TO RECRUIT A CONSULTING FIRM- Implement Nutrition Education in selected Large-Scale Farms

GAIN (Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition) is dedicated to advancing global nutrition standards by improving access to affordable and nutritious food. One of GAIN’s key focus areas is the health and well-being of Large-Scale Farms, particularly in Ethiopia, where these parks are central to economic development and job creation.

Large Scale Farms (LSFs) in Ethiopia, including those in Batu, and Koka play a pivotal role in the country’s economic growth. These farms are designed to attract investment and provide employment opportunities. However, workers in these farms often face challenges related to food access and nutrition, impacting their health and productivity.

Building on the ongoing Workforce Nutrition initiative, GAIN seeks a qualified consultant to develop and implement a comprehensive nutrition education program specifically designed for workers in Ethiopian large-scale farms. By addressing the specific needs of large-scale farm workers, the workforce nutrition project directly contributes to the mission of tackling nutritional challenges and fostering sustainable development in vulnerable communities.

This specific consultancy assignment focuses on the crucial pillar of the workforce nutrition project, nutrition education. This pillar seeks to equip workers with the knowledge and skills necessary to make informed dietary choices, ultimately improving their health and well-being. The core aspect of this consultancy task lies in empowering workers through comprehensive nutrition education, which should be delivered in a way that addresses their specific needs and cultural context, maximizing its effectiveness.

In addition to improving workplace menus through the Healthy Diets at Work initiative, the project will promote access to and consumption of nutritious foods by enhancing the availability of healthy options in workplace shops. This includes supporting fair-price stores and launching a targeted, small-scale campaign to increase demand for these foods. The approach aims to encourage workers to adopt healthier eating habits independently of the workplace canteen offerings.

To successfully roll out the Social Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) strategy and related demand-generation efforts, GAIN is looking to engage a consulting firm. The firm should be capable of raising awareness about dietary diversity and driving positive shifts in eating behaviors, especially among individuals who may find it difficult to access or afford nutritious foods.

Objective

General objective:

The primary objective of this consultancy is to support workers understand valuable knowledge about the importance of consuming diverse foods. The nutrition education goes beyond simply providing information. It equips workers with practical skills they can implement in their daily lives which should be tailored recognizing the diverse cultural backgrounds and dietary needs of the workforce.

Specific objective:

The consultancy service includes

• To empower the workforce of selected large-scale farms to plan their meals effectively, decipher food labels for informed choices, and prepare healthy meals on a budget.
• Develop marketing and promotional strategies to influence consumers’ food choices at points of purchase, emphasizing the nutritional value and benefits of healthier options.
• Implement targeted campaigns and initiatives to stimulate demand for nutritious foods through persuasive messaging, value propositioning, and product positioning.
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of demand generation activities, utilizing metrics such as reach data, sales data, consumer’s feedback, consumer surveys, and behavioural indicators to assess impact and refine strategies as needed.
• Coordinate closely with relevant stakeholders, including employers, retailers, food producers, development partners and government agencies, to align demand generation efforts with broader nutrition policies and initiatives.

Scope of the assignment

The consultant will be responsible for the entire nutrition education intervention lifecycle, from adopting/developing culturally appropriate educational materials to delivering interactive message delivering and monitoring program effectiveness. The consultancy firm will utilize its expertise in adult education and behaviour change to empower workers to make informed dietary choices, ultimately leading to improved health and well-being. The scope encompasses various tasks, including assessing the workers’ insight and current knowledge and dietary habits, developing culturally appropriate educational materials, developing context-based innovative nutrition education strategy, and delivering interactive workshops or training sessions at each factory location, cooking demonstrations, cooking competitions, Nutrition campaigns/fair events, street play, mini-media, and other innovative workers-based activities. The consulting firm will impact a target audience of 10,000 employees and ten fair price shops working in specific factories located within 10 Large-scale farms in Batu, and Koka.

Tasks and Responsibilities of the Consultant

Needs Assessment:

Conduct a comprehensive needs assessment to understand the specific nutrition challenges and priorities of the target population considering the local context and

GAIN’s implementation strategy in this project:

• Data Analysis: Analyze existing data on worker demographics, dietary habits, food access within farms, and existing nutrition interventions.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Conduct formative assessment through focus group discussions, and interviews with workers, farm management, vendors, community representatives, and breastfeeding mothers.
• Infrastructure Assessment: Evaluate the availability, affordability, and quality of food options within farms, including vendor practices and farm infrastructure.
• Evaluate the existing infrastructure for delivering nutrition education services to workers in large-scale farms. This will include assessing resources, personnel, and potential delivery methods. Additionally, identify opportunities for expanding or improving these services.
• Breastfeeding Needs: Assess the specific needs and challenges faced by breastfeeding mothers in the workplace, including access to support and facilities.
• Identify and analyze the specific barriers and requirements faced by employees in Large-scale farms, regarding access to and utilization of on-site or nearby nutrition focused health services.

Design nutrition education strategies

Propose and develop a scalable, cost-effective, impactful, and culturally relevant nutrition education program aligned with the project objective and deliverables and tailored to the specific needs and preferences of the target audience:

• Content Development: Adopt/create culturally appropriate and evidence-based educational materials covering healthy eating habits, dietary diversity, food budgeting, food safety, and addressing identified knowledge gaps in line with the existing national dietary guideline.
• Delivery Methods: Design diverse delivery methods considering workers schedules and access to technology, such as interactive workshops, mobile applications, peer-to-peer learning, cooking demonstrations, cooking competitions, Nutrition campaigns/fair events, street play, mini-media, and other innovative workers-based activities.
• Communication Material Development: Develop communication materials in local languages using preferred communication channels, considering literacy levels and cultural sensitivities.
• Gender Focus: Address the unique needs and challenges faced by female workers, including specific content and support for breastfeeding mothers.
• Integration with Existing Initiatives: Align the education program with the existing Workforce Nutrition or well-being activities and other relevant initiatives in the farms.
• Proposing New Approach: Based on the formative study, propose an innovative approach customized to the workers’ need and their environment.

Implementation

Implement the program across selected large-scale farms, to impact the diet of 10,000 workers:

• Train peer educators and Facilitators: Equip peer educators, health officers, or worker association members with the knowledge, skills, and cultural sensitivity to effectively deliver nutrition education.
• Collaboration: Partner with farm management, development partners, employers and worker associations to ensure program access, support, integration with workplace structures, and worker participation in planning and evaluation.
• Innovative Strategies: Utilize partnerships with vendors, leverage technology, mobilize local resources, and explore social marketing approaches for sustainability.
• Challenges Mitigation: Develop strategies to overcome barriers to participation, ensure program fidelity, and adapt to changing circumstances.

Monitoring (regular):

• Data Collection: Utilize a mixed-method approach combining quantitative data (surveys, attendance records) and qualitative data (focus group discussions, interviews) for comprehensive monitoring.
• Baseline & Endline Data: Collect data at the beginning and end of the program to assess impact and track progress.
• Regular Monitoring: Adapt/develop a monitoring framework and regularly monitor program implementation fidelity, make adjustments as needed, and gather feedback from stakeholders.
• GAIN Integration: Share data and findings with GAIN for their program monitoring and improvement efforts.

Capacity Building:

Ensure the program sustainability beyond the implementation period through targeted capacity building:

• Large-scale farm Development Workers: Train them on integrating nutrition-sensitive approaches into their work, such as farm planning, vendor selection, and community outreach.
• Large-scale farm Management: Sensitize them on the business benefits of worker nutrition and provide skills for creating supportive workplace environments, policy development, and resource allocation.
• Local Stakeholders: Equip NGOs, community leaders, and worker associations with skills to support program delivery, outreach, and long-term sustainability.
• Tools & Resources: Develop materials and guidelines for ongoing program management, knowledge sharing, and best practice exchange among stakeholders.
• Partnerships: Facilitate partnerships with government agencies, private sector actors, and other relevant organizations for continued funding and program expansion.

Demand Generation:

• Focus on creating and sustaining the desire for nutritious diets and foods among target audiences.
• Develop marketing and promotional strategies to influence consumers’ food choices at points of purchase, emphasizing the nutritional value and benefits of healthier options.
• Adopt the food-based dietary promotional tools from the existing government and development partners’ initiatives and translate them to the local languages if required.
• Implement targeted campaigns and initiatives to stimulate demand for nutritious foods through persuasive messaging, value propositioning, and product positioning.
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of demand generation activities, utilizing metrics such as reach data, sales data, consumer’s feedback, consumer surveys, and behavioural indicators to assess impact and refine strategies as needed.
• Coordinate closely with relevant stakeholders, including employers, retailers, food producers, development partners and government agencies, to align demand generation efforts with broader nutrition policies and initiatives.

Integration and Coordination:

• Ensure seamless coordination and integration between SBCC and demand generation activities to maximize synergies and optimize resources.
• Collaborate with other relevant sectors, such as health, agriculture, and education, to leverage complementary initiatives and enhance the overall impact on nutrition outcomes.
• Regularly share progress updates, insights, and lessons learned with project stakeholders to foster learning and continuous improvement.

MAJOR DELIVERABLES

Qualifications

Qualification of the firm

Locally Registered consultancy firm with proven experts in behavioural change material development and execution of SBCC and promotional activities

Qualification of the participating team

• Team composition of Nutritionists/public health professionals, Social psychology experts, creative workers etc. with robust experience in national development and public health nutrition.
• Demonstrated experience in designing, implementing, and evaluating large-scale nutrition education programs, preferably in low- and middle-income countries.
• A strong understanding of the Ethiopian context and experience working with Large-scale farm workers is a plus.
• Proven ability to manage large projects, collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders, and work within a program framework.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and facilitation skills, with the ability to work effectively in cross-cultural settings.
• Data analysis and consumer insight skill set
• Proficiency in English, Amharic, and Oromifa languages is essential.
• Be able to assign teams with local language skills,
• Can deliver activities on a tight schedule with high quality.
• Experience in M&E is preferred.
• Familiarity with GAIN’s mission, values, and Workforce Nutrition program is a plus.