IFPRI: Consultancy for Seed System Assessment on: “Promoting Resilient Seed Systems in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Settings: Northern Ethiopia – Addis Ababa

IFPRI is seeking a qualified individual/organization/firm within the Agri-food Innovation and Resilience (AIR) Unit for Seed System Assessment on: “Promoting Resilient Seed Systems in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Settings: Northern Ethiopia.” This consultancy is for applicants based in Ethiopia only.

1. Background

Fragile and conflict-affected settings (FCAS) account for a large and growing share of global food insecurity. Seed systems are central to food security, yet in Northern Ethiopia, as in other FCAS contexts, they continue to be disrupted by conflicts, displacement, climatic variability, and market disruptions. Seed delivery, multiplication, research and extension services, and farmer seed stocks have all been affected, and the extent and evolving nature of these effects are not yet fully documented. Addressing these gaps requires a clearer understanding of how local seed systems function, including the availability and diversity of seed, the performance of seed enterprises and markets, farmers’ seed multiplication cooperatives, and the wider policy and regulatory environment and of how different forms of support, including seed assistance can best reinforce rather than weaken seed systems. Evidence remains limited, however, on how best to design such context-specific, market-aware strategies in dynamic FCAS settings like Northern Ethiopia.

Advertisement

A multi-stakeholder assessment will be carried out to understand and help address these evidence gaps in Northern Ethiopia through an evidence-based seed system assessment and an inclusive, stakeholder-driven policy dialogue process, including consideration of the role that digital solutions could play in strengthening seed system responsiveness.

To carry out this work, a qualified consultant [individual/organization/firm/institution] based in Ethiopia (the “Consultant”) is sought to lead field data collection, coordinate stakeholder engagement, and contribute to analysis and synthesis, under the overall technical leadership of IFPRI researchers.

2. Objectives of the Assignment

The objective of this assignment is to conduct a seed systems assessment in Northern Ethiopia and support a consultative policy design process, so as to generate actionable evidence and inform a practical roadmap for rebuilding a resilient, market-supportive seed system in the region. Specifically, the assignment will:

· Generate evidence-based understanding of the constraints and opportunities facing local seed systems in Northern Ethiopia – including the availability, accessibility, and diversity of seed for priority crops, and the influence of prior seed aid on current market dynamics;

· Assess the potential contribution of digital solutions (e.g., AI-enabled advisories, satellite-based monitoring, digital voucher platforms) to strengthening seed system responsiveness and access to real-time information; and

· Facilitate a consultative process with government, seed enterprises, farmer organizations, and humanitarian and development partners to translate assessment findings into a practical, implementation ready policy roadmap for a more resilient, diversified, and nutrition-sensitive seed sector in Northern Ethiopia.

Advertisement

3. Scope of Work/Tasks

The Consultant will carry out two integrated components of work: (i) a seed systems assessment in Northern Ethiopia, combining Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with a broad range of stakeholders; and (ii) a consultative process to translate assessment findings into an actionable policy roadmap. The tasks and methodological approach for both components are detailed below.

3.1 Inception and Planning

· Review background documents and available assessments to contextualize the assignment.

· In consultation with IFPRI researchers, refine and finalize KII and FGD guides, consent scripts, and the final list of priority crops (to be detailed during inception).

· Develop a sampling frame and site-selection plan for KIIs and FGDs that reflects the agro-ecological and conflict-affected diversity of Northern Ethiopia.

· Secure the necessary local approvals and permissions required for fieldwork.

· Prepare a brief inception note (methodology, sampling rationale, indicative schedule, and deliverables).

3.2 Component 1: Seed Systems Assessment

The assessment will combine elements of the Seed System Security Assessment (SSSA) framework with SeedCLIR (Commercial, Legal, and Institutional Reform) approaches to examine the availability, accessibility, and diversity of seed for priority crops, with particular attention to cereal-legume and cereal-millet systems relevant to FCAS contexts. Key areas of analysis include:

· Availability of climate-resilient and nutrient-dense varieties;

· Constraints related to early generation seed, seed multiplication, seed policy, regulation, and certification;

· The influence of prior seed aid on current market dynamics;

· Market functioning, pricing, supply bottlenecks, and gender-related barriers;

· Business models and commercial viability of seed enterprises;

· Existing public- and private-sector innovations addressing seed system bottlenecks;

· Seed quality assurance and regulatory challenges in FCAS settings; and

· Opportunities for digital solutions, including vouchers, advisories, and weather or market information systems.

Data collection procedures:

· Key Informant Interviews (KIIs): semi-structured interviews with representatives of government agencies (federal and regional), seed multiplication farmers’ unions and cooperatives, farmers, private seed companies, seed enterprises, agrodealers, NGOs, humanitarian and development actors, CGIAR centers, and national research institutions.

· Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with farmers, farmer organizations, seed cooperatives, and unions operating in FCAS-affected areas of Northern Ethiopia. Groups should be kept small (6-8 participants) to support open discussion, and, where feasible, disaggregated by gender to capture women- and youth-specific constraints and perspectives.

· All KIIs and FGDs will use guides tailored to each stakeholder category and will be conducted at sites selected to represent varied agro-ecological zones and levels of conflict exposure.

· Obtain informed consent prior to each interview or discussion, and ensure confidentiality and ethical, conflict-sensitive handling of all data throughout.

· Audio-record (where consent is given) and take detailed notes for every KII and FGD; transcribe and, where necessary, translate records as agreed with Senior IFPRI researchers.

· Assess the feasibility of diversified and bundled seed portfolios that support resilience, nutrition, and climate adaptation, drawing on both KII and FGD evidence.

3.3 Component 2: Consultative Process and Roadmap Development

Building on the findings of the assessment, the Consultant will support a consultative design process involving government agencies, farmers’ organizations, seed enterprises, humanitarian actors, and development partners. This process will:

Provide a clear consultative roadmap for how government, donors, and humanitarian agencies can jointly support a more competitive, diversified, and nutrition-sensitive seed sector;

Translate assessment findings into context-specific policy and regulatory recommendations addressing both immediate and long-term seed security needs;

Identify modalities to strengthen community seed producers, expand decentralized seed multiplication, and support women-led seed enterprises;

Identify cereal-legume seed bundles tailored to the agro-ecological zones of Northern Ethiopia that are shovel-ready for integration into public investment plans and humanitarian aid;

Align investment recommendations with Ethiopia’s national seed roadmap and ongoing institutional reform efforts;

Align seed assistance with market development objectives, so that emergency responses reinforce rather than undermine local systems; and

Generate recommendations for shock-responsive seed aid using market-smart approaches (e.g., local procurement, commercial quality assurance systems).

This component will comprise approximately 3-4 targeted consultations with federal and regional stakeholders, complemented by a national consultation and validation workshop. The consultative process will also draw on existing evidence from other assessments.

3.4 Data Management and Analysis

· Systematically organize, clean, and (where relevant) translate the qualitative data (KII and FGD notes and transcripts) using templates and coding schemes agreed with IFPRI researchers;

· Conduct preliminary thematic analysis of KII/FGD data aligned with the key analysis areas set out in Section 3.2;

· Synthesize consultation and validation-workshop inputs into structured documentation; and

· Submit cleaned datasets (KII/FGD notes, transcripts, and recordings where applicable) in agreed formats.

3.5 Consultant Responsibilities

In carrying out the above, the Consultant will be responsible for:

· Securing the necessary local approvals for fieldwork;

· Programming and administering the KII and FGD instruments;

· Conducting fieldwork and maintaining complete interview and FGD records;

· Managing transcription, cleaning, and timely submission of datasets;

· Providing structured inputs into the seed system assessment report, policy brief(s), and the policy roadmap;

· Supporting the organization of stakeholder consultations and the national validation workshop; and

· Responding to feedback from IFPRI researchers on interim and final outputs.

4. Deliverables

The Consultant is expected to produce the following deliverables:

· Inception Note – a brief note covering methodology, KII/FGD sampling frame, tools, work plan, and ethical considerations.

· Seed system assessment diagnostics – cleaned raw data (KII and FGD notes and transcripts), interview and discussion records, and thematic reflections aligned with the key analysis areas in Section 3.2.

· Documentation and thematic synthesis of the consultative policy process – a structured record of stakeholder consultations and the validation workshop.

· Structured inputs into the seed system assessment report, policy brief(s), and the policy roadmap.

5. Duration and Timeline

The assignment is expected to be completed within 7 weeks of the signing of the contract. A detailed timeline, including fieldwork windows and reporting milestones, will be finalized in consultation with IFPRI researchers during the inception phase.

6. Required Qualifications

The Consultant (individual/organization/firm/institution) is expected to assemble and lead a multidisciplinary team suited to both components of this assignment.

Required Qualifications of the Principal Investigator (Team Leader):

· PhD in Public Policy Analysis, Agricultural Economics, Development Economics, Development Studies, or a closely related field;

· At least 8 years of relevant experience leading qualitative or mixed-methods research, evaluations, or policy analysis in agriculture, food security, or rural development, including in fragile or conflict-affected settings;

· Demonstrated experience designing and overseeing KIIs and FGDs with diverse stakeholders, from community-level farmers to senior government officials;

· Strong familiarity with Northern Ethiopia’s seed sector, agricultural policy environment, and FCAS-related humanitarian and development programming;

· Excellent analytical, synthesis, and report-writing skills in English (having working knowledge of Tigrigna and Amharic is a plus), or a demonstrated ability to manage data collection in these contexts is required; and

· Demonstrated leadership and coordination skills, with a track record of managing multidisciplinary research teams.

Team Composition:

The Principal Investigator will assemble a team with the following complementary expertise:

· A qualitative research expert with experience designing and facilitating KIIs and FGDs and conducting thematic analysis;

· A seed system expert with technical knowledge of seed value chains, seed policy and regulation, and seed system security frameworks (e.g., SSSA, SeedCLIR); and

· A data expert familiar with qualitative data analysis software (e.g., NVivo, Atlas.ti, or MAXQDA) and qualitative data management and quality-assurance procedures.

All team members are expected to demonstrate a commitment to ethical research standards, including informed consent, confidentiality, and safe, conflict-sensitive research practices appropriate to FCAS settings.

7. Reporting and Coordination

The Consultant will work under the overall technical leadership of Senior IFPRI researchers throughout the assignment and will liaise closely with relevant government counterparts and stakeholders in Northern Ethiopia.

The Consultant’s Principal Investigator will report progress regularly, seek approval of deliverables, and coordinate access to contacts and documents as feasible.

Regular check-in meetings will be held with Senior IFPRI researchers to review progress and address implementation challenges, particularly given the security and access constraints typical of FCAS settings.

8. Application Procedures:

Interested consultants [individual/organization/firm/institution] are invited to submit in their online application for consideration:

· A cover letter / expression of interest describing the applicant’s (or institution’s) motivation, and relevant experience;

· A brief technical note outlining the proposed team, understanding of the assignment, and work plan;

· CVs of the Principal Investigator and proposed team members, highlighting relevant experience;

· A financial proposal / budget for the assignment

****

*We are unable to respond to all applications, only the selected consultant/firm/organization will be contacted*