WFP GUINEA IS HIRING: National Consultant for Situational Analysis of the Impact of Climate Change on Rice Production and Post-Harvest Losses

POSITION TITLE:

National Consultant for Situational Analysis of the Impact of Climate Change on Rice Production and Post-Harvest Losses

CONTRACT TYPE: SSA/National Consultant (Regular)

Grade: L9

UNIT/DIVISION: PROGRAMME/RESILIENCE

DUTY STATION (City, Country): Conakry

DURATION: 3 months (from December 17 to March 17)

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WFP offers a highly inclusive, diverse, and multicultural work environment.

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A career at WFP offers an exciting opportunity to work in various country, regional, and global offices worldwide alongside passionate colleagues working tirelessly to ensure effective humanitarian assistance reaches millions of people globally.

We offer an attractive compensation package (please refer to the Terms and Conditions section of this job announcement).

THE CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

Climate change has become one of the most significant challenges affecting agricultural systems in Guinea, where agriculture plays a critical role in the economy and food security. The vulnerability of crops to climate change is a growing concern. Agriculture is often highly dependent on climate-sensitive factors such as rainfall and temperature, and smallholder farmers often lack resources to adapt quickly to changing conditions.

Rice is a staple food essential for millions of Guineans, forming the backbone of food security and rural livelihoods in the country. However, rice production is particularly sensitive to environmental changes driven by climate change. For example, rising temperatures may reduce crop productivity by shortening the growing season, altering rice plants' water needs, and increasing the spread of pests and diseases. Increasingly erratic rainfall can lead to periods of flooding and drought. Prolonged droughts reduce water availability for irrigation, while floods can destroy crops in the fields, further threatening yields.

Additionally, increased extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, and heatwaves can cause large-scale crop damage and losses, making agricultural production even more unpredictable. These environmental changes not only reduce yields but also exacerbate post-harvest losses as crops become more vulnerable to spoilage during transportation, storage, and processing.

Aware of these challenges, the World Food Programme (WFP) Guinea is committed, in collaboration with various national stakeholders, to developing a more resilient agricultural sector. Strengthening resilience in the rice value chain will require a comprehensive understanding of the impact of climate change on rice production across different regions. These areas differ in terms of climatic conditions, soil types, and agricultural practices, meaning localized solutions are crucial to effectively addressing climate impacts. The government aims to use this assessment to identify vulnerabilities in rice production and develop adaptation strategies that protect farmers' livelihoods while ensuring a stable rice supply for the population.

In addition to production issues, it is essential to mitigate post-harvest losses to ensure food security. Post-harvest losses, which refer to the deterioration of crops after harvest, can be influenced by climate variability. For instance, unpredictable weather can disrupt drying processes, affect storage conditions, and increase crop spoilage. Adapting post-harvest practices to be more climate-resilient—by adopting improved storage facilities, better processing techniques, and transportation infrastructure—will be critical in minimizing food losses and ensuring more rice reaches markets and households. By assessing these vulnerabilities and incorporating climate adaptation into agricultural policy, Guinea can strengthen its rice production system, improve food security, and create a more sustainable future for the national agricultural sector.

WFP Guinea launched the project "Rice for Resilience and Market (R4RM): Climate-Resilient Rice Post-harvest and Access to Market in Guinea" in 2024 with support from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs of the Republic of Korea (MAFRA). The goal of this project is to manage post-harvest rice losses, with a focus on areas (storage, packaging, transport) targeted during the survey.

These Terms of Reference focus on the situational analysis activity of the impact of climate change on rice production and post-harvest losses in Guinea.

Intervention Area:

The primary target area for this work includes Boke in the Boke region, and Beyla, Lola, Nzérékoré, and Yomou in the Nzérékoré region, with the possibility of extension to other regions.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The main objective of this study is to map and diagnose the impact of climate change on rice production and post-harvest management in the targeted regions.

Measuring Progress:

• Develop a comprehensive questionnaire for a survey targeting smallholder farmers.
• Conduct semi-structured interviews with national stakeholders.
• Carry out field missions to assess the impact of climate change on rice production and post-harvest losses.
• Write a report on the impact of climate change on rice production and post-harvest losses.
• Organize a validation workshop with the participation of national stakeholders from the rice value chain.
• Prepare presentation slides to explain the entire research and results, including how they contribute to national policies.

Methodology:

Data Collection:

Methods will include semi-structured interviews (individual and group discussions), document analysis, and household surveys. The partner or consultant will contact local authorities and other key individuals, not only to inform them about the mission's objectives but also to proceed with data collection (individual and/or group discussion), document review (existing reports), and discussions with national and international institutions working in the field of climate change. Finally, a validation workshop will be organized with local stakeholders, followed by report dissemination.

Assessment of Existing Program Coverage:

The goal is to understand the link between climate change and post-harvest losses and the management of rice production, as well as the work being done in Guinea and neighboring countries. The review should be conducted to develop appropriate questions for interviews and surveys.

Data Collection

Data will be collected using several tools:

• Field surveys: Structured questionnaires will be administered to a representative sample of smallholder farmers to gather information on their harvesting, storage, and processing practices, as well as their experiences with post-harvest losses and market access.
• Semi-structured interviews: Interviews will be conducted with key stakeholders, including local authorities, farmer associations, financial institutions, NGOs, and market operators, to understand the institutional and economic dynamics.
• Group discussions: Workshops and group discussions will be organized in farming communities to delve into specific challenges related to post-harvest management and the impacts of climate change.

DELIVERABLES:

At the end of the assignment, the following results should be achieved:

• Deliverable 1: Detailed methodological note and data collection tools validated by WFP.
• Deliverable 2: Data collection and analysis.
• Deliverable 3: Draft report addressing the study questions, including results, conclusions, and recommendations from the document review and primary data.
• Deliverable 4: Organize the validation workshop. Debrief and present results at the validation workshop.
• Deliverable 5: Final report, incorporating all feedback received during the validation process, validated by WFP and stakeholders.
• Deliverable 6: Produce an executive summary of the final report, no longer than five pages.

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK: COMMON STANDARDS OF BEHAVIOR:

These are the common standards of behavior that guide the way we work together to achieve our mission.

• Lead by example with integrity
• Respect WFP’s values, principles, and standards.
• Respect others and value diversity
• Stay focused and calm under pressure.
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