Deadline for applications: August 6, 2023
Background
The African Center for Equitable Development (ACED) is a Think and Do Tank that facilitates the production and utilization of evidence in decision-making processes, policy development, and implementation. ACED supports governments and other development actors in West Africa across various sectors, including agriculture. ACED adopts an ecosystemic approach and is seeking to recruit a consultant to assist in mapping the ecosystem of evidence production and use in agricultural policies in Côte d’Ivoire.
In collaboration with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), ACED has co-developed a framework for analyzing the ecosystem of evidence production and use based on social network analysis. This framework has been applied in the context of Benin, and the study report is accessible at this link: https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/cc4288en. ACED plans to conduct an ecosystemic analysis in the context of Côte d’Ivoire. The consultant will work with ACED researchers to support the implementation of the study in Côte d’Ivoire.
Scope of work
The consultant will focus on data collection on the ecosystem of evidence supply and use around agricultural policy in Côte d’Ivoire, using a social network analysis and structured interview questionnaire designed by ACED. The consultant is expected to be very familiar with the agricultural policy environment of Côte d’Ivoire, including Government, research and donor communities. The consultant will perform the following tasks:
- Use a methodological and data collection framework designed by ACED, and together with the team, prepare a questionnaire and identify a list of “seed respondents” for the evidence-policy ecosystem analysis for agriculture in Côte d’Ivoire, including relevant evidence net producers (e.g., academia, think tanks, donors, civil society) and users (e.g., Government, donors, other organizations).
- Organize and lead interviews with seed respondents to identify the characteristics of their evidence use and supply and, using a snowball sampling approach, identify other ecosystem stakeholders.
- Organize the data collected as notes and in the form of an Excel matrix for the social network, using the template provided by ACED.
- Support the drafting of the Côte d’Ivoire agriculture policy evidence ecosystem report, under the leadership of ACED.
Deliverables
The consultant will be expected to deliver the following:
- Detailed work plan
- List of key respondents and questionnaire
- Final notes and Excel matrix documenting the interviews and the data collected
- Specific sections of the Côte d’Ivoire agriculture policy evidence ecosystem report (to be specified)
Timeline
The following deadlines will apply:
- Kick-off meeting: August 15, 2023
- Detailed work plan: August 18, 2023
- List of key respondents and questionnaire: August 20, 2023
- Interviews: August 20 – September 10, 2023
- Final notes and Excel matrix: September 15, 2023
The level of effort expected for this assignment is about 25 days and will extend from August 15, 2023 to October 30, 2023. The timeline can be adjusted.
Profile
The ideal candidate should have:
- A Master or PhD in agricultural sciences or related field.
- A strong background in agricultural policy, data analysis, and social network analysis.
- Proven experience in conducting similar studies.
- Excellent knowledge of the agricultural policy environment in Côte d’Ivoire.
- Excellent communication and organizational skills.
Submission Process
Interested candidates should submit their CV and a brief explanation of their understanding of the work to be done via email to [email protected].
For any questions, please contact Dr. Rodrigue Gbedomon, Director of Research, [email protected] and copy Alban Mas Aparisi, Senior Policy Advisor, at [email protected].