Job Description
EXPRESSION OF INTEREST – INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANT
BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT
Good Neighbors International (GNI) is an international humanitarian and development organization in General Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC) with its headquarters in Seoul, Republic of Korea. Good Neighbors implements various community development projects within the following sectors; Health, Education, Water and Sanitation, Agriculture and Social Welfare (advocacy for children’s rights other livelihood projects and emergency response.
In response to the Malawi President’s recent call for El Nino Response Appeal in Balaka and Chikwawa, Good Neighbors International (Malawi) wishes to implement a short-term emergency relief project with funding from Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) aimed
at addressing the immediate food security needs of the affected population. A key component of this project is to monitor and evaluate the Food Consumption Score (FCS) to assess the food security status of beneficiaries and to inform ongoing and future interventions. The FCS is a key indicator used to understand dietary diversity and food frequency, which provides insight into the adequacy of food
intake among households. The evaluation of the FCS in this emergency context is critical for understanding the impact of the relief efforts on household food security and for guiding adjustments to the response strategy.
OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSIGNMENT
The primary objectives of this consultancy are:
- To evaluate the Food Consumption Score among the target population within the emergency relief project.
- To assess changes in household food security over the course of the emergency intervention.
- To provide actionable recommendations for improving food security outcomes based on FCS findings.
SCOPE OF WORK
The consultant will be responsible for the following tasks:
Literature Review and Context Analysis: Review existing literature, reports and data related to the emergency, the affected population, and previous FCS assessments (baseline).
Design and Methodology: Develop a detailed methodology for evaluating the FCS, including sampling strategy, data collection methods, and analytical framework.
Data Collection: Conduct field visits, with the existing pull of enumerators, to collect primary data on food consumption patterns using surveys, interviews, and/or focus group discussions with beneficiaries.
Data Analysis: Analyze the collected data to calculate FCS, disaggregate the results by relevant variables like gender, age, geographic location (gps), and compare them with baseline data or other food security indicators.
Reporting: Produce a comprehensive report that includes the methodology, findings, conclusions,
and practical recommendations for enhancing food security in the context of the ongoing emergency relief efforts.
METHODOLOGY
The methodology should include:
Sampling: A representative sample of households affected by the emergency, considering factors like geographic spread, severity of impact, and access to relief services.
Data Collection: Tools such as structured questionnaires, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions, ensuring gender-sensitive and culturally appropriate approaches.
Data Analysis: Statistical analysis to calculate the FCS, along with geo-spatial analytics and cross-tabulation against other relevant metrics.
DELIVERABLES
The consultant is expected to deliver:
Inception Report: Outlining the proposed approach, methodology, and work plan within the first week of the assignment.
Draft Evaluation Report: Including preliminary findings, to be submitted two weeks before the final report deadline with donor requirements.
Final Evaluation Report: A comprehensive report incorporating feedback, due by the end of the consultancy period. This report should include an executive summary, methodology, findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
Presentation of Findings: A briefing session for key stakeholders to present and discuss the evaluation findings.
6. DURATION AND TIMELINE
Assignment Duration: 5 weeks including data collection, analysis and final report spanning between September to November 2024.
Key Milestones
Submission of Inception Report: 1st week
Field Data Collection: 2nd week
Submission of Draft Report: 4th week
Final Report and Presentation: 5th week
QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
The ideal consultant should have:
- A postgraduate degree (Masters) in Nutrition, Public Health, Social Sciences, or a related field with experience as a consultant.
- Proven experience in food security assessments or public health, particularly in emergency contexts.
- Strong understanding of the Food Consumption Score methodology and its application.
- Experience in conducting fieldwork in challenging environments.
- Excellent research, analytical and report-writing skills.
- Sound and proven experience using analytical tools like R, GIS/Q-GIS, Power BI, Tableau, Python and other digital data collection tools like Comcare, Kobo/ODK etc. will be desirable.
- Familiarity with the cultural and socio-economic context of the affected region.
REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
The consultant will report directly to the Design, Monitoring and Evaluation (DME) Manager and will provide regular updates on progress. All reports should be submitted in English and include both narrative and statistical analysis.
BUDGET AND PAYMENT SCHEDULE
Consultancy Fee: Provide a specific breakdown of the fee
Expenses: Reimbursable expenses, such as travel and accommodation, must be pre-approved and will
be reimbursed based on actual costs.
PAYMENT SCHEDULE
- First payment will be made upon first core activities; Presentation to demonstrate understanding TORs /Inception report
- First payment will be 30% based on the condition above
- 70% upon approval of the final report.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Interested candidates should submit the following documents:
1. A detailed CV highlighting relevant experience.
2. Technical proposal outlining how you understand the work and the proposed approach to use
3. A financial proposal including a breakdown of costs.
4. Relevant certifications
5. Contact information for at least two professional references.
Applications should be submitted by 7th September, 2024 to humanresource@goodneighborsmalawi.org
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
The consultant must adhere to GNM’s code of conduct, ensuring confidentiality, informed consent, and respect for the dignity and rights of all participants. The consultant is also expected to comply with ethical guidelines relevant to research and data collection in emergency settings.
13. Annexes
Interested consultants can use standard technical and financial proposals. Other reference documents to be used will be provided to the successful candidate.