IFPRI is seeking a Firm/Organization to implement a survey for household and workersโ survey in Putumayo, Colombia. This consultancy is applicable to firms/organizations based in Colombia only.
Background:
This research study will provide data for the CGIAR Science Program โMultifunctional Landscapesโ (MFL) under the project โBiodiversity for Resilient Ecosystems in Agricultural Landscapes (B-REAL). B-REAL will conserve and restore biodiversity in intensively farmed, climate-stressed regions of Colombia, Kenya, and Peru by integrating biodiversity conservation and management more effectively into agricultural practices.
To enhance biodiversity for resilience, it is important to understand, value, and measure the hidden impacts of agrifood systems within multifunctional landscapes through true cost accounting. This exercise focuses on banana/plantain growers in the Putumayo Department in Colombia and is part of a larger and longer-term analysis to assess differences in external costs of banana and plantain production in Colombia across different regions.
The main research questions for the study are:
What is the true cost of banana production in Putumayo, accounting for environmental and social externalities (external costs)?Are there any systematic differences in the structure of external costs across banana producers (stratified by well-defined characteristics, e.g., form of organization, size, affiliation, etc.)?What best practices can shape improvements to sustainable production standards to minimize external social and environmental costs of banana production?What policy or programmatic interventions such as training, capacity building, incentives, and other support programs can be put in place by sustainable production organizations and the public sector to support strategic environmental sustainability and social equity improvements in the banana sector in Putumayo?The implementer will conduct: i) a qualitative survey with focus groups to understand the banana production sector and ii) a quantitative survey with banana farmers and workers to generate data for the calculation of direct and indirect costs that allow for the estimation of external costs resulting from prevailing production processes, particularly with the respect to the use of natural and human resources (labor management practices, hazard in the workplace, farm workersโ conditions, and respect of labor rights). Questionnaire modules (to be shared with the firm) include the following:
ยท Banana farmer survey: (a) Household roster/demographics, (b) Agricultural activities related to banana production, (c) Banana production, costs, consumption, sales, (d) Other crops production and sales, (e) Other income and costs; (f) Livestock ownership, (g) Use of water, electricity, and fuel/transportation, (h) Incidents and compensation of workers, (i) Hired labor (roster for follow up).
ยท Banana farm workers: (a) General (workersโ roster) demographics, education, involvement in banana activities, (b) Contract types and payments, (c) Benefits, (d) Working times, overtime, leaving job, (e) Relationship with employer, (f) Treatment at work, (g) Health and safety, (h) Training.
ยท Focus group interviews. A guide will be developed to collect information on the general perceptions regarding how banana producers manage natural resources, organize, diversify production, participate in market transactions, engage in labor hiring and in relations in the community, among other topics.
The sample of workers to be interviewed is, in principle, to be drawn from the banana producers interviewed. However, if that is not feasible and the prospective sample is small, we will opt for an alternative approach that targets any banana farm workers inside the study catchment areas.
Statement of Work:
The selected firm/organization will be responsible for coordinating and conducting a household survey and a workersโ survey among farming households in an area between Puerto Asis, Mocoa, and Puerto Guzman in Putumayo.[i] In addition to the quantitative survey, the survey firm is expected to undertake several focus group interviews in each of the selected sites in Putumayo to obtain complementary qualitative information.
The surveys will consist of in-person interviews with 250 banana growing farmers (lasting about 60 minutes) and 200 banana farm workers (45 minutes), conducted via computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI). The final sample size is still to be determined, as is the exact locations. There will be one focus group in each survey location, where a standard set of questions will be covered (60 minutes). The data should be collected by November 30, 2025.
IFPRI will be solely responsible for the design of the quantitative survey instrument and the guiding questions of the qualitative focus group interviews. Selection of exact study locations will be coordinated and conducted in close collaboration with the B-REAL/MFL country team and local partners.
The firm/organization is also expected to:
ยท Obtain enough tablets for CAPI data collection.
ยท Give due consideration to local communities by hiring local staff where possible and working closely with local leaders and communities, through MFL partners if needed.
ยท Hire both male and female interviewers with the necessary language skills to ensure respondents for the individual interviews are matched on sex.
ยท Develop spot- and back-check protocols and share these with IFPRI for feedback prior to the start of data collection.
ยท Participate in regular meetings with IFPRI and the MFL country coordination team throughout data collection.
ยท Share the data generated from the spot and back-checks and additional data collection concerns with IFPRI in a timely manner so that issues can be promptly resolved.
ยท Share the data generated from CAPI (in Stata format) with IFPRI during data collection, as and when the data is uploaded to the servers. These data will not be the cleaned data sets (except for variable and value labels, checking and correcting skip patterns, formatting the data in long format as required), but the raw data sets as sent to the firm from their survey field teams.
ยท Conduct data cleaning to ensure consistency and range-checks; share the error check do-files with IFPRI. Provide responses to queries from IFPRI in relation to data cleaning (as needed).
The activities and deliverables of the survey implementer are detailed as follows:
Activity
Deliverable
Deadline
A. Translate household farmer and workers survey instrument, and focus group interview guide into local languages (as needed)
1. Translated questionnaires
October 15, 2025
B. Obtain ethics clearance, research permits, and/or other necessary local approvals
2. Ethics clearance
October 15, 2025
C. Listing of banana farming households in the data collection sites
3. Household listing
October 15, 2025
D. Develop, test, and finalize the CAPI data entry program that will be used to conduct the interviews in the field.
4. Data program
October 15, 2025
E. With assistance from IFPRI, prepare the field implementation manual prior to enumerator training. The field manual will be the basis for quality assurance of the data collection process.
5. Field manual
October 15, 2025
F. Organize the selection, hiring, and payment of enumerators to conduct the required data collection work.
6. List of enumerators, age and gender
October 15, 2025
G. Facilitate and ensure the smooth operation of the enumerator training and survey pretest in collaboration with IFPRI staff. There should be a 5-day training, followed by a 2-day pretest and debrief.
7. Training and pilot testing report
November 15, 2025
H. Collect data in the field and provide regular status updates during fieldwork.
8. Field schedule
November 15, 2025
I. Deliver cleaned data sets (in Stata format) from the households and workersโ survey in long format. The dataset should include translation of any open-ended questions from local languages to English if necessary.
9. Cleaned data
November 15, 2025
J. Provide a brief report summarizing the fieldwork activities and data management and cleaning.
10. Report
December 15, 2025
Period of performance: September 1, 2025 โ December 15, 2025.
Required Qualifications:
ยท Demonstrated track record of conducting complex and quantitative agricultural household surveys, both quantitative and qualitative survey fieldwork, in Colombia within the past 5 years.
ยท Demonstrated experience with obtaining appropriate local ethics review and permits
ยท Ability to provide adequate logistical and human resources to organize, train, deploy, and supervise survey staff.
ยท Expert knowledge of local context and languages in the target area.
ยท Experience in building trust and good relations with local leaders, interviewees, and communities.
ยท Experience in collecting and managing sensitive information.
ยท Access to a qualified team of local staff fluent in Spanish and/or other local languages.
ยท Demonstrated ability to manage timely deliverables.
ยท Excellent computer skills and experience using CAPI and statistical software packages.
ยท Proficiency in English is preferred.
Application: Please upload a written proposal outlining the approach, human resources, timing, and costs (including details of staff time, training of trainers, field data collection, overhead, etc.), addressing each of the qualifications mentioned above, along with CV/resume for individual(s) leading the work. We expect that the applicant will be a local survey firm able to handle a contract with IFPRI and source the required human resources to fulfil the scope of work themselves. *This requisition is open only to firms/organizations. Interested firms/organizations must submit/upload a cost-proposal with the application for consideration.
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*We are unable to respond to every applicant individually, only the selected firm/organization will be contacted*