Palladium
BACKGROUND:
The Feed the Future Ag Diversification Activity is a five-year project that contributes to
USAID/ Malawi’s Feed the Future goal of sustainably reducing poverty and stunting in eight
districts of central and southern Malawi. The activity fosters inclusive and sustainable growth of Malawi’s agricultural sector. The activity also seeks to improve the nutritional status of women and children under five through a proven nutrition sensitive approach of layering agriculture and nutrition behavior change interventions in rural communities, while increasing the competitiveness of high value, nutrient-rich value chains through support for agricultural enterprises and increased access to markets and finance. The program is financed by the American people through USAID Malawi.
The Activity has been implementing a number of complementary programs supporting
livelihoods and integrated watershed management and integrated landscape design in the
Chongoni Hills catchment watershed area in Dedza District. To evaluate the impact of these
programs, the Activity is planning to implement a Qualitative Impact Assessment Protocol
(QuIP) methodology study.
The Activity intends to recruit qualitative research experts to provide short-term qualitative
data collection services for the evaluation. The data collection is tentatively planned for June.
The Activity may hire more than one researcher.
1. Qualitative Research Expert(s)
The Qualitative Research Expert(s) will provide qualitative data collection services for the
Chongoni Hills evaluation utilizing Qualitative Impact Assessment Protocol methodology.
The Qualitative Impact Assessment Protocol utilizes open-ended questions to illicit
narrative causal statements from program participants. The approach requires extensive
probing and detailed recording of interviews. As such, the Activity seeks researchers with
extensive experience with qualitative data collection. The Qualitative Research Expert(s)
will attend training, conduct data collection according to protocols covered in training,
enter data into electronic format, and submit it to the Activity evaluation leader. The data
collection is expected to take 1-2 weeks.
The Qualitative Research Expert(s) will report to the Director of Monitoring and Evaluation.
Scope of Work
- Participate in an orientation training with an overview of the evaluation methodology and questionnaire,
- Conduct and record Qualitative Impact Assessment Protocol interviews with participants according to selection methods determined by the Activity,
- Enter interview transcripts into electronic format and submit to the evaluation leader,
- Participate in a post-data collection debriefing meeting and respond to any follow-up inquiries by the evaluation leader,
Desired Skills and Experience:
- 5+ years of experience in qualitative data collection at community and household
level, - Experience conducting high quality qualitative research related to resilience in Malawi,
- Experience conducting Qualitative Impact Assessment Protocol interviews highly
desired, - Skill at conducting interviews, building a rapport with respondents, and probing to
thoroughly understand complex factors affecting resilience to shocks at the level of
individuals, households, communities, and landscapes, - Good transcription and writing skills,
- Ability to travel to rural locations in Dedza district to conduct data collection,
- Qualified women are encouraged to apply,
- Master’s Degree in Social Science, Environmental Science, Natural Resources
Management, Climate Change and Sustainable Development, Forestry, or other
related fields highly desired, but candidates with a Bachelor’s Degree and extensive
experience may be considered.
Interview:
- Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.
- Interviews will include an assessment of the candidate’s interviewing skills,
Method Of Application
Interested applicants must submit a resume and one-page cover letter to EMAIL:
procurement@ftfagdiv.com by 17:00 hrs CAT on Monday, May 22, 2023. Late applications
will not be reviewed.