Individual Consultant to support pathways Workstream 2.2 “Including Voice: Local Government and Markets”
To be conducted between 5 April – 30 June 2023
- Background
1.1. About the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN)
Driven by a vision of a world without malnutrition, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) was created under the support of major donors at the UN Children’s Summit in 2002. GAIN, with its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, mobilises public-private partnerships and provides financial and technical support to deliver nutritious foods to those people most at risk of malnutrition. Working with partners, we aim to support and advise governments, businesses, and development partners as they build and mobilise food and nutrition plans to advance nutrition outcomes. Our programs enable better diets via large-scale food fortification, multi-nutrient supplements, nutritious foods for mothers and children, and enhancement of the nutritional content of agriculture products. GAIN is delivering improved nutrition to an estimated 800 million people in more than 40 countries. Looking ahead, GAIN aims to improve the access of 1.5 billion people to nutritionally enhanced staple foods, improve the access of 25 million people to healthier diets, and support positive food system change in 10 countries by 2027.
By 2027, we aim to improve the access of 1.5 billion people to nutritionally enhanced staple foods, improve the access of 25 million people to healthier diets, and support positive food system change in 10 countries
1.2. About GAIN’s Food System Governance programmes’ “Nourishing Food Pathways” initiative.
Nearly 3.1 billion[1] people cannot afford a healthy diet. Efforts to ensure ‘’no-one is left behind’’ and everyone is food and nutrition secure are thwarted and negative impacts are multiplied by the convergence of numerous challenges such as, climate, conflict, economic instability, health and poverty. It is widely agreed that there is an urgent need to further accelerate progress towards the achievement of the United Nations 2030 Sustainability Development Goals. A significant output of the 2021 United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) are the 100+ food system transformation pathways that countries, Indonesia included, have designed and committed to as their practical road maps to rapidly reshaping food systems for people and planet. Countries are presently attempting to move forward from pathways commitment and design to implementation with mobilised resources. Fundamental to the implementation of these pathways are mandates and delivery relationships across multi-levels of government as well as inclusive engagement of multi-stakeholders towards just food system transformation. To support countries in these efforts, GAIN launched its multi-stream, Nourishing Food Pathways (or Pathways) programme, in Africa and Asia.
GAIN’s Workstream 1 has an overarching policy advisory and advocacy focus within this pathways programme and engages in-country with national governments. Pathways Workstream 2.2 aims to support countries Pathways implementation through the entry point of more inclusive, mobilised city governments who are also better connected to the food system, other levels of government and local multi-stakeholders. There is a particular focus on city (local) governments and ‘traditional’ fresh food markets with attention to country’s pathways priorities. This workstream is strongly aligned and coordinated with Workstream 1. Geographically, Workstream 2.2 is engaged in Tanzania, Mozambique and Indonesia, concentrating, per country, on one city and one urban traditional fresh food market within that city.
City governments are viewed as key actors with a mandate, and a range of tools and best practice resources to help make decisions and act in ways that can justly reshape food environments. This is further to their delivery interconnectedness with other levels of government. These local governments have a critical role to play in implementing and realizing the success of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, Nutrition commitments and UNFSS 2021 Country Pathways. This is especially so because of the direct intersection between local government and the daily lives of communities and local environments - from urban planning to managing ‘’traditional’ fresh food markets and providing WASH and waste management services. While best practices are shared and learnings ongoing, interpretation varies because it is highly context specific in terms of political frameworks, environment, and socio-economic and other characteristics. City governments can both promote availability and access to a diversity of safe, healthy foods, and discourage sales and consumption of high salt, high fat, high sugar unhealthy foods through their mandate/s and governance tools. Depending on context, local governments have a wider mandate, such as, regulating, monitoring and enforcing food safety; elsewhere this mandate is more service orientated with food safety a function of higher levels of government. However, there are numerous ways in which all local governments can enhance the efficacy of their mandates, leadership and tools, such as food strategies, inter-departmental management teams, multistakeholder platforms, voluntary equity food councils, signatory/membership of city networks like the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact.
‘’Traditional’’ fresh food markets and their formal or informal ‘’governing-management’’ market committees are an example of a critical multi-stakeholder. Vendors and consumers in these markets are typically highly vulnerable to malnutrition and livelihood shocks. These markets are socially valued places of community where those living in poverty and on low incomes engage to communicate and conduct food practices from storage to preparation, cooking, selling, eating and wasting. They also provide access to the bulk of staples and nutrient-dense food for a large share of urban populations in Africa. Similarly in Asia equitable access, especially of urban residents, to healthy food is a challenge. As such these markets are essential to food and nutrition security
- Objectives of the Consultancy
The consultant will work directly with the GAIN Indonesia country team, in particular providing technical support to the Senior Project Associate Food System and Head of Programme/Senior Policy Advisor, and engaging with GAIN’s Global Food Systems Governance program (Drivers of Food Systems Change Cluster). There is a strong exploratory research component to this technical support, focused on food systems, in the field of governance, the ‘’’traditional’’ urban fresh food market and communities. Mandate and stakeholder mapping, and a selection of key informant interviews are examples of key research activities.
GAIN has conducted a desktop study of governance in Indonesia which provides an overview of the country’s governance structure and function, across multi-levels of governments, with an emphasis on food and nutrition including Indonesia’s country pathway priorities. An awareness of governance design, policy, and public budgets in Indonesia, the HLPE Food System Framework Milan Urban Food Policy Pact, the UN Food Systems Summit, and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals is important. There is also some administrative support. GAIN is committed to including the voices of those marginalized like the urban poor with attention also to gender and youth.
- Scope of Work
The consultant will be supervised by the Senior Associate of Food System Dashboard, and work closely with the Head of Programme/Senior Policy Advisor and will need to Provide research and administrative support to the Senior Project Associate Food System and Head of Programme/Senior Policy Advisor and work with the Global team for guidance on methodology and. (S)he shall bring accurate, reliable and professional skills to this role as well as strong research expertise, including desktop, quantitative and qualitative methods as well as community-based participatory techniques, and capable administration skills. (S)he will have experience working in a multicultural program environment with a diversity of partners and teams.
1.1. Specific Tasks
To support the delivery of pathways Workstream 2.2 “Including Voice: Local Government and Markets”, the consultant will:
· Guided by work package tools and templates as well as other research methods, conduct food systems governance research with a focus on local city government and a ‘’traditional’’ urban fresh food market.
- Further development of the FS Governance report on the structure and function of the city/local government of Bogor and identified market. Add to, ground truth and fill in gaps regarding the overall mandate, linkages with other government tiers, legislation, specific roles as linked to food, nutrition, and markets, market fees/planning/operations, and develop an organigram for the market as well as how it operates, size of the market, number vendors, consumers; market hours, the physical size of the market, etc. Supported by photographs, video, and sketches as well as baseline data and exploratory interview style notes.
· Data analysis and presentation of work activities and research in reports. Providing evidence in Excel and Microsoft Word file and providing PowerPoint presentations.
· Accurate APA referencing (and use of excel or other program reference database) and compliance with permissions and GAIN’s ‘Duty of Care principles.
· Contributing towards accurate and reliable work package internal and external communications.
· Liaising with GAIN Global: Food Systems Governance program as part of the multi-country and global work package.
· Providing routine accurate and reliable work package administration as linked to research tasks.
- Estimated Duration of Contract
The consultancy assignment will be conducted over three months period between April-June with key milestones:
- Kick-off meeting with GAIN (3 April 2023)
- Field Study (5-19 April 2023)
- Consultation meeting for feedback on the Draft Report (18 May 2023)
- Day-to-day communication with external and internal key stakeholders including follow up activities and refinement of the report until the Final Report ready by end of June 2023
- Key Deliverables
As outlined in the table below, the consultant is expected to complete and submit the following deliverables against the indicative time schedule. A detailed time and payment schedule will be agreed upon with the consultant prior to signing the contract and grant agreement.
Deliverables | Deadline |
Kick-off meeting with GAIN | 5 April 2023 |
1st draft of the report consists of:
| 15 May 2023 |
2nd draft of the Report (which has addressed feedback from GAIN) | 25 May 2023 |
Final report and PowerPoint Presentation | 20 June 2023 |
- Key Roles and Responsibilities
4.1. GAIN Responsibilities
§ Provide background information and contact details of key internal stakeholders.
§ Provide information on GAIN’s Food System Governance programs’ “Nourishing Food Pathways” initiative and previous documents related to Food System in Indonesia.
§ Provide detailed feedback on all the deliverables sent by the consultant.
§ Transfer payments as per the agreed contract and based on approval of deliverables
4.2. Consultant Responsibilities
The consultant will conduct the assignment by fulfilling the contractual arrangements in line with the TOR, contract, and grant agreement.
- Required Qualifications
The consultant will be selected based on the following set of skills and competencies:
Experience
- Experience working on development programs with multiple stakeholders such as government, community-based individuals or organizations, and/or non-governmental organizations.
- Strong research and reporting writing experience: quantitative and qualitative methods. Community-based participatory research skills are a benefit. (University research studies experience is satisfactory)
- Experience working in multi-cultural as well as low- and middle-income country contexts. Experience in Indonesia is essential, with experience elsewhere in Asia a benefit.
- An understanding of food systems, public sector governance, and/or nutrition is preferable.
- Skilled research administrative experience.
- Proven teamwork experience.
Competences (Skills and Attributes)
- Robust, best practice research and reporting skills: quantitative and qualitative methods. Community-based participatory research skills are a benefit.
- Accurate, reliable, and proactive research task-related administrative skills.
- Highly developed verbal and written communication skills in English and Bahasa.
- Skilled and experienced working with a diversity of team members and/or stakeholders including low-income communities and public sector elected and appointed officials.
- High level of professionalism and integrity.
- Good judgment and problem-solving skills.
- Computer literacy with good Excel, MS Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint skills. Experience using a referencing program as well as a statistic and/or qualitative programs are an advantage. SharePoint experience is a benefit.
Education:
- Undergraduate-Honours degree with robust experience or Master’s degree in relevant area, e.g. public health, development studies, public policy, public administration, or related field.
- Submission Process and Evaluation Criteria
Proposals for this engagement must be sent by email to GAINIndonesia@gainhealth.org cc asutrisna@gainhealth.org with the subject line Consultant for Local Government and Markets not later than midnight 5 April 2023.
The following requirements in the proposal indicate a list of the significant criteria against which proposals will be assessed. This list is not exhaustive and is provided to enhance the applicant’s ability to respond with substance.
- Cover Letter
- Resume
- Two references
- Suggested fee (for 3 months period and expected output) and suggested allocation of days for each specific task listed for this consultancy (maximum 1 page)
- Confidentiality
All information provided as part of the proposal evaluation process is considered confidential. In the event that any information is inappropriately released, GAIN will seek appropriate remedies as allowed. Proposals, discussions, and all information received in response to this TOR will be held as strictly confidential.
[1] FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO. 2022. The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2022. Repurposing food and agricultural policies to make healthy diets more affordable. Rome, FAO. https://doi.org/10.4060/cc0639en