Livelihoods Consultant

The International Rescue Committee opened the country program in Mali in 2012. The IRC has been growing the presence in Mali with a robust multi- sectoral portfolio. Our programs span the range from humanitarian relief to development activities, focusing on child protection, women’s protection and empowerment, education, nutrition, health, water and sanitation. Restoring livelihoods is essential to recovery, and the IRC Mali team has been building its livelihoods portfolio in line with our overall strategy to provide communities with the ability to respond and withstand the shock of emergencies while simultaneously developing effective programs that help communities to recover and build resilience.

OBJECTIVE:

The IRC’s is developing a program with partnership with  OCP which target four priorities recently set by the elected Malian Government :

• Improve livelihoods of target populations ;
• Improve economic opportunities for women;
• Address the most important causes of child malnutrition; and
• Move smallholder farmers and pastoralists from food insecurity and poverty to more sustainable livelihoods by enhancing their productivity and improving their market linkages.

Target Beneficiaries:

• Smallholder farmers (with a focus on women)
• Women’s associations (VSLAs, female farmers associations)
• Women and their children (under 5) who are living in areas with prevalent high malnutrition rates

Consultancy:

The purpose of this consultancy is to contribute to the initial phase of this project which includes a 6 month inception phase to help to confirm program feasibility and inform the detailed design of the three- year program. 

 DELIVERABLES:

1. The consultant will conduct a desk review of relevant literature in order to:

• Determine the cultural norms and traditional Malian agriculture practices, as well as any legal issues or policies that regulate agriculture-focused interventions.
• Assess the social and environmental impact of the proposed activities.
• Develop a better understanding of the local communities’ wealth, access to natural resources and socio-cultural dynamics especially with regards to land access, livelihoods roles, inheritance and migration patterns.
• Meet with OCP and other potential partners to assess their local capacity, tools and approach
• Propose additional evaluation approach(s) and answer key questions of the feasibility study so that it informs all of the elements of the project current project design.
• Assess opportunities and challenges linked to women’s empowerment with regards to knowledge and awareness around their rights and the services available to them. This should include an analysis of economic decision-making in the household, to address issues such as production decisions, land rights, access to inputs/knowledge, and women’s and young people’s decision-making at the village level.
• Male participation should also be assessed, as it is key for the women’s  discussion groups to be successful in the prevention of violence and women’s and young people’s empowerment, will also be encouraged to help refine the content and format of the discussion groups.
• Assess the role that  value chain actors and partners address or not -gender inequity along the value chains. As awareness is not sufficient to ensure real and practical implication of women, specific actions will also be implemented based on the finding of the analyses of roles of and attitudes towards female producers and the nature of the barriers they may face in accessing markets.

1. The consultant will conduct an agricultural value chain and market assessment for nutrition sensitive programmingwith key agricultural market actors in both Kati ( Kati and Kalabancoro) and Nara Districts based on the below points ( but may add additional aspects) in order to: 
2. Understand faming systems and identify productive entry points that are accessible to women with regards to these main categories, but may add additional indicators:

• Production: labor cost, methods, inputs (cost, source, use, etc)
• Resources
• Income
• Leadership
• Time use

2.  Understand gender issues (including risks and barriers) within each agricultural activity and across all contexts (household, agriculture associations, markets, regions);
3. Identify profitable value chains that are in high demand, but also safe and accessible for women
4. Identify productive economic activities for women unable to access land
5.  Understand the local inputs and information systems (extension services) that are available;
6. Identify opportunities for our target beneficiaries to access credit schemes understanding micro-financing strategies of the poor, used traditionally by various groups (nomadic and sedentary), desagregated by gender, different ethnic and social groups.
7. Understand local water and land access, usage, management practices, and availability to identify potential advocacy/ community mediation strategies to acquire better management/usage, better access for women.
8. Understand availability, accessibility and utilization of local foods eaten by young children under two who are most at risk of malnutrition
9. Determine any existence or risks of child labor (protection analysis) or conflict/violence as a result of a potential intervention
10. Identify any other valuable partnerships (public, private), local and regional existent or potential networks which would be beneficial for income generation and value addition of selected value chains.
11. Assess nutrition sensitive agricultural interventions and their impact in the region and draw out key lessons learned.
12. Assess major causal factors of child malnutrition in the given areas
13. Assess how to manage/control pests and diseases successfully in the region
14. Assess what techniques exist in promoting post-harvest quality: reducing post-harvest losses and reduction of aflatoxins in the region which have been successful
15. Assess what is available /gaps for simple, cost effective methods  that women farmers can learn for soil, water and plant testing, interpreting test data, identifying soil-related production constraints, and formulating soil management recommendations. Technical options and appropriate soil management and conservation practices, particularly those of low-cost, low-risk packages in the region.
16. Assess local partners and develop a list of partners with the potential to add value and increase sustainability of the program.
17. Assess adding production management, price bargaining power to agriculture practices
18. Make recommendations for specific activities to be undertaken by all prospective partners
20. Agricultural value chain/Market analysis report (sub-sector selection; value chain analysis; identification and recommendations of market-based, nutrition and gender sensitive solutions for achieving project objectives; no longer than 20 pages for long version and 5-7 page summary version) including:

• Executive summary of the main findings of the study
• Overview of context (legal, political, ethnic, environmental) in the Region of Koulikoro and review of the existing data and data quality including the discussions of contacts made and  meetings held with Ministries of agriculture, nutrition and women?
• At least 3 potential scenarios and their feasibility in the 3 different localities of this potential project with regards to agricultural nutrition sensitive value chain/agribusiness approaches.
• Conclusions on data gaps and recommendations for program feasibility and inform the detailed design of the three- year program

2. In coordination with the ICR and OCP, technical design for agricultural nutrition sensitive program in Koulikoro region which brings together IRC and OCP strengths:

• Log frame (using IRC format);– theory of change for full project based on findings of IRC and OCP based activities in 3 cercles of Koulikoro
• Technical narrative (background; rationale; technical strategy; links to knowledge; sustainability, scale and impact, women’s empowerment through agriculture; 8-10 pages)
• Input to budget (to be led by Mali country program)
• Develop and finalize the three-year detailed program plan, budget and key indicators for impact with the participation of all partners involved, including local organizations, associations, and authorities which will include:

-       Defining target groups

-       Identifying potential partners and labor conserving techniques/technologies

-       Value chain entry points

-       OCP and other partners  value added

Timeframe: 6 months to plan, conduct assessment and produce report in French with an executive summary.

Specific deadlines will be set at start, middle and finish for the design of the study, interview elements and analysis, as well as final outputs with IRC, OCP and Consultant.

1 month from start of contract: refine design of study, and key questions, desk review – 30 days

5 months from start of contract: plan for field interviews, calendar with contacts, field research – 50 days

Mid-term report 8-10 pages outlining activities and findings – 4 days

6 months from start of contract: report writing and analysis – 18 days

5 months from start of contract: presentation of results in Mali to IRC, partners and link up to next phase of project. All raw data presented, analysed and presented in annexes or files – 18 days (prep, presentation, follow up)

Location: Mali ( literature review can be done remotely need to have visits to key ministries )

 REQUIREMENTS:

The consultant should possess:

• Proven professional experience in conducting quantitative and qualitative research at international levels
• Knowledge of the local context is highly desirable
• Have a strong mix of analytical, quantitative and qualitative research skills

• Successful nutritional, value chain, market and gender  assessments  methodology experience

• Be fluent in French with ability to write good quality reports and have relevant previous experience of working in research/data collection exercises. Bambara language is an advantage.

• The consultant will be expected to be able to work independently.

• Education level: PhD in Social sciences, agriculture, humanitarian studies, nutrition

• Published articles in scientific journals

• Ability to deliver with tight deadlines and able and willing to travel for long periods of time with low levels of comfort

• Ability to summarize data and analysis in a reader friendly format, and at ease presenting in front of public

To apply please submit a CV, cover letter, writing samples, and the suggested protocol for the assessment (methodology) including time and logistics needed. Please apply online: http://ch.tbe.taleo.net/CH02/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=IRC&cws=1&rid=10902 .