1. Background and Introduction
With funding from the IKEA Foundation for an initial two-year period (2022-24), Farm Radio International (FRI) has established a near-countrywide network of Green Leaf agricultural knowledge sharing platforms in Uganda. Individual platforms are centred on weekly interactive radio programs that are collaboratively designed and delivered by rural-oriented radio stations, district agriculture extension services and other agricultural stakeholders. These platforms deliver quality programming about local agriculture with a focus on increasing farmers’ knowledge and facilitating the informed uptake of good agricultural practices, especially circular regenerative agriculture. As a result of this first phase, 12 Green Leaf platforms are now currently in operation, leading to approximately 70 percent of Ugandan farmers now having improved access to quality agricultural advisory services. Since launching in 2022, over 500 hours of original programming has been delivered via the platforms.
These Green Leaf platforms go beyond the limits of project-based extension services to provide sustained and inclusive quality radio programming that shares agricultural information and opens up spaces for genuine communication and dialogue about farming in Uganda today. An important component of this initial phase was to develop a model that would ensure the sustainability of the platforms over time by actively engaging several key stakeholders in their design, implementation, and support.
Another key component of this first phase was the design of an Impact Evaluation Framework for the monitoring and evaluation of the longer-term impact of these platforms on higher level development outcomes such as quality of life, gender equality and inclusion, resilience. An independent consulting firm has been recruited to design this Impact Evaluation Framework together with the corresponding high-level outcome indicators and oversee its implementation at the end of this first phase.
With this initial phase of the project ending on December 31, 2023, this Request for Proposals (RFP) aims at identifying a consultant firm to undertake data collection activities for an evaluation study that will implement and test the Impact Evaluation Framework that has been designed while, at the same time, generate results on the achievements of this initial phase.
2. Objectives of the Assignment
The purpose of the evaluation study described in this RFP is two-fold:
(i) Implement the Impact Evaluation Framework that was designed during this initial phase of the project.
The purpose of the Impact Evaluation Framework is to provide a monitoring and evaluation strategy for the assessment of the platforms in the long-term. In effect, it is hypothesized that, in addition to increasing knowledge attitude, and practice of good agricultural practices, the access to the platforms by rural populations will have a positive impact in the long-term, on a series of gender-sensitive high-level development outcomes such as resilience, agency, welfare, productivity, gender equality and inclusion, etc., which could be used to build a quality-of-life composite index. Indicators on the functioning of the platforms over time – i.e., stakeholder engagement, investments, and content development processes, will also be integrated in the Impact Evaluation Framework
The results generated using the various data collection tools of the Impact Evaluation Framework will then be used as “baseline” values for the subsequent phases of the platform project.
(ii) Assess the achievements of the first phase
In addition to implementing and testing the Impact Evaluation Framework discussed above, this evaluation study will also provide data on the results achieved during this first phase. The focus will be put on changes in regenerative agriculture knowledge, awareness, attitudes and practices that may be associated with listening to the Green Leaf Program. Data on the establishment of the platforms during this first phase will also be gathered.
The role of the consultants recruited with this RFP will be to conduct the fieldwork needed to collect all the necessary data for this evaluation study.
3. Methodologies
The development of the sampling strategy and data collection tools for the household survey, the focus group discussions, and the key informant interviews will be led by Farm Radio International and the team of consultants who have designed the Impact Evaluation Framework (IEF). The analysis of the data will also be led by FRI and the IEF consultants.
It is expected, however, that the consultants hired with this RFP will provide feedback and input into the tools and the sampling strategy proposed and the data analysis and reporting. Consequently, the consultants’ experience and skills gathering and analyzing these types of data should be clearly highlighted in their proposal.
The evaluation study will take place across the whole country and include both areas covered by the 12 radio stations of the platform and “control” areas located outside the reach of the stations. Details of the sampling strategy will be discussed at the inception stage, but we anticipate working with a sample size of approx. 3,000 households. We also anticipate that the household questionnaire will take about 50-60 minutes to administer per household. We plan to use the KoboCollect platform to collect the data.
Several Focus Group Discussions (around 20) disaggregated by gender will also be conducted in the different areas. In-depth interviews of key stakeholders (around 20) will also be conducted. Details about the implementation of these qualitative data collection activities will also be discussed at the inception stage.
4. Deliverables
The consultant will be engaged for up to 30 days between September 25, 2023 and November 15, 2023. The following deliverables are expected:
- An Inception Report describing in detail how the training, the fieldwork and the data collection activities will be implemented.
- A clean household survey dataset.
- Some descriptive results of the household survey presented in a tabular form.
- The transcriptions of focus group discussions and key informant interviews
- A report providing insights from the consultants on the implementation of the evaluation study
5. Timelines
- Deadline for submissions: September 14, 2023 – Preliminary assessment of submissions: By September 19, 2023 – Interviews with shortlisted candidates: September 20-22, 2023 – Select and contract consultant(s): By September 25, 2023
6. Elements of the proposal
- Qualifications and relevant experience of the firm and of the specific consultant(s) that will be assigned to this project – The general approach that the consultants will take to completing the assignment – The tasks that the consultants will undertake to complete the deliverables – The timeline and work plan – The budget
FRI values diversity and inclusion. Women, people with disabilities, and members of other equity-seeking or marginalized communities are strongly encouraged to apply. Accommodations are available on request in all aspects of the recruitment process.
Submit proposals by September 14, 2023 to [email protected]
Only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls please.
