Consultant (individual or firm) for the Organizational Structure Review and Update of IFPRI

Operations Task Force

Requisition for the organizational structure review and update of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), a 500-Person Research Organization with its Headquarters in the United States, regional offices in India and Senegal and several country offices across Asia and Africa

Background 

This project aims to review and update the organizational structure, specifically related to corporate services and research support staff of IFPRI, with its headquarters in Washington DC, and regional and country offices in Asia and Africa, to ensure the corporate services and research support structures and staffing align with current needs and future goals. The focus will be on enhancing efficiency within and across corporate services and research support staff to support research execution. Within the broader review, there will be an explicit focus on the intersections between corporate services and research support within research units as well as across research units. The overall goal of this project is to streamline operations across all of IFPRI’s offices, optimize resource allocation and use, foster collaboration, and support the organization's strategic objectives through improved and streamlined operations.

Objectives

• Assess the current organizational structure specifically related to the corporate service and research support staff.

• Identify areas for improvement in terms of organization, staffing, reporting lines and roles and responsibilities of corporate service and research support staff and alignment with current needs while considering the constrained budget environment we are operating in.

• Develop a modified or new organizational structure if needed, for corporate service units and associated staff that support strategic goals.

• Support the implementation of the updated structure with minimal disruption.

• Ensure clear communication and training for all staff.

• Detailed plans for implementing any changes to the structure, reporting lines, roles and responsibilities, the need to fill gaps in positions or reducing overlaps in positions or roles and responsibilities.

Description of main activities

Phase 1: Assessment

• Conduct interviews with key stakeholders and staff.

• Review existing organizational charts, roles, and responsibilities.

• Analyze the effectiveness of current workflows and reporting lines for non-research staff.

Phase 2: Planning and reporting

• Develop recommendations for structural improvements including optimal staffing for corporate service units and financial and administrative support to research units, their reporting lines and updated Terms of Reference.

• Design a modified organizational structure if needed, that aligns with strategic goals.

• Create a detailed implementation plan with timelines and milestones.

Deliverables

• Weekly progress reports to stakeholders.

• Comprehensive assessment report of the current organizational structure related to the corporate service units and research support staff.

• Provide insights from a peer organization analysis of 3-5 similar types of international research organizations including pros and cons and how they are similar or dissimilar to our structure. 

• Recommendations for structural improvements including optimal staffing for corporate service units and financial and administrative support to research units, their reporting lines and updated Terms of Reference.

• Final project report to complement the detailed outputs outlined in this Requisition and discussed at the contracting phase in more detail. 

Timeline: 2 months (June to September 2026)

Required qualifications

• Proven organizational design and change management experience: leading structural reviews and redesigns for medium‑to‑large international organizations.

• Experience with research organiza