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Trócaire ↗

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TERMS OF REFERENCE LEARNING INITIATIVE ON SCALING INCLUSIVE AGROECOLOGICAL PRACTICES Irish Civil Society Partnership

📍 Harare 💼 On-site ⏰ Full Time 📋 Permanent Contract 🏷️ Other

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Minimum Experience

0 years

Application Deadline

📅 30/09/2026

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Job Description

Job Description

Trócaire, the Catholic Church’s official overseas development agency in Ireland was established in 1973 and partnerswith local organizations in over 20 countries to promote social justice and sustainable development. In Zimbabwe,Trócaire is implementing agroecology-focused programming under the Ireland Civil Society Partnership (ICSP) aimedat strengthening sustainable and resilient food systems and livelihoods among smallholder farmers in Matobo,Insiza, Gutu and Bikita districts.The ICSP project is being implemented in both Malawi and Zimbabwe. As part of ongoing adaptive programming,Trócaire and its partners in both countries are undertaking a learning initiative to understand the drivers, barriersand sustainability of agroecological practices. The findings will inform future programme design and implementationin both contexts. In Malawi, the initiative is being implemented through 10 partner organisations, while in Zimbabweit involves 6 implementing partners.This learning initiative builds on an established and already completed evidence base, including but not limited todata collected using the Tool for Agroecology Performance Evaluation (TAPE), developed by the Food and AgricultureOrganization of the United Nations (FAO), ICSP Mid-Term Review findings and partner monitoring data. It alsoincludes qualitative data (KIIs and FGDs) that have already been conducted by partners, with recordings andtranscripts to be made available to the consultant. This represents a final synthesis phase, in which the consultantwill bring together and integrate existing evidence into a coherent cross-country learning narrative.2. PROJECT SCOPE AND DATA SOURCESTrócaire Zimbabwe and partners support women and youth farmers to apply agroecological practices in cropproduction strategies as well as integrated soil and water management techniques in natural resource management,resulting in people adopting agro-ecological approaches at household and community levels. Similarly, in Malawi,the programme strategies address sustainable agricultural production using agroecology; diversity of income andeconomic wellbeing; community natural resource management and advocacy on more sustainable governmentagricultural policies.The consultant will not undertake field data collection but will work with existing datasets and recordings providedfrom Zimbabwe and Malawi:▪ Programme MEL datasets▪ TAPE data▪ MTR reports▪ KIIs and FGD recordings/transcripts▪ Partner reports13. PURPOSE OF THE LEARNING INITIATIVE3.1 Purpose of the Learning InitiativeThe purpose is to generate actionable and evidence-based learnings on how agroecological practices are adopted,sustained and scaled across Zimbabwe and Malawi programmes. With reference to the ten (10) elements ofagroecology, the study will provide a comparative analysis of how these elements are adopted and theirperformance in the two different contexts. The report should capture the learning and reflection of local actors. Thestudy will therefore inform adaptive programming under the ICSP project and contribute to longer term strategicdecision-making on agroecology, resilience and livelihoods

Duties and Responsibilities

3.2 Learning themes and questionsAlthough the analysis will be guided by the 10 elements of agroecology as a conceptual framework, the learninginitiative particularly focuses on:(a) Knowledge co-creation and sharing - learning systemsIncluding farmer-to-farmer learning and knowledge co-creation(b) Responsible governance - governance and scaling pathwaysThis will consider institutional uptake, enabling conditions for scaling and policies/local systems(c) Circular and solidarity economy - Market Systems and livelihood incentivesParticularly on whether agroecology is economically viable, market access barriers and sustainability of adoptionThis framework will be used to structure data analysis, identify gaps and generate the actionable learnings.3.3 Learning questionsa) What are the main drivers that influence sustained adoption of agroecological practices at community and household level?b) How do farmer learning systems (formal and informal) influence adoption and scaling of agroecological practices?c) What governance and institutional factors enable or constrain scaling beyond the target areas?d) What market conditions and economic initiatives support or limit continued use of agroecological practices?e) What barriers and enabling factors affect sustainability and scaling across different groups (women, youth andpersons with disability) and contexts?4. EVALUATION METHODOLOGYThe consultant will primarily undertake secondary data analysis, using datasets and recordings provided by Trócaireand partners. No primary data collection is expected to be done by the consultant; however, they will undertake:▪ Descriptive and comparative analysis of TAPE and MEAL datasets▪ Cross tabulation to explore relationships (e.g. adoption versus income or learning systems versus uptake)▪ Desk review and thematic coding of qualitative transcripts from Malawi and Zimbabwe partners▪ Comparative cross-country analysis2Key methodological considerations include applying the agroecology framework, with particular focus on priorityelements such as governance, knowledge systems and markets. The analysis will go beyond description to provideexplanations on why certain patterns emerge. The study should remain focused and avoid broad analysis, whileconsistently applying a GESI lens to assess differences and implications for women, youth and persons withdisabilities.5. PROPOSED APPROACH AND TIMELINESThe assignment is expected to be completed over a total of 14 working days, spread across September and part ofOctober 2026. The 14-day period excludes time allocated for Trócaire’s review and feedback. The consultant isrequired to submit a detailed workplan and timeline demonstrating how all key deliverables will be completed withinthe available timeframe. The proposed timeline should include sufficient time for review, validation andincorporation of feedback from Trócaire and partner organisations. Final deliverables are expected to be submittedby 10 October 2026.6. BUDGET DETAILSThe consultant is required to submit a comprehensive budget, accompanied by supporting documents including avalid Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) certificate and a Tax Clearance Certificate. Compliance with ZimbabweRevenue Authority (ZIMRA) regulations is mandatory. If the consultant cannot provide a valid Tax ClearanceCertificate, Trócaire will be obligated to withhold 30% tax from payments. The budget should primarily cover consultancy fees and any data analysis, communication or coordination costs. No field travel is anticipated.Payments to the consultant will be made in three instalments. The first instalment, amounting to 30% of the total consultancy fee, will be paid upon receipt and acceptance of the Inception Report. The second 30% will be released after the presentation of preliminary findings in the validation meeting. The final 40% will be paid upon submission and approval of the final report and all related deliverables to the satisfaction of Trócaire. All payments will be processed upon receipt of valid invoices.

7. DATA PROTECTIONAll consultants must comply with applicable data protection laws and Trócaire’s data protection policies and guidelines. Consultants are required to ensure the confidentiality, security and appropriate handling of all personaland sensitive data collected or accessed during the assignment. This includes securely storing data, restricting access to authorized personnel only and ensuring that data is not shared or retained beyond the scope of the assignment without prior approval.8. FORMAT FOR SUBMITTING THE PROPOSALInterested cconsultants should submit an Expression of Interest and a technical proposal demonstrating understanding of the TOR. The proposal should demonstrate relevant experience, supported by at least two work samples and references and outline a clear evaluation methodology. It must also address ethical considerations and data protection, and include a work plan with timelines, deliverables and defined team roles.

A financial proposal should detail consultancy fees, and administrative expenses such as translation into isiNdebele, chiShona and Nyanja/Chewa. Additional requirements include a valid quotation period, registration documents, CVs of key team members, three references and one previous evaluation report. If applicable, include the consulting firm profile.

Qualifications and Experience

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCEThe consultant must have at least a postgraduate degree in social sciences, agroecology or a related field and fiveyears’ experience in research, learning reviews or evaluations for regional and international NGOs. Preference willbe given to team which demonstrate previous work in Malawi and Zimbabwe or regional research. Required skillsinclude expertise in quantitative and qualitative research, proficiency in data analysis tools and experience withcross-cutting issues such as gender and disability inclusion.Language competence in (a) Nyanja/Chewa (b) Shona and (c) English are essential, given that the scope of theassignment.10. KEY DELIVERABLESThe consultant is expected to deliver:a) Inception Report (max 10 pages)a. Methodologyb. Analysis frameworkc. Workplanb) Preliminary Findings Presentationa. PowerPoint Slide deckb. Virtual validation sessionc) Final Learning Report (max 25–30 pages)a. Key findingsb. Cross-country comparisonc. Recommendationsd) Country Briefs (2)a. Malawi (3–5 pages)b. Zimbabwe (3–5 pages)

How to Apply

11. PRODUCT RIGHTS AND OWNERSHIPThe ownership of the End of Project reports and associated products will belong to Trócaire and its partners. Anydocuments, publications, photographs, audio recording, and other media related to this review will only be sharedthrough their permission.12. SUBMISSIONInterested organizations and individuals are invited to submit to infozimbabwe@trocaire.org by 7TH of August 2026.

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