Consultant Roster – Research Methods at International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)

 SCOPE OF WORK

Consultants may be engaged across all research domains. Requests will typically specify the domain and level of support required.

2.1 Study Design

This is the primary and preferred point of engagement. Analysis support is also a significant component of demand. Support may include:

• Translating research questions into feasible, rigorous study designs (RCTs, quasi-experimental, observational, qualitative, or mixed-methods)
• Sampling strategy, power calculations, and sample size justification
• Randomization, blinding, and allocation procedures
• Contributions to study design protocols
• Design of data collection tools and instruments

2.2 Data Analysis

Support requirements vary in scope and depth:

• Consultation on appropriate analytical approaches — qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods analysis as appropriate to the study.
• Data cleaning, management, and documentation standards (including protocols)
• Scripting and/or implementation of analyses in R, Stata, Python, or other relevant software
• Review of analytical outputs

2.3 Publication Support

Consultants may be engaged to support journal submissions:

• Review of methods and results sections
• Support for post-peer-review revisions requiring methodological input
• Co-authorship may be considered for substantial intellectual contributions, subject to ILRI Authorship Guidelines (https://hdl.handle.net/10568/63493) and explicit prior agreement

Note: Engagements may be one-off inputs — discrete, bounded tasks with scope and time agreed between the consultant and the Research Methods Coordinator — or ongoing support to a specific project or study, with total duration and budget defined by the Principal Investigator and formalized in a project-specific agreement. All engagements are routed through the Research Methods Coordinator.

3. RESEARCH LIFECYCLE ENGAGEMENT

Consultants and ILRI researchers are encouraged to initiate engagement at the earliest feasible stage of the research process. The following lifecycle stages are recognized as entry points; consultation is available at all stages:

        Lifecycle Stage                                                  Typical Support

• Concept note / proposal development    Research question framing, design feasibility, design options
• Protocol development                                Full study design, sampling plan, randomization, and power considerations
• Pre-data collection                                       Support to tool design, quality assurance checks
• Data management and cleaning               Data structure, documentation, and quality standards
• Analysis                                                          Selection of appropriate analytical approach, data analysis, output review
• Manuscript preparation                              Methods write-up, results presentation and review
• Post-peer-review revision                           Targeted methodological revisions in response to reviewer comments

4. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

• Advanced degree (Masters or PhD) in research methods, applied statistics, biostatistics, data science, epidemiology, or a closely related field
• Demonstrated experience providing research methods or statistical support to research teams, preferably in agricultural, food systems, or development research contexts
• Proficiency in one or more of the analytical tools commonly used at ILRI: R and Stata for formal statistical analysis; NVivo or ATLAS.ti for qualitative analysis; Python or R for machine learning applications
• Familiarity with open science practices and FAIRER data principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable, Ethical, and Replicable)
• Experience with human and/or animal research ethics processes is an advantage
• Fluent spoken and written English; proficiency in additional languages is an advantage
• Demonstrated ability to work in multicultural, multidisciplinary research environments
• Strong communication and capacity development skills, including the ability to deliver clear methodological guidance, training, and mentorship to research staff
• Commitment to knowledge sharing: consultants are expected to document their work in ways that build, not merely extract, institutional capability

5. DURATION, DUTY STATION, EXPECTED PLACES OF TRAVEL

Engagement Modalities

Two modalities of engagement are available under this roster:

• On-call engagement:
• Project-embedded engagement:

All engagements will be routed through the Research Methods Coordinator, who manages intake via a dedicated ticketing system.

Duty Station: Remote. Consultants based in Nairobi or Addis Ababa are particularly welcome, as occasional in-person support at the ILRI campus may be beneficial. Such in-person engagements will be agreed in advance and will not alter the remote-first nature of the arrangement.

Travel: Limited. Consultants may occasionally be requested to travel for workshops or field activities; associated costs will be covered by the relevant project budget and agreed in advance.

6. DELIVERABLES, MONITORING AND PROGRESS CONTROLS

6.1 Standard Deliverables

Deliverables will be defined for each engagement but will typically include one or more of the following:

Engagement Type            Expected Deliverable(s)

• Study design                       Written study design brief with design rationale, sampling plan, and power justification
• Protocol development      Documented protocol with pre-specified analysis approach where relevant
• AI-assisted work                 Full prompt logs and AI interaction records; human review documentation confirming all outputs have      been verified by the consultant
• Data analysis                      Commented, reproducible analysis script; summary of findings; methods documentation
• Publication support           Annotated methods review or revised manuscript section with tracked changes
• Capacity development      Session notes, training materials, or written guidance note (for mentoring engagements)

6.2 Open Science and Reproducibility Requirements

Consistent with ILRI’s commitment to FAIRER data principles, consultants are required to:

• Provide fully commented, reproducible analysis scripts for all relevant work
• Follow ILRI data documentation standards and metadata templates where provided
• Ensure outputs are structured for replicability: another qualified analyst should be able to reproduce the analysis from the script and documentation alone
• Where pre-analysis protocols are used, document any deviations and their justification
• Not share ILRI data, proposal materials, or unpublished findings with third parties without explicit written authorization
• Use of AI tools in the preparation of deliverables is expected and encouraged, subject to ILRI’s AI use guidelines. Consultants must disclose which tools were used in each deliverable.
• Full records of AI interactions — including prompts, model outputs, and any modifications made — must be retained and submitted as part of the deliverable package.

6.3 Capacity Development Contribution

For engagements exceeding 5 days, consultants are expected to contribute at least one of the following:

• A short methodological note (1–2 pages) summarizing the design choices made and the reasoning behind them, suitable for use as a learning resource
• A knowledge-sharing interaction with ILRI staff (e.g., a brief methods discussion, walkthrough, or Q&A session)
• Contribution of documented outputs to ILRI’s internal methods repository, where applicable

These contributions are features of the engagement, not optional extras. They are how this roster creates institutional value beyond the immediate task.

6.4 Performance Assessment

Consultant performance will be assessed by the Research Methods Coordinator against the following criteria:

• Adherence to agreed scope, timeline, and deliverable specifications
• Methodological rigor and appropriateness of recommendations to the study context
• Quality and reproducibility of analytical scripts and documentation
• Alignment with FAIRER principles
• Responsiveness and communication throughout the engagement
• Contribution to capacity development where required

Performance assessments inform decisions on roster renewal and future assignment prioritization.

7. CONFIDENTIALITY, INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, AND APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

Confidentiality, IP, and Conflict of Interest

• Consultants will be required to sign a confidentiality agreement prior to commencing work. This agreement covers unpublished data, research proposals, ethics submissions, and any other non-public ILRI materials accessed during the engagement.
• All outputs produced under this roster are the intellectual property of ILRI unless explicitly agreed otherwise in writing prior to the engagement.
• Co-authorship eligibility is governed by ILRI Authorship Guidelines (https://hdl.handle.net/10568/63493). Any authorship arrangement must be agreed in advance, in writing, with the Principal Investigator and the Research Methods Coordinator.
• Consultants must disclose any actual or potential conflict of interest — including prior relationships with funding bodies, or competing research groups — before commencing an engagement.
• Consultants must disclose the use of AI-assisted tools in the preparation of deliverables and must take full professional responsibility for all outputs submitted.
• Consultants must not input unpublished ILRI data or confidential materials into external AI systems without explicit written authorization.