CONSULTANT- ADPTATION INSIGHTS PROJECT
THE ORGANIZATION
The Alliance of Bioversity International (www.bioversityinternational.org) and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) (www.ciat.cgiar.org) delivers research-based solutions that harness agricultural biodiversity and sustainably transform food systems to improve people's lives. Alliance solutions address the global crises of malnutrition, climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation.
With novel partnerships, the Alliance generates evidence and mainstream innovations to transform food systems and landscapes so that they sustain the planet, drive prosperity, and nourish people in a climate crisis.
The Alliance is part of CGIAR, a global research partnership for a food-secure future.
About the Project
The Alliance's Climate Action Research Area is seeking consultants to support a systematic review on climate adaptation effectiveness in African agriculture. The consultants will be part of a systematic review group responsible for publication screening, data extraction and quality control as part of a living evidence synthesis. The review is conducted under the Adaptation Insights Project, which aims to increase the availability, quality, and use of climate adaptation data by providing rigorous evidence on adaptation implementation and effectiveness (https://alliancebioversityciat.org/projects/adaptation-insights). The project will support governments, non-government organizations, finance institutions, and private sector actors in adaptation tracking efforts, by identifying effective adaptation strategies, their locations, and mechanisms of effectiveness. The review will synthesize evidence on adaptation effectiveness, causal mechanisms, and assessment methodologies, with a focus on agricultural strategies used by African smallholder farmers to address climate risks and non-climatic stressors. We seek detail-oriented, self-motivated consultants who can adhere to strict methodological protocols for evidence synthesis.
Main responsibilities
- Attend a two-week training to get familiarized with the evidence synthesis research topic and protocol, data extraction tool, and quality control processes.
- Screen publications against predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, using human-assisted machine learning methods.
- Extract relevant data on adaptation effectiveness following a structured protocol, including causal evidence of effectiveness, study design, data collection methods, ensuring comprehensive coverage of gray and peer-reviewed literature.
- Ensure data quality and consistency, verifying data accuracy, validity, and reliability.
- Contribute to the refinement of the data extraction system by providing feedback on workflow improvements and reporting technical issues.
- Participate in regular team meetings and report progress via internal communication tools (e.g., Slack, Google Sheets, Notion).
- Contribute to data analysis and co-author research outputs, based on interest.
Requirements
Required qualifications and experience
- Advanced Degree in Agronomy, Agroecology, Environmental Sciences, Livestock Science, Landscape Ecology, Policy, Agricultural or Development Economics, International Agricultural Development, Climate Change, or related field.
- Proven experience with climate change adaptation projects in the agricultural sector
- Familiarity with systematic reviews, meta-analyses, or evidence synthesis methods in climate adaptation and/or agriculture.
- Understanding of methodologies used in adaptation assessments, including evaluations and impact assessments. Proven experience with econometrics/quantitative analysis is preferred.
- Proven ability to critically assess research methodologies and identify sources of bias in climate adaptation literature.
- Strong organizational and analytical skills, with exceptional attention to detail.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a cross-cultural, remote team environment under tight deadlines.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills in English. Knowledge of French is an asset.
- Proficiency in data analysis and documentation tools, including Microsoft Office (Excel), Google Sheets, and Slack. Experience with R/Python is a plus.
Benefits
Terms of employment
The consultants will report to the Research Team Leader and collaborate closely with project members throughout the systematic review phases. Two weeks training is required before full engagement in screening, data extraction and quality control.
The consultancy will last six months (March-August), with a one-month probationary period and monthly performance reviews to assess progress. The contract may be extended based on performance and project funding availability. The consultancy fee is competitive and based on experience and task performance.
This is a full-time, home-based (remote), nationally recruited consultancy. The Alliance Bioversity-CIAT offers a multicultural, collegial research environment. We are an equal opportunity employer, and strive for gender, diversity and inclusion in our team, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, marital status, or any other characteristic.
- Advanced Degree in Agronomy, Agroecology, Environmental Sciences, Livestock Science, Landscape Ecology, Policy, Agricultural or Development Economics, International Agricultural Development, Climate Change, or related field.