Individual Consultants or Firms to Conduct Natural Resource Management Barriers and Motivation Study, Zimbabwe

Organization: Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA)

Country: Zimbabwe

Seeking Individual Consultants or Firms to Conduct Natural Resource Management Barriers and Motivation Study

CNFA seeks a Natural Resource Management specialist who can lead the design and implementation of a Natural Resource Management Barriers and Motivation Study in Matabeleland North Province, Zimbabwe. A detailed SOW will be provided to the selected candidate.

About Amalima Loko

Amalima Loko is a new USAID-funded 5-year program implemented by CNFA and 5 partner organizations. It applies community-driven approaches to improve food security, nutrition, and natural resource management in over 80 communal wards in Matabeleland North, where human-induced land degradation is on the rise, leading to worsening food security, nutrition outcomes, and ecologic imbalances.

Study Objectives

The program seeks to better understand the barriers to and motivations for the adoption of improved natural resource management practices by households, communities, market actors, and government entities. The study will help Amalima Loko improve the design and impact of natural resource management interventions.

The study will focus on:

Understanding and recording the current structures in place at the community, ward, and catchment area/micro-catchment area levels to promote NRM management and identifying challenges and opportunities within these structures as well as the key stakeholders or decision makers.

Identifying the factors that contribute to, motivate, and hinder individual and community buy-in and cooperation for natural resource management as well as the motivations for harmful practices such as deforestation and mining.

Identifying barriers and opportunities for the adoption of holistic IWRM land management practices in communal lands.

Investigating strategies that build community social accountability for NRM.

Period of Performance / Timeline

Provided travel restrictions because of the novel coronavirus are lifted and field visit activities can take place, the analysis will be conducted in 2021 for a duration not exceeding 60 working days (for the consultant) including field work, data analysis and report write up. To mitigate any potential delay in the completion of the work, some activities can take place remotely via virtual engagement with relevant stakeholders.

Deliverables

The consultant will be responsible for: Comprehensive work plan, developed by the consultant within 7 days after contract award.

Research tools for data collection and analysis (draft and final tools) developed in collaboration with the Amalima Loko technical team

A PowerPoint presentation of initial findings, presented to the Amalima Loko team upon completion of the assessment. An electronic version of the final presentation must also be provided.

An electronic Google folder of all tools and transcripts created as Word document. Data and tools should be expertly organized and encrypted.

A report outline for the final report that includes a methods section with adequate detail; maps the results with the activity ToC purposes and thematic areas/domains; outlines implications for changing the ToC, learning and research design and interventions

A final report, no more than 50 pages (excluding annexes)

Location -Matabeleland North Province, Zimbabwe

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in relevant field of Natural Resource Management, Agriculture, Geography, or related field; Master's degree preferred;

Tags data analysis data collection food security land degradation land management local government natural resource management social accountability travel restrictions

Experience designing and conducting barrier analyses within the natural resource management context

Experience in the design and use of both qualitative and quantitative research methods

Demonstrated skills in report writing containing evidence-based findings, learning, and recommendations; candidates will be required to share a relevant writing sample

Minimum >5 years' experience in designing, implementing, and/or evaluating food security and livelihoods projects. Experience with NGOs strongly preferred. USAID and FFP/DFAP/DFSA/RFSA experience a plus.

Demonstrated ability to communicate with a wide variety of stakeholders, including project beneficiaries and local government

Excellent qualitative and quantitative analytical skills

Experience in Zimbabwe preferred

Languages

Fluency in spoken and written English is essential