Proposed Pilot Study – mPig project
International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) seeks to recruit a
consultant within the mPig project to set up the technology required to
conduct the proposed pilot study, e.g. a database with content, and the
technological means to send out and receive text messages to/from a
targeted group of people.
ILRI works with partners worldwide to enhance the roles that livestock play in food security and poverty alleviation, principally in Africa and Asia. The outcomes of these research partnerships help people in developing countries keep their farm animals’ alive and productive, increase and sustain their livestock and farm productivity, find profitable markets for their animal products, and reduce the risk of livestock-related diseases. www.ilri.org.
ILRI is a not-for-profit institution with a staff of about 700 and in 2015, an operating budget of about USD83 million. A member of the CGIAR Consortium working for a food-secure future, ILRI has its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, a principal campus in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and offices in other countries in East, West and Southern Africa and in South, Southeast and East Asia www.cgiar.org
The position:
ILRI identified the pig sector in Uganda as one of nine livestock systems worldwide where research investments are most likely to make a major difference to the livelihoods and diets of poor people. Since 2012 CGIAR Research Programs (CRP) Livestock and Fish (L&F) and Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH) have been conducting research on the performance of the pig value chain, and the challenges and opportunities for enhancing the pork sector. The mPig project will support CRP L&F by piloting innovative methods to disseminate demanded information to pig value chain actors, to increase pig growth and reproductive performance on farm, improve market access for poor value chain actors, and ultimately improve food security through increased pork production. It supports CRP A4NH through applications on pig zoonoses, production of safe pork, and improved human nutrition. The research will directly build on work by CRP L&F and A4NH targeting pro-poor smallholder pig value chains in Uganda and funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, Irish Aid, and BMZ (through the Safe Food Fair Food project). The project will link farmers, traders, butchers and consumers to the information platform. These collaborations greatly enhance the probability of success and ultimate development impact.
In particular the consultant is expected to set up the technology required to conduct the proposed pilot study, e.g. a database with content, and the technological means to send out and receive text messages to/from a targeted group of people.
The main process and product outputs:
1st phase: preparatory work
The content (developed by ILRI and VSF) will be provided in simple MS office programs such as Excel and Word. The data will then be fed into a web-based application. This application must eventually be linked to a local or international mobile gateway provider from where text messages will be sent out to the end users or where messages can be received from end users.
Activities: (10 days)
There are different scenarios of how end users could possibly communicate with the mPig platform (i.e. disease outbreak alerts, group communication, FAQs etc.)
Activities: (2 days)
Once the content is developed by the ILRI/VSF working group (by June 2015), the consultant will start developing the application and get involved in the field pre-tests (approximately 50 work days). Therefore, this section including specifics on activities and deliverables will be completed by end of May 2015.
Final Products
Phase 1: report on scoping and cost comparing of software and sms providers suitable for mPig project in Uganda (including recommendation on which providers to use) – by 30th April 2015
Phase 2: brief summary on results of cost calculations for different scenarios of message delivery and numbers of subscribers – by 15th May 2015
Phase 3: ready to use web-based SMS application for the pilot study – by 31 December 2015
Payments:
On submission of deliverable and invoice.
Essential Skills and Qualifications will include:
Duration: From 1 April 2015 to 31 December 2015 with a maximum number of 62 working days.
Applications:
How to apply: Applicants should send a cover letter and CV explaining their interest in the position, what they can bring to the job and the names and addresses (including telephone and email) of three referees who are knowledgeable about the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience to the Director, People and Organizational Development by clicking on the “Apply Now” tab above before 31 March 2015.. The position title and reference number MPIG/CONS/02/2015 should be clearly marked on the subject line of the online application.
To find out more about ILRI visit our website at http://www.ilri.org
ILRI works with partners worldwide to enhance the roles that livestock play in food security and poverty alleviation, principally in Africa and Asia. The outcomes of these research partnerships help people in developing countries keep their farm animals’ alive and productive, increase and sustain their livestock and farm productivity, find profitable markets for their animal products, and reduce the risk of livestock-related diseases. www.ilri.org.
ILRI is a not-for-profit institution with a staff of about 700 and in 2015, an operating budget of about USD83 million. A member of the CGIAR Consortium working for a food-secure future, ILRI has its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, a principal campus in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and offices in other countries in East, West and Southern Africa and in South, Southeast and East Asia www.cgiar.org
The position:
ILRI identified the pig sector in Uganda as one of nine livestock systems worldwide where research investments are most likely to make a major difference to the livelihoods and diets of poor people. Since 2012 CGIAR Research Programs (CRP) Livestock and Fish (L&F) and Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH) have been conducting research on the performance of the pig value chain, and the challenges and opportunities for enhancing the pork sector. The mPig project will support CRP L&F by piloting innovative methods to disseminate demanded information to pig value chain actors, to increase pig growth and reproductive performance on farm, improve market access for poor value chain actors, and ultimately improve food security through increased pork production. It supports CRP A4NH through applications on pig zoonoses, production of safe pork, and improved human nutrition. The research will directly build on work by CRP L&F and A4NH targeting pro-poor smallholder pig value chains in Uganda and funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, Irish Aid, and BMZ (through the Safe Food Fair Food project). The project will link farmers, traders, butchers and consumers to the information platform. These collaborations greatly enhance the probability of success and ultimate development impact.
In particular the consultant is expected to set up the technology required to conduct the proposed pilot study, e.g. a database with content, and the technological means to send out and receive text messages to/from a targeted group of people.
The main process and product outputs:
1st phase: preparatory work
The content (developed by ILRI and VSF) will be provided in simple MS office programs such as Excel and Word. The data will then be fed into a web-based application. This application must eventually be linked to a local or international mobile gateway provider from where text messages will be sent out to the end users or where messages can be received from end users.
Activities: (10 days)
- Scoping and cost comparison of application providers
- Scoping and cost comparison of test message providers
- report on scoping and cost comparing of software and sms providers suitable for mPig project in Uganda (including recommendation on which providers to use) – by 30th April 2015
There are different scenarios of how end users could possibly communicate with the mPig platform (i.e. disease outbreak alerts, group communication, FAQs etc.)
Activities: (2 days)
- calculations for the different scenarios and numbers of subscribers to be able to do decide on the mode of delivery for the mPig pilot and to assess the numbers of pilot trial participants for the planning of the randomized-controlled trial
- brief summary on results – by 30 April 2015
Once the content is developed by the ILRI/VSF working group (by June 2015), the consultant will start developing the application and get involved in the field pre-tests (approximately 50 work days). Therefore, this section including specifics on activities and deliverables will be completed by end of May 2015.
Final Products
Phase 1: report on scoping and cost comparing of software and sms providers suitable for mPig project in Uganda (including recommendation on which providers to use) – by 30th April 2015
Phase 2: brief summary on results of cost calculations for different scenarios of message delivery and numbers of subscribers – by 15th May 2015
Phase 3: ready to use web-based SMS application for the pilot study – by 31 December 2015
Payments:
On submission of deliverable and invoice.
Essential Skills and Qualifications will include:
- Diploma in IT or comparable professional experience;
- Five year working experience in relevant field
- good proficiency in English (writing and speaking);
- flexible and communicative
Duration: From 1 April 2015 to 31 December 2015 with a maximum number of 62 working days.
Applications:
How to apply: Applicants should send a cover letter and CV explaining their interest in the position, what they can bring to the job and the names and addresses (including telephone and email) of three referees who are knowledgeable about the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience to the Director, People and Organizational Development by clicking on the “Apply Now” tab above before 31 March 2015.. The position title and reference number MPIG/CONS/02/2015 should be clearly marked on the subject line of the online application.
To find out more about ILRI visit our website at http://www.ilri.org
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