Request for Proposals: Food Loss & Food Waste Portfolio Evaluation Consultant

Open Opportunity

Program Contact

Chris Gambino, Ph.D.
cgambino@foundationfar.org

Proposals due by 5:00 p.m. PT on Monday, September 16, 2024

All proposals are to be submitted by Monday, September 16, 2024, 5:00 p.m. PT deadline. Proposals should be submitted as a Portable Document Format (PDF) via email to cgambino@foundationfar.org with the subject line “FLFW Portfolio Evaluation Proposal”.

FFAR welcomes individuals or teams with food systems and evaluative methods expertise and of the following expertise to apply: food science, value chain and/or econometrics. If beneficial to the success of the evaluation process, FFAR may match one or more individuals into a team.

Proposals Should Contain the Following Sections

Applicant background/overview (1 page maximum), including an indication of relevant expertise
Previous experience(s) of research program evaluation work with a similar or related scope (2 pages maximum)
Description approach and evaluation plan (5 pages maximum)
1. Including relevant indicators to assess proposed evaluation questions
2. For example, some relevant indicators are changes in policy or practice, operational changes, pounds of food saved and tons of carbon deferred, cost savings, etc.
Project budget and budget justification (this evaluation does not require matching funds)
Evaluation timeline
Project key personnel including roles and responsibilities
Team members’ CVs
Links to deliverables from past evaluation projects of a similar scope
Client references

FFAR will hold a 60-minute meeting (20-minutes presentation and 40-minute panel interview) with finalists via video conference. The presentation should highlight the applicant’s approach, including the criteria and standards they envision being used to measure the success of projects and the FLFW portfolio as a whole. Additionally, the presentation should include a brief explanation of methods, followed by a showcase of how collected data may be visualized.

Download the full RFP to view all details.

About Food Loss & Food Waste Portfolio Evaluation Consultant

The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) seeks to evaluate the success of the Food Loss & Food Waste (FLFW) portfolio. The evaluator, in collaboration with FFAR, will define criteria and standards of success. FFAR has established relevant technology readiness levels (TRLs) that the evaluator will use to track innovation within each value chain segment — post-harvest, retail and household — as applicable. Additionally, it’s important for the evaluator to capture how funded projects influenced consumer behavior, improved food access and food security and/or informed policy development.

We envision a summative portfolio evaluation of 12 funded projects and one consortium to assess if research needs were met. We foresee the evaluator using a mixed methods approach, which includes qualitative analyses (such as surveys, interviews and focus groups) and quantitative analyses (including to the extent possible evaluating the most cost-effective outputs from funded research).

About the Food Loss & Food Waste Portfolio

The FLFW Portfolio supports research across the food system from harvest to retail and at food service and household levels. Specifically, FFAR’s FLFW portfolio funds a breadth of research to combat the nearly 30% of global food lost or wasted each year. Food loss occurs at the production, storage, processing and distribution phases of the food value chain while food waste refers to food that is discarded at the retail or consumption phases. FFAR and its partners have awarded approximately $15 million to twelve research projects and one consortium that target post-harvest food loss, retail food waste and household food waste to better understand and evaluate food system interactions, develop innovative and effective solutions to prevent and reduce food loss and waste while improving food security among vulnerable populations and find alternative uses of foods that would otherwise not be consumed by humans.

Read the full RFP Consultant description and requirements.

FFAR Program Evaluation: FAQs

What is a program evaluation?: In a program evaluation, we ask the evaluator(s) to systematically collect and analyze data about the work we’ve funded in a specific program area to understand the effectiveness and efficiency of the program. These are typically summative in that they evaluate the outcomes of programs with completed research grants. In these cases, we seek an assessment of research project deliverables and how they have advanced fields of study and/or changed decision-maker attitudes or behavior (e.g., industry, farmers, producers, food supply chain actors, government, and/or consumers) and enhanced the scientific workforce’s skills. For programs or funding portfolios that have very mature research projects (~7 years from completion date), we seek an assessment of their impact on agriculture, the environment and society and the cost-effectiveness of their solutions.

How do academics or issue experts fit in?: Issue experts can play several roles in a program evaluation. While they may not have formal evaluative science training, issue experts are uniquely aware of the value of the research project deliverables under assessment. As such, experts can and should be part of evaluation team proposals. Another option is for an evaluation team to lean on an expert panel—in this case, the experts can provide expert opinion on deliverables without taking a larger role in the evaluation. For programs or portfolios with mature projects (~7 years or more since completion date) that have already been assessed for outcomes, experts like economists can play a key role in looking at the cost-benefit or cost-effectiveness of the outcomes.

Does a potential evaluator or evaluation team need to meet all the desired skills and experiences listed in the evaluation RFP?: In most cases, FFAR prefers evaluation teams that can meet all the requirements listed. However, if you bring the appropriate skills and experience to excel at a portion of what is requested in an RFP, we invite you to apply and share how you would be the best person or group to take on that part of the work. Once all proposals are received, FFAR may partner evaluators based on their proposals or fund multiple proposals addressing different parts of the RFP.

Who should submit a proposal? How are program evaluation contracts written and executed?: FFAR can contract with 1099s (independent contractors), for-profits and 501(c)(3) nonprofits. FFAR enters fixed priced contracts with payment based on deliverables. If necessary, based on the selected proposal’s requirements, FFAR may consider time and material costs.

Does FFAR require a funding match for program evaluation proposals?: No. Presently funds for program evaluations are made through FFAR’s operating budget. Only funds tied to research grants require FFAR’s 1:1 dollar match.

Does FFAR allow indirect costs in program evaluation budget proposals?: In short, yes, we will consider proposals with indirect costs. Evaluations at FFAR are fee-for-service work, not grants, and various entities apply. Our priority is to get an evaluation that meets our needs and provides the most value for the money. Some proposals from individuals or firms often contain expenses like indirect costs in a grant. While we will accept a proposal submitted by a university, high administrative costs may weaken the proposal’s competitiveness.

Are FFAR program evaluations from federal funding agencies?: No. FFAR is a 501(c)(3) and program evaluation contracts are paid solely through FFAR from our operating budget.