Hub Country Consultants for Ethiopia and Sudan
ICARDA, Ethiopia
Job Description
SECTOR: Agriculture
CONSULTANCY SERVICES: Hub Country Consultants (Ethiopia and Sudan)
Grant No.: 2100155041681
Project ID No.: P-Z1-AA0-139
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This request for expression of interest (REOI) follows the General Procurement Notice for this Project that appeared on the African Development Bank Group’s Internet Website (www.afdb.org) 12th August 2022.
The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has received financing from the African Development Bank toward the cost of the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) Phase II and intends to apply part of the agreed amount for this grant to payments under the contract for the Hub Country Consultants (2) for Ethiopia and Sudan. IITA signed a sub-agreement with the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), as implementing partner for Wheat Value Chain Compact.
The assignment is to engage two (2) consultants, one for Ethiopia and one for Sudan that will: (i) Coordinate and involve in site selections for project scaling up activities, farming systems surveys and baseline information in close cooperation with the national partners and stakeholders; (ii) Lead and coordinate the establishment and operationalization of functional Innovation Platforms (IP) and farmers field schools with the involvement of all relevant stakeholders for fast-trucking technology validation, seed multiplication, scaling up, adoption and impact along the wheat value chain in the hub country; (iii) Provide support to partners in the project target countries; (iv) Develop, strengthen and expand excellent working relations with partners, NARES, private sector, and relevant stakeholders involved in the wheat value chain and link IP participating farmers to input and output markets; (v) Oversee day-to-day management and coordination of the project activities at the IP sites in Ethiopia and provide technical backstopping and support to partners in the East Africa highlands; (vi) Ensure that Financial Management and utilization, and local procurement are conducted as per the approved annual plan of work and budget and in accordance with AfDB Rules and Regulations; (vii) Coordinate the preparation of annual work plan and budget with the involvement of all concerned stakeholders and in compliance with donor requirements; (viii) Coordinate and implement planned project capacity strengthening activities, including the preparation of state-of-the art training materials, technical manuals, technology brochures and fliers for targeted IP stakeholders along the wheat value chain; (ix) Organize field days and national events for promoting project IP interventions and scaling up success stories by involving all concerned stakeholders, policy makers and donors using various local, national and regional media outlets (radio, TV, newspaper and social media platforms); (x) Coordinate, organize, and timely submit regular technical and financial reports (monthly, quarterly, annual reports) of the hub and partner countries as per the reporting formats; (xi) Present the project activities, achievements and success stories at various project-related meetings within the hub and partner countries in consultation with the TAAT wheat Project Coordinator for enhancing project impact and visibility; (xii) Make necessary facilitation and logistic arrangements for project workshops, meetings, external auditors and Bank's supervision missions in close cooperation with the TAAT Wheat PMU and concerned national partners, and Keep close communication ties with the TAAT Wheat PMU and perform any other related duties as required by the Project Coordinator.
The duration of the assignment is Twelve (12) months in the first instance and renewable subject to satisfactory performance. The selected consultants will report to the Wheat Compact Coordinator. The assignment is expected to commence 1st April 2024
Requirements
The selected consultants should possess at least a PhD in Agriculture with a major in plant breeding, agronomy, natural resource management or related fields of the wheat value chain; At least 5 years of experience in project management pertaining to wheat research and development, including practical experiences in innovative and participatory approaches for technology dissemination and adoption in Africa; Demonstrated ability to coordinate, coach and harmoniously work with NARES partners, private sector and stakeholders in Africa; Demonstrated ability to work respectfully and inclusively in a diverse, multicultural, multidisciplinary work environment; Excellent interpersonal and team building skills; Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office applications including Word, Excel and PowerPoint; Fluency in written and spoken English; Outstanding and efficient communication skills, including by electronic means