State-Based Monitoring and Research Assistants

PROGRAMME BACKGROUND

Propcom+ is an eight-year (2023–2030) rural and agricultural market systems development programme funded by UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and implemented by Palladium. The programme promotes climate-resilient and sustainable agriculture and forestry that deliver benefits for people, climate, and nature.
Propcom+ seeks to transform Nigeria’s rural economy by addressing the environmental, social, and economic challenges within the country’s food and land-use systems. The programme pursues three interconnected objectives: (i) increasing agricultural productivity while improving nutrition and food security; (ii) strengthening climate resilience, reducing emissions, and protecting and restoring natural ecosystems; and (iii) addressing underlying drivers of conflict and insecurity in rural communities.

Now in its fourth year of implementation, Propcom+ continues to facilitate sustainable, pro-poor, and climate-resilient growth across selected rural markets. Operating as a market systems facilitator, the programme identifies constraints that limit market performance and catalyses systemic changes that enable markets to function more effectively for poor and climate-vulnerable smallholder farmers, as well as rural micro and small-scale enterprises. The programme aims to increase the incomes and climate resilience of millions of poor and vulnerable Nigerians by 2030, with women accounting for at least 50% of beneficiaries. Following a strategic review at the end of Year 3, Propcom+ has streamlined from 11 portfolios and 36 interventions in Years 1–3 to four core portfolios and nine interventions in Year 4. These interventions comprise a mix of scaling, pilot, and policy-focused initiatives; with gender, nutrition, conflict, and climate considerations embedded as cross-cutting themes.

Propcom+’s geographical focus has evolved over the life of the programme. During Years 1–3, the programme adopted a three-tier implementation model, prioritising states in North-West and North-East Nigeria (Tiers 1 and 2), where climate-smart agricultural interventions addressed the needs of poor and climate-vulnerable populations. In Southern Nigeria (Tier 3), the programme implemented a more targeted set of activities focused primarily on promoting deforestation-free commodity systems. In Year 4, Propcom+ refined its geographical focus by expanding into additional states in Northern Nigeria while streamlining its southern portfolio to three states: Cross River, Oyo, and Ekiti.

PURPOSE
Propcom+ seeks to engage individuals to serve as monitoring and research assistant (MRA) in Jigawa, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau, Taraba, Yobe, Oyo, and Ekiti states where programme interventions are ongoing. To be engaged in their states of residence, the MRAs will oversee data validation activities, primary data collection and research-related assignments. Up to two MRAs will be recruited per state.

SCOPE OF WORK
The MRAs are expected to carry out the following tasks:

1. Review programme information, including intervention decks and implementation updates.
2. Review related MERL information - intervention results chains, indicators, and indicator reference guidelines.
3. Attend onboarding training, orientation, and other supplementary training to aid their understanding of the programme and its Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) requirements.
4. Conduct data validation/verification activities and spot checks following desk review of data submitted by programme partners. This will be done through in-person field visits to confirm the contents of datasets submitted by partners.
5. Support data collection during commissioned studies/surveys.
6. Collect market information on inputs and produce prices through visits to pre-determined markets.
7. Attend programme events and activities within assigned states as required.
8. Submit activity-based reports and month-end reports detailing completed activities and outputs, attaching relevant means of verification such as pictures, attendance sheets, etc.

LOCATION, TIMING AND DURATION OF ASSIGNMENT: Each MRA is expected to work in their state of residence. The timeline for the assignment is from 16 September 2026 to 31 March 2027 with a total Level of Effort of a maximum 20 days per month for all MRAs engaged in a month. This assignment will be provided on a call-down basis, as the need arises in each state. From the above scope of work, specific work orders will be generated and executed monthly, as needed, to clarify the expected tasks and Level of Effort (LoE) and deliverables.

MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENT: The MRAs will report to the MERL Manager, who will be closely supported by the MERL Specialists. Close collaboration is expected with members of the various intervention implementation teams.

Expected Qualifications, Competencies and Experience

Successful candidates are expected to have the following qualifications, experience and tools:

• A degree holder in any agricultural discipline, social sciences and related fields
• Demonstrated strong data collection skills:
• Intermediate use of Microsoft Excel application for data entry, validation checks, and preliminary pivot table analysis.
• Intermediate use of Microsoft Word application to write activity-based and monthly reports.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to speak and write in both English and local languages of assigned states.
• Ownership of a functional Laptop and Android mobile phone.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Applicants (individual consultant) should submit the following:

• Technical Proposal: Curriculum Vitae (CV) with examples of previous work and evidence of residence in the state you are applying to work.
• Professional Fees: The daily rate expectation should be clearly stated in the application

Please send your submission to procurement.propcomplus@thepalladiumgroup.com by 7 September 2026, 5 pm, with the subject “State-Based Monitoring and Research Assistants (MRAs)” indicating the state.

Evaluation Criteria: The overall rating of each submission will be based on the available score of 1-100 marks, using the assessment criteria below. Specifically, each criterion is to be rated against the weight assigned to it. The overall rating shall be as follows: 0 - 40 (unsatisfactory); 41 - 50 (satisfactory); 51 - 60 (average); 61 - 80 (above average) and 81 - 100 (exceptional)

Criteria Weighting (%)
Technical Proposal/Capacity Statement 70
Financial Proposal/Budget 30