity, creating sustainable business models for auditing and compliance, local traceability information awareness campaign, agroforestry, water management for cocoa productivity, facilitating rehabilitation and renovation, post-harvest processing and export markets.

Scope of Work

• As part of project activities relating to capacity development of the cocoa value chain, we are conducting a Needs and Opportunity Assessments (NOA) in several states, starting with Ondo, Cross River and Ekiti states. The purpose of the NOA is to determine which support services will be most critical for cocoa supply chain actors, what format these support services should take, and how best to foster cocoa traceability.

Although the overall responsibility for data collection design and reporting sits with the international consulting team, a local consultant is sought for the following tasks:

• Local project lead for data collection for the NOA, reporting to C-lever.org as project partner and working alongside the international consultants.
• Input into the NOA questions and format developed by the international consultants, to ensure maximal context alignment.
• Oversee the training of local data collectors and test the draft data collection tools before deployment.
• Assist with the final selection of key communities for the administration of NOA surveys and focus groups.
• Identify key local stakeholders required for successful data collection;
• Run focus groups as needed, conduct interviews, and oversee survey collection from cocoa value chain businesses mainly focused on buyers/intermediaries and service providers;
• Ensure accurate data collection and data entry into the appropriate data collection tools
• Compile reports into the agreed-upon format.
• Assist with data interpretation and insights based on local knowledge and expertise.
• Provide feedback and suggestions for process improvements if needed, and raise any challenges promptly
• Provide suggestions and ideas for how to overcome identified challenges.
• Produce a report and summary presentation (10 slides) with an analysis of the NOA in each state.

Ethical Standards

• Lutheran World Relief prioritizes respect for and the protection of the rights of people we serve and those supporting in the process. Therefore, prospective consultants will indicate processes for ensuring  safeguarding and protection of children and vulnerable adults or groups during the study. This will also include the protection of personally identifiable information and data of respondents during and after the survey.

Timing and Duration

• The initial scope of work is estimated at approximately 30 days over 3 months, with a possible extension depending on additional data collection needs.

Requirements
The right resource for this work will have the following qualifications and experience:

• University Degree in Agricultural Economics, Rural Development, Social Sciences, or a related field
• 5+ years of relevant experience in conducting needs assessments and quantitative and qualitative data collection, such as through surveys and focus groups.
• Previous work history with international development organizations or research Institutions
• Fluency in spoken and written English and at least 1 relevant local language in Ondo, Cross River / Ekiti state
• Familiarity with communities in Ondo, Cross River, and Ekiti States and previous work in these regions
• Strong analytical and communication skills (both verbal and written) and previous experience writing research reports
• Demonstrated experience managing projects of this nature, as well as teams of data collectors/enumerators
• Experience facilitating stakeholder interviews and discussions.
• Good overall comfort with the use of technology and IT tools, including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) as well as online tools such as Microsoft Teams, Dropbox, Google Docs, and similar. Familiarity with data collection programs an asset
• Good attention to detail
• Knowledge of the national context of agriculture and previous work in agriculture and cocoa value chains in particular is an asset.
• Knowledge of traceability and sustainability practices and challenges in the local context desirable
• Nigerian nationals only

Expected Deliverables

• Inception Report and Work Plan: The Inception Report will: 1) describe the consultant’s understanding of the terms of reference; 2) propose modifications to or provide additional detail about the methodology the consultant will use; 3) detail the primary and secondary sources the consultant will consult, by objective; 4) describe the consultant’s plan to solicit feedback and verification from LWR staff during the assignment; and 5) present the detailed work plan and confirm the timing of the deliverables.
• Draft Report: A report synthesizing the data collected and identifying key individuals for informational interviews. Data collection and identification of individuals will be collected in collaboration with the LWR TRACE team. The consultant will convene selected LWR TRACE team, international consulting partner, and Field staff to present the preliminary findings and recommendations and solicit feedback and additional areas for investigation.
• Travel to Field to Conduct Stakeholder Interviews: Conduct in-country interviews with cocoa value chain actors identified in the initial report with LWR Field Staff.
• Final Report: The consultant will present the final report in the format agreed to after the draft report consultations. The final report will consolidate information gathered during desk research and in-person interviews. The final report should, to the extent practical within the agreed-on methodology and resources, answer the primary objectives and address feedback received during the draft report consultations. The consultant will also provide a summary presentation (10 slides) highlighting major findings from the analysis.

Remuneration

• The remuneration for this project is set at a fixed fee basis, defined depending on experience and paid out pro-rata based on successful deliverables against the scope of work.