Project / Intervention Endline Assessment and Documentation Individual Consultant(s) at Palladium Group

Palladium is a global leader in the design, development and delivery of Positive Impact - the intentional creation of enduring social and economic value. We work with foundations, investors, governments, corporations, communities and civil society to formulate strategies and implement solutions that generate lasting social, environmental and financial benefits.

For the past 50 years, we have been making Positive Impact possible. With a team of more than 2,500 employees operating in 90 plus countries and a global network of more than 35,000 technical experts, Palladium has improved - and is committed to continuing to improve - economies, societies and most importantly, people's lives.

Palladium is a child-safe organisation, and screens applicants for suitability to work with children. We also provide equal employment to all participants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, veteran or marital status.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: RFQ - Project / Intervention Endline Assessment and Documentation Consultant(s) (Individual)

Job ref.: req10605
Location: Nigeria

Background

• Propcom Mai-karfi (PM) is a market development programme funded with UK aid from the UK government, working primarily with the private sector in nine states (Adamawa, Borno, Bauchi, Taraba, Gombe, Yobe, Kaduna, Kano and Jigawa) in Northern Nigeria to identify gaps in rural markets and to bring about systemic changes that make markets work better for poor people.
• The Programme is in its second phase and aims to increase the incomes for 350,000 poor women and men in Northern Nigeria by October 2021 by stimulating sustainable, pro-poor growth in selected rural markets and improving the position of poor women and men within these market systems, to make the markets more inclusive for poor people.
• The Programme currently implements 19 interventions across 3 Portfolios – Crops, Livestock and Environment and has amassed experiences across the public, private and informal sector that will be crucial to future investments in the North, both to donors and private companies.

About the Work:

• In the last year of implementation, Propcom Mai-karfi is interested in widely communicating our efforts and achievements as well as sharing learnings, successful investment models and experiences improving agricultural markets in conflict and post-conflict Northern Nigeria with local and international audiences. We are, therefore, recruiting consultants with extensive experience to support the development and drafting of relevant knowledge products, targeting different stakeholders - Investors, Policy Makers, Community-based Organisations, State Actors and Development Partners - and contributing to the Programme endline report.
• In collaboration with Propcom Mai-karfi’s Knowledge Manager and Communication Manager, the Consultant will work with the technical team to capture, analyse and document the Programme interventions and the resultant changes in the market systems, impact at the farm gate and the opportunities for scaling impact and sector growth pre- and during the extension phase.

Specifically, we hope to:

• Show the evolution of the sectors and subsectors pre- and post Propcom Mai-karfi interventions, highlighting the successful and unsuccessful models through lessons learned, case studies and other appropriate knowledge products.
• Develop business cases to attract investors, advocacy briefs targeting Policy makers and tool kits of viable intervention models targeting development partners. All of which would advance the Programme’s goal of transferring knowledge, capacity, attracting investment and facilitating policy actions towards sector growth.
• Show how PM’s strategy and interventions responded to challenges faced by smallholder farmers and entrepreneurs engaged in rural and agricultural markets and contributed to reviving markets in post-conflict regions.
• Have a repository of knowledge that effectively captures Propcom’s vast experiences working in the agricultural sector and the Northern landscape to aid future Programmes and investors.
• Produce knowledge sharing products specifically for dissemination during knowledge-sharing events, including but not limited to presentations, summaries, among others as advised by the consultant.
• The Consultant will lead in synthesising existing intervention data and information, and engage with relevant staff and actors to understand the sector as well as the interventions’  impact in order to produce relevant Project endline documents, targeting the key actors – Policy makers, development partners, investors and FCDO.
• The consultant will edit, format, and finalise materials / documents / outputs for review and final clearance by the Tier Leads, Knowledge Manager and Deputy Team Leader.  This will include compliance with the Propcom Mai-karfi’s style and branding guidelines, grammatical accuracy, factual accuracy and coherence, amongst others as stipulated by the Programme.
• The Consultant will also advise on the circulation of these materials / outputs across various platforms and events.

Activities
Activities may include the following, however, the Programme is open to advice and guidance from the Consultant:

• Review assigned interventions’ information and data.
• Discuss with the intervention teams and organise meetings with relevant stakeholders to gain more insight on the pre, ongoing and post-intervention situation with each actors
• Synethesise and analyse intervention results against the market development fundamentals, M4P+ adopted by the Programme, value for money and its position on the growth / scalability path.
• In consensus with Intervention teams, identify viable business models, intervention models and Policy opportunities critical to scaling impact.
• Use information in #4 above, to draft business cases / pitch for viable models targeting investors; intervention tool kits targeting development partners and advocacy / policy briefs targeting relevant stakeholders.
• Work with Knowledge Manager and Communication Manager to draft relevant case studies that highlight key interventions.
• Work with the technical team to capture key lessons that are intervention-specific, including failed interventions, and Programme-wide.
• Work with Senior Management to draft the Programme endline report.
• Advise and support the utilisation of key documents developed.

Output / Deliverables
Tasks:

• Desk research & engagement with technical team and actors- sector analysis, intervention, and results

End Outputs / products / deliverables:

• Outline of key interventions with viable intervention models and business models to develop cases, tool kits and policy briefs on
• Business cases / Pitch
• Intervention tool kits
• Policy / Advocacy briefs

Deadline: February - March, 2021

Task:

• Draft relevant documents targeting different actors
• Advise team on channels for dissemination

End Outputs / products / deliverables:

• Lessons learned documents, case studies, intervention stories.
• Presentations, other

Deadline: March - July, 2021

Task:

• Work with Senior Management to draft endline report

End Outputs / products / deliverables:

• Draft endline Report

Deadline: Aug - October, 2021

Required Qualifications
Qualifications

• Knowledge and experience in analytical report writing.
• Experience in Project closeout activities and reporting.
• Experience in political-economic analysis.
• Experience in policy engagements.
• Experience developing advocacy / policy briefs.
• Experience in stakeholder and landscape analysis, business case development and case studies.
• Demonstrated writing and editing skills, and ability to convey complex ideas in a concise, clear, direct, and interesting style.
• Fluency in English (oral and written) is essential.
• Interpersonal skills, including being flexible and patient and showing initiative.
• Ability to work unsupervised and to deliver tasks/outputs within tight deadlines.
• Computer expertise including Internet, Microsoft office suites, OneNote, Microsoft Teams.
• Strong knowledge and understanding of the international development environment and related reporting styles and requirements.
• Previous experience drafting documents for a market systems Programme and/ or agricultural development projects would be an asset.

N.B: Please note that Propcom Mai-karfi reserves the right to terminate the consultant’s contract at any time and withhold payment if performance is unsatisfactory.

Confidentiality:

• The documents / outputs produced during the period of the consultancy will be strictly confidential, and will be Propcom’s property. This means, among other things, that the rights to distribute and / or publish will reside solely with Propcom.

COVID-19 Mitigation:

• While working from Propcom’s office (s) and / or interacting with Propcom Mai-karfi staff, partners, beneficiaries and affiliates, the consultant must strictly adhere to Propcom Mai-karfi’s stipulated COVID-19 guidelines and mitigation measures at all times. The contracted person will be briefed upon resuming.

Criteria For Selection
Applications will be selected based on the following criteria:

Criteria - Weight:

• Technical qualification (100 points max.) including - 70%:
  • Technical expertise, experience and qualifications - 50 points
  • Capacity, range and depth of experience with similar communication assignments, spelling, punctuation, grammar and consistency - 30 points
  • Structure, layout and presentation - 20 points
• Financial proposal (100 points max.) including: 30%
• Proposed fee rate / hour (70)
• Tax Identification Number and evidence of tax remittance (20)

 Total: 100%

Method of Assessment

• The financial proposal with the lowest budget will be allotted maximum number of points based on evaluation and comparison with financial proposal of other candidates who had a total score no less than 70 points over 100 points in the technical evaluation.
• Overall, the candidate with the highest combined technical and financial proposal scores will be invited for a verification interview and awarded the contract following a satisfactory interview.

Venue, Timing and Duration of Assignment and Remuneration

• The consultant will work from home, with desk space provided in the Abuja office where necessary and possible.
• The consultant will use her / his own work equipment (such as a laptop) and submit all deliverables in electronic format. Propcom Mai-karfi will manage domestic travel within Nigeria to field locations where necessary.
• Specific deliverables and timeframes will be determined in consultation with the Knowledge Manager, Deputy Team Leader and other relevant team members.
• The Knowledge Manager, with input from the Communication Manager, and consultant will jointly agree on estimated time required for each assignment. Remuneration amount will be based on the qualification and experience of each consultant and will be remitted monthly upon satisfactory completion of deliverables, and submission of invoice for number of hours worked.

Application Closing Date
5th February, 2021.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates (individual consultant(s) only) should send the following as two separate attachments in Microsoft Word or PDF to: [email protected] (Use the subject line “Project / Intervention Assessment and Document Consultant(s)”):

Application Procedure
The technical and financial proposals should be submitted as separate documents in Microsoft Word or PDF in the following procedure:

• A technical proposal including: a Cover Letter and CV, including details of similar past work experiences and academic qualifications (both not more than 3 pages); minimum of 2 samples of previous work with references (reference checks will be conducted); time available per month; 3 referees and their contact details
• A financial proposal using the Excel template published with the RFQ on Propcom’s website (indicate fees / rate per hour, Tax Identification Number and evidence of tax remittance)