USAID/FTF Food basket and Resilience Consultancy

BACKGROUND

The International Rescue Committee’s mission is to help people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and regain control of their future. Founded over 80 years ago, the IRC is a leading humanitarian and development organization with presence in more than 40 countries. Across contexts, the IRC is committed to delivering innovative, high-impact programs tailored to the needs of communities affected by crisis.

The IRC has been present in Nigeria since 2012 when the organization responded to flooding in Kogi State. Since then, IRC has emerged as a critical partner in addressing the humanitarian crises in the Northcentral, Northeast and Northwest through a multi-sectoral, client-centered and integrated program approach for conflict-affected populations. In Fiscal Year 2023, IRC assisted more than 800,000 displaced people and host communities with interventions in primary healthcare, nutrition, environmental health, protection, education, food security and livelihoods (Humanitarian, Resilience and Development Interventions). IRC Nigeria operates a country office in Abuja and has field offices in Adamawa, Borno, Yobe, Zamfara, and Katsina States. With almost 700 staff, and a diverse group of local partners, IRC Nigeria implements programs funded by a variety of institutional donors, UN agencies and private foundations. 

Project Overview 

Food Basket and Resilience are two anticipated five-year USD $25-50 million activities funded by Feed the Future (FTF) in Nigeria. FTF aims to sustainably reduce global poverty, hunger and malnutrition in Nigeria as reflected in USG Global Food Security Strategy for Nigeria (2024-2029). To do so, FTF will:

i) strengthen resilience among people and systems by increasing sustainable agricultural productivity and improve adaptation to and recovery from shocks and stresses, and

ii) ensure Nigerian population, especially women and children, is well nourished through increased consumption of scale and nutritious foods and increased use of direct nutrition interventions and services. These activities will focus on six Nigeria priority states: Nasarawa (NC), Sokoto (NW), Zamfara (NW), Kano (NW), Kaduna (NW) and Plateau (NC).

SCOPE OF WORK

The Capture consultant will support capture and engagement efforts ahead of the release of these funding opportunities by performing a literature review, gathering intel from stakeholders, donors, and partners, and pre -position the IRC with potential partners, consortia and donor. Pre-positioning efforts will prioritize engagement at federal level (Abuja) and in Sokoto, Zamfara and Kano states.

The Capture consultant will work under the supervision of Capture lead and the technical lead, and work closely with IRC Nigeria’s technical units viz Economic Recovery and Development (ERD), Nutrition, Governance, Grants and Partnerships, and Finance teams to ensure the capture team has access to the most updated and reliable information about these two funding opportunities. In addition, the Capture consultant will coordinate closely with the Country Director (CD), the Deputy Director of Programs (DDP) and the Consortium BHA Team Leader in the NW on engagement and positioning with the donor, federal and state authorities and relevant stakeholders. The Capture consultant will regularly communicate progress to colleagues in-country and other relevant internal teams and stakeholders.

The Capture will undertake the following tasks, to be adjusted with the Capture team (refer to Appendix):

Intel gathering

• gather intel on potential bidders, consortium composition, other consortium’s win themes and differentiators, to update competitive landscape and competition matrix
• gather intel on NOFO content, geographic scope and donor’s motivators and priorities.

Literature review

• review, analyze and summarize 2024-2029 Nigeria GFSS, relevant USAID strategies and policies, other relevant USAID and FTF documentation
• review, analyze and summarize FTF-funded activities annual reports and evaluation reports to identify lessons learnt and best practices
• collect, review and summarize relevant Federal and State strategies and plans with regards to food security, resilience and nutrition

Positioning

• Contribute to the development of presentations and talking points ahead of meeting with USAID/FTF, other donors and relevant Federal/State authorities and governmental agencies
• Support positioning with donors, relevant Federal/State authorities and governmental agencies and secure their support to IRC
• Travel, as requested, to engage with State authorities and relevant state agencies.

Partner engagement

• Contribute to mapping of relevant national and local organizations and private sector entities with technical expertise and operational capacities in relevant sectors and targeted locations
• Identify research institutions and private sector entities with expertise in innovation applied to food security, resilience and nutrition
• Provide recommendations in terms of national/local partners, research institutions, technical partners
• Attend, as requested, to conferences, learning events, coordination and working-group meetings to gather intel, collect information on stakeholders and position IRC

Pre-design

• Support discussion on win themes and differentiators and identify any potential gaps
• Support pre-design activities as requested by Capture Lead and Technical Lead

TIMEFRAME

This consultancy will take place in October and November 2024[SK1] and the tasks will be performed in accordance with agreed upon timeframe that will evolve as further information becomes available from the donor. 25 Working days in total

DELIVERABLES

• The Capture consultant will make the following deliverables available to the Capture Lead and the Technical Lead, Technical Focal Points, TAs, DDP and CD:
• Literature review report
• List of people met and contact details
• Talking points, presentations and meeting notes
• Revised competitive landscape and competition matrix
• Draft IRC win themes and differentiators
• Recommendations in terms of next steps and timeframe

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