1. Introduction

Under the Build component of the Welthungerhilfe Anticipatory Humanitarian Action Facility (WAHAFA), a collaborative effort between ACF and NAZ is being undertaken to develop Anticipatory Action Plans (AAPs) for floods and drought in Chiredzi, Mwenezi, and Kariba. These AAPs will aim to reduce the impacts of predicted floods and droughts on vulnerable communities in these districts. Through the integration of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS), the project aims to enhance early warning systems and preparedness measures by utilizing community-based weather prediction knowledge and local environmental observations.

2. Project Context

The purpose of this project is to integrate Indigenous Knowledge Systems with modern climate prediction tools to provide more accurate and timely early warnings of droughts and floods in Chiredzi, Mwenezi, and Kariba. This will help local communities prepare for and mitigate the impact of these climate events on their food security, livelihoods, and health.

3. Purpose of IKS Gap Analysis

The Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) Gap Analysis aims to identify and assess gaps in the application of traditional knowledge systems to predict and manage drought and floods in the target regions of Chiredzi, Mwenezi, and Kariba. The analysis seeks to leverage the deep-rooted understanding that indigenous communities possess about local weather patterns, environmental changes, and sustainable resource management. This knowledge can be crucial for anticipating and mitigating the impacts of drought and floods on both agriculture and human health.

The purpose of the IKS Gap Analysis includes:

1. Understanding Indigenous Knowledge on Drought and Flood Prediction

Objective: This analysis will inform whether there are traditional practices that could be better supported, strengthened, or integrated into modern disaster risk management systems.

2. Identifying Barriers to the Use of Indigenous Knowledge in Drought and Flood Management

While traditional knowledge systems can be valuable in understanding the natural environment, certain barriers may prevent them from being fully utilized, especially in the face of modern climate challenges such as droughts and floods. Barriers may include:

1. Generational knowledge loss: Younger generations may not be as familiar with the knowledge passed down by elders, leading to gaps in local understanding.
2. Cultural shifts: Modern farming practices, urbanization, and climate change may have altered or minimized the application of traditional knowledge systems.
3. Lack of formal recognition: Indigenous knowledge may not be formally recognized by government agencies or development organizations, limiting its integration into policy and practice.
4. Limited access to modern technologies: While IKS is deeply effective in many contexts, integrating traditional methods with modern climate prediction technologies could help communities better prepare for extreme weather events.

Objective: The gap analysis will identify these barriers and propose strategies to bridge the gap, ensuring that both traditional knowledge and modern scientific approaches work in tandem for better disaster preparedness.

3. Enhancing Community Resilience to Drought and Floods through IKS Integration

Indigenous knowledge systems offer practical solutions that can increase community resilience to climate-induced shocks like droughts and floods. These systems encompass sustainable agricultural practices, water conservation techniques, and early warning mechanisms. The gap analysis will aim to:

1. Identify existing IKS-based practices for managing droughts and floods
2. Assess the current gaps in implementing these practices and explore opportunities to scale them up.
3. Evaluate how local knowledge systems can complement or enhance scientific climate forecasting to provide better early warnings for droughts and floods.

Objective: Ensure that communities can enhance their resilience to climate change by strengthening the integration of IKS into local preparedness plans.

4. Supporting Vulnerable Populations, Including Women and Children

Indigenous knowledge often carries gender-specific wisdom, especially when it comes to managing food security and water resources. Women, who are typically responsible for household food preparation and water collection, play a critical role in adapting IKS for disaster management. The gap analysis will:

1. Identify the roles of women in IKS for drought and flood management (e.g., water management, crop preservation, early warning).
2. Highlight gendered impacts of climate change, particularly how droughts and floods affect women and children, and assess whether traditional knowledge systems provide adequate solutions.
3. Address any gaps in women's access to IKS and explore strategies for empowering them with both traditional knowledge and modern tools for disaster resilience.

Objective: Ensure that vulnerable populations, especially women and children, can benefit from indigenous knowledge in coping with drought and floods.

5. Promoting Collaborative Knowledge Sharing between Indigenous and Scientific Systems

Indigenous knowledge, when combined with modern scientific data, can greatly enhance disaster preparedness and response. The analysis will aim to:

1. Examine the intersection between traditional ecological knowledge and modern scientific methods
2. Identify how local and scientific knowledge can be synthesized for more effective climate adaptation strategies.
3. Develop a collaborative framework where IKS and scientific data inform one another for enhanced prediction and preparedness.

Objective: Foster a collaborative approach that enhances the effectiveness of both IKS and scientific knowledge in responding to droughts and floods.

6. Creating Evidence-Based Recommendations for Action

After identifying the key gaps and opportunities, the gap analysis will propose practical and evidence-based recommendations to integrate IKS into climate adaptation strategies. These recommendations will focus on:

1. Strengthening the capacity of local communities to use indigenous knowledge in forecasting, prevention, and response to climate disasters.
2. Encouraging partnerships between local communities, government agencies, and development organizations to preserve and integrate IKS into mainstream disaster risk reduction programs.
3. Identifying ways to build the capacity of local institutions and policymakers to support and document indigenous knowledge for climate adaptation.

Objective: To ensure the inclusion of indigenous knowledge in formal disaster preparedness and management plans, increasing the effectiveness of community-based climate adaptation strategies.

4. Objective of Nutrition IKS Analysis

1. Integrate IKS with Climate Science to develop a more accurate and culturally relevant early warning system for floods and droughts.
2. To engage with local communities to document and validate their knowledge of weather patterns, ecological signals, and other indicators used in predicting droughts and floods.
3. To strengthen the capacity of local communities to apply IKS in climate forecasting and integrate this knowledge with early warning systems used by local government and humanitarian agencies.
4. To develop Early Warning Systems (EWS): Co-develop community-driven early warning systems using a hybrid approach combining IKS and modern forecasting tools.

5. Methodology

The consultant hired to carry out this assignment will develop appropriate methodologies and/or approaches to collect sufficient data for the IKS-based drought and flood forecasting analysis. The methodology should clearly outline how cross-cutting issues, such as gender and disability, will be addressed both in data collection and data analysis. The methodology and methods chosen by the consultant will need to be approved by NAZ and its consortium partners. It is expected that the consultant applies a qualitative methodology approach to data collection, drawing on indigenous knowledge sources and local community insights regarding traditional weather prediction systems. The consultant will engage a broad range of community members, gatekeepers, and stakeholders to ensure perspectives are triangulated, including those of elders, women, youth, and disability-inclusive groups. The consultant is also expected to develop and share data collection tools that are designed to capture both quantitative and qualitative aspects of indigenous knowledge, while ensuring that the tools are culturally appropriate and accessible. These tools will facilitate a comprehensive understanding of how IKS is applied in drought and flood forecasting within the target communities.

6. Target Area

The IKS Gaps Analysis will be conducted in 3 districts Chiredzi , Mwenezi and Kariba targeting 2 wards per each district.

7.  Briefing

Prior to the IKS-based drought and flood forecasting analysis, the consultant is expected to participate in a project technical briefing with the MEAL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning) focal persons for the consortium. The briefing will ensure alignment of the consultant's approach with the objectives of integrating indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) for drought and flood prediction in the project areas. The briefing will cover the methodology, scope of work, and the integration of local knowledge into the forecasting models. The consultant will also be introduced to the local communities' perspectives, including the role of elders, local experts, and community leaders, to ensure their expertise is effectively incorporated into the forecasting process. Virtual briefings, if required, must be agreed upon in advance to ensure smooth coordination and participation.

8. Sampling

Purposive sampling will be used to select key informants (Chiefs, headmen, village heads, spiritual leaders and traditional healers and elders at  ward level and  snowballing will be used to select  respondents with extensive knowledge of indigenous drought prediction practices and village level.

9. Duration of the Services

This assignment should be completed within a period of 15 days from the date of signing the contract.

     Tasks  |  Duration

1. An inception report with detailed strategies, methodologies  | 1 Day
2. Inception Meeting  | 1 Day
3. Final copies of data collection tools to be used in the evaluation  | 1 day
4. Enumerator training  | 1 day
5. Data Collection  | 6 days
6. Data Cleaning and Analysis  | 2 days
7. Qualitative transcripts | 2 days
8. Draft report  | 1 day
9. Final analysis and complete written report with annexes  | 1 day

10. Required Competencies

It is essential that the Lead Consultant for the IKS-based drought and flood forecasting project possesses the following qualifications and competencies:

Education and Relevant Experience:

• PhD and/or Master’s degree in fields such as Climate Science, Environmental Studies, Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS), Disaster Risk Management, Sociology, Anthropology, or related disciplines.
• Extensive experience in the integration of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) with modern climate science and disaster risk reduction strategies, particularly in rural and marginalized communities.
• Proven experience in monitoring and evaluating projects, particularly in the context of disaster forecasting, drought, and flood risk management using IKS.
• Experience in data collection and field assessments focusing on local knowledge systems, identifying early warning indicators for droughts and floods, and the use of this knowledge in practical forecasting models.
• Experience with NGOs and IKS Frameworks:

11. Proposed Budget

The consultant is required to develop a budget for development of tools, training of enumerators, accommodation and meals, transport, data analysis, and report writing.

Budget for Collection of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) on Drought and Flood Forecasting

Budget Item  |  Estimated Cost (USD)   |   Description

To be shared by the consultant.

12. Legal and Ethical Matters

The ownership of the draft and final documentation belongs to the consortium (NAZ and Partners) and the funding donor exclusively.  The document, or publication related to it, will not be shared with anybody except NAZ before the delivery by NAZ of the final document to the donor.

13. Intellectual Property Rights

All documentation related to the Assignment (whether or not in the course of duties) shall remain the sole and exclusive property of NAZ and its Consortium partners.

14. Deliverables/Requirements

       Tasks         |           March

1. An inception report with detailed strategies, methodologies
2. Inception Meeting
3. Final copies of data collection tools to be used in the evaluation
4. Enumerator training material
5. Data Collection
6. Data Cleaning and Analysis
7. Qualitative transcripts
8. Draft report
9. Final analysis and complete written report with annexes

15. Selection Criteria

The evaluation of the applicants will be based on a weighted scoring approach, as specified below: Quality of proposed IKS Gap analysis and methodology -Demonstrating a strong understanding of the analytical / contextual / logistical issues relevant for the analysis of this type and the objectives of the analysis.

Quality of Proposed IKS Drought and Flood Forecasting Methodology  - 40%

• Applicants must demonstrate a strong understanding of the analytical, contextual, and logistical challenges related to drought and flood forecasting using Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS). The methodology should reflect an in-depth understanding of the dynamics of IKS as it pertains to climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction in the target areas (Chiredzi, Mwenezi, and Kariba).
• The applicant should present a detailed and coherent approach that integrates local knowledge, scientific data, and modern forecasting techniques for drought and flood prediction, highlighting the contribution of IKS in improving the accuracy and efficiency of early warning systems.

Quality of the Team - 5%

• The consultant or team should demonstrate relevant expertise in Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS), climate science, disaster management, and socio-cultural dynamics.
• The team should show the ability to conduct fieldwork in multiple districts (Chiredzi, Mwenezi, and Kariba) concurrently, with a solid understanding of local community engagement and data collection methods.
• The team should have prior experience in projects that involve multi-stakeholder collaboration, particularly in an international or cross-cultural context, and the ability to manage community-based participatory research.

Administrative - 25%

• The administrative proposal must include clear and detailed documentation, technical compliance, and a work plan that outlines the timeline and tasks associated with the drought and flood forecasting project.
• The proposal should include clear payment terms, as well as a breakdown of costs and logistical needs, particularly considering fieldwork challenges related to access, transport, and communication.

Budget - 30%

• The proposed budget should reflect value for money, with a clear justification of costs related to data collection, community engagement, and analysis of IKS data for drought and flood forecasting.
• The budget should demonstrate cost efficiency while ensuring that adequate resources are allocated for fieldwork, stakeholder engagement, capacity-building, and report writing.
• Applicants must provide a cost breakdown for various activities, including but not limited to data collection tools, training for enumerators, transportation, accommodation, meals, and report preparation.

16.  How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit an expression of interest together with the technical and financial proposal. While submitting the proposals, the applicant shall, in particular, ensure to attach the following:

• Profile of the Lead Consultant & Team (max 2 pages) explaining why they are the most suitable for the work.
• Relevant experience (max 2 page).
• Methodology with expected deliverables and timelines, team composition, work-plan
• Budget
• Current CV

SUBMISSION OF THE PROPOSALS

The consultant/team should prepare both the “Technical” and “Financial” proposal. Also include the electronic copy of Technical Proposal (in word version) and send to Nutrition Action Zimbabwe. 

Use this smart recruiter’s platform link to input the required information in the data fields on the platform and upload your proposals and requisite documentation by the 28th of March 2025: 

Selection of the consultant will be on a rolling basis.

NAZ does not tolerate Fraud, sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. Selected consultant(s)  will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.