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Consultancy for an organization or firm to support a study on the role of Digital Public Goods in advancing locally led climate adaptation in rural India
IFPRI is seeking a qualified organization or firm to co-design and implement field work to understand the role of Digital Public Goods in supporting locally led climate adaptation in rural India, with special attention to strengthening women's intrinsic and collective agency for climate adaptation. This consultancy is for applicants based in India.
Background:
The CGIAR Climate Action Science Program (CASP) aims to drive science, innovation, and collaboration to transform food, land, and water systems for a climate-resilient, net-zero, and equitable future. Through more resilient, low-emissions farms, landscapes, and aquatic systems, CASP will advance research across agri-food systems benefiting 16 million vulnerable small-scale producers and value chain actors across 20 countries. Recognizing that empowering locally led action helps communities, local governments, and development partners shift adaptation decision-making, resources, and authority closer to those most affected by climate change, the Area of Work 3 (AoW3) on Locally-Led Adaptation identifies and addresses the institutional, financial, governance, and information barriers that often prevent locally led adaptation from occurring in practice. Working with communities, local organizations, governments, and financial institutions, AoW3 develops and tests approaches that strengthen local innovation and leadership while embedding successful models in policies, institutions, and financing systems. This enables locally led adaptation to move beyond isolated cases and scale through broader development and climate investment systems.
Within the framework of CASP's AoW3 on Locally Led Adaptation, IFPRI seeks a qualified individual, organization, or firm to co-design and implement a pilot research project to investigate the role of Digital Public Goods (DPGs) in supporting locally led climate adaptation in rural India, with special attention to strengthening women's intrinsic and collective agency for climate adaptation. While the work feeds into a long-term partnership and collaboration, the consultancy advertised under the current requisition is to be completed within 2026, with the possibility of extending to March 2027, due to the nature of the funding cycle.
Scope of work:
The study examines the suite of AI-powered DPGs, such as Know Your Landscape, Commons Connect, Gramify, CLART, Samaaja, the Green Rural Economy platform, and/or the ECHO Hub - and the functions these tools perform in locally led adaptation at the landscape scale.
The selected organization or firm will jointly conduct a pilot study with IFPRI and other partners to examine how effectively the DPGs support community-led climate adaptation and landscape action across the Indian States of Odisha and Jharkhand, and where gaps in that performance exist.
The key objectives of this study are:
Aim 1: Test the usability of and engagement with the DPG suite by community-based organizations (CBOs) field personnel, via a 19-item USE questionnaire (~ n=400), longitudinally.
Aim 2: Examine a longitudinal association of women empowerment and exposure to AI-powered tools using the Pro-WEAI questionnaire (~n = 200).
Aim 3: Examine the impact of the DPG suite on information access and shared decision-making among communities and local actors, using Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping (FCM)/System Dynamics Modelling at baseline and endline (8 sessions total across Odisha and Jharkhand).
The selected organization or firm will conduct the following activities:

1. Conceptualization of an overarching locally led living lab governance framework to support socio-technical innovation co-creation, testing, and scaling processes
2. Co-design and administrate the USE questionnaire for 400 respondents and the Pro-WEAI questionnaire for a sub-sample of 200 respondents.
3. Co-design and facilitate the organization of Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping and System Dynamics Modeling exercises in select locations across India.
4. Analyze the data and produce reports and other outputs.

Deliverables:

1. Inception Meeting with Study Leads by August 31, 2026
2. Enumerator training and pre-testing of the survey instruments by August 31, 2026
3. Digitized baseline USE data and Pro-WEAI data collected by October 31, 2026 accompanied by a codebook and a field note summarizing refusal rates and any deviations from the sampling plan
4. Digitized baseline FCM sessions/System Dynamics Models by November 30, 2026,
5. Digitized mid-line USE data and Pro-WEAI data collected by December 15, 2026 accompanied by a codebook and a field note summarizing refusal rates and any deviations from the sampling plan. The note should also summarize the survey methodology, sampling and respondent identification approaches, implementation process, training and pilot activities, data quality assurance procedures, fieldwork timelines, challenges encountered, and any deviations from the agreed implementation plan.
6. Technical report on Aim1, Aim 2, and Aim 3, by December 31, 2026
7. One op-ed on the emerging evidence by December 31, 2026.
8. Digitized endline FCM session/System Dynamics Models and technical report on FCM results by March 31, 2027

Required qualifications:

• The applicant firm/organization is expected to be an interdisciplinary systems-change practice built around applied systems thinking, system dynamics modelling and participatory processes, with a focus on Learning, Measurement and Evaluation (LME) function and a demonstrated portfolio of climate, natural-resource and livelihoods-related systems work across India. modelling software.
• The named technical lead is expected to have 15+ years of experience in system dynamics modelling and group model building, current or recent visiting faculty status at a recognized Indian academic or development-management institution, and a demonstrated portfolio of 20+ systems thinking and modelling projects delivered across India. The organization should be able to draw on a bench of associates and research associates for field-level and analytical support, and, where relevant, on an advisory network of senior systems-thinking practitioners and mentors.
• Demonstrated experience in applied systems thinking, system dynamics modelling, group modelling and FCM and use of software like STELLA, Vensim, Kumu or similar ones
• A track record of conducting farmer surveys and key informant interviews in India.
• Enumeration capacity: The ability to field a sufficient number of trained enumerators to complete the rapid surveys on a periodical basis.
• Supervisory and QC capacity: Field supervisory staff capable of carrying out random backcheck (in person or by phone) of in-person interviews to verify enumerator accuracy and respondent authenticity.
• Local familiarity: Action research and field work experience in Odisha and Jharkhand is preferred, given the compressed timeline.
• All key team personnel are required to have a master's degree or PhD in economics, development studies, data science, rural management, or a closely related field in addition to the above qualifications. Additional qualifications of the key team personnel include:
  
  • Minimum 2 years of demonstrated experience in field-based research, applied quantitative research, program implementation, or community engagement in rural settings, and/or with community-based organizations, women's collectives, rural livelihoods, agriculture, climate resilience, public service delivery, or social protection programs.
  • Demonstrated ability to conduct qualitative research and field documentation, including interviews, focus group discussions, observation notes, feedback synthesis, and field reports.
  • Demonstrated ability to organize, clean, and analyze field data, and interpret findings; exposure to diverse statistical and programming languages
  • Strong writing skills, including the ability to prepare field notes, meeting summaries, implementation updates, and analytical memos for research and program teams.
  • Demonstrated ability to coordinate effectively with multiple partners, including research teams, implementation partners, technology teams, field staff, and community intermediaries.
  • Comfort working with AI and digital tools and basic data systems, including Excel or Google Sheets, online forms, project trackers, dashboards, and documentation platforms.
  • Experience with monitoring and evaluation, impact evaluation support, survey implementation, including use of tools such as SurveyCTO, ODK, or Kobo Toolbox, field supervision, or mixed-methods research.
  • Working knowledge of systems thinking and system dynamics software like STELLA, VENSIM, KUMU.
  • Fluency in spoken and written English and Hindi is compulsory.

Application for Firms/Organizations:
Interested organizations or firms are invited to apply for this advertisement by submitting the following:

• Complete company details as per the required qualifications
• Detailed budget proposal (including staff daily rates, direct/indirect costs, other fees included etc.)
• CV of the lead consultant and key team personnel

Duration of Contract:
August 2026 - March 2027
Application Deadline:
10 days from the date of posting