Consultancy for an individual to conduct analysis on the seasonality, gendered time allocation, and implications for diets and health in Malawi – International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

Job Description

Background and scope of research

The Gender, Climate Change, and Nutrition Integration Initiative (GCAN) is an IFPRI-led initiative that aims to support the integration of climate change, gender, and nutrition in policies, interventions, and research. GCAN’s activities are done under three workstreams: 1) policy engagement and capacity strengthening, 2) advisory services and technical assistance, and 3) strategic research.

The workstreams align with three main project objectives:
1. Enhanced capacity of governments and partners in five focal countries to design, implement, and monitor climate change policies, strategies, and plans related to adaptation and mitigation that contribute to gender equality, women’s empowerment, and improved diets and nutrition.
2. Technical assistance and advisory services provided to donors and partners.
3. Enhanced understanding and evidence base to support gender-responsive and nutrition-sensitive climate actions and investments by key partners at the national and global levels.

Under workstream 3, GCAN focuses on filling key evidence gaps through research at the intersection of gender, resilience, climate change, and nutrition. One area of inquiry is how climate change and responses to climate change affect women’s time allocation and time burden, as well as the implications of this for nutrition and health. Research shows that the relationship between women’s time allocation and diets can be complex with positive and negative outcomes. On top of that, seasonality and climate shocks and stressors affect both agriculture production and women’s time use as well as gendered access to healthy diets.

GCAN is currently seeking a consultant to assess the seasonal variation of gender inequalities in time allocation, diets and health using data from a time-use experiment (with LSMS – Living Standards Measurement Study) in Malawi. These time-use data were collected using a smartphone app, including on activities related to eating/drinking, as well as which food groups were consumed: cereals, vegetables, fruits, dairy, meat, fish, eggs, and other categories. Using this data, along with an accompanying module on respondents’ BMI and seasonal variation in data collection (July 2022-March 2023), enables assessment of the links between gender inequalities in time allocation, diets, and health over a relatively extensive timeframe. This research would explore ways to bring in a climate lens by linking to weather shocks over the data collection period. Understanding the impacts of seasonal variation on women’s well-being is important to inform policies aimed at improving women’s and households’ nutritional outcomes.

Activities:

As part of the GCAN project, the individual consultant will support this activity and engage in the following activities:
• Conduct data analysis using LSMS and linked time-use data from Malawi.
• Develop an IFPRI Discussion Paper in collaboration with the IFPRI-GCAN team that presents the findings of the analysis.
• Participate in meetings with the GCAN team to discuss the work and present updates.

Deliverables:
1) Analysis plan and paper outline
2) Preliminary results based on data analysis (descriptive statistics and regression analysis)
3) STATA do-files, datasets, and figures
4) Draft Discussion Paper draft submitted to DP series.
5) Resubmission of final revised Discussion Paper based on reviewer comments

Duration and Location: The assignment is anticipated to require up to 25 days [upon receipt of signed contract] and the consultant will work remotely.

Supervision: The general supervision of this consultancy will be conducted by the GCAN project lead at IFPRI.

Qualifications Needed:
• Advanced degree in economics or social sciences (master’s or doctorate)
• Strong quantitative and analytical skills
• Work experience in the following areas: (a) gender; (B) quantitative analysis of household surveys; (c) computer programming (preferably STATA, and Microsoft Office).
• Strong writing and editing skills.

Preferred Qualifications:
• Experience working with time-use and nutrition data
• Experience working with LSMS

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Note: We are unable to respond to every applicant individually; only selected applicants will be contacted.