Job Description

Background
Internet, TV, and newspapers are still out of reach for the majority of rural farmers.  Face-to-face agricultural extension has limits in terms of scale, efficiency, and engagement with small-scale farmers, especially women in remote locations - during and after COVID-19. Farm Radio International will take advantage of communication technologies such as radio, mobile telephony and IVR technology to reach SHFs, with a particular focus on women.

FRI will build the capacities of selected radio broadcasters and their agricultural and development partners to design and deliver quality programming to share information, build knowledge and facilitate dialogue and deliberation, particularly about good agricultural practices (on target value chains including maize, cowpea, soybean, groundnut and rice), marketing, and nutrition. Committed to small-scale farmers, often in remote geographies and resource-poor communities, FRI’s model is centered on the near-ubiquitous and highly cost-effective medium of radio and deepened through audience engagement and loyalty building through the use of mobile phones and our Uliza IVR technology.

Our overall programming approach will include research and design, capacity development, production and broadcast, and Monitoring and Evaluation. We anticipate working with a number of  carefully selected popular radio stations that will receive the full range of the FRI packages as described here for partner stations, which include all the activities listed below.

Strengthen the Green Leaf Radio Platform for long-term information and communication services on weights and measures, food safety, quality control, market information and linkages, and overall agricultural and livelihood issues for farmers, agribusinesses and other value chain actors

FRI is currently implementing an AGRA project (Green Leaf Program: Innovative Agricultural Advisory Services in Northern Ghana.) that requires the services of a consultant to support a baseline study, which is a key project implementation activity.

The current project is in the Northern, North East, Upper West, and Upper East Regions, which include the zone of influence (Yendi, Mion, Karaga, Gushegu, Nanton, Sagnarigu, Nalerigu, Wa, Nadowli, Wechiu, Fusi, Tumu, Gwollu, Bolgatanga, Yagba, Zebilla and Garu).  The project is currently being implemented with a focus on maize, cowpea, soybean, rice, gender and extension delivery services, etc.

Objective
To provide program implementation support to Farm Radio International Ghana in the Northern Regions to enable the start-up of key project activities.

Scope of work
The consultant will review relevant research documents, consult MERL and design Baseline research funded by USAID through AGRA and finalize the report writing.   More specifically, the consultant will:

• Participate in an orientation meeting with Farm Radio International (FRI) MERL (Monitoring, Evaluation Research and learning) Team.  
• Design gender-sensitive baseline research for sign-off with MERL 
• Design data collection tool and train Field research team on the use of survey software for data collection and how to collect data in a gender-sensitive manner (please use FRI’s guidelines on this)
• Share and review research tools for review and sign off with the MERL
• Analyze and write final baseline report for the AGRA project, including a gender based analysis

Expected deliverables / outputs

• Final Research Design/Protocol
• Field report
• Finalized baseline Report
• Final cleaned dataset

Methodology

• Desktop review of relevant documents from the project and FRI templates and guidelines
• Design and review all research tools for  gender-sensitive formative and baseline data collection
• Train the field research team for gender-sensitive data collection
• Review and analyse all data for report writing, including a gender analysis
• Complete report

Timeframe

• Period: 5 weeks from the date of award

Required Skills or Experience

• University Degree in relevant areas, preferably Masters or higher
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in communication for development 
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in Research methods, especially in agricultural value chain 
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience on gender equality and women’s rights
• Previous experience in conducting similar research in agriculture value chain
• Excellent  analytical and writing skills; including gender based analysis
• Excellent time management and ability to meet deadlines;
• Ability to work collaboratively and from a distance