Terms of Reference (ToR) for a Digital Service Provider at Rikolto

Terms of Reference (ToR) for a Digital Service Provider at Rikolto

Terms of Reference (ToR) for a Digital Service Provider to Support Farmer Registration, Mapping, Advisory Services, and Behavior-Change Monitoring under Rikolto’s Good Food for Cities Programme in Arusha and Mbeya, Tanzania

Background

 Rikolto is an international non-governmental organization (NGO) with over 50 years of experience in transforming food systems through inclusive partnerships with farmers, agribusinesses, and governments. In Tanzania, Rikolto implements programs across eight regions, focusing on promoting sustainable agriculture, strengthening urban food systems, and empowering youth within the agricultural sector. As part of the East Africa network and the broader global Rikolto network operating in over 15 countries, the organization collaborates with diverse actors across the food system including governments, farmers, traders, consumers, and researchers to improve access to healthy, sustainable, and nutritious food for all. In Tanzania, Rikolto implements three main programs: Good Food for Cities, which focuses on urban food systems and food safety; Rice, which supports smallholder rice farmers with sustainable production and market access; and Coffee and Cocoa, which promotes sustainable, Living Income and high-quality production while linking farmers to fair and inclusive value chains.

Purpose of the Assignment

Rikolto, under the Good Food for Cities (GFC) programme, is seeking to engage a qualified digital service provider to support the digitalization of its projects  in Arusha and Mbeya. This partnership aims to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of implementation of programme by improving how Rikolto collects and manages farmer data, delivers targeted advisory services, and monitors adoption of recommended agricultural practices and behavioral change across its interventions. The selected digital service provider will be expected to offer reliable, user-friendly, and scalable digital solutions, including farm registration platforms, farm mapping tools, mobile-based advisory systems, IVR surveys, and real-time dashboards. The service provider will support Rikolto in the following areas:

1. Digitally register and profile farmers by establishing a digital system that captures accurate farmer information, including demographics, production details, and other relevant data needed for programme monitoring and reporting.
2. Map farm plots for visibility and eco-credit monitoring Using digital mapping tools to collect GPS coordinates and generate clear visual maps of farm plots, enabling better tracking of cultivated areas and supporting eco-credit monitoring requirements.
3. Deliver mobile-based climate-smart advisory messages to Provide a platform to send regular, climate-smart agricultural messages to farmers through mobile phones, ensuring timely and accessible guidance that can reinforce sustainable practices.
4. Provide an AI-driven helpline for farmer inquiries:
5. Offer an AI-supported helpline that allows farmers to ask questions and receive instant advisory support in Swahili, helping them address challenges and access relevant information more easily.
6. Deploy baseline and endline IVR surveys by Conducting automated voice-based surveys at the beginning and end of programme cycles to assess farmer knowledge, behavior changes, and adoption of key practices.
7. Generate dashboards and insights for adaptive management and scale-up planning by Providing a centralized dashboard that presents real-time data and engagement trends, helping Rikolto track progress, make evidence-based decisions, and plan for future scale-up.

Scope of Work

• • The service provider will register 5,000 farmers on a digital platform, such as Mergdata, capturing comprehensive baseline information including demographics, farm size and characteristics, crop types, production details, gender indicators, and socio-economic activities.
  • The service provider will map up to 5,000 farm plots using GPS polygons, accurately identifying cultivated hectares as well as areas under conservation. 

• The service provider will conduct virtual training sessions for Rikolto’s field staff and partners, covering digital farmer registration, farm mapping procedures, IVR survey facilitation, and troubleshooting of digital tools. 
• The service provider will develop 8–10 voice messages in Swahili, each approximately 60 seconds long, focusing on regenerative and climate-smart agriculture topics. These messages will be delivered weekly over an eight-week period to 2,500 farmers participating in the Nature Fundi Eco-Credit Project and 1,500 farmers under the Good Food for Cities programme in Arusha
• The service provider will design and deploy two IVR surveys—a baseline and an endline—targeting a representative sample of approximately 300 farmers. These surveys will assess knowledge retention and adoption of promoted practices, with indicators aligned to Rikolto’s Food Systems framework. 
• The service provider will provide Rikolto with access to a real-time, interactive dashboard that consolidates key programme data. This dashboard will display registration progress, mapping status of farm plots, engagement with mobile-based voice messages, survey response trends from baseline and endline assessments, and indicators of farmer behaviour change and Deliver concise insights report to inform scale-up.

4. Expected Deliverables

1. Digital registry of 5,000 farmers: A comprehensive and structured database capturing detailed farmer information, including demographics, farm characteristics, crop types, gender indicators, and socio-economic activities. This registry will support monitoring, reporting, and evidence-based decision-making.
2. GPS maps for up to 5,000 farm plots: Geospatial mapping of farm plots using GPS polygons, showing cultivated areas and conservation zones. Digital maps and shapefiles will be provided to Rikolto to support planning, monitoring, and eco-credit verification.
3. Training session with supporting materials: Virtual training delivered to field staff and partners covering digital registration, mapping procedures, IVR survey facilitation, and troubleshooting. Training guides and support materials will be provided to ensure effective implementation.
4. 8–10 Swahili voice messages delivered weekly: Climate-smart and regenerative agriculture messages developed in Swahili, approximately 60 seconds each, sent weekly over eight weeks to targeted farmers. Messages will include knowledge checks to reinforce learning and encourage adoption of recommended practices.
5. Baseline IVR survey report: Report summarizing findings from the initial IVR survey, assessing farmers’ existing knowledge, practices, and awareness of promoted agricultural methods. Provides a reference point for measuring progress.
6. Endline IVR survey report: Report summarizing results from the endline IVR survey, evaluating knowledge retention, adoption of climate-smart practices, and behavior change among farmers. Insights will guide programme improvement and future scale-up planning.

Required Qualifications of the Digital Service Provider

• Demonstrated experience in digital agriculture advisory systems.
• Capacity to deploy farmer profiling and GPS mapping tools.
• Proven expertise in voice messaging, IVR surveys, and mobile engagement.
• Ability to run AI-powered helplines with Swahili language support.
• Strong skills in developing dashboards and analytical insights.
• Robust data protection and ethical data management standards.
• The DSP will report directly to Rikolto’s Programme Coordinator for Nature Fundi and GFC.
• Reports required: baseline, endline, helpline insights, dashboards, and a final learning report.
• All data and content produced will remain the property of Rikolto.

Means of Applications 

Application Instructions: Interested consultants or firms are invited to submit the following documents for consideration:

• A cover/application letter expressing interest in providing the proposed services.
• A 3-page partnership proposal detailing how the organization intends to deliver digital services.
• A financial proposal outlining the costs for the proposed services.
• A detailed CV of the lead consultant or key personnel.
• Copies of relevant certificates demonstrating organizational or individual qualifications.

All applications must be submitted via email to: [email protected] no later than  30 November 2025.

Applications received after this date will not be considered and if you don’t hear from us after 7 days consider unsuccessful.