[Nilam Prasai]

Dear all,
Indira and I, from International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), are writing this email to request your help in identifying a consultant to assist IFPRI in revising its institute-wide data policy and procedures. Please find attached a TOR for the consultancy to this email.
In essence, we are looking for someone to identify the issues faced by our managers and researchers that relate to data management, and to recommend institute policies, procedures, and investments to address those issues. We are looking for someone who is familiar with data management issues in other, similar research organizations, aware of “industry best practice”, and well-versed in open data/open access and privacy protection issues.
It would be greatly appreciated if you can suggest a few names or forward this email to people who would be interested in this consulting opportunity.
Best wishes,
Indira Yerramareddy and Nilam Prasai
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This Terms of Reference describes a consultancy designed to assist the DGT by addressing the following:
1. Identification and description of the types of data resources and products that are generated, curated, used, or exchanged by IFPRI research and the related challenges in governing and managing these products.
1. Recommendation of appropriate policies for governing and managing these products, taking into consideration:
* the needs of IFPRI, including its overall mission and mandate as well as the needs of its research, communications, and corporate services staff;
* the needs of IFPRI’s collaborators in research and communications activities;
* benchmarks, standards, and best practices used in comparable public policy research organizations;
* the CGIAR Open Access and Open Data Policy;
* the protection of private information and ethical research on human subjects; and
* the policies and provisions set forth by IFPRI’s donors.
1. Recommendation of appropriate procedures and practices for managing these data products, taking into consideration:
1. rules or other mechanisms for defining ownership and use-rights for data;
2. standardization of metadata and other supporting documentation as required by donors and data users;
3. protection of privacy, private information, and other proprietary data;
4. processes and procedures for exit clearance for data when staff leave IFPRI;
5. include data management plan in research proposal that involves generation of primary data
Expected Deliverables/Outputs
The Consultant is expected to produce a Data Governance Report that provides
1. Detailed identification and description of IFPRI’s full range of data resources and products, as well as the challenges associated with each;
2. Recommendations for a revised IFPRI Data Policy that addresses the points described above;
3. Recommendations for procedures and practices to accompany the IFPRI Data Policy that addresses the points described above.
Methodology
The Consultant will follow the workplan and the time schedule agreed with Indira Yerramareddy, manager of Knowledge Management and Web and will work closely with her and other individuals as determined necessary. The appropriate methodology for soliciting opinions and thoughts from IFPRI staff and other concerned stakeholders regarding processes, protocols, and policies (if the needs arise) should be determined in consultation with DGT members. The consultant should consider/undertake all the required data/information from research divisions and regional offices, donors, and other relevant sources to suggest the process improvement and update policies that can sustain the changing landscapes of research and open data.
Duration of the work
This contract shall cover 20 working days spanning 3 months, beginning April 1, 2018 and ending on June 30, 2018.
Required expertise and qualifications
1. Advanced degree (Masters level or above) in a relevant field such as information, data, and knowledge management; library science; informatics or data science or equivalent experience.
2. At least 7-10 years of prior work experience in the governance and management of data, particularly research data or scientific data and full awareness of the issues in this field.
3. Demonstrated knowledge of, and experience with, policies, legislation, and procedures related to open data, open data platforms and repositories, privacy and confidentiality protections in data, and other rules and regulations related to data management.
4. Familiarity with household survey data and geospatial data, as well as machine and human readable metadata and data files.
Contact: Indira Yerramareddy (email: ***@***.***)

TOR_DataConsultant_2.13.2018.docx

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