Company Profile

The International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) is a public international organization (PIO) governed by an international board of directors with representation from developed and developing nations. The non-profit center focuses on increasing and sustaining food and agricultural productivity in developing countries through the development and transfer of effective and environmentally sound crop nutrient technology and agribusiness expertise.

Job Description

Calls For Proposal:In response to the Terms of Reference for an Assessment of the Effectiveness of ATT Starter Pack Distribution on Agricultural Technology Uptake in Northern Ghana

Background
The Feed the Future USAID Agriculture Technology Transfer Project (FTF-USAID ATT) is a five-year project funded by USAID/Ghana to increase competitiveness of the maize, rice and soybean value chains – notably the major crops targeted by the Government of Ghana’s new agricultural strategy: “Planting for Food and Jobs”. In doing so, ATT aims to foster broad-based and sustained economic growth through the increased availability of agricultural technologies and increasing productivity in northern Ghana. The project focuses on Ghana’s Feed the Future intervention zone covering the savannah ecological zones of northern Ghana: Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions.

The International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) is the lead implementer, with additional technical support provided through Iowa State University (ISU), the Center for Development Innovation (CDI) of Wageningen University and Research Center, as well as Ghanaian research institutions, including the Savannah Agricultural Research Institute (SARI) and the University for Development Studies (UDS). Other key partners include local non-governmental organizations (LNGOs) and public and private sector institutions. ATT works closely with its host ministry and their three northern regional offices of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), the Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate (PPRSD) and the Ghana Seed Inspection Division (GSID), as well as other offices within the Government of Ghana. All play an important role in providing support to ensure the regulatory and institutional environment needed for a performing and private sector-driven seed and fertilizer sector in Ghana.

The Assignment
Since 2013, the Agriculture Technology Transfer Project has been implementing interventions aimed at increasing productivity of the maize, rice and soybean value chains in the three northern regions of Ghana; Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions. ATT has worked across the entire value chain providing training to build capacity at the governmental regulatory, farmer, agri-business and financial institutional levels. Particularly at the farm level, ATT’s approach to information dissemination has evolved in response to value chain needs and farmer response. These approaches t fostering technology uptake have included participatory field demonstrations, radio and television programmes, pre-season and pre-harvest agri-business events, cellphone-based text messaging, and short video screenings. In 2017, ATT undertook the bold move to foster uptake of its promoted technologies by distributing free ‘starter packs’ containing certified seed, pre-measured urea supergranules (UDP), and, vouchers for soil testing and rhizobial innoculum. This exercise was carried out by selected local implementing partners (LIPs) across all three northern regions and resulted in almost 20,000 starter packs being distributed.

Approaching its closure, the ATT project wishes to evaluate the effectiveness of this effort to influence farmer uptake of the promoted technologies. Results from this assessment will inform future activities aimed at promoting farmer behavior change and agricultural technology adoption..

Objective of the Assessment
The assignment for the bidder, therefore, is to design and implement a field-based assessment of the project’s starter pack distribution activity and its influence relative to the uptake of ATT’s technologies and to report its findings.

Specific tasks to be performed

• Document the relative influence of the starter pack distribution on farmer uptake and utilizationof ATT-promoted technologies, bearing in mind the possible influence of ATT’s other technology dissemination efforts, including; Farmer Learning Centers (Green and Brown Field Days), local radio broadcasts (including via Farm Radio International), Esoko cellphone short-messaging, Kuapa television programmes, videos presented by ATT local implementing partners using Digital Classroom technology, Pre-Season and Pre-Harvest Events;
• Examine the influence of combinations of the foregoing dissemination methods/approaches on farmer technology choice and utilization;
• Examine the data collected for any gender-differentiated effects related to the technology dissemination method/approach;
• Ascertain any ‘spill-over’ effects of ATT’s technology dissemination efforts on non-target farmers.
• Analyze the data collected to respond to the objectives; compile results of the analysis into a report, and submit to the project.

Methodology

• The assessment is expected to use a variety of methods to collect and analyze both quantitative and
• qualitative data. Examples of appropriate methods may include, but not be limited to;
• Literature review of existing documents, review of project context, project proposal and other documents, annual and quarterly reports, and other reports;
• Interviews with local implementing partners;
• Participatory farmer groups surveys;
• Farmer surveys using structured questionnaires based on a representative sample of Starter Pack beneficiaries;
• Other methods While each bidder will describe in their proposal the methodology to be used to meet the overall objectives, the desired information will be derived from ATT target beneficiaries in all three northern regions, as well as the organizations responsible for the dissemination activities.

Information sources in the field
Under the overall guidance of an ATT project manager who will be assigned to this activity, the contractor
will primarily work with ATT’s local implementing partners who were responsible for disseminating starter
packs to target farming communities. These parties, a full list of which will be provided to the successful
bidder, included international NGO’s, local NGO’s, farmer-based organizations and faith-based groups.
ATT also will provide detailed information on the targeted communities, districts and village sites where
dissemination activities took place.

Deliverables
The following deliverables are expected:

• Proposed Workplan: The bidder will prepare a proposed workplan setting out the details of their understanding of the assignment and how the assessment will be undertaken. This will ensure that the evaluator and project team are aligned on the assignment. The proposed workplan shall include a description in tabular format, summarizing the assessment design, methodology, assessment questions, data sources and collection tools for each data source, and the analysis to be used for their evaluation. The proposed workplan shall be discussed with and approved by the ATT manager of this activity prior to its commencement.
• Draft assessment report: A draft report on findings of the assessment will be submitted in electronic format to ATT for comment. The report will be reviewed to ensure the assignment meets the required quality. Comments will be provided within 5 working days after receipt of the report. The report must contain a complete listing of any survey sample frames and selection criteria, as well as survey instruments used to collect data (may be included as annexes).
• Final Report: This report shall incorporate comments and feedback from the ATT team and will be submitted to ATT within 10 working days after receipt of all comments and feedback. This report, together with annexes and in English, shall be submitted in both electronic and hard copy(x 6 copies).

Time Frame
The assignment will be conducted between on or about 18 August 2018 and 12 October 2018 for an estimated 40 working days.

Upon signing of the contract, the consultant will be given the necessary project documents and other information related to the assignment.

Budget
As a component of the proposal, all bidders shall submit budgets covering the full and final completion of the above described activities leading to fulfillment of the assessment objectives and deliverables. Budgets should cover the following line items:

• Number of individuals to be employed for the assessment by position type;
• Daily rates for each position, inclusive of any benefits and/or other allowances;
• Number of days estimated required for each position;
• Daily subsistence rates to be used;
• Number of days of subsistence to be paid by position;
• Estimated Transportation costs
• Overhead rates on direct costs
• Consultation fee.

Budgets should be in Ghana Cedis, and separately indicate any VAT to be paid.

Scoring of Submissions
Proposals will be scored according to the following criteria and their respective weights. Final award will
be made on the basis of the proposal score and the consensus of the Technical Evaluation Committee
regarding the offer representing the best value for money.

Required Skills or Experience

Competences and Expertise Required
While not exhaustive, it is anticipated that the successful bidder will bring the following competencies and expertise to bear in this assessment:

• Prior experience in designing and implementing large, statistically-based field surveys
• Survey instrument design
• Conducting and managing large surveys
• Construction and management of databases
• Quantitative and qualitative data analysis
• Reports of international quality
• On-time submission of deliverables
• Competitively priced services