USAID/FTF Food basket and Resilience Consultancy

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

BACKGROUND

The International Rescue Committee’s mission is to help people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and regain control of their future. Founded over 80 years ago, the IRC is a leading humanitarian and development organization with presence in more than 40 countries. Across contexts, the IRC is committed to delivering innovative, high-impact programs tailored to the needs of communities affected by crisis.

The IRC has been present in Nigeria since 2012 when the organization responded to flooding in Kogi State. Since then, IRC has emerged as a critical partner in addressing the humanitarian crises in the Northcentral, Northeast and Northwest through a multi-sectoral, client-centered and integrated program approach for conflict-affected populations. In Fiscal Year 2023, IRC assisted more than 800,000 displaced people and host communities with interventions in primary healthcare, nutrition, environmental health, protection, education, food security and livelihoods (Humanitarian, Resilience and Development Interventions). IRC Nigeria operates a country office in Abuja and has field offices in Adamawa, Borno, Yobe, Zamfara, and Katsina States. With almost 700 staff, and a diverse group of local partners, IRC Nigeria implements programs funded by a variety of institutional donors, UN agencies and private foundations.

Project Overview

Food Basket and Resilience are two anticipated five-year USD $25-50 million activities funded by Feed the Future (FTF) in Nigeria. FTF aims to sustainably reduce global poverty, hunger and malnutrition in Nigeria as reflected in USG Global Food Security Strategy for Nigeria (2024-2029). To do so, FTF will:

i) strengthen resilience among people and systems by increasing sustainable agricultural productivity and improve adaptation to and recovery from shocks and stresses, and

ii) ensure Nigerian population, especially women and children, is well nourished through increased consumption of scale and nutritious foods and increased use of direct nutrition interventions and services. These activities will focus on six Nigeria priority states: Nasarawa (NC), Sokoto (NW), Zamfara (NW), Kano (NW), Kaduna (NW) and Plateau (NC).

SCOPE OF WORK

The Capture consultant will support capture and engagement efforts ahead of the release of these funding opportunities by performing a literature review, gathering intel from stakeholders, donors, and partners, and pre -position the IRC with potential partners, consortia and donor. Pre-positioning efforts will prioritize engagement at federal level (Abuja) and in Sokoto, Zamfara and Kano states.

The Capture consultant will work under the supervision of Capture lead and the technical lead, and work closely with IRC Nigeria’s technical units viz Economic Recovery and Development (ERD), Nutrition, Governance, Grants and Partnerships, and Finance teams to ensure the capture team has access to the most updated and reliable information about these two funding opportunities. In addition, the Capture consultant will coordinate closely with the Country Director (CD), the Deputy Director of Programs (DDP) and the Consortium BHA Team Leader in the NW on engagement and positioning with the donor, federal and state authorities and relevant stakeholders. The Capture consultant will regularly communicate progress to colleagues in-country and other relevant internal teams and stakeholders.

The Capture will undertake the following tasks, to be adjusted with the Capture team (refer to Appendix):

Intel gathering

• gather intel on potential bidders, consortium composition, other consortium’s win themes and differentiators, to update competitive landscape and competition matrix
• gather intel on NOFO content, geographic scope and donor’s motivators and priorities.
  
  

Literature review

• review, analyze and summarize 2024-2029 Nigeria GFSS, relevant USAID strategies and policies, other relevant USAID and FTF documentation
• review, analyze and summarize FTF-funded activities annual reports and evaluation reports to identify lessons learnt and best practices
• collect, review and summarize relevant Federal and State strategies and plans with regards to food security, resilience and nutrition
  
  

Positioning

• Contribute to the development of presentations and talking points ahead of meeting with USAID/FTF, other donors and relevant Federal/State authorities and governmental agencies
• Support positioning with donors, relevant Federal/State authorities and governmental agencies and secure their support to IRC
• Travel, as requested, to engage with State authorities and relevant state agencies.
  
  

Partner engagement

• Contribute to mapping of relevant national and local organizations and private sector entities with technical expertise and operational capacities in relevant sectors and targeted locations
• Identify research institutions and private sector entities with expertise in innovation applied to food security, resilience and nutrition
• Provide recommendations in terms of national/local partners, research institutions, technical partners
• Attend, as requested, to conferences, learning events, coordination and working-group meetings to gather intel, collect information on stakeholders and position IRC
  
  

Pre-design

• Support discussion on win themes and differentiators and identify any potential gaps
• Support pre-design activities as requested by Capture Lead and Technical Lead
  
  

APPENDIX 1

TIMEFRAME

This consultancy will take place in October and November 2024[SK1] and the tasks will be performed in accordance with agreed upon timeframe that will evolve as further information becomes available from the donor.

Activity

Indicative LOE / Estimated Timeline

Intel gathering

3 days

Literature review

4 days

Positioning

12 days

Partner engagement

3 days

Pre-design

2 days

Recommendations and hand over

1 day

TOTAL

25 days

DELIVERABLES

• The Capture consultant will make the following deliverables available to the Capture Lead and the Technical Lead, Technical Focal Points, TAs, DDP and CD:
• Literature review report
• List of people met and contact details
• Talking points, presentations and meeting notes
• Revised competitive landscape and competition matrix
• Draft IRC win themes and differentiators
• Recommendations in terms of next steps and timeframe
  
  

APPENDIX 2

List is not exhaustive but to provide guidance and examples of potential meetings with various stakeholders.

USG

• Feed the Future, BHA and HPN representatives
• USAID/Nigeria Office of Agriculture and Food Security
• African Women Entrepreneurship Program (AWEP, funded by USG)
  
  

Ministries and governmental agencies:[EA2]

• Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD)
• Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI)
• Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare
• Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (FMHDS)
• State Ministry of Health and Human Services
• State Primary Health Care Development Agency
  
  

Relevant governmental agencies

• Agricultural Research Council Nigeria (ARCN)
• National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA)
• Small and Medium Enterprises Development (SMEDAN)
• Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI)
• Northwest Development Commission
• Nigeria Climate Innovation Center (NCIC)
  
  

Other Institutional Partners

• International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)
• Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)
• International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
• Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN)
• International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (ITTA)
  
  

Other National Organizations

• All Farmers’ Association of Nigeria (AFAN)
• Nigerian Women in Agriculture Research and Development (NiWARD)
• Small Scale Women Farmers Association (SWOFON)
• Women in Agriculture – Nigeria (NAWIA)
• Nigeria Chamber of Commerce (NACCIMA)
• Nigeria Youth Chamber of Commerce
  
  

Other Donors

• International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
• Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
• International Fertilizer Development Cooperation (IFDC)
• World Food Program (WFP)
• Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)
• World Bank (WB)
• Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (Gates Foundation)
• African Development Bank (AfDB)
• Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)
  
  

Other Potential Bidders And Competitors

• Mercy Corps Nigeria (MCN)
• Development Alternatives Incorporated Global (DAI)
• Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA)
• Winrock
• Action Contre la Faim Nigeria (ACF)
• ACDI Voca
• Sahel Consulting
• Development Dimensions International (DDI)
  
  

Minimum Qualifications

• Graduate degree (master’s or higher) in economics, agriculture, business administration, development studies, social work or related field.
• Five (5) or more years of relevant technical experience in agriculture productivity, market systems development, private sector development/engagement, value chain development, or related areas as a consultant.
• Chief of Party or Deputy Chief of Party experience, managing agriculture, food security and resilience projects in Africa; Nigeria a plus.
• Experience working in Nigeria.
• Strong interpersonal skills to effectively engage with diverse stakeholders, within and outside IRC such as government officials from various levels, research institutions, private sector entities, other activities, and local NGOs/civil society entities.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English required.
• Ability to work in complex environments and across cultures.
• Ability to travel to targeted geographic locations
  
  

All applications and submission should be sent to NGHR.ConsultantsApplications@rescue.org before COB today, Wednesday 13th of November,2024

Standard of Professional Conduct:The IRC and the IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – our Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality.

Commitment to Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: The IRC is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, respectful, and safe work environment where all persons are treated fairly, with dignity and respect. The IRC expressly prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or bullying of the IRC persons in any work setting. We aim to increase the representation of women, people that are from country and communities we serve, and people who identify as races and ethnicities that are under-represented in global power structures.