Request for Proposals: To Implement Nutrition-Sensitive Agricultural Interventions in Nigeria

Deadline: 20-Mar-23

Applicants are now invited to submit their applications to assess capacities required to implement nutrition-sensitive agricultural interventions and develop a strategy for building identified capacities.

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) with support from the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) therefore developed the Nigerian Agricultural Sector Food Security and Nutrition Strategy (AFSNS) 2016-2025. The purpose of the AFSNS is to guide the activities of FMARD, States’ Ministries of Agriculture (SMA) and the wider agricultural sector in Nigeria, to improve nutrition, and to support effective advocacy for mobilization and allocation of resources required for the agriculture sector nutrition interventions. The AFSNS has been domesticated in three states – Kaduna, Kano, and Lagos, with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).

Key steps, agreed after consultations, for developing the Workforce Strategy include:

Identify the policies and programmes needed to support the implementation of the AFSNS (as part of a theory of change), including the current landscape of policies and programmes and how they could best foster the government’s desired objectives for the sector.

Determine which capacities (individual, organization, systems) are needed by government authorities (FMARD, state, LGAs) to implement those policies and programmes across the sector and across levels.

Develop a workplan (strategy and implementation plan) to develop and strengthen those capacities.

Objectives

GAIN Nigeria seeks an implementing partner (an organization) who will work closely with GAIN and its partners to assess capacities needed to implement nutrition-sensitive agricultural interventions and develop a strategy for building identified capacities (Workforce Strategy), vis-à-vis the background to the Workforce Strategy development. As part of the steps for the development of the Workforce Strategy, a stakeholder consultation was held in January to compile lessons from ongoing agricultural interventions and consolidate priorities of the agriculture sector at federal level and for Kaduna, Kano, and Lagos States. The outputs of the workshop include:

° Agricultural sector priorities from the AFSNS that also align with recently developed National Food Systems Transformation Pathways.

° List of agricultural interventions and programs being implemented by FMARD, Kaduna, Kano, and Lagos State Governments and their stakeholders and partners.

° Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of ongoing interventions/programs.

• Systemic, organizational, and individual capacity needed to address weaknesses and threats

Building on these outputs, the implementing partner will carry out the following tasks:

• Assess each agricultural intervention/program supported by FMARD and each of Kaduna, Kano, and Lagos State Governments, and document the components and activities of each intervention/program as well as a detailed SWOT of each intervention/program.
• Identify the entry points for integrating nutrition into each of these interventions/programs, drawing from key recommendations for mainstreaming nutrition into agriculture and the AFSNS.
• Determine the systemic, organizational, and individual capacity required to successfully integrate nutrition into each intervention/program, while also addressing intervention/program weaknesses and mitigating the impact of threats.
• Develop a pragmatic, validated strategy for building the required capacity.
• Develop guidance and tools for implementing the Strategy, by adapting existing guidance and tools to the local context.
• Pilot implementation of the Strategy in selected states and document outcomes and necessary revisions to the Strategy.

Deliverables

Assess each agricultural intervention/program supported by FMARD and each of Kaduna, Kano, and Lagos State Government, and document the components and activities of each intervention/program as well as a detailed SWOT of each intervention/program.Activity: Report for each of FMARD, Kaduna, Kano, and Lagos States documenting interventions/programs and SWOT.Timeline: 5 May 2023

Identify the entry points for integrating nutrition into each of these interventions/programs, drawing from key recommendations for mainstreaming nutrition into agriculture and the AFSNS.Activity: Report detailing and diagraming pathways through which interventions/ programs (individually or in groups) can improve nutrition.Timeline: 20 May 2023

Determine the systemic, organizational, and individual capacity required to successfully integrate nutrition into each intervention/program, while also addressing intervention/program weaknesses and mitigating the impact of threats.Activity: Report of capacity needs assessment.Timeline: June 2023

Develop a pragmatic, validated Strategy for building the required capacity.Activity: Capacity/Workforce Development Strategy.Timeline: 01 July 2023

Develop guidance and tools for implementing the Strategy, by adapting existing guidance and tools to the local context.Activity: Guidance documents and tools.Timeline: 31 July 2023

Pilot implementation of the Strategy and accompanying guidance and tools in selected states and document outcomes and necessary revisions to the Strategy.Activity: Report of Strategy pilot and outcomes Report of pilot trainings using adapted tools.Timeline: 30 September 2023

Eligibility Criteria

Must be a Civil Society Organization (CSO) including Business Members Organizations (BMOs), Local Community Based Organizations (CBOs), Faith Based Organizations (FBOs) and Private for- Profit Organizations with valuable experience in capacity needs assessment and capacity strengthening, especially in the development sector.

Must operate as an independent, non-politically affiliated organization.

Must be a registered legal entity in Nigeria, as applicable, at least one year prior to the submission.

APPLY HERE