Consultant - Annual Monitoring Survey

WorldFish is hiring a Consultant for an Annual Monitoring Survey in Nairobi, Kenya, as part of a project focused on developing sustainable aquatic feeds. The role involves planning and executing surveys to assess fish feed practices among farmers and millers in various counties. The consultant will manage data collection, recruit enumerators, and ensure ethical standards are met. The project aims to benefit smallholder producers in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Project Overview

WorldFish is implementing a 5-year project titled "Development and Scaling of Sustainable Feeds for Resilient Aquatic Food Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa" (FASA), funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad). The project collaborates with partners such as the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), CORAF, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Aller Aqua Zambia, the Natural Resources Development College (NRDC), international consultants, local feed millers, and farmer organizations to develop affordable, nutritious aquatic feeds using local ingredients. This initiative aims to benefit 5,000 smallholder aquatic food producers in Kenya, Nigeria, and Zambia.

To effectively monitor and evaluate the progress and impact of the FASA project in Kenya, we are implementing an annual monitoring survey focusing on fish feed practices and performance among fish farmers (both grow-out and hatcheries) and feed millers. This survey will assess the accessibility and utilization of local fish feed ingredients across six counties in the Lake Victoria region (Kakamega, Busia, Kisumu, Siaya, Migori, and Homa Bay) and three counties in the Coastal region (Kwale, Kilifi, and Mombasa). Each year, we aim to gather information from a minimum of 800 fish farmers and 150 fish ingredient processors/millers regarding their socio-economic conditions, prevailing practices, challenges, awareness levels, knowledge gaps, and the availability of local fish feed ingredients.​

The findings from these annual surveys will inform FASA's strategies and interventions, ensuring that our approaches are continuously tailored to address identified needs and challenges. Additionally, the data collected will serve as a benchmark for measuring project progress and impact over time, facilitating effective monitoring and evaluation. By assessing the current state of practices in the aquatic feed sector, these surveys will provide insights for an impactful project that addresses key challenges in aquatic food systems in Sub-Saharan Africa.​

To execute this survey, we are seeking a qualified Consultant to lead and manage the farmer and feed miller survey in Kenya.

Scope of Work
• Submit a comprehensive plan of activities to implement the baseline survey, ensuring alignment with the project's objectives.
• Administer surveys and conduct interviews, targeting up to 800 households (estimated 45 minutes per survey) across 6 counties in Lake Victoria region and 3 counties in Coastal region where the FASA project is being implemented.
• Support the process of obtaining ethical approval and research permits from relevant institutional review boards or ethics committees.
• Recruit enumerators for data collection.
• In collaboration with WorldFish staff, provide training on survey methodology, data collection techniques, and ethical considerations.
• Implement measures to ensure the accuracy, reliability, and validity of the data collected during the baseline survey.
• Maintain effective communication with the WorldFish Impact Assessment team throughout the study period.
• Seek feedback from project partners and incorporate necessary adjustments or refinements to the survey instruments.
• Ensure that ethical principles and guidelines are adhered to throughout the baseline survey process.
• Prepare a comprehensive field report summarizing the collected data.
• Submit high quality photos taken during the data collection process.

Deliverables & Due Date
• Submit a detailed plan of activities to implement this project - 30 May 2025
• Submit ethical clearance and research permit application to the relevant ethical review board - 6 June 2025
• Organize and facilitate enumerators' training session for survey in collaboration with WorldFish staff - 20 June 2025
• Deploy the baseline survey and report progress - 27 June 2025
• Submit collected datasets - 18 July 2025
• Submit survey report for WorldFish approval - 25 July 2025
• Submit photos taken during the data collection process - 30 July 2025

Requirements

The successful candidate for this role will have the following experience and skills:
• The Lead consultant must have a minimum of master’s degree in Aquaculture, Agricultural Economics, and related fields. A PhD is preferred.
• The team should have proven experience with CAPI, including​ utilizing electronic devices (e.g. tablets, smartphones) to administer surveys and record responses, designing and programming digital questionnaires with features such as automated skip patterns, real-time data validation, and multimedia integration.​
• Extensive experience in conducting large-scale baseline surveys in the aquaculture sector with digital tools.
• Demonstrated experience in obtaining ethical approvals for research in Kenya, including securing approval from accredited Institutional Ethics Review Committees; applying for research permits from the National Commission for Science, Technology, and Innovation (NACOSTI), and obtaining local research authorizations from relevant county governments.
• Possess a team of dedicated enumerators with several years of experience in executing household survey.
• A good understanding of socio-economic aspects in the aquaculture sector.
• Demonstrated experience to execute the household survey efficiently within a short timeframe.
• Proven track record of producing high-quality reports as an organization.

Application and Budget

Interested consultant(s) are requested to provide a detailed budget proposal with breakdown of charges – research, writing, design etc. and any other costs related to the consultancy. The budget should be submitted along with a brief outline of approach, experience and portfolio of related/relevant products.

Evaluation and Selection

Applications will be evaluated based on the experience and past products, the proposed approach and any value-added ideas/suggestions. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an online interview or be requested for additional information before final selection. This opportunity is open to all applicants – freelancers and consultant setups.