Internal Research Manager Job in Uganda


Internal Research Manager

I. Provide Management Expertise

Position Location & Travel Potential: One position based in TechnoServe Uganda-EADD Office with possible but limited travel across Uganda.

Reports To: Country Director Uganda/EADD Regional Program Manager

Start Date: ASAP
Job Duration: At least 6 months
Contacts: jkariuki@tns.org or mmangeni@tns.org

II. General Company Information

TechnoServe, Inc. is an international non-profit development organization founded in 1968. 

Its mission is to help entrepreneurial men and women in poor rural areas of the developing world to build businesses that create jobs, income and economic opportunity for their families, their communities and their countries.

III. Program Purpose:

TechnoServe is working with Heifer International and the International Livestock Research Institute to implement the East Africa Dairy Development Program (EADD) in targeted districts in Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya. 

EADD will move smallholder, women and men farmers out of poverty by improving their participation in the dairy value chain. 

The vision of success for the EADD is that the lives of 179,000 families—or approximately one million people—are transformed by doubling household dairy income by 2018 through integrated interventions in dairy production, market-access and knowledge application.

In Uganda, EADD been working to improve marketing of milk through formal channels to expand access to profitable markets and generate income for smallholders. 

Working in collaboration with dairy processors and milk collection centers (MCC), EADD has been focusing on improving productivity and milk quality, setting-up of value added services for farmers, and building capacity of processors and MCCs. 

Given that the traditional market (those dairy products that are not processed prior to consumption) comprises an estimated XX percent of the Ugandan market, EADD has been working with Traditional Markets (TMs) since inception and acknowledges the importance of these distribution channels. 

As such, EADD seeks to promote the “regularization” of these market channels in addition to our work with processors.

Lack of information about the size and composition of the consumer dairy market is a major barrier to recommending strategies to formal-market processors and to MCCs seeking to diversify their marketing strategies. 

This consumer study will be a first step toward developing strategies for formal-sector processors—including consumer campaigns and new products and packaging—and for MCCs—including routes-to-market, direct marketing to consumers, and new products.

To ensure delivery of consumer market study outputs, TechnoServe EADD (Ug) is recruiting a consultant to manage the market research process. 

The consultant will work directly with the market research company, Uganda SBM, Uganda CD and TNS Regional Program Manager.

IV. Scope of Work

The key objective of this assignment is to ensure quality results from a contracted market research firm. The consultant will be expected to manage the entire research process and the contracting of the research organization.

Activities

The consultant’s activities will cover the following;

Research process
  • Recruitment of a competent consumer market research company
  • Support the research company to develop a sampling plan and procedure
  • Work with the research company to develop data collection tools
  • Ensure effective data collection techniques are applied
  • Supervise data collection
  • Ensure appropriate data analysis method is applied
  • Provide back-stopping for consumer report
  • Organize for presentation of the results to stakeholders
Strategies to develop the consumer market
  • From the consumer report, identify target consumer segments by size and growth opportunity and key barriers to increased consumption.
  • Propose appropriate product and marketing mix to address these barriers
  • Identify stakeholders that are best equipped to develop and roll out these marketing strategies and develop proposed roles and activities for each
  • Identify existing Government of Uganda policies that may positively or negatively affect strategies to increase consumption
  • Benchmark the Uganda case against neighboring countries and other relevant comparables to develop case studies that might provide insight as to how to grow and develop the Uganda consumer market
  • Translate the results of the consumer market survey analysis into stakeholder engagement strategy goals, messages, and activities
Staff development
  • Train TNS staff on any identified area of interest
Deliverables

Management of market research
  • Work plan developed and signed off
  • Consumer market company recruited
  • Research plan developed
  • Sampling procedure and data collection tools developed and agreed upon
  • Reliable data collected
  • Presentation meetings organized
Further analysis of consumer survey
  • PPT report on consumer-market survey analysis focusing on the following areas:
  1. Description of priority consumer segments, including socio-demographic characteristics, size of the segment, usage characteristics and attitudes, need-states, and current barriers to increased consumption
  2. Recommendations on product/marketing mix (including key activities) to address barriers for each priority consumer segment
  3. Identify key stakeholders to champion key activities to address barriers
  4. Recommend preliminary EADD engagement strategy with each of the major stakeholders
  5. Recommend role for TNS relative to EADD
  • Reports of presentations to EADD and other stakeholders
Staff development
  • TNS staff trained on a common area of interest.
V. Skills Required
Qualified consultant should have the following qualifications and skills;
  • Team management skills
  • Background in marketing research
  • Strong interpersonal communication and information-gathering skills
  • Ability to structure and manage complex tasks
  • Demonstrated problem-solving skills
  • Proven ability to work independently, delivering high-quality end products
  • Excellent analytical skills
  • Excellent writing and PowerPoint presentation skills
VI. Fees and Expenses

Consultancy fees will be as par agreement between the consultant and TechnoServe

TechnoServe, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer.