Recent Vacancies at Catholic Relief Services (CRS), 28th October, 2019

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is an international non-governmental organization supporting relief and development work in over 99 countries around the world. CRS programs assist persons on the basis of need, regardless of creed, ethnicity or nationality. CRS works through local church and nonchurch partners to implement its programs, therefore, strengthening and building the capacity of these partner organizations is fundamental to programs in every country in which CRS operates. CRS has worked in Nigeria for more than 25 years.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

 

Job Title: Consultant – Baseline Evaluation for Water for Agriculture Project

Location: Abuja
Job Type: Short Term

Terms of Reference
This Terms of Reference (TOR) provides the description and work to be done by a Lead Consultant and Associate to conduct baseline evaluation for Water for Agriculture Project of Catholic Relief Services.

Background
USAID recently awarded a new project to Catholic Relief Services – Nigeria Program called WATER FOR AGRICULTURE. Award start date is 15th July 2019, and the current focus is on start-up activities including development of a comprehensive work plan, elaboration of a detailed MEAL plan, recruitment of staff, and the conduct of preliminary assessments.

The goal of this project is to develop and implement interventions that will sustainably increase water availability and management towards increasing agricultural productivity in Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe states of Nigeria. This effort will contribute to CRS’ new agency strategy, Vision 2030 “Catalysing Transformational Change at Scale”, and specifically to its strategic platform “Scaling Integrated Pathways out of Poverty: Transforming Lives and Landscapes”. It Will also contribute to ongoing efforts to promote resilience, recovery and development within North-East Nigeria.

Strategic objectives include: improve access to water for smallholder farmers and livestock herders and provide small-scale irrigation infrastructure; strengthen the capabilities of local government institutions and community structures to sustainably manage water resources; and strengthen agricultural productivity and production capabilities of smallholder farmers and livestock herders in selected communities.

Primary Purpose

• CRS’ Nigeria program is seeking an experienced Lead Consultant to collaborate with the Water for Agriculture Team to provide to conduct a baseline evaluation for Water for Agriculture Project. The successful applicant will collaborate directly with the WFA MEAL Specialist, Senior Agronomist and DCOP while COP coordinate the process.
• The overall objective of the baseline evaluation is to determine/review baseline values of indicators as listed in the project data and indicator performance data tables for the USAID Water for Agriculture Activity
• This will involve collection and review of both primary and secondary data for the purpose of the evaluation
• Secondary data will be collected from previous FTF evaluation reports and other related surveys while primary quantitative and qualitative data will be collected during baseline collection activity.

Key activities include:

• Work with COP and MEAL Specialist to review draft Water for Agriculture baseline
• evaluation protocol
• Conduct baseline evaluation activity;
• Analyse collected data and report findings of the activity;
• Share findings with the COP and MEAL Specialist
• Review and determine baseline figures for Water for Agriculture activity.

Main Tasks/Deliverables
The consultancy shall achieve these deliverables:

• Baseline evaluation protocol: the protocol will provide a clear description of how the baseline evaluation survey will be conducted. This includes objectives of the baseline evaluation questions, sample design, sample size determination, data quality assurance plan, ethical approval, and reporting. This will be in line with approved WFA Evaluation Plan. This should also be supported with detailed workplan and budget for the activity.
• Baseline evaluation activity: the consulting firm is expected to train enumerators and make other preparations for mobilization to the field to collect data for the baseline evaluation activity. Following the training, it is expected that a pilot test will be conducted. Afterwards, observations from the pilot will be used for revising the questionnaires based on the pilot findings. During the training it is expected activities that ensure data quality assurance should be conducted. This include method to confirm that data has been collected from location as selected by the sample design, daily reviews of data collected to check for consistency and revisit of sampled communities for triangulation and confirmation of data. In addition, data protection and privacy of respondent must be guaranteed stipulated in CRS MEAL Policies and procedures (MPPs). The trained field Enumerators are expected to collect data to form a dataset for baseline evaluation activity. The Field Enumerators will collect both quantitative and qualitative data as planned in the baseline evaluation protocol.
• Data cleaning, analyses and reporting: After completing the data collection activity, the consulting firm will ensure consistency and accuracy in data collected. The data will be analysed using appropriate statistical tools for both qualitative and quantitative data.
  • Analyses will be mostly descriptive showing percentages/proportion, averages, and sum of counts. It will also compare values across producer groups (smallholder farmers), gender, target age groups and states.
  • Level of disaggregation will include yield by type of crop, state, LGA, producer groups (smallholder farmers and herders), gender, age groups and persons with disabilities.
  • Also, results from baseline will be compared with midterm and final evaluation
• The results from the analyses will used for developing the baseline evaluation report.

Approach and Method
Desk research complemented by field studies in the Northeast and the Northwest. Field research must include interviews with key persons from government agencies and NGOs. Field studies must also include interviews with PSPs and members of SILC groups. Similarly, field research must include focused group discussions (FGDs) with SILC groups. This consultancy will be carried out in Abuja, the Northwest (any Feed the Future project States) and the Northeast States.

Within CRS, the consultant is expected to understand how SILC is incorporated and implemented in our emergency, agriculture and livelihoods and health programs. The consultant will be expected to interview past and current project managers (including Chiefs of Party and Project Directors), proposal design team members and technical specialists. The consultant is also expected to understand the value and commitment that CRS Nigeria places on SILC by interviewing members of the Leadership Team.

Within the non-profits, the consultant is expected to understand and articulate how other NGOs implement village savings and lending schemes within Nigeria. The consultant is similarly expected to understand and articulate the federal (national) and state governments’ savings and lending schemes regulatory frameworks.

Schedule of Deliverables

• Baseline evaluation protocol – A baseline evaluation protocol should be reviewed and finalized 1 week after contract agreement. The baseline evaluation protocol should follow the outline:
  • Introduction
  • Objectives of the evaluation
  • Baseline evaluation questions
  • Methodology
  • Sampling design
  • Data collection process
  • Data analysis and reporting
  • Data quality assurance plan (sampling GPS points from data collection points, daily reviews of data collected to check for consistency and revisit of sampled communities for triangulation and confirmation of data, preliminary analysis of data and cleaning of dataset)
  • Tools/data gathering data for each audience group:
    • Pre-test the tools and
    • Translate and back translate the tools into furfure, kanuri and hausa for participant groups as the case might be.
  • Detailed work plan for the evaluation activity
  • Budget for the baseline evaluation
  • Annexes will include the baseline evaluation datasets accompanying codebook/data dictionary (original paper and/or electronic as well as final, clean electronic data sets with syntax) and ask open source support (.txt,. csv, .doc…)
• Baseline evaluation report with a maximum of 30 pages in length (excluding Annexes). The Report will have the following structure:
  • Executive Summary (2 pages)
  • Introduction and background (2 pages)
  • Baseline evaluation questions (2 pages)
  • Methodology and methodological limitations (4 page)
  • Key research findings (15 pages)
  • Conclusions and recommendations (5 pages)
  • Annexes (research instruments, list of people interviewed, references to the documents reviewed, etc.)
• A final consultancy report and recommendation to CRS. The report should be in English.

Required Qualifications

• CRS places premium on selecting competent consultant consisting of a multi-disciplinary team with the requisite combination of skills, expertise and experience to carry out the baseline evaluation as the project components consist of water management for smallholder farmers and herders, capacity building for state and LG institutions for water management, improving productivity and income for smallholder farmers and herders, and conflict resolution amongst farmers and herders
• The Consultant must also be familiar with the USAID Feed the Future Indicator Guide and Global Food Security Strategy (GFSS)
• Ideally, the consulting firm should have an Associate with survey experience in water resource management, livestock and agronomy.

In addition, the Consultant should have:

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in evaluation of international development programming, preferably of recovery/resilience, infrastructure, livelihood and/or social cohesion programs;
• Evidence of having conducted similar USAID evaluation, especially in NE Nigeria on water resource management, agriculture and social cohesion programs.
• Experience in collection and analyses of large dataset using ICT4D platforms.
• Excellent data presentation skills using various data visualization tools PowerBI, Adobe Illustrator
• Use of statistical packages (SPSS, STATA, Excel) and mapping tools (qGIS, ArcGIS) and relevant ICT4D platforms (such as ODK, Kobo, SurveyCTO etc) for data collection, transmission and analyses.
• Also, must be able to transcribe qualitative data using Excel, Atlas MindMap, etc

Payment Schedule

• CRS will pay a consultancy fee based upon a mutually agreeable daily consultancy rate. Logistics for field trips will be arranged separately. CRS will reimburse operational and logistical costs if they are identified and approved by the Consultancy Manager in advance.
• Please note that CRS will deduct and remit to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) a 5% or 10%
• withholding Tax from the total consultancy fees for individuals or organizations in accordance with the Nigerian Tax Law.

Deadline: COB; Thursday, 7th November, 2019.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should send their Expression of Interest (EOI) along with a detailed Resume attached as one document in PDF indicating the Title of the Consultancy and the Consultancy Code: BAW251019 to: tenders.ngr@crs.org

Click here for the complete Terms of Reference (ToR) (.docx)

 

Job Title: Consultant – Conflict Sensitivity and Gender Analysis in 3 NE states (Adamawa, Borno and Yobe)

Consultancy Code: BAW251019
Location: Abuja

Job Description

• Short Term Consultancy for Conflict Sensitivity and Gender Analysis in 3 NE states (Adamawa, Borno and Yobe) for Water for Agriculture Project of Catholic Relief Services.

Terms of Reference

• This Terms of Reference (TOR) provides the description and work to be done on Conflict Sensitivity and Gender Analysis in 3 NE states (Adamawa, Borno and Yobe) for Water for Agriculture Project of Catholic Relief Services.

Background

• USAID recently awarded a new project to Catholic Relief Services – Nigeria Program called WATER FOR AGRICULTURE. Award start date is 15th July 2019, and the current focus is on start-up activities including development of a comprehensive work plan, elaboration of a detailed MEAL plan, recruitment of staff, and the conduct of preliminary assessments.
• The goal of this project is to develop and implement interventions that will sustainably increase water availability and management towards increasing agricultural productivity in Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe states of Nigeria. This effort will contribute to CRS’ agriculture and livelihoods signature program area and ongoing efforts to promote resilience, recovery and development within north east and neighboring Lake Chad Basin countries.
• Strategic objectives include: improve access to water for smallholder farmers and livestock herders and provide small-scale irrigation infrastructure; strengthen the capabilities of local government institutions and community structures to sustainably manage water resources; and strengthen agricultural productivity and production capabilities of smallholder farmers and livestock herders in selected communities.

Primary Purpose

• The National Livestock Transformation Plan (2019-2028) attributes the conflicts of herders and farmers to poor social conditions, governance gaps, lack of economic infrastructure, extreme climate events, environmental degradation and religious or cultural ideologies. More than 80% of livelihoods in NE depend on rain-fed agriculture (both pastoral and crop cultivation).
• The contributory factor to conflicts among farmers and herders are population growth, reduction, resource control and climate change of water in Lake Chad Basin, and obstruction of livestock migration route by Armed Opposition Group (AOG) leading to overuse of water points and reduction of pastureland. This study will provide concrete analysis on determinants of conflicts between herders and farmers and make recommendations on approaches and activities to further integrate conflict-sensitive programming that meets program objectives. In addition, Gender Sensitivity and Conflict Analysis will also identify opportunities for women, young persons and marginalized groups such as persons living with disability to participate and benefit from the Project; and more importantly across agriculture value chain.
• The study aims to identify existing conflict sensitivity and gender barriers or any other obstacles to access Infrastructural social services, livelihood opportunities, and consequences of the differential gender position on women’s access to economic opportunities as well as harmful gender norms that could influence outcomes for men or women, which shall be considered for future planning. The conflict sensitivity analysis should include a focus on youth, integrating Qualitative data about youth knowledge, perception and skills with quantitative data on their barriers to Livelihoods opportunity in crop and livestock production.
• The analysis will disaggregate data by gender and, where possible by status (herders and farmers) and ethnicity to enable CRS, partners and other agencies to develop further recovery programming and advocacy interventions with a gender and age-group perspective.

Main Tasks/Deliverables

• Examine the causes and drivers of conflict and how they interact with each other, with a focus on farmers and herder communities
• Identify lines of social division and sources of connection (connectors and dividers)
• Map out key what fuel conflict between farmers, host comunities and herders involved in fueling conflict or in a position to promote peace with their opportunities and abilities,
• To understand the different impacts of conflict and peace on women and men and male and female youth, and the different roles they play in fueling conflict and building peace
• Provide future initiatives and potential future strategies to focus on the leverage points and either countering negative aspects or strengthening positive ones to work towards peaceful change
• To understand how gender norms and behaviors are being changed by conflict
• To understand what types of conflict are evident in the community in what aspect people find it acceptable to use violence and who is involved in resolving conflicts violently or peacefully, and the means commonly used locally in resolving conflict
• To understand how grazing, poor security and livelihoods opportunities deprivation or differences and behaviors can either drive conflict or build peace. What are sources of tension in the community, and what brings people together along socio-cultural, economic and political lines?
• To analyze how institutions and structures within the community either reinforce or challenge gender norms which drive conflict.

Approach and Method:

• The consultant should suggest the detailed approach and methodology for the assessment based on the general guidelines provided below. The methodology should be gender- sensitive and cover the north east region of Nigeria
• The conflict sensitivity and gender analysis will cover herders and farmers and provide an insight as to what to expect in the target area as well as recommendations for programming approaches
• The assessment will cover Adamawa, Borno and Yola of Nigeria

Note: The following points are indicative, and the specific approaches/methodologies used will be finalized between CRS and the Consultant during Contract negotiations.

• Conduct a comprehensive conflict sensitivity and gender analysis of the North East region of Nigeria
• Assess the gendered powered relationship between men and women, and the differences in their access to resources, priority needs and activities and constraints that they face in relation to each other.
• Access the relationship dynamics among women and youth (15 to 29 years) of different ages, ethnicities and backgrounds, with attention to opportunities and threats to strengthening relations of trust and social capital among women and youth.
• Identify key areas of focus in mainstreaming gender throughout the project, with concrete recommendations.
• Field data collection from project beneficiaries and stakeholders

Schedule of Deliverables:

• Finalize tools and develop protocol:
  • Review relevant literature and project materials
  • Develop the protocols and tools for conducting the conflict sensitivity and gender analysis
  • Present the tools to WFA project management team.
  • Finalize preliminary protocol and tools after having feedback.
• Administer tools:
  • Orient and train the data collectors and project team
  • Initiate and supervise the data collection.
  • Analyze data and share the initial findings with WFA Project team.
• Report writing and data dissemination:
  • Write-up data findings and initial draft report.
  • Share findings with WFA project team.
  • Facilitate a workshop with project team to disseminate findings, conduct a conflict sensitivity and gender problem analysis and develop an action plan for addressing the gender concerns from the findings
  • Final report. This must at a minimum contain:
  • Title page
  • Table of contents
  • Executive Summary
  • Introduction
  • Objectives of the conflict sensitivity and gender analysis
  • Methodology – process how the conflict sensitivity and gender analysis was conducted
  • Summary of Findings
  • Project Gender Priorities
  • Recommendations for integrating and addressing conflict-sensitive and gender considerations
  • Lessons learned
  • Conclusion and recommendations for the project
  • Annexes

Required Qualifications

• Post graduate degree in any one of these: Agriculture, Agricultural Economics, Gender, Conflict, Social Science, Development Studies, etc., and possess formal research skills.
• Experience with conflict sensitivity and gender integration and mainstreaming in a conflict affected region
• Experience with conducting conflict sensitivity and gender analysis in rural and peri-urban communities such as Northeast Nigeria
• Ability to conduct interview and discussions in English and local language (Hausa) desirable.
• Good eye for detail, adherence to logic, and capacity for inductive reasoning
• Strong presentation, facilitating, communication and team working skills.
• Good interpersonal skills, including the ability to conduct discussions with a diversity of people ranging from senior management to project participants.
• Willingness and ability to travel to the rural communities in the North East
• Knowledge in manipulation of GIS tools for conflict sensitivity and gender evidence mapping
• At least 5- 10 years’ experience of research, evaluation and uses of participatory approach and tools
• Spoken and written fluency in English

Payment Schedule

• CRS will pay a consultancy fee based upon a mutually agreeable daily consultancy rate. Logistics for field trips will be arranged separately. CRS will reimburse operational and logistical costs if they are identified and approved by the Consultancy Manager in advance.
• Please note that CRS will deduct and remit to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) a 5% or 10% withholding Tax from the total consultancy fees for individuals or organizations in accordance with the Nigerian Tax Law

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should send their Expression of Interest (EOI) along with a detailed Resume attached as one document in PDF indicating the “Title of the Consultancy and the Consultancy Code – BAW251019” to: tenders.ngr@crs.org.

Click Here For More Information (Drop-box)

Job Title: Project Officer

Job Ref Code: PTR171019
Location: Abuja
Band: 7
Department: Programs
Reports To: Program Manager, Vitamin A supplementation Project.

Context

• CRS has received funding from Micronutrient Initiative (MI), an international not for profit NGO with its headquarter in Ottawa, Canada and a country office in Abuja Nigeria. MI supports and promotes food fortification and micronutrient supplementation program in developing countries including Nigeria. MI program focus in Nigeria include promotion of vitamin A supplementation, salt iodization, iron and folic acid supplementation for pregnant women and use of Zinc and low-osmolarity ORS in the management of childhood diarrhea.
• The Vitamin A Supplement project has three (3) specific objectives. These include:
  • Support the state and LGA teams in Bauchi, Delta and Gombe States to effectively plan and implement the two rounds of optimized MNCHW from 2019 to 2022.
  • Support the state and LGA teams in Bauchi, Delta and Gombe States to effective implementation of the optimized MNCHW microplans in the 3 states from 2019 to 2022.
  • Support the state to provide high quality and effective monitoring and supportive supervision during the two rounds of optimized MNCH week from 2019 to 2022

Job Summary

• The primary responsibility of the Program Officer is to coordinate the planning, implementation and review of the MNCH Week activities in Bauchi, Delta and Gombe states from November 2019 -March 2022.

Specific Job Responsibilities
Program Quality:

• Monitor and coordinate the state level planning, delivery, monitoring and reporting of MNCH Weeks in Gombe and Plateau states.
• Support the state PHCDAs to plan and implement the VAS-SBCC strategy and training of frontline health workers at state level on how to use the materials.
• Actively participate in the state level training.
• Provide technical support to State PHCDA in LGA level training including orientation of town announcers using the key messages developed.
• Planning for MNCHW in Bauchi, Delta and Gombe states. This will involve:
• Support the project states to initiate early planning for all the round of MNCH week from 2019 to 2022.
• MNCHW including advocacies and preparation of detailed work plan and budgets to facilitate early release of funds by the government.
• Quality MNCHW monitoring and supervision during the November 2017 MNCHW.
• Support the M&E Consultant to refine the e-based monitoring platform.
• Recruit, train, and manage NYSC Youth Corpers as independent monitors to conduct monitoring of MNCHW activities in the project states.
• Participate in monitoring and supervision of MNCHW activities in project states and selected LGAs
• Support the M&E consultant to train independent monitors on use of the electronic platform and the development of a harmonized monitoring report.
• Financial & Operational:
  • Manage program budgets, including tracking of financial and material resources for project in the states.
• Representation, Coordination and Advocacy:
  • Develop strong relationships with state stakeholders in key government ministries and agencies – SMoH and SPHCDAs.
  • Represent CRS at all MNCH Week technical review meetings at the states.

Qualifications and Skills

• University degree or its equivalent in Health, Nutrition, Public Health or related field.
• Minimum of 4 years of work experience in project support.in Health and Nutrition programs.
• Demonstrated experience in VAS Programming, Nutrition and/or Public Health programs including VAS, USI, child survival and maternal health and nutrition programs.
• Experience working with an international NGO and at the community level, will be an advantage.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively under pressure and to prioritize competing demands Strategic, analytical and decision-making skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook
• Professional proficiency in English oral and written communication skills; strong demonstrated writing skills required (reports, evaluations).
• Must be domiciled in or willing to work in the project states and selected LGAs for the project implementation.
• Must be personable, tactful, culture sensitive, respectful, confidential and trustworthy.

Deadline: 30th October, 2019; (Time: COB – 5:00pm).

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should download the “CRS Application Form” using the link below, fill and send with a detailed Resume as one document (in a PDF Format) indicating “Position” being applied for and the “Job Ref Code” as the subject of the application application (e.g. MEAL Director, MED211118) to: ng.recruitment_health@crs.org

Click here to Download Application Form (Drop-box)

Click Here for Job Details (Doc)

Equal Employer Opportunity:

• “CRS is an equal –opportunity employer, does not discriminate based on race, color, religion and we are committed to gender sensitive programming and management’. etc.
• Qualified women are strongly encouraged to apply”

Safeguarding

• By applying to this job, I understand and acknowledge that CRS requires its staff to treat all people with dignity and respect and to actively prevent harassment, abuse, exploitation, and human trafficking. Further, I understand that if I am a successful candidate, I will be subject to a comprehensive background check, and my personal/professional references will be asked to evaluate my behaviors related to the above safeguarding-related topics.

Statement of Commitment to Protection:

• ‘’CRS’ recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation’’