Job Title:

Freelance Field Researcher – Agriculture & Rural Development (Data Collection)

Job Purpose:

· Lead and execute field data collection on vegetable (potato-focused) production systems in Sikkim (organic) and West Bengal (conventional).

· Implement a mixed-method research design, combining structured household surveys, farmer narrative interviews, and Key Informant Interviews (KIIs).

· Generate high-quality empirical data to analyse economic performance, extension management effectiveness, and farming system transitions.

· Capture both quantitative indicators (costs, yields, returns) and qualitative narratives (farmer experiences, institutional insights).

· Ensure data integrity, ethical compliance, and field-level contextual understanding for publication-quality research outputs.

Required Qualification:

· Master’s degree (preferred) in: Agriculture / Agricultural Economics / Rural Development / Development Studies / Agricultural Extension / Social Sciences or related field

· Candidates with strong field experience and a bachelor’s degree may also be considered.

Tools to be Familiar:

· Data Handling: MS Excel / Google Sheets (data entry, cleaning)

· Qualitative Research: Conducting in-depth interviews and KIIs, Audio recording (whenever applicable), transcription, and note-taking

Required Experience

· 1–3 years of field-based data collection experience, preferably in agriculture or rural livelihoods.

· Experience in: Household surveys with farmers, Agricultural or socio-economic research projects and Conducting interviews in rural settings

· Prior work in Sikkim, West Bengal, or similar agro-ecological regions is an advantage.

Required Knowledge/Skills

· Understanding of: Farming systems (organic vs conventional), Basic agricultural practices, especially vegetable/potato cultivation and Rural socio-economic dynamics

· Ability to: Accurately capture cost of cultivation, input use, and yield data, engage farmers in narrative and experiential discussions and Conduct Key Informant Interviews with institutional stakeholders

· Language proficiency: Sikkim: Nepali / Hindi (preferred) and West Bengal: Bengali (preferred)

· Strong interpersonal and probing skills for field interviews

· Attention to detail and data accuracy

· Ethical research conduct (informed consent, confidentiality)

Job Description

· Quantitative Data Collection: Administer structured household surveys covering: Demographics and socio-economic profile, Farm characteristics and cropping patterns, Input use (seed, fertilisers, labour, irrigation, etc.), Cost of cultivation and economic returns, Market access and value chains, Extension contact and adoption of practices and Capital formation (economic, human, social, ecological)

· Ensure accurate unit conversions, cost calculations, and cross-verification with respondents.

· Qualitative Data Collection: Conduct: Farmer Narrative Interviews (45–60 minutes) to capture life histories, economic experiences, and farming transitions. Key Informant Interviews (60–90 minutes) with: Extension officers (KVK, ATMA, etc.), Government officials, FPO/NGO representatives, Input dealers and market actors and Record interviews (with consent) and maintain detailed field notes.

· Extension & Institutional Analysis: Document: Frequency and type of extension contact, Effectiveness and relevance of advisory services, Adoption gaps in recommended practices

· Capture farmer perceptions of: Government schemes, Institutional support systems, Market linkages

· Data Quality Assurance: Ensure: Complete and error-free questionnaire administration, Real-time validation of key economic modules (costs, returns), No missing values in critical sections

· Maintain: Enumerator logs and field diaries, Daily progress reports

· Field Coordination: Coordinate with: Local stakeholders (village leaders, extension officers, FPOs), Research supervisors

· Manage logistics for: Travel across districts/villages, Scheduling interviews

· Deliverables: Clean and validated dataset (survey + qualitative), Audio recordings and transcripts (where applicable), Field notes and summary reports

· Brief field insights on: Economic patterns, Extension effectiveness and regional differences (Sikkim vs West Bengal)

Contact person:

Gray-+91-XXXXXXXXXX

Job Type: Part-time

Pay: From ₹1,000.00 per month

Work Location: Remote