Environmental/Climate Change Consultant (Agricultural Value Chains) at Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA)

MEDA is an international economic development organization whose mission is to create business solutions to poverty. Founded in 1953 by a group of Mennonite business professionals, we partner with the poor to start or grow small and medium-sized businesses in developing regions around the world.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Environmental/Climate Change Consultant (Agricultural Value Chains)

Location: Bauchi (or nearby), Nigeria
Level of Effort: 20 days
Period: Between May 1 and July 31, 2017

Background

• Nigerian Small Entrepreneurs (SEs) and Small and Growing Businesses (SGBs) face significant barriers to growth, including weak supply chains, poor access to lucrative markets, poor access to financial services and limited business skills. In addition to these, women and youth starting and growing businesses must contend with limited business networks, low literacy levels and restrictions on their mobility. Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) has developed a project to target interventions on age- and gender-specific barriers to promote greater involvement and success of women and youth in agricultural SEs and SGBs.
• This project will advance more equitable economic growth in Nigeria’s agricultural sector by sustainably raising the business performance of small, growing businesses (SGBs) and small entrepreneurs (SEs), particularly those run by women and youth, and the value chains in which they participate. Early field research indicates that rice and sesame are appropriate and promising value chains, with strong and growing markets and with potential for significant outreach. In-depth research at the inception mission will confirm and deepen this analysis.
• The project intends to enhance positive environmental effects by promoting integration of environmental sustainability into SGB business planning by screening matching grant applications for sustainability. During this process, environmental champion SGBs will be identified. As SGB supply chains are upgraded and improved, environmentally friendly technologies might replace outdated and inefficient equipment and reduce waste by-products, and carbon emissions. The project includes indicators on the number of SEs benefiting from technical assistance and e-voucher incentives towards environmentally sustainable practices and equipment, and the number of SGBs using environmentally sustainable practices and technology.
• MEDA is conducting an inception mission to gather additional data to support the development of an Environmental Sustainability and Climate Resilience Strategy and Plan for the project. The successful consultant candidate will participate in the inception mission with support from MEDA’s Environmental Specialist and other MEDA staff, and will conduct the tasks laid out in the Scope of Work.

Scope of Work
The Local Consultant will support the inception mission, participate in relevant inception mission meetings, and report to MEDA’s Environment Specialist; and will work closely with the Project Manager and other staff on the inception mission to complete the following:

• Conduct desk research and interviews to gather information regarding Nigeria’s environmental and health/safety laws, regulations and standards pertaining to the agriculture sector
• Conduct research and interviews to gather information on environmentally-sustainable and climate smart technologies, practices, and services
• Work with MEDA’s Environment Specialist to develop the project’s Environmental Sustainability and Climate Resilience Strategy and Plan, as part of the overall Project Implementation Plan and in sync with its other components.

Deliverables:

• Interview transcripts and meeting notes (well-structured and well-written)

Report including:

• Applicable Environmental laws, regulations, standards and requirements for businesses (including small entrepreneurs) operating in Nigeria’s agriculture sector
• Health and safety requirements pertaining to Nigeria’s agriculture sector
• List of environmentally-sustainable and climate smart technologies, practices, and services (by these categories) available or achievable in Nigeria’s agriculture sector, particularly in Bauchi state
• Recommendations for MEDA’s project to consider when developing its environmental and climate resilience strategy and plan

Qualifications
The Consultant must have strong capacity, knowledge of, and experience in environmental and climate change issues relating to the Nigerian agriculture sector including processing and other agri-businesses. The consultant should have the following minimum qualification criteria:

• At least Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Engineering/Science/Management/Studies or related discipline
• At least 7 years of relevant experience in the field of green technologies and practices industry, preferably in similar project contexts.
• Deep knowledge of the Nigerian agriculture sector and related environmental issues, ideally including rice and sesame
• Familiarity with supply chain and market systems concepts
• Previous experience in conducting desk and field research similar to the assignment
• Experience in rural socioeconomic development
• Experience in working with NGOs
• Strong analytical and report-writing skills
• Fluent in English and ideally local languages in Bauchi state

Application Closing Date
Monday, 24th April, 2017.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should forward their CV's to: [email protected]

Interested consultants are required to submit the following information:

• Consultant profile including academic background and professional experience.
• Previous experience in conducting similar assignments including a sample written document.
• Financial information, including daily rate/fees.