Call for Consultant

RfQ No. IDN/VIII/2025-066

Youth Led Agri-food – End line Study

Location                                         : South-Central Timor Regency (TTS Regency), NTT

Application Deadline                  : September 1^st, 2025

Contract Type                              : Professional Service Contract

Working Language                     : The report will be submitted bilingually (English – Indonesian)

Expected Starting Date             : September 15^th, 2025

Contract Period                           : September 15^th – December 15^th, 2025

1. About Plan International

Plan International is a development and humanitarian organization that has been working in Indonesia since 1969 and officially become a national foundation namely Yayasan Plan International Indonesia (Plan Indonesia) in 2017. Our vision is to advance children’s rights and equality for girls. We work to empower and directly benefit 1 million girls and young people, particularly from marginalized and low-income communities. Our mission is we engage people and partners to: 1) Empower children, young people and communities to make vital changes that tackle the root causes of discrimination against girls, exclusion and vulnerability; 2) Drive change in practice and policy at local, national and global levels through our reach, experience and knowledge of the realities children face; 3) Work with children and communities to prepare for and respond to crises and to overcome adversity; 4) Support the safe and successful progression of children from birth to adulthood.

Plan Indonesia is currently implementing its Country Strategy 5 covering the FY 2023 to 2027, with core objective to build a healthy, educated, empowered, safe and resilient generation.

One of our primary focus programs to achieve that objective is work in partnership to create significant change, particularly for young women and youth with disabilities, to be able to enter the workforce or grow sustainable business and prevent stunting. Plan Indonesia will work in partnership to create significant change, particularly for young women and youth with disabilities, to be able to enter the workforce or grow sustainable business. In addition, another priority program is stunting prevention. There are 3 key areas that we are working for stunting prevention namely building a healthy environment which includes of ensuring marginalized communities have access to clean water and proper sanitation and hygiene; effective parenting; and nutrition particularly in the areas of improving knowledge of parents and communities towards the importance of healthy foods for stunting prevention and quality of live. Therefore, the proposed project will address both of our program priorities which is youth entrepreneurship and stunting prevention.

Project Description

Food and nutrition insecurity, high prevalence of stunting, and limited decent employment opportunities for young people, particularly young women represent serious challenges in most remote-poor areas of South-Central Timor Regency (TTS Regency), East Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia. The complex and in-efficient of supply chain in the regency has impacted to the high price and scarcity of food commodity, including on the healthy agri-foods such as vegetables and livestock, particularly during drought season. Low-income families, particularly pregnant women and children under 2 years old are the most vulnerable impacted group of the issue as healthy food intake, particularly those contains animal protein is prime to prevent stunting. The project aims to increase the availability of affordable healthy foods for low-income children and communities to prevent stunting and improve their quality of life through local youth-led sustainable agriculture and livestock businesses that applies technology of water supply and energy for resilience. The project will directly benefit 3,730 people in 25 villages to have access to affordable healthy foods, including supporting job creation for 400 young farmers, particularly young women to lead and manage local food supply.

The Youth Led Agri-Foods Project is collaboration between Yayasan Plan International Indonesia (YPII) and City Foundation. The ultimate goal of this project is to enhance the availability of affordable, nutritious foods for low-income children and communities, with the aim of preventing stunting and improving their overall quality of life. This will be achieved through the establishment of local youth-led sustainable agriculture and livestock businesses.

Here’s a detailed summary of the project’s objectives, activities, and outcomes:

Result 1: Young people, especially young women, will establish food supply businesses in sustainable agriculture and livestock to increase the availability of affordable healthy foods for low-income children and communities. This will involve 400 young people, 60% of whom will be young women.

Result 2: Low-income children and families, particularly pregnant mothers and children under 2 y.o. improved their access to and consumption of affordable healthy foods to prevent stunting.

Project Approach:

• Gender Transformative, Inclusive, and Safeguarding: these components will be the central approach of the program delivery. Plan Indonesia will use our existing policy and guideline of Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) and Gender Action Learning System (GALS) to ensure that the program and influencing work contribute to gender transformative and inclusive change. The Gender Transformative Marker (GTM) tools will be used to assess and track the program’s progress and impact. Low-income families, particularly pregnant mothers, parents with children under 2 years old, and young people will be the main target participants/beneficiaries of the project. Using Plan Indonesia’s safeguarding policy, we will ensure that all beneficiaries are safely engaged in the program.
• Strong participation of key stakeholders to deliver change: using GALS methodology, young people/young farmers will play a central role to contribute to the realization of food security in the target areas, particularly in the supply chain. They will be actively engaged and assisted to be strong suppliers of the accessible and affordable healthy foods in the communities through youth led agriculture and livestock business. In addition, local government such as village government and families of young farmers will be also actively encouraged to support the young farmers in terms of access of land management and business operations. In order to achieve the intended change on the increase consumption of healthy foods among marginalized families, engagement of community health providers will be also established to raise awareness on healthy foods for communities.
• Integration of innovative technology for increasing resilience and sustainability of the agriculture and livestock: TTS Regency has a year-round drought, limiting its water resources. Drip irrigation is the suitable method as it saves water but faces power source challenges. Innovations and renewable energy sources are needed to meet its water needs. To answer this challenge, we will use sustainable technology, namely cloud/dew fisher technology of water collection for irrigation. A set of this technology consists of 10 units of Air Water Generator (AWG) machines and two sets of solar power generators. The AWG machine is a device that captures moist air and turns it into water droplets, which are then stored in a tank. The AWG machine requires electricity to operate, and in terms of sustainable technology, we will be using solar power generators as the source of electricity. One set of solar power generators consists of solar panels and batteries. The solar panels absorb sunlight and convert it into electricity, which is then stored in a DCV battery. The battery’s current capacity can power the AWG machines for up to 10 hours. Ideally, with 10 AWG machines and two sets of solar power generators operating for 20 hours a day, we can produce 800 litters of water per day. This amount of water can be used to irrigate 2,000 plants per day, aged 0-30 days, with a watering duration of 1.5 hours using the drip irrigation method. In collaboration with Nusa Cendana University, this technology pilot project has been tested in early 2023 in Tesiayofanu Village in one of the Green Skills group gardens. Moreover, technological and innovative approaches are also taken to address the storage challenges of agricultural products such as vegetables, eggs, and fish to prevent food waste. A total of 10 chillers with a capacity of 300 litters and a power of 150 watts with electricity from solar panels will be provided in several nutritious kiosks to store agricultural products.

2. End line Study Focus

 2.1 Purpose of the End line

The primary purpose of the end line study is to assess the changes and impact of the B project implemented by X in C district, H province, by comparing end line findings with baseline data. This study will also evaluate the overall effectiveness and relevance of the project interventions to inform future programming and scaling. Specifically, the end line aims to:

a. Assess the project outcomes by measuring the changes in:

1. The business situation of young farmers engaged in sustainable agriculture and livestock, including their annual income;
2. The access to and consumption of affordable and healthy foods among low-income families, particularly pregnant women and children under 2 years old.

b. Evaluate project performance in terms of:

1. Effectiveness: To what extent the project achieved its intended outcomes;
2. Relevance: How well the project design and interventions responded to the needs of the target groups;
3. Sustainability: The likelihood that the outcomes will continue after the project ends;
4. Inclusiveness: To what extent the project reached and benefited marginalized groups, including young women.

2.2 Research Question

The following are research questions for the end line study:

a. Outcome-Level Research Questions

1. To what extent has the business situation of young farmers improved, especially in relation to sustainable agriculture, livestock practices, and income generation?
2. How has access to and consumption of affordable and nutritious food changed among low-income families, particularly among pregnant women and children under two?

b. Project Evaluation Questions

1. How effective were the project interventions in achieving their stated objectives?
2. How relevant were the project strategies and activities to the local context and the needs of target beneficiaries?
3. What factors contributed to or hindered the achievement of outcomes?
4. To what extent are the benefits and outcomes of the project likely to be sustained after its completion?
5. To what extent did the project reach and benefit marginalized groups, including young women?

2.3 Users of the Research

The result of the end line study will benefit and utilized by the following users:

a. Yayasan Plan International Indonesia: Program Director, Program Manager, Senior Project Manager, Impact Team, Youth Led Agri – Foods Project Team

b. City Foundation

c. Youth Led Agri – Food’s project partner

2.4 Research Methodology

Desk Review Entrepreneurship

Through its green skills program in agriculture Plan Indonesia provides hands-on training and wrap-around support from the initial phase and accompany young people in one production cycle from improving access to resources (e.g land, cultivation technology), skills as well as including young people as potential players in the local market ecosystem. In its first phase of the program, the project created local youth champions in the agriculture business that influence families and communities that become important milestones in the expansion and adoption of the program in other areas.

The end line study will be using mix-methods by combining the two approaches both quantitative and qualitative for data collection and data analysis. Quantitative data collection will be conducted by using structured questionnaires, while qualitative data will be collected through interview with informer from targeted respondent.

In addition, the study will include a gender analysis to examine the findings through a gender lens, ensuring that the analysis captures diverse experiences and outcomes among different groups, particularly between young women and men. This approach aims to produce more inclusive insights that can inform future programming and policy decisions.

a. Sample

There will be two population of this study. The first population is the 411 direct project participants, and the second is the village population where the project is being conducted who benefits from this project. The end line study will determine the sample of 411 potential project participants also sample from village population, particularly pregnant women and parents with children under 2 y.o . This study will also conduct KII to private sectors, local governments representatives, community leaders, head of villages and other related stakeholders. This study will use random sampling method to select the research respondents. The consultant should provide sampling matrix based on project survey instrument.

Any method proposed needs to be in line with Plan International’s MERL Standards, namely that it is ethical and consider the needs and wellbeing of any respondents involved including age, sex, disability, and areas.

b. Participant Selection and Recruitment

The respondents will be selected using random sampling method by consultant as proposed in sampling matrix. YPII will share the list of potential target group to be selected as participant at the preliminary / inception briefing, once the consultant is selected.

3. Ethics and Child Protection

Plan International is committed to ensuring that the rights of those participating in data collection or analysis are respected and protected, in accordance with Ethical MERL Framework and our Child and Youth Safeguarding Policy. All applicants should include details in their proposal on how they will ensure ethics and child protection in the data collection process. Specifically, the consultant(s) shall explain how appropriate, safe, non-discriminatory participation of all stakeholders will be ensured and how special attention will be paid to the needs of children and other vulnerable groups. The consultant(s) shall also explain how confidentiality and anonymity of participants will be guaranteed.

All Plan International staff and consultants hired by Plan International must adhere to Plan Internationals Child and Youth Safeguarding Policy. The consultant must obtain written/ verbal consent from the respondents of primary data collection. Details on child and youth safeguarding will be provided during the inception briefing.

4. Key Deliverables

Within the timeframe of the consultancy, the research consultant(s) should complete the following deliverable:

Table of Deliverables:

5. Table of Payment Schedule

6. Propose Budget

The total amount paid to the consultant(s) in addition to the daily rate of the consultancy includes the total budget necessary to conduct the evaluation. Specifically, it includes:

1. IT equipment
2. Translation costs
3. Internet credit
4. Travel costs
5. Evaluation implementation cost
6. Insurance
7. Expenses/per diems
8. VAT/taxes

YPII will provide support for logistic arrangements as relevant. This might include key documents, facilitating contact and support letters to access key respondents.

The consultant is expected to present a budget table outlining how the requested total budget splits into the items mentioned above.

7. Expected Qualifications

The required skills and competences for the consultant are:

1. At least 7 years’ experience in conducting baseline, mid-term and end-term evaluations with (I)NGOs
2. Specific knowledge and expertise in economic growth or youth entrepreneurship, green business, food security and stunting prevention
3. Regional working experience in Eastern Indonesia
4. Proven experience in quantitative and qualitative data methodology and analysis
5. Proven experience with a portfolio and recommendations
6. Good communication skills, with the ability to explain complex problems or concepts in simple and easy-to-understand language
7. Experience in researches involving marginalized or vulnerable youth and communities (desirable)
8. Demonstrated understanding of and commitment to children’s rights, gender equality and development issues.
9. Experience in working across multiple sectors including with INGOs. Knowledge of Plan International/Plan Indonesia and its work (desirable)
10. Fluent in Indonesia language and proficient in the use of English both oral and written

8. Application

Yayasan Plan International Indonesia (Plan Indonesia) will coordinate the application and hiring process locally. Firms/teams of consultants with relevant expertise and portfolio are invited to apply for the assignment by sending:

1. A letter of intent expressing the consultant’s or firm’s capabilities and qualifications including a response to the ToR
2. Proposal of the assignment with the following content:

 (a) background; (b) approach and methodology of the assignment outlining key activities and key deliverables produced and proposed content of the evaluation; (c) workplan; (d) Ethics and child safeguarding approaches, including any identified risks and associated mitigation strategies; (e) personnel involved including their CVs and detail task and responsibilities related to the evaluation;

3. Proposed detailed budget, including daily fee rates, expenses, taxes, etc. for all personnel involved as outlined above
4. Proposed timelines
5. Organization Profile with the information on: (a) current and previous relevant works and clients/users; (b) CV of the personnel involved in the assignment and their key responsibilities/roles in the assignment.
6. Police Certificates of Good Conduct (SKCK)

The application can be sent electronically through the email: Yayasan.procurement@plan-international.org mentioning the code [IDN/VIII/2025-066_FoodsEndline_Consultant Name] in the email subject, before 5 PM of September 1^st, 2025.

Only applicants with complete documents including sample of the previous work will go through the selection process.

 “Women-owned businesses, companies and individual actively engaged or advancing gender equality and women empowerment in the workplace are especially encouraged to apply”.