Deadline: 31 March 2020
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), Global Programs (GP) seeks the provision of technical assistance to improve its understanding of market system resilience. Specifically, USDA/FAS and USAID/Kenya and East Africa (KEA) seek to support exploratory research to develop, field test, refine hypotheses, and draft indicators and tools for measuring critical factors that enable market systems to adapt and transform in the face of shocks and stresses.
As such, it will support the U.S. Government’s Feed the Future aim of improving agricultural market system resilience leading to more secure economic opportunities for vulnerable populations facing shocks and stresses in northern Kenya.
Outcomes of Research
Following the hypothesis that resilient market systems have capacities that enable the systems to adapt and transform over time in the face of shocks and stresses, the outcomes of this research will be to:
- To improve USG’s body of knowledge on the effects of shocks and stresses on market systems (e.g., their magnitude, interactions, frequency, whether their impacts are permanent or temporary);
- Further develop operational definitions of proactive characteristics of agricultural, livestock and dairy market systems in Kenya;
- Refine/validate indicators and protocols for measuring proactive characteristics of market systems;
- Develop sub hypotheses based on existing hypotheses to guide future research on market systems resilience in Kenya, and develop market systems resilience measurement tools based on the research findings;
- Identify innovative but practical ways to apply the tools in program design, implementation and evaluation.
Funding Information
- Estimated Award Amount: $350,000
- Period of Performance: 24 Months (Data collection should be complete by month 12)
- Projected Period of Performance Start Date(s): April 20, 2020
- Projected Period of Performance End Date(s): April 19, 2022
FAS will be substantially involved in this project by:
- Reviewing and approving actions throughout the project implementation.
- Establishing the focus County within Kenya
- Facilitating coordination among the recipient and U.S. Government offices in the United States and Kenya
- Providing informational and technical support to coordinate, plan, and implement technical work involving research and participating in the design of activities.
- Providing guidance on scheduling and preparing in briefings and dates for travel.
Eligibility Criteria
- Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS status, other than institution of higher education
- Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) IRS status, other than institution of higher education
- Foreign Public Entities
- Foreign Organizations
- Public & State controlled institutions of higher education
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=325026