Consultancy – Study on the Impact of the Sudan Conflict on Agriculture

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Research on the impact of the conflict in Sudan on agriculture and the role of women in enhancing food security through their contributions to agricultural production

Required: International Consultant – Remote

Project Title: Sudan CO Advocacy Initiative 2024

Donor: CARE USA

Duration of Appointment: 35 days

Expected Start Date: ASAP

1. Background Information

Prior to the start of the conflict in April 2023, Sudan’s agricultural sector provided livelihoods for close to two thirds of the country’s population and contributed up to a third of the GDP. Following the conflict, agricultural production has been severely impacted and as a result severe food insecurity – including devastating famine is being experienced by communities across much of the country. Farmers have been displaced, crops and agricultural goods destroyed or looted, value chains for agricultural inputs have been disrupted and access to financing, and markets decimated.

Women farmers have however been disproportionately affected by the violence, displacement and humanitarian crisis with entrenched gender roles in enabling food security challenged.

Women-led small, medium and large scale agricultural production continues to play a vital role in enabling food security in Sudan and through increased investment and addressing the challenges they face, bears the potential to fill widespread food security gaps in the country.

CARE International in Sudan has secured funding to support advocacy aimed at increasing national and global investment in Sudan’s agricultural production in order to enhance the country’s food security. This would be achieved through the generation of evidence on the impact of the conflict in Sudan on agriculture and the role that small, medium and large scale women farmers have played in sustaining food security. This evidence would demonstrate the potential of increasing support to such initiatives in enhancing overall food security in the country. This will thereafter be complimented by advocacy and communication activities targeting national, regional and international stakeholders to address challenges and gaps in women’s engagement in agriculture.

overall objective (Impact): To contribute to sustainable and food security in Sudan through increased investment in women’s agricultural production during the crisis.

• Expected Outcome 1: Demonstrate the impact that the conflict in Sudan has had on agricultural production.

• Expected Outcome 2: Demonstrate the role of women led agricultural production in promoting food security during the Sudan Crisis and the challenges/barriers they face.

• Expected Outcome 3: To assess the extent and impact of existing support provided to women farmers during the Sudan crisis and identify initiatives that can be scaled up in order to enhance food security.

• Expected Outcome 4: To identify actionable recommendations for stakeholders engaged in the agriculture sector in Sudan to increase their investment/support to women-led agricultural production.

  2. Scope of the Research

• The research will seek to provide evidence for actions and recommendations that can be scaled up at the national level and therefore will:

• Draw data and evidence from distinct regions of Sudan in order to provide a balanced assessment of the impact of the conflict in Sudan on agricultural production. This will be achieved by focusing on area(s) directly affected by conflict i.e. area(s) where agricultural production has been directly impacted by violence, looting, displacement or destruction of agricultural produce as well as area(s) that have not been directly impacted by conflict i.e. areas that have had no targeted violence.

• Examine the variance in resilience and food security between women farmers that have been supported by aid intervention to enable agricultural production and of those that have not received assistance to enable food production.

  • Conduct an analysis and provide an overview of past and current interventions to support women led agricultural production following a stakeholder analysis that will include local, national and international stakeholders (including NGO, government and private sector)
  • Focus the analysis agricultural production to activities that enable food security at the household & community level as well as broader income generating activities in the agricultural value chain e.g. crop production (subsistence farming & cash crop production), livestock production and post­ harvest processing activities

  3. Consultant’s Roles and Responsibilities:

  • Remotely establish working contacts with all field teams in Gedarif, Kasala, South Darfur, South Kordofan, and East Darfur states of Sudan
  • Review of the relevant project documents.
  • Prepare and submit the inception report including methodology, work plan schedules and budget: (the budget covers consultant fees for design of the proper methodology, Inception report should include all required data collection tools, data analyses and reporting, etc.).
  • Identify the appropriate sample size to achieve the survey objective.
  • Design tools/questionnaire and methodology for data collection of both qualitative and quantitative data and share them with Care International for their review and approval.
  • Supervision of data collection (primary data and review of secondary data) and guide the team in the field.
  • Analyze and synthesize data; and prepare reports.
    • Submit data analysis and draft report to CARE International Sudan for review and feedback.
    • Incorporate, compile, and submit final report.

  4. Care lnternational’s Roles and Responsibilities:

• Review and approve the study tools and methodologies.

  • Brief the stakeholders about the purpose of the analysis.
    • Manage and conduct all the data collection process in the field and submit the data to the consultant for analysis.
    • Coordinate with State HAC & security to get permission.
    • Assist in organizing all meetings.
    • Hire enumerators for data collection in the field.
    • Providing/renting vehicles for data collection in the field.
    • Prepare and effect payment for the consultant upon completion of the assignments and acceptance of the final report.
    • Ensure accuracy of representation in the research team and in the interviewees.
    • Provide consultant with all supported documents.

  5. Deliverables

• Remotely, the consultant(s) is responsible for delivering the following documents, answering the elements defined in the methodology:

• Desk review followed by an inception report (S pages max) summarizing thedata collection tools, methodology, timelines, and preliminary analysis.

  • Online training for the field teams and provide all the guidance for field work.
  • Guide the team on how the data should be packaged and submitted to him/her.
  • A draft report (30 pages max) to be submitted to the Program Team which will provide feedback and comment prior the validation/ finalization of the report.
  • Presentation of the major findings of the study to the Country Program Team.
  • A final report that incorporates the comments of the Country Program Team to be submitted to the Livelihoods and Markets Advisor.

• CARE will own the intellectual property rights to all materials submitted by the consultant(s) under the contract. The rights to share/ reproduce the findings of the study will fall to CARE which will be free to reproduce the materials as CARE seems fit. Informed consent must be obtained for any photographs and audio and video recordings as per CIS’s Policy.

  6. Timeline

• The research is expected to start from the 1st of February 2025. The duration of the study will be 35 days. It will be the responsibility of each interested consultant or consultancy group to propose how to organize the assignment. The consultant(s) is expected to provide a timeline and work plan for the study. The parameters below are indicative only:

  • Desk review: 7 days
  • Inception report: 3 days
  • Data collection: 7 days supporting CARE team remotely.
  • Data analysis: 3 days
  • Draft Report: 7 days
  • Presentation: 2 days
  • Final report: 6days

  7. Qualifications

• CARE International is looking for an international consultant who can conduct the assignment remotely and still meet the expected quality of the report. We are looking for someone with the following skills/ qualifications:

• Advanced university degree in Agriculture or equivalent in Social Sciences, International Development.

  • At least 5 years of relevant experience in research/ study and/ or evaluation.
  • At least 3 years of relevant experience in the humanitarian sector especially in Sudan or Arabic contexts.
  • Strong experience in quantitative and qualitative research methodologies.
  • Strong experience in data analysis and proven experience in understanding agriculture systems
  • Experience in market analysis and value chain assessments, employment or income generation activities required.
  • Previous experience conducting assessment in Sudan will be most preferred and desired.
  • Familiarity with key humanitarian principles.
  • Familiarity with the context in Sudan with recent experiences.
  • Ability to work independently and achieve results without close supervision.
  • Strong report writing skills.
  • Fluent English/ Desirable Arabic
  • Excellent organizational and communication skills, and flexibility