Job Description
JOB TITLE: Inclusive Market Engagement Advisor
REPORTS TO: Programme Manager- SIDA I
REPORTING TO POSTHOLDER: None
LOCATION: Addis Ababa
DURATION & HOURS: up to 31 December 2022 with 60 work days probationary period and possibility of extension
PURPOSE OF THE ROLE |
Farm Africa, founded in 1985, is an international non-governmental organization working in Ethiopia since 1988. Farm Africa works to end hunger and bring prosperity to rural Africa. We believe Africa has the power to feed itself and are helping make this happen by establishing and spreading the best farming and forestry techniques so that poor farmers and herders have more food to feed their families and to sell. We help smallholders manage their natural resources sustainably so that they can withstand climate change challenges and shocks and ensure their families have enough food in the future as well as now. Farm Africa works in partnership with communities, government, local and international organizations, and the private sector to innovate, learn and share best practices for maximum impact of our projects.
The Inclusive Market Engagement Advisor (IMEA) is a technical post responsible for ensuring high quality implementation of market engagement activities which mainstream gender-inclusion in their approaches and delivery. The IMEA will be responsible for delivering and coordinating market engagement activities with the team and building the capacity of staff and partners in the implementation market engagement activities.
The IMEA will have particular focus on G4F I projects and ensuring best practices are taking for supporting the development of inclusive market systems are developed to empower smallholders and ensure women are engaged in the project. The IMEA will also support the PM and project partners to implement projects. In particular the IMEA will be expected to utilise best industry practice such as the M4P and M4P WEE to ensure the best sustainable outcomes for farmers engaged in markets. This will include working with cooperatives to ensure member and governance structures are inclusive and designing market engagement approaches which support women to access value.
The IMEA will work with the Programme team, partners and stakeholders to ensure a clear understanding of the programme’s market engagement approaches and aims. S/he will also work closely with partner organisations, including the UEWCA, to provide technical as well as capacity building support – developing appropriate tools, systems and training to support programme’s field teams and partner organisations.
The role also acts as an interface between the SIDA programme and Farm Africa’s Country Office on issues relating to market engagement work and mainstreaming gender in market interventions; the role will work closely with Farm Africa’s Regional Technical Advisors and the Programme Manager to ensure continual improvement of organisational systems and processes.
KEY TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES |
- Technical oversight and leadership for the market engagement work within the programme
- Responsible for the technical direction of market engagement works within the programme, providing technical advice to management on all aspects of the project.
- Ensure that all programme activities are contributing towards the development of sustainable and scalable gender-inclusive market systems.
- Specifically, lead on a gender-inclusive market analysis to review opportunities for interventions to strengthen opportunities for women’s economic growth within the programme.
- Lead studies and activities related to market engagement within the programme to ensure technical excellence of all work.
- Advise management on best practices to ensure quality outcomes for all (inclusive) market engagement activities.
- Assist in the development and operation of an effective system of monitoring and evaluation of the whole market process.
- Support Farm Africa in facilitating market linkages between producers and off-takers and provide guidance to contract facilitation.
- Capacity building of staff and partners to ensure high quality of market engagement activities in the programme.
- Work with partner organisations, including UEWCA ,Merccy Corps and ORDA to identify capacity development gaps on inclusive market developments.
- Develop and execute, in coordination with the PM and Farm Africa’s Regional Technical Advisors, tailor made capacity development trainings for project teams to increase capacity to deliver high quality impact in market engagement work.
- Work with the Programme Support Team and Technical Advisors to develop and refine tools and systems for use by programme staff and partners.
- Provide on the job mentoring and support programme’s field teams and partner organisations on gender and market engagement where necessary
- Organize capacity building trainings on other topics (i.e. Project 1) by developing TOR and facilitating the training, etc as required by the PM.
- Delivery of tailored inclusive market engagement activities and delivery of products to directly impact beneficiaries
- Identify, design and implement, in collaboration with field teams and the PM, tailored high-impact activities that directly benefit the target community
- Develop and deliver tools and systems and training to support programme’s field teams and partner organisations on gender-inclusive market engagement.
- Work with programme stakeholders, including cooperatives and local government, to ensure they are inclusive and designing market engagement approaches that support women.
Coordination
- Oversee and support the implementation of inclusive market engagement activities. Ensure that project activities are implemented and outputs achieved as planned within the agreed budget
- Together with the PM, proactively identify and monitor any risks to non-delivery and, where required, develop and implement action plans to address issues identified
- Work with the PM, the programme’s MEL Expert and Farm Africa’s Quality and Impact team, to ensure the programme’s M&E system properly monitors and evaluates gender and market engagement objectives
- Ensure the use of relevant FA’s standards; provide critical analysis and technical input to implementation processes, ensuring Farm Africa can maximise its impact and the learning potential.
- Work closely with partner organisations to contribute lessons learned, ensure dissemination and maintain dialogue on key learnings
- Play an active role as a member of the Farm Africa Country team
- Contribute to the development and implementation of Farm Africa’s strategy
- Contribute to a wider Farm Africa market engagement agenda
- Support senior staff to represent Farm Africa in national and regional networks and interest groups relevant to the Market Engagement Thematic area, and personally contribute to policy and thematic debates
- Identify and explore opportunities to grow and expand the country project pipeline, both in relation to the current project (e.g., potential scale-up opportunities to take existing work to meso- or macro-level, replication in other geographies/regions) or related to new project opportunities
- Work, where appropriate, with the Country Director and the UK Programme Funding Unit to prepare funding proposals where requested, ensuring that any lessons learned during implementation are documented and built into future project design
- Participate in country-level or pan-Farm Africa programme meetings with other project coordinators, as requested by the Country Director or PM.
These essential functions are not to be interpreted as a complete statement of all duties performed. Employees will be required to perform other job-related duties as required. All work responsibilities are subject to having performance goals and/or targets established.
Job Requirements
PERSON SPECIFICATION | |
Essential | Desirable |
Education, qualifications & other knowledge | |
| MSc qualification or equivalent in either of the following fields: agri-economics, agriculture, business, international development, rural development, or any other relevant discipline. | |
| Knowledge of agri-value chain development and integrating CSA practices | |
| Strong knowledge of and firm belief in gender equality, gender issues in rural communities and gender mainstreaming | |
| Demonstrated professional and personal attitude towards gender equality | |
Experience | |
| A minimum of 5 years of progressive and relevant experience in gender and market engagement in the development sector | |
| Experience in working in similar sized INGOs | |
| Evidenced knowledge and understanding of project strategy, design, implementation, monitoring and reporting. | |
| Experience in developing, implementing and reviewing capacity building trajectories with partner organisation and project staff | |
| Proven track record of establishing and building strong and effective relationships with partners, donors, government and private sector organizations | |
| Hands on experience in agri-value chain development. | |
| Experience in developing spices and chickpea value chains | |
| Demonstrable experience in facilitating farmers to access profitable markets | |
| Experience working in the SNNPR | |
| Hands on experience in ensuring gender mainstreaming in the design and implementation of programs | |
| Experience in working with gender responsive tools and methodologies to enhance the capacity of project staff and partner organizations | |
| A deep understanding of participatory community-based project approaches in development and economic opportunities. | |
Skills & abilities | |
| Excellent ability to develop and translate plans into cost-effective operations and activities, in line with identified and available resources and budgets, and donor and other conditions | Good knowledge of Windows including Outlook, Excel, and Power Point |
| Proven experience in stimulating successful delivery of the project by all team members as well as partner organizations, creating open and collaborative team environments that encourages the contributions of all | Excellent written and oral communication and presentation skills with the ability to work with a wide range of partners (Local NGOs, Field teams, Government, donor and Private Sector stakeholders) |
| Experience in combining coaching with effective and insightful feedback on strengths, development areas and ways to grow | Experience in managing SIDA funded programs |
| Strong ability to identify problems and solve complex issue strategically. | Fluent written and spoken Amharic and English |
| Proven experience and ability in co-ordination, management and negotiation within partners and other stakeholders | Ability and willingness to travel widely and frequently to rural areas. |
| Excellent information management, networking and communication skills | |
Our Values
Investing in smallholder farming is the number one way to combat poverty in rural Africa. Farm Africa is a leading NGO specialising in growing agriculture, protecting the environment and developing businesses in rural Africa.
EXPERT: Expertise and insightful evidence-based solutions are at the heart of everything Farm Africa does.
GROUNDED: Our teams and partners work closely with local communities, engaging them in every level of decision-making.
IMPACTFUL: We deliver long lasting change for farmers, their families, and the environments they live in.
BOLD: We model innovative approaches and are not afraid to challenge strategies that are failing.
Those who meet the above requirements should submit their short CV (maximum of 4 pages) and a cover letter (maximum 1 page) addressing [email protected] with the subject Inclusive Market Engagement Advisor by 3 July 2022.
Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
Farm Africa is an equal opportunity employer and promotes gender equity. Canvassing will lead to automatic disqualification. Farm Africa does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process. (E.g. Application, interview, meeting, processing, training or any other fees).
More Information
- Address Ethiopia
- Experience Level Senior
- Total Years Experience 5-10
