Background

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) is hiring an experienced gender and qualitative research consultant to lead a research component in Kenya within the CGIAR initiative on Market Intelligence (and specifically, WP3, on Behavioral intelligence). The purpose of the study is to analyze varietal preferences at the production and consumption nodes for both men and women farmers, whether there are consumption-related barriers to adopting new varieties, and what gender roles and norms might shape differences between women and men in preferences and barriers. The findings will directly inform the design of an intervention aimed at addressing potential consumer-related barriers.

IFPRI aims to conduct a qualitative formative study with the goal of answering the following research questions:

• • What are the drivers and the barriers in varietal uptake for women and men producers and consumers?
  • What business models do private sector actors and NGOs adopt to promote new varieties? What constraints do they encounter?
  • What socially-inclusive and culturally-sensitive strategies could be pursued to accelerate varietal turnover?
  • How should the private sector be encouraged to invest in marketing new varieties that contribute to gender equality, healthier diets, and social inclusion?

To this end, we conducted in-depth qualitative data collection in five counties of Kenya: Bungoma, Busia, Meru, Tharaka-Nithi, Makueni. The in-depth data collection took approximately 2-3 days in each county. The data collection team collected data using the following methods: (i) 25 Key Informant Interviews with private sector (seed companies and agro-dealers), Government agencies and farmer champions; (ii) 20 Focus Group Discussions with women and men farmers from control and treatment communities, as well as (iii) 20 Semi-structured in-depth interviews with women and men farmers from control and treatment communities.

Scope of work

• • Review the final sampling plan, cross-country qualitative data collection tools, and tools adapted to the country and intervention context.
  • Review the training of the field team, testing of data collection tools, and translation and transcription of audio recordings of interviews and focus group discussions.
  • Ensure quality processes have been implemented across all stages: data collection, analysis and report writing.
  • Attend multi-country project meetings led by the IFPRI Qualitative Expert.
  • Analyze country-level data and contribute to cross-country qual data analysis, either individually or together with a research analyst hired and supervised by the consultant.
  • Lead the writing of a qualitative research output (e.g., a discussion paper or a project brief) and contribute to a cross-country qual data research output.

Required qualifications of the consultant / survey team leader

• • Advanced degree (PhD) in the Social Science field.
  • Demonstrated experience conducting gender and qualitative field work in sub-Saharan Africa, especially, the East African region.
  • Demonstrated expertise in conducting gender and qualitative training and supervision.
  • Experience with gender and qualitative data analyses, particularly with the Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) qualitative research tools.
  • Experience working with, supervising and hiring more junior qualitative researchers, to support in the implementation of the work.

Preferred qualifications

• • Experience working with international and national researchers.
  • Experience co-authoring reports and other publications.

Application Deadline: June 23, 2023