Project Title:Enhancing Food Security and Nutritional Outcomes for Vulnerable Women and Children in West Nile, Uganda

Implementing Partners: DanChurchAid (DCA) in partnership with PALM Corps

Project Duration: 2024–2027

Geographical Scope: Bidibidi (Yumbe), Imvepi (Terego), and Rhino Camp (Terego & Madi-Okollo)

Background

PALM Corps in partnership with DanChurchAid (DCA) is implementing four-year project dubbed “Enhancing food security and nutritional outcomes for vulnerable women and children in West Nile”, Northern Uganda, in Bidibidi (Yumbe), Imvepi (Terego), Rhino Camp (Terego& Madi Okollo) districts through a blended approach of Graduation. The project targets 10,000 direct participants in Yumbe, Terego and Madi-Okollo between 2024-2027.

The overall goal of the project is to increase access to healthy and nutritious foods, awareness campaigns and support to climate resilient food production to contribute towards improved nutrition, enhanced food security and resilience of vulnerable refugee and host female-headed households, particularly pregnant and lactating mothers and their children, in West Nile, Northern Uganda.

Outcome 3 of this project focuses on documentation and knowledge sharing; the project intends to gather learnings during the implementation for adaptive project management through evidence-based refinement of strategies and approaches. This outcome also looks to develop a working model that enhances nutrition, food security and self-resilience especially among refugees in West Nile.

Action Research Justification

A core assumption of the project is that increased production and access to nutritious foods would translate into improved nutrition outcomes and food security. However, baseline findings challenge this assumption:

• While 50% of the population has received some form of nutrition education and consistently produces diversified foods, less than one-third met the daily recommended dietary intake.
• Although the Minimum Meal Frequency (MMF) of the children was much higher (70.8%), it doesn’t correspond with the Minimum Acceptable Diet (MAD) which was recorded at 28.9%. These imply that though the household can afford to just eat what is available and affordable, with little consideration of the nutritional value.
• On average as at baseline reduced Coping Strategy Index (rCSI) score was 29.1, which means that the targeted households or communities are experiencing a high level of food insecurity.
• 30% of households still engage in negative coping strategies for food security, despite having access to diversified food production. Some of the negative strategies in the communities include: Relying on less preferred, less expensive food, reduced portion size and number of meals and borrowed food or relying on help from friends or relatives,
• Another area that remains unclear was how to address the knowledge, attitude or practice gap between production and consumption.

Key Research Questions

1. The researcher is expected to come up with the most suitable research questions that will lead to the development of a research product that will support the provision of concrete evidence-based answers to the study questions.

Purpose of this call:

The purpose of this call is to identify a proactive and committed researcher (principal investigator) to conduct an action research for an ongoing food security and nutrition project that will lead to the development of a research product that will improve the quality of impact of the project in realizing better food security outcomes for people affected by humanitarian crises.

Scope of work

• The principal investigator will be responsible for reviewing existing project documents and reports relative to existing literature to gather necessary information to inform the research question.
• The PI will provide methodological guidance on conducting the action research.
• The PI will develop a comprehensive data collection tool in a participatory manner with project teams for the action research.
• The PI will take lead in training the enumerators.
• The PI will take the lead supervisory role by providing technical support to the project team in implementing the research product developed.
• The PI will ensure high-quality research implementation (includes holding check ins).
• The PI will ensure study is compliant with ethical considerations.
• The PI is responsible for data cleaning, analysis and interpretation.
• Adhere to the operational and safeguarding policies that govern the organization including upholding the 7 General Data Protection Regulations and Do No Harm principles.
• The PI will write a knowledge product for peer reviewed publication, advocacy and better information, education and communication materials for use in the project.
• The PI will present the findings during the validation and dissemination meetings.
• The PI is responsible for own laptop, software and license fees.

Palm Corps and DCA

• To review proposals and provide guidance on the research being conducted.
• Mobilize key stakeholders required by the research for data collection.
• Payment of the researcher upon satisfactorily completing the deliverables.

Timeframe

This work is expected to be done between 20 – 30 days, spread flexibly in coordination with the project team.

Location

The project is being implemented in the refugees’ settlements of Imvepi, Rhino Camp, and BidiBidi refugee settlements. The potential respondents will be drawn from these locations.

Deliverables

• A detailed research proposal clearly explaining the research product the investigator intends to develop. A robust methodology that will used to come up with the research project as well as a detailed implementation strategy.
• Summary brief of the research product and implementation strategy for high level audiences within DCA, Palm Corps and other agencies.
• The prototype of the knowledge product developed.
• The raw and cleaned datasets of the research participants. This is vital to be stored safely for future refence.
• Soft copy of all tools and documents developed during the process.
• A final report detailing the entire research, findings and key recommendations for future learnings.

Qualifications and Experience

The lead investigator must:

• Hold a master’s degree in nutrition, public health, or food and nutrition security or any related field. A PHD holder will of be an added advantage
• Degree Be affiliated with a recognized research or knowledge institution.
• Have practical knowledge and experience in implementing nutrition, public health, or food and nutrition security [projects will be an added advantage.
• Possess a strong understanding of Maternal, Infant, and Young Child Feeding (MIYCF) guidelines.
• Demonstrate substantial experience in analyzing and interpreting MIYCF and food security indicators.
• A very extensive understand of software development since a product is required alongside the report.
• Have excellent data analysis skills for both qualitative and quantitative data using appropriate statistical software.

Application Process

Interested candidates should submit the following:

1. Description of the assignment understood by the TOR (1 page)
2. A technical and financial in two separate folders (not exceeding 10 pages):
3. The technical proposal should not exceed 20 pages- should include an annex that summarises the timeline, activity and description of the activity.
4. The Financial Proposal should provide a detailed budget, including daily rates, travel costs, accommodation, other specified costs. PALM Corps will take care of logistical costs such as travels within project area, training materials and workshop related costs (hall hire and meals)- however, PI will guidance on required materials for this study should be mentioned. Note that the financial proposal will be subject to all taxes deemed necessary.
5. Personal profile and CV’s of the potential research team.
6. Any evidence of conducting a similar assignment

Important Note

PALM Corps is a Withholding Tax Agent; therefore, any resulting contract will be subject to withholding tax deductions.

Submission

• All interested applicant should submit their expression of interest and proposals to the email: tenders@palmcorps.org at the latest The proposal responding to this call should be submitted by 6pm May 18^th, 2025. Only shortlisted candidates will be contact.