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Consultant

Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Department: Impact At Scale

Deadline: Nov 17, 2023

Job Description

The CGIAR Initiative on Diversification in East and Southern Africa, also known as Ukama Ustawi, aims to address food and nutrition security risks in the region arising from an overreliance on maize through a climate-resilient, water-secure, and socially inclusive approach. Ukama Ustawi is a bilingual word derived from Shona and Swahili. In Shona, Ukama refers to partnerships, and in Swahili, Ustawi means well-being and development. Collectively, they represent the initiative’s vision to achieve system-level development through innovative partnerships: Together, we grow and develop.

This Initiative aims to support climate-resilient agriculture and livelihoods in 12 countries, namely, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Uganda, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe by helping millions of smallholders intensify, diversify and reduce the risks in maize-based farming through improved extension services, small and medium enterprise development, supporting governance frameworks and increased investment with a gender and social inclusion lens. This objective will be achieved through:

  • Diversifying and sustainably intensifying production by assessing needs and options for the introduction of crops, livestock, mechanization and irrigation, applying innovations in value chains and building capacity while scaling to larger farming communities.
  • Reducing risk and digitalizing value chains by co-designing and delivering “Innovation Package” bundles of digital agro-advisory systems and research management products — including mobile apps, TV programs and social media — to build resilience and improve productivity.
  • Supporting and accelerating value chain business enablers in maize mixed systems by using CGIAR’s expertise and partner network to unlock access to funding, investment and tailored technical assistance.
  • Promoting the governing and enabling of multifunctional landscapes for sustainable diversification and intensification with a focus on strengthening the evidence base for decision-makers.
  • Empowering and engaging women and youth in agribusiness ecosystems by mapping challenges and opportunities to address gender and social inequality and applying inclusive and coordinated interventions for transformative change.
  • Scaling innovations and coordinating CGIAR and partner activities in the region through a scaling hub that uses the “scaling readiness” approach to inform, activate and bring to scale innovations that respond to regional or country demand.

In Ethiopia, Ukama Ustawi activities are co-implemented by IWMI, CIAT, ILRI, CYMMIT and their local partners.

The International Livestock Research Institute (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 centers 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.

Description of the task:

The overall aim of the activity is to identify distinct maize-based mixed farming system types in the central rift valley of Ethiopia, and for each of the system types identify the key components, major interactions between the components, and core innovations with potential for system transformation. Special emphasis will be placed on the crop-livestock interactions.

Characterizing distinguishing types could include both bio-physical and socio-economic factors, such as importance of livestock vs crop vs trees, exposure to climate change, land use, agricultural potential, irrigation vs rainfed, resilience, degradation, market-orientation, productivity, natural resource use efficiency, intensification, level of innovation poverty, food and nutrition security, cost benefits of key activities.

The following elements should be considered for understanding the core components, interactions and identifying potential transformative interventions in the different system types.

  • Characterization of the livestock production sub-system in the livestock-maize farming system: This will include1) feeding related issues, such as feed resources, niches for forage production, seasonality of feed, costs of feed, the role of maize and maize stover as animal feed in relation to all other feed resources, feed conservation ,  processing and utilization practices, fodder markets and experiences/access to forage seeds and other inputs. 2) Breeding including available breeds, AI and bull service models 3) Health including major diseases, animal health service providers 4) Milk processing marketing: Estimated total daily milk supply, availability of dairy producers cooperatives, availability of farm collection and processing centers, linkage with upward market opportunities 5) Fattening practices (cattle, small ruminants) and market accesses 6)  Livestock market system, by livestock type, formal/informal channels, price quality differentiation, seasonality 7) Division of family labor and gender roles 8)Resource flows and trade-offs between crop and livestock livestock subcomponents (crop/forage/tree residue management, manure utilization, financial transactions, labor)
  • Characterization of the role of water management in the maize farming system. This will include 1) Irrigated agricultural production, including access to land and irrigation water, seasonality of irrigation water availability, crops grown under irrigation, forages grown under irrigation and major constraints. 2) Rainfed agricultural production including access to land, cropping calendar, crops grown and major constraints. 3) Irrigation scheme management including reliability of the irrigation infrastructures, seasonality of water availability, watershed management and efficiency of water use. 4) Organization and management, including operation and maintenance of irrigation schemes, the status of water users’ association and organizational, governance challenges 5) Feedback / trade offs between irrigation and livestock production sub-systems (feed from irrigation to livestock, manure to irrigation, financial transactions, labor)
  • Characterization of landscape management and climate-smart agriculture technologies. This will include 1) Risks and levels of land degradation (e.g., soil erosion, soil nutrient mining, deforestation, biodiversity loss, water logging, soil acidity, soil salinity, water resources degradation (quality, quantity), land use/land cover change. 2) Drivers of land degradation (e.g., population pressure (human and/or livestock), climate change, over grazing, over-use of resources, competition for land/water, lack of coordination, market failure, shortage of fuel wood, etc.) 3) Approaches and strategies associated with NRM and CSA, including land and water management practices/technologies (what, where, how, and by whom), Climate-smart agriculture technologies (what, where, how, and by whom), Level of community participation in NRM and CSA,  challenges of NRM and CSA practices (biophysical, socio-economic, institutional, market, financial systems, etc.), determinants of technology adoption (at farm/plot, landscape, national scales). 4)Information about competition between crops-livestock-NRM, including sources and constraints related to livestock feed/forage, sources and constraints related to fuel wood, sources and constraints associated with organic inputs, farmers methods of optimization of land use and management options, capacity gaps and needs. 5) Information on land use and farm typology
  • Climate-smart sustainable intensification practices: Conduct an inventory of existing climate-smart sustainable intensification practices at selected sites and explore alternatives for widespread scaling. Explore rural financing options (microfinances, grants) for farmers to invest in climate-smart technologies, surveying participants on their experiences, challenges, and potential opportunities.
  • Soil health and moisture conservation: Administer surveys to gather insights on benefits of crop rotation, improvements in soil health, disease prevention, fertility, and agro-biodiversity. Implement quick biophysical surveys to assess the influence of in-situ water management techniques on soil moisture retention and erosion prevention. Implement pilot studies to test soil conservation techniques like cover cropping and mulching, measuring their effectiveness in preventing soil degradation and erosion.
  • Mechanization and technology development: Explore design and development of climate-smart mechanization technologies suited for local crop varieties and farming practices. Explore financial models allowing farmers to access mechanization services through shared ownership or rental arrangements. Investigate the potential of digital agriculture solutions to enhance productivity, such as precision nutrient and moisture management, digital advisories and tailored recommendations.
  • Climate data collation, monitoring, and climate risk assessment: Explore climate risk to crop production and assess soil moisture stress as part of data collection and monitoring efforts. Refine agronomic management practices to optimize yields of existing or newly developed resilient, nutritious and climate-smart varieties for target crops in selected districts.

Proposed methodology:

The consultant will co-design the detail methodology and data collection instruments together with CGIAR centers involved in this call. The methodology will broadly involve basin level assessment (with secondary data), district level assessment and kebele level and household level assessments. The following are suggested methods;

  1. Identification of system types:
  • Literature review
  • Geospatial analysis
  • Expert interviews and focus group discussions
  1. Identification of core system components and their interactions a
  • Household surveys in selected villages
  • Literature review
  • Community focus group discussions
  • Expert interviews and focus group discussions
  1. Identification of potential entry points for systems transformation
  • Community focus group discussions
  • Expert interviews and focus group discussions
  • Stakeholders workshop

Target areas:

The Ukama Ustawi planned operational areas are in the Central Rift Vally and Hawassa Basin areas of Ethiopia. The study will be conducted in the following districts;

  • Sidama Region: Hawasa Zurya District
  • Southern Region : Meskan, Mareko, Sodo Disricts
  • Oromia Region: Dugdabora, Zway Dugda, Arisi Negele Districts

Required qualifications:

A consulting firm or individual consultants may apply for the task. Either way, the consulting body should constitute a team of experts with the following background;

  • Background in livestock and dairy sector research and development
  • Background in NRM and/or CSA technologies/practices
  • Background in small-scale irrigation development
  • Background on sustainable intensification research and development
  • Background in climate change adaptation, mitigation and risk analysis
  • Background in gender and social sciences
  • Excellent skill in literature review and reporting writing.
  • Knowledge of participatory approaches
  • Excellent skills in qualitative research approaches

Deliverables:

  • Work plan
  • Preliminary report
  • Presentation during stakeholder validation workshop
  • Final report

Duty Station:     Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Terms of appointment:  The duration of assignment including field work, stakeholders’ validation workshop and report writing is 2 months.

How to Apply

Applicants should provide a cover letter and curriculum vitae; names and addresses (including telephone and email) of three referees who are knowledgeable about the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience to be included in the curriculum vitae. Consultants should submit 3 pagers of technical and one page of financial proposals together with CVs of the lead consultant and associate experts.

The position and reference number: REF: C/IS/30/23 should be clearly indicated in the subject line of the cover letter. All applications to be submitted online on our recruitment portal: http://ilri.simplicant.com/ before 17 November 2023.

ILRI does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing or training).

To find out more about ILRI visit our website at http://www.ilri.org

To find out more about working at ILRI visit our website at http://www.ilri.org/