Latest jobs in Malawi

ILRI Consultancy: Mid-term Evaluation of the K’Lusa project in Zimbabwe and Malawi at International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)

  • Consultancy
  • Malawi | Zimbabwe
  • Applications have closed
  • Salary: 000

International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) seeks to recruit a consultant to complete a mid-term evaluation of the K’Lusa project (Inclusive red meat value chains for women and youth in Eastern and Southern Africa) in Zimbabwe and Malawi.

ILRI works to improve food and nutritional security and reduce poverty in developing countries through research for efficient, safe and sustainable use of livestock. It is the only one of 15 CGIAR research centres dedicated entirely to animal agriculture research for the developing world. Co-hosted by Kenya and Ethiopia, it has regional or country offices and projects in East, South and Southeast Asia as well as Central, East, Southern and West Africa. www.ilri.org

Background:

The Inclusive Red Meat Value Chains for Women & Youth in Eastern and Southern Africa project (K’Lusa) is funded by IFAD. It works to develop sustainable, inclusive, and transformative red meat value chains by supporting women and youth farmers’ communities of Zimbabwe (Gwanda, Tsholotsho, Beitbridge, Nkayi, and Matobo districts) and Malawi (Balaka and Chikwawa districts). The project is being implemented by the lead organization International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Solidaridad Southern Africa (Solidaridad), and the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB) which is represented by the Southern Africa Regional Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (SARRSB) in collaboration with government extension services departments to support the implementation of the activities for 36 months (1 January 2021 – 31 December 2023).

Livestock production is an income-generating activity in rural communities of Zimbabwe and Malawi due to high levels of unemployment. Livestock production as a business is encouraged by the project, will help in setting up service provision businesses, market infrastructure, and provision of transport among others.

Baseline studies were conducted in the 7 districts to understand the current situation and how to develop sustainable, inclusive, and transformative red meat value chains so that women, men, and youths can benefit from it. The major achievements of the project to date are:

  • Acceptance of the program by the two country governments.
  • The project was successfully launched in both countries
  • Acceptance of the program by the communities in which we are proposing to work
  • Acceptance by the communities for the women and youth to be the key beneficiaries of the program.
  • Processing of hides into leather and products (shoes)
  • Cultivation of forage crops
  • Improving the quality of cattle and goats through feeding
  • Establishment of women and youth re-meat value chain groups

The midterm evaluation is to be undertaken by the consultant to assess the continued relevance of the intervention and the progress made towards achieving its planned objectives. The review will identify, and document lessons learned including lessons that will help improve design and implementation, and make recommendations to be taken to improve implementation for the rest of the project’s lifetime.

Scope of Work:

The consultant is expected to write a report following a review of the literature and gaps where he/she will explicitly propose an evaluation methodology, defining the sample size and how selection bias will be avoided. The evaluation should be carried out through participatory processes involving the beneficiaries, children, women, consortium members, partners, and stakeholders. The consultant should consult a wide range of stakeholders such as regional offices, district offices national and international non-government actors working in the area to explore and substantiate findings. Site visits must be made to proportional sample project intervention areas and beneficiary sites.

The methodologies, sampling procedures, and tools must be agreed upon with the consortium members prior to starting the fieldwork for the evaluation.

Duties and Responsibilities of the Consultant:

  • The consultant will be responsible to conduct all activities of the evaluation from its inception to its finalization.
  • Develop and design evaluation tools by adopting the Standard methodology
  • Ensures emphasis on data quality and documenting end line data for all indicators stipulated on the project log frame
  • Agree with the consortium on the evaluation tools, methodology and protocols before departure to the field
  • Closely work with the project manager throughout the evaluation period
  • Adhere to the methodologies indicated in the proposal and approved during the inception phase
  • Ensure that the assessment is comprehensive and includes all relevant indicators

Final products:

The consultant will deliver:

  • Review of background documents (process documents, project proposals, baseline results, log-frames, strategic plans)
  • An inception report including data collection tools (interview or FGD, surveys), clearly stating the limitations of the proposed data collection methods and the sampling strategy, detailed work plan
  • Evaluation matrix: this should show how the evaluators plan to answer each of the evaluation questions reflecting the data collection methods set out to answer the questions. It should be presented as an annex with the inception report.
  • A draft report for the study given in the TORs.
  • A final report after incorporating comments from the implementation team and advisors in digital copy.
  • A PowerPoint presentation containing methodology, key findings, lessons learned, and recommendations, of no more than 10 slides

Consultancy Fee:  Lumpsum or by mutual agreement based on agreed milestones and deliverables

Post location: Homebased

Duration: 31 October – 16th December 2022 (working days: 30 days)

Essential skills and qualifications

  • Masters or Ph.D. Degree in international development, agriculture or related degree
  • Experienced in livestock development is an advantage
  • Experience with Measurement and Evaluation/ Statistics/ M&E
  • Significant experience in project evaluation
  • Excellent analytical and integrity skills
  • Strong communication skills with excellent written and spoken English; knowledge of a local language will be an advantage
  • Excellent computing skills including EPI INFO and SPSS, Software
  • Ability to work on own initiative and to meet deadlines
  • Excellent qualitative and quantitative research methods and data analyses
  • Experience in working with the local community
  • Willingness and ability to travel to the different project implementation countries and districts
  • Understanding of livestock value chains in smallholder context of Southern Africa particularly Malawi and Zimbabwe

Method of Application

Applicants should send a cover letter and CV expressing their interest in the position, what they can bring to the job and the names and addresses (including telephone and email) of three referees who are knowledgeable about the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience to the Director, People and Organizational The position title and reference umber REF should be clearly marked on the subject line of the cover letter.

We thank all applicants for their interest in working for ILRI. Due to the volume of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

ILRI does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing or training). ILRI also does not concern itself with information on applicants’ bank accounts.