Consultant (Research Assessment on the Impact of Social Protection and Poverty Reduction Programmes) at ActionAid (AA) Nigeria – 5 Openings

ActionAid (AA) Nigeria is an affiliate of ActionAid International, which is a global alliance of organisations working towards achieving a world without poverty and injustice in which every person enjoys the right to a life with dignity. As a large and visible development organisation, we work in more than 40 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and America. Our expertise lies in community-led approaches to development and working through partnerships with the poor and other grass root organisations.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Consultant (Research Assessment on the Impact of Social Protection and Poverty Reduction Programmes)

Locations: Abuja (FCT), Sokoto, Oyo, Abia, and Benue
Duration of Assignment: The consultancy is expected to be completed within 30 working days.

Purpose of the Assignment
The purpose of this consultancy is to assess the impact of existing social protection and poverty reduction programmes across Oyo, Sokoto, Benue, Abia States and the FCT and generate evidence-based recommendations to:

• Strengthen advocacy efforts;
• Inform policy reforms;
• Improve programme design and implementation;
• Enhance transparency, accountability and inclusion within social protection systems;
• Strengthen financing and institutional coordination mechanisms.

Objectives of the Assessment
The overall objective of this consultancy is to generate up-to-date, citizen-centred evidence on the impact, effectiveness, inclusiveness, and accountability of existing social protection and poverty reduction programmes across Oyo, Sokoto, Benue and Abia States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Specifically, the assessment aims to:

• Assess the design, targeting mechanisms, and coverage of existing social protection and poverty reduction programmes.
• Evaluate programme effectiveness, efficiency, and equity outcomes.
• Examine financing arrangements and the sustainability of interventions.
• Assess institutional coordination and governance mechanisms.
• Document beneficiary experiences, perceptions, and outcomes.
• Identify critical knowledge gaps, implementation challenges, and opportunities for improvement.
• Generate practical and actionable recommendations to strengthen advocacy and campaign actions.
• Inform evidence-based policy reforms and decision-making processes at state and national levels.
• Improve programme design, implementation, accountability, and inclusiveness within social protection systems.

Scope of Work
The assignment will cover Oyo, Sokoto, Benue and Abia States as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The consultant shall assess:

• Social protection programme design and targeting systems;
• Beneficiary identification and coverage;
• Programme implementation effectiveness and efficiency;
• Financing structures and fiscal sustainability;
• Institutional coordination mechanisms;
• Governance and accountability arrangements;
• Beneficiary experiences and outcomes;
• Existing gaps and opportunities for strengthening social protection systems.

Research Focus Areas
The assessment shall pay particular attention to generating evidence on:

• The extent to which social protection and poverty reduction programmes are reaching intended beneficiaries.
• Equity and inclusion considerations, particularly for women, persons with disabilities, older persons, youth, and other vulnerable populations.
• The effectiveness of targeting and beneficiary identification systems, including the use of the National Social Register (NSR).
• Beneficiary satisfaction and lived experiences with programme implementation.
• Barriers affecting access, participation, and programme effectiveness.
• Institutional, political, and financing factors influencing implementation outcomes.
• Opportunities to strengthen programme delivery, accountability, and sustainability.

Responsibilities of the Consultant
The Lead Consultant/Consultancy Firm shall:

• Participate in an inception meeting with the ESSPIN Project Team.
• Develop and submit an inception report including methodology and workplan.
• Design all data collection tools.
• Engage relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Civil Society Organisations and community stakeholders.
• Facilitate entry meetings and obtain necessary approvals.
• Recruit and supervise enumerators.
• Train field teams on ethics, safeguarding and quality standards.
• Establish quality assurance mechanisms for data collection and validation.
• Lead data cleaning, management and analysis.
• Produce all agreed deliverables.
• Present findings at state and national dissemination meetings.
• Ensure adherence to ethical and safeguarding standards throughout the assignment.

Responsibilities of Enumerators
Enumerators engaged under this assignment shall:

• Administer surveys using approved digital tools.
• Conduct interviews and facilitate discussions.
• Obtain informed consent from respondents.
• Ensure data quality and completeness.
• Maintain confidentiality of information.
• Submit daily field updates and reports.
• Escalate operational challenges promptly.
• Comply fully with ethical and safeguarding requirements.

Minimum Qualifications and Experience
Interested consultants or firms must possess:

• Advanced Degree in Economics, Development Studies, Public Policy, Social Sciences or related disciplines;
• 7–10 years relevant professional experience
• Demonstrated experience conducting large-scale mixed-methods studies;
• Strong analytical and report writing skills;
• Experience working with government institutions and civil society organisations;
• Experience implementing donor-funded assignments;
• Previous experience with EU-funded projects will be an added advantage.
• Demonstrated experience in social protection research, political economy analysis, public policy assessments, or poverty reduction programming in Nigeria will be considered a strong advantage.

Methodology
The consultant shall adopt a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative and qualitative techniques. The methodology is expected to include:

• Household surveys;
• Beneficiary surveys;
• Community-level assessments.
• Key Informant Interviews (KIIs);
• Focus Group Discussions (FGDs);
• Stakeholder consultations;
• Case studies.
• Policy and legislative review;
• Programme implementation documents;
• Budget and expenditure analysis;
• Administrative datasets.