Source: IFAD

Consultant – Agricultural Risk Management Capacity Development Strategy (1 position)

Date of issue: 20/10/2015

Deadline for applications: 11/03/2015

Duty Station: Rome

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Job Description

Expected duration of contract

Up to 10 months beginning 1st December 2015 to 15th December 2016. Possibility of extension in 2017 depending on results and funds availability.

Organizational context

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is an international financial institution and a specialized United Nations agency dedicated to eradicating poverty and hunger in rural areas in developing countries. It does so by financing projects and programmes that increase agricultural productivity and raise rural incomes, and by advocating at local, national and international level for policies that enable poor rural people to overcome poverty

The Programme Management Department (PMD) is responsible for the overall lending programme of the Fund, and is composed of five Regional Divisions, Environment and Climate Division (ECD) and a Policy and Technical Advisory Division (PTA). PTA aims to strengthen the quality of IFAD’s portfolio of country programmes (comprising loans, grants and associated activities) as regards technological, institutional and policy aspects. The Division supports IFAD investments in developing and applying a knowledge base on pro-poor rural development. This knowledge management provides the basis for PTA’s quality enhancement of the Fund’s programmes and partnership development for rural poverty reduction.

The Platform for Agricultural Risk Management (PARM) is a G8-G20 initiative hosted by the International Fund for Agricultural development (IFAD), located within PTA, and provides technical support to Governments on Agricultural Risk Management (www.p4arm.org). PARM Secretariat is working in the African continent in strategic partnership with the NEPAD Agency (African Union’s New Partnership for Africa’s Development), which, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has been establishing since 2011 an Agriculture and Food Insecurity Risk Management (AFIRM) initiative to support African countries in mainstreaming agriculture and food security risk management into their Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) implementation.

Agricultural Risk Management (ARM) Capacity Development (CD) is one of the main pillars of PARM activities together with the ARM processes and ARM studies. As part of the PARM Knowledge Management strategy, CD is focused on knowledge sharing activities to improve the human capital of all the stakeholders that can contribute to a better ARM system, in particular, vulnerable rural households. CD plays an important role in PARM activities since the first phases of the PARM process. The early consultations with stakeholders and the National Stakeholder Workshops organized to present the risk assessment and feasibility studies represent the main opportunity to gather the most active actors on ARM and identify the areas where CD is most needed.

Assignment description

PARM is looking to hire a consultant with expertise in Agricultural Risk Management and Capacity Building in development contexts. The consultant will undertake three main tasks under the supervision of the PARM Senior Programme Manager and in close collaboration with the PARM staff and consultants:

1. The design and development of a global PARM Capacity Development Strategy and one consistent strategy for each of the PARM countries defining the CD gaps in each country. These strategies need to be consistent with the PARM holistic approach, the PARM policy process in each country and the whole set of PARM activities.
2. The implementation of the global and country strategies in close collaboration with the Governments and stakeholders in the country and with the maximum participation of local CD partners. This includes organizing CD seminars, identifying participants and speakers and providing and facilitating training sessions in the PARM countries on his/her own or with other trainers.
3. Plan and coordinate CD activities in different countries, in close cooperation with PARM staff and local focal points and experts and ensuring their alignment with other PARM activities.

Objectives of the consultancy

The overall purpose of this consultancy is to develop and implement an outstanding ARM Capacity Development strategy for PARM.

Required experience and education

Technical Background/Experience:

• Minimum of 5 years professional experience on capacity development aspects in developing countries
• Proven knowledge and experience in the development of pedagogical material
• Proven knowledge, understanding, and experience in Agricultural Risk Management tools and techniques

Communication / Management:

• Strong capacity to communicate abstract ARM concepts and ideas with plain language and illustrative examples
• Excellent research, collection, analysis of information and documentation organization, compilation, reporting and communication (written and verbal) skills required
• Capacity to coordinate with many other staff, experts, focal points and partners in different locations and from different countries and cultural backgrounds.
• Solid experience in coordinating with people in  complex environments with tight deadlines.
• Fluent English and French. Knowledge of Portuguese would be an asset.

Education

Advanced university degree in Economics, Agronomy, Communication or directly related field.

Other

The consultant should be available to travel frequently to PARM countries.

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