Consultant for the development of a decision support tool (DST) for FeSeRWAM Platform – EnGRAIS/IR2

About IFDC

IFDC is a public international organization active in 27 countries in Africa, Asia, and America. IFDC uniquely approaches the global issues of food security and poverty by bridging the gap between research and impact, combining science-based innovations, holistic market systems development, an enabling policy environment, and strategic partnerships to assist farmers and countries to identify and scale sustainable agricultural solutions, including improved nutrient use efficiency. These approaches are needed to boost soil health and crop productivity while reducing the environmental impact of fertilizer use. IFDC translates research into action by using locally driven, environmentally sound, and impact-oriented solutions. With our partners, we seek to close the yield gap, eradicate global hunger, safeguard the soil on which our lives depend, and generate economic resilience for farming households and the countries in which they live.

Responsibilities 

DST 

• Provide a fully functional and user-friendly Decision Support Tool (DST) that is free of bugs and delivers accuracy, reliability, and performance; 
• Ensure the DST is deployed and accessible to all targeted users; 
• Guarantee that detailed and clear documentation is available, covering all aspects of the tool; 
• Develop and deliver a training program, that will enable users to effectively use the DST. 

Agri-based technologies 

• Ensure that agri-based technologies are deployed and accessible to all users through the FeSeRWAM Web platform; 
• Develop and deliver comprehensive training material to enable users to effectively access the agri-based technologies. 

The consultant will work with the project team to clarify some of the expected outputs and provide advice on additional outputs necessary to attain the main objective as specified. 

The consultant will submit the following deliverables:  

• A plan to execute the consultancy; 
• A fully functional and intuitive DST and agri-based technologies functionalities that meets the stakeholder requirements;
• User interface designs and prototypes for stakeholder review; 
• Technical documentation detailing the architecture, code source, and user instructions detailing tool functionalities and usage;
• A training program outline and materials for end-users;
• A final report summarizing the development process, challenges faced, and recommendations for future improvements;
• Signed warranty agreement.  

Requirements  

The ideal candidate should possess the following qualifications: 

• Proven professional experience in software development, particularly in building decision support or analytical tools; 
• Economical modelling and optimization experiences; 
• Proficiency in linear programming languages relevant to web or application development (e.g., Python, JavaScript); 
• Experience with data analysis and visualization tools; 
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders; 
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal; 
• Good knowledge of the West Africa agricultural sector of the target country and the agro-ecological zones, including socio-economic and regulatory constraint; 
• Familiarity with DST development frameworks. 

Reporting and Work Relationships 

The project is responsible for supervising the consultant's work, including reviewing the progress reports, providing feedback and guidance, and evaluating the consultant's performance. The consultant will be supported by the assigned Team Leader(s).

Location 

This is a national recruitment with a duty station at the IFDC office based in any country in West Africa. The assignments can be done remotely using the pertinent means of communication and, when necessary, the consultant may travel within the West Africa region.  

Consultancy Duration and Fees 

The contract period will run from the date of contract signature on December 15th, 2024, until March 31st, 2025.  

Interested candidates should submit their CV along with a cover letter that includes examples of previous work. The consultant will be required to provide a detailed breakdown of the budget needed for the work and any other necessary resources associated with a work plan and a clear timeline. 

The total budget available for the consultancy is $15,000 and will include: 

• Developer’s fees (hourly or project-based). 
• Additional costs related to software licenses, tools, or resources necessary for development. 

Diversity Clause 

IFDC is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion, and offers equal employment opportunities based on ability, performance, and potential. Equal opportunity is integral to the recruitment and selection practices at IFDC. IFDC recognizes the value in recruiting employees with different backgrounds, knowledge, experiences, perspectives, and beliefs. IFDC recognizes and values the contribution of people with a diverse background in capabilities, experience, and perspectives. Diversity encompasses gender, age, experience, education, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation and cultural backgrounds as well as other dimensions such as lifestyle and family responsibilities.   

About Program/Project 

The Feed the Future Enhancing Growth through Regional Agricultural Input Systems (EnGRAIS) project, funded by USAID and implemented by IFDC since 2018, aims to increase agricultural productivity and ensure food security in West Africa and the Sahel. A key initiative under EnGRAIS is the FeSeRWAM platform, which integrates Agricultural Input Packages (AIPs) to improve farmers' yields and productivity. FeSeRWAM is an interactive, digital, online, and georeferenced web-based platform that offers key technical, operational, and site-specific agricultural input recommendations targeted at various potential users, particularly extension workers and smallholder farmers in West Africa. The platform serves as a vehicle for over 600 innovative Agricultural Inputs Packages (AIP) for roughly 25 crops, 578 varieties and 62 fertilizer recommendations. The packages include information on improved seeds, appropriate fertilizer and Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) for various crops tailored for specific Agro-Ecological Zones (AEZ). 

To enhance the adoption of FeSeRWAM platform and consider the variability in input costs and the need for farmers to make informed decisions based on their financial capacities, a Decision Support Tool (DST) based on the AIPs economic return is needed. This tool will provide users with a smart decision on the AIP to implement in their fields to reach maximum profits. The tool will be incorporated into the FeSeRWAM platform, accessible even offline via web and mobile applications, to assist farmers, extension officers, agro-dealers, researchers, and policymakers in selecting the most cost-effective and productive AIP for specific agro-ecological zones.  

Moreover, improving Nutrient Use Efficiency (NUE) using innovative agricultural-based technologies are key for boosting agricultural production, food security, and economic growth. It is in this context that an inventory of the agricultural-based technologies/techniques in West Africa that has been conducted to enhance NUE, focusing on endogenous raw materials, complementary inputs, eco-friendliness, operational feasibility, affordability, and accessibility. The inventory of these technologies was to provide valuable insights to farmers, policymakers, and researchers in the region and promote sustainable agricultural practices that improve crop yields and minimize the environmental impact of fertilizer use. Promoting the most promising inventoried agricultural-based technologies that improve nutrient use efficiency (NUE) through the FeSeRWAM platform is crucial for facilitating their dissemination and addressing existing challenges in implementing these technologies. Including them on the FeSeRWAM will increase their accessibility.  

Therefore, the aim of this consultancy is to develop a decision support tool in the existing FeSeRWAM and integrate factsheets about technologies that improve NUE.  

For this purpose, EnGRAIS project funded by the USAID/WA Mission implemented since 2018 by IFDC is seeking a software developer to develop the decision support tool as part of the existing FeSeRWAM platform to meet the needs of the end-users, i.e. the farmers. Additionally, the software developer will incorporate agricultural-based technologies for improving nutrient use efficiency (NUE) factsheets into the FeSeRWAM platform (Web and mobile).