Consultant for transcription services under CSISA-DSR Study – Bihar

  • Location:
  • Salary:
    negotiable / YEAR
  • Job type:
    CONTRACTOR
  • Posted:
    3 weeks ago
  • Category:
    Language and Writing Services
  • Deadline:
    16/10/2024

JOB DESCRIPTION

Uncovering gendered perspectives for adoption of direct seeded rice in Bihar and Odisha, India

Scope of the study:

Direct seeded rice (DSR) is established by directly sowing rice seeds into the fields. It is considered to be a more sustainable approach to rice production, one of the most important crops for food security and rural livelihood in India, in comparison to conventional puddled transplanted rice (PTR). Considering the growing concerns around the unsustainable use of natural resources and water scarcity due to changes in climatic conditions, DSR is emerging to be a favourable alternative for promoting sustainable agriculture practices and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from rice cultivation. Moreover, the labour requirement for PTR is higher as compared to DSR. Bearing in mind labour scarcity and rising wages in Indian agriculture, DSR is deemed to be a solution to sustainably meet rising demand for rice and thus ensure food security.

Despite such critical benefits, the adoption of DSR across Asia, a major producer and consumer of rice, has been rather slow. In India, governments as well as civil society organizations have made considerable efforts to boost adoption of DSR, but we are still far below the planned targets. There is limited evidence on issues surrounding DSR adoption among smallholder farmers. Furthermore, existing literature focuses more on male DSR adopters even though women farmers play a key role in rice transplanting and are likely to be highly impacted due to adoption of DSR. This underscores the need for generating more evidence on the constraints and opportunities for DSR adoption, especially among women and smallholder farmers.

In this context, Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) aims to implement a study to understand the enabling factors and constraints that affect DSR adoption among farmers. Further, this study would also seek to assess the consequences of DSR adoption in terms of equity by analysing its role in expanding choices and available opportunities for different categories of farmers, with a focus on smallholder women farmers. While DSR is considered a labour-saving technology that contributes to reduced drudgery and increased time for other activities, there are concerns that due to limited decision-making ability, control over their income, intrahousehold dynamics as well as prevalent social norms, women often do not benefit from such time savings. In fact, such technologies can in turn result in more work or result in labor displacement, especially for women farmers. In this study, an effort would be made to understand the perspective of women farmers who have adopted DSR and identify the opportunities and constraints through their lens as far as adoption of DSR technology is concerned. Moreover, adoption of any technology can in turn have consequences on nutrition, childcare, empowerment, agency, resource allocation, and other aspects of individual and household welfare, which makes it critical to assess the trade-offs involved in DSR adoption.

The survey districts in Odisha include- Mayurbhanj, Ganjam, Kalahandi, and Puri.

Statement of Work:

The collaborator will be involved in the study for transcribing and translating interview recordings from Odia to English with complete accuracy, capturing every word and detail to ensure transcripts are comprehensive and precise. The recordings add up to roughly 30-35 hours. The collaborator will be responsible for the following tasks:

Transcription:

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· Listen to audio recordings of interviews conducted in Odia with various categories of stakeholders.

· Accurately transcribe every word spoken in the recordings.

· Translate the transcribed Odia text into English.

· Ensure that all verbal nuances, expressions, and contextual meanings are captured.

· Ensure that the translation maintains the original meaning, context, and tone of the spoken content.

· Translate idiomatic expressions, cultural references, and colloquialisms accurately.

· Ensure timely delivery of transcripts as per the agreed-upon schedule.

· The collaborator must ensure that the content of the interviews remain private and secure; all recordings should be handled with the highest level of confidentiality and professionalism.

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Deliverables

· A detailed, word-for-word English transcript of each interview in Odia.

· Transcripts should be provided in a digital format (e.g., Microsoft Word or Google Docs).

· Each transcript should be clearly labeled with the interview date, interviewee name, and any other relevant details.

Timeline

· Timeline to submit the deliverables would be approximately 1 month. The exact dates may vary and some variations in the number of days will be accommodated within the given budget.

· The exact number of hours/minutes will be finalized in consultation with the collaborator.

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Qualification

The ideal candidate should possess the following qualifications:

  1. Language Proficiency:
  • Native or near-native proficiency in both Odia and English.
  • Excellent understanding of linguistic and cultural nuances in both languages.
  • Experience:
  • Proven experience in transcription and translation, preferably in a similar context.
  • Attention to Detail:
  • Exceptional attention to detail to ensure accuracy in transcription and translation.

Application: Please submit (1) a brief letter of interest highlighting qualifications mentioned above, (2) samples of previous assignments, (3) a copy of your updated CV.