Background

Potato farmers in Kenya grapple with various challenges across the value chain, including limited access to quality planting material such as seeds and fertilizers, resulting in decreased yields and inferior crop quality; insufficient storage and post-harvest handling facilities, which contribute to high levels of post-harvest losses exacerbated by factors such as inadequate transportation infrastructure and pest and disease infestations; fluctuating market prices and limited access to reliable market information systems, leaving farmers vulnerable to income instability. These challenges are further exacerbated for women and youth due to the persistent social gaps in the agricultural sector.

Digital tools can play a vital role in addressing these challenges. These tools can provide access to valuable agricultural information, weather forecasts, and best practices, helping farmers make informed decisions and improve crop management. Mobile apps and platforms can facilitate market access by connecting farmers directly with buyers, reducing price fluctuations and ensuring fair returns for their produce. Digital tools can also play a crucial role in addressing post-harvest losses by providing real-time monitoring and management of storage conditions, helping farmers optimize storage facilities to reduce spoilage and wastage. Additionally, digital platforms can provide farmers with information on proper post-harvest handling techniques, including sorting, grading, and packaging, ensuring that potatoes are prepared for market with minimal losses.

This qualitative data collection is intended to provide baseline data and complement quantitative data collection for the CGIAR (Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research) Initiative “Digital Innovation.”

Main Research Questions and Methods

1. How does intensity of digital tools training impact the adoption of digital tools and literacy among Farmer Service Centers (FSCs), and what are the resulting changes in their capacity to support farmers effectively?
2. What are the effects of digitally empowered FSCs on post-harvest management, crop yields, product quality, access to information and services for women farmers and ultimately, socioeconomic outcomes such as increased income, job creation, and enhanced livelihoods within agricultural communities?

Through qualitative interviews and focus group discussions selected communities where a quantitative household survey will be implemented at the same time, the qualitative data will assess:

• Benefits of farmers on utilization of FSCs
• Impact of Business Development and Coaching (BDEC) Program on improving digital literacy and access to agricultural information among FSCs.
• Impact of digital tools in enhancing youth employment and improve household income

Interviews and focus groups will be conducted with FSCs and farmers. The Interviews will focus on the FSCs to understand how the BDEC program has improved their digital literacy and access to agricultural information thus enhancing their capacity to support farmers. Focus groups will be conducted with farmers who have had interactions with FSCs to understand the impact of working with FSCs to improve post-harvest management, employment and household income.

Overall Tasks

The selected firm will be responsible for coordinating and conducting face-to-face qualitative data collection among farming households and communities in selected counties in Kenya (Nyandarua and Nakuru). The qualitative survey will consist of in-person interviews and focus groups with men and women farmers (lasting 90–120 minutes) and trained Farmer Service Centers (FSCs).

The activities of the data collection implementer are detailed as follows:

• Work with IFPRI and the Digital Innovation team of researchers to finalize the protocols for data collection and pilot these in the field.
• Translate interview and focus group protocols and informed consent statement into local languages (as needed).
• Obtain local ethics clearance, research permits, and/or other local approvals. IFPRI will obtain institutional ethics clearance.
• Organize the selection, hiring, and payment of facilitators experienced in qualitative data collection to conduct the required focus groups and interviews. This will include hiring both male and female facilitators with the necessary language skills to ensure respondents for the individual interviews and focus groups are matched on sex.
• With assistance from the IFPRI, provide training to the facilitators and note takers in how to conduct the interviews and focus groups. Each protocol will have specific instructions for the data collection approach. Following training, protocols will be pretested in collaboration with IFPRI staff. There will be 3 days of training, including 1 day of training, 1 day of pre-testing, and 1 day for debriefing.
• Develop a field schedule for the qualitative data collection teams and provide regular status updates during fieldwork.
• Participate in weekly meetings with IFPRI throughout data collection.
• All interviews and focus groups should be recorded (pending consent from the participants), transcribed verbatim and translated into English immediately following data collection. (If the participant does not consent to the recording, a note taker should take as detailed notes as possible.) Transcripts should be delivered to IFPRI in Word format.
• Provide responses to queries from IFPRI in relation to data analysis and translation (as needed).
• Provide a brief report covering qualitative survey fieldwork and any implementation issues.

Period of performance: September 2024 to January 2025.

Required Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience conducting qualitative data collection in Kenya within the past 5 years.
• Demonstrated experience conducting participatory tools and methods such as semi-structured focus group discussions, and in-depth interviews.
• Expert knowledge of local context and languages in the target areas.
• Experience in building trust and good relations with village leaders, interviewees, and communities.
• Strong program management skills.
• Demonstrated experience in successfully coordinating field teams and managing deliverables.
• Demonstrated experience with obtaining appropriate local ethics review and permits.

Application Instructions

Please upload a proposal outlining the approach, human resources, timing, and costs (including details of staff time, training of trainers, field data collection, overhead, etc.), along with CV/resume (including details of previous related experience in relations to the required qualifications) for individual(s) leading the work. We expect that the applicant will be a local survey firm able to handle a contract with IFPRI and source the required human resources to fulfill the scope of the work themselves.

*This requisition is only open to firms. Interested firms must submit/upload a cost-proposal with the application. *

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