Job Vacancy at Rikolto – Call for Consultant (GESI Assessment) – May 2025
Working Hours: Full-time
Organization: Rikolto in East Africa
Location: Mbeya, Songwe, and Katavi regions, Tanzania
Application Deadline: 30 June 2025
Rikolto in East Africa is inviting applications from qualified consultants to conduct a Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Assessment for the NATURE FUNDI project. The assignment will focus on understanding gender dynamics, inclusion gaps, and access to financial services within the rice, horticulture, cocoa, and coffee value chains in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania.
About Rikolto
Rikolto is an international NGO with over five decades of experience working with farmer organizations and value chain stakeholders across Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Our mission is to ensure sustainable farmer incomes and affordable, nutritious food for all — achieved through trust and collaboration in the food industry. In Tanzania, we operate under three global programmes: Rice, Cocoa & Coffee, and Good Food for Cities.
Project Background – NATURE FUNDI
The NATURE FUNDI (Nature and Agriculture Transformation by Unlocking Resources to Ensure Funding for the Unbanked and Deepening Inclusion) project is funded by REDAA and aims to address environmental degradation caused by unsustainable farming practices. Implemented from 2024 to 2027, it targets 5,000 smallholders in the first phase with a long-term goal of reaching 100,000 farmers. The project centers on testing credit-based incentives, promoting financial inclusion, and ensuring sustainable agriculture near ecologically sensitive areas.
Consultancy Objective
The consultant will carry out a detailed GESI assessment to:
- Identify roles, responsibilities, and constraints of women, youth, and marginalized populations across the agricultural value chains.
- Analyze access to and control over resources, including financial services.
- Evaluate the inclusivity of existing financial services and recommend ways to improve participation and accessibility for underrepresented groups.
- Propose practical inclusion targets to be integrated into the NATURE FUNDI Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) framework.
Key Areas of Assessment
- Review of gender studies and data in Tanzanian agri-finance.
- Primary data collection from stakeholders including FIs, women/youth groups, agri-enterprises, and informal savings groups.
- Analysis of intra-household and community-level power dynamics.
- Exploration of property rights, access to collateral, and digital finance opportunities.
- Identification of structural barriers and enablers (laws, norms, policies).
- Assessment of perceptions, risks, and financial product suitability for target groups.
Deliverables
- Desk review summary before fieldwork.
- Stakeholder-specific interview tools.
- Field assessment and stakeholder interviews.
- Final report including findings, gaps, recommendations, inclusion targets.
- Presentation/validation session with NATURE FUNDI stakeholders.
- Annex: Stakeholders consulted during the assignment.
Consultant Qualifications
- A postgraduate or undergraduate degree in gender studies, social sciences, or related fields.
- At least 5 years’ experience conducting gender assessments in agriculture or agri-finance within East Africa.
- Strong communication, analytical, and facilitation skills.
- Ability to work independently with diverse stakeholders.
Duration of Assignment
- Estimated 30–45 working days (including fieldwork and reporting).
How to Apply
Qualified individual consultants or firms should submit:
- A cover letter
- Detailed CV(s) with client references
- Contact details of at least three organizations where similar services were provided
- Samples of 2–3 related assignments (assessments/evaluations/research reports)
Submit all documents by email to:
📧 eastafrica.recruitment@rikolto.org
Subject line: Gender & Inclusion Consultancy – Nature Fundi Project
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. If you do not receive a response within two weeks after the deadline, consider your application unsuccessful.
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