Individual Consultant Agronomist - AFFM - AHAI (EOI) at the African Development Bank Group (AfDB)

African Development Bank Group (AfDB) - Established in 1964, the African Development Bank is the premier pan-African development institution, promoting economic growth and social progress across the continent. There are 80 member states, including 54 in Africa (Regional Member Countries). The Bank’s development agenda is delivering the financial and technical support for transformative projects that will significantly reduce poverty through inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: EOI - Individual Consultant Agronomist - AFFM - AHAI

Location: Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
Consultant type: Individual Consultant

The Position

• AfDB is seeking to engage the services of an individual consultant agronomist with broad background in soil sciences and a good understanding of the fertilizer sector in Africa.
• The individual must have a demonstrated capacity to drive change. S/he will work within the AFFM secretariat and contribute to the implementation of the AFFM strategic plan.
• S/he will support the AFFM in achieving projects’ objectives of sustainable and profitable increases in agricultural productivity and product quality, while ensuring soil health, environment and social safeguards.

Specific Responsibilities

• Oversee agricultural aspects of the AFFM funded projects, Communicating - giving / exchanging ideas, advising, explaining - within the Bank, different donors and partners.
• Lead the implementation of agriculture productivity and soil health initiatives by supervising
• and supporting AFFM’s projects executing agents and partners, to ensure that projects result in economically, environmentally and socially sustainable impact.
• Ensure that projects adopt the 4R approach (right source, right rate, right time, and right place) best management practices (BMPs) adapted to local conditions that will maximize agronomic use efficiency of nutrients and improve crop productivity.
• Provide recommendations for agriculture technologies, fertilizer application; prioritize/promote the use of specialized/specific fertilizer including organic matter on selected crops.
• Support capacity strengthening of AFFM projects beneficiaries, including among others actors in the fertilizer distribution, smallholder farmers (via Farmer’s cooperatives/ village-based grouping), field extensionists etc.
• Participate actively in all the activities of projects cycle (identification, preparation and appraisal, supervision and evaluation); collect relevant information and data, as a member of project team, with a view to carrying out the technical analysis.
• Assist in establishing a results-based monitoring and evaluation system that tracks, in a timely manner, improvements in food productivity and soil health against AFFM’s annual and medium-term plans, and ensure consistency for the services provided to countries and companies;
• Collaborate with AFFM/AfDB or any entity commissioned by the Bank during the process to collect project baseline data, on key project performance indicators including among others status on crops grown, yields realized, inputs used and level of input application etc.
• Serve as AFFM focal point for all agronomic aspects relating to AFFM projects; assist countries and AFFM partners in productivity and soil health studies, feasibility studies, soil and fertility analysis, in collecting, analyzing data and disseminating relevant information.
• Participate in drafting terms of reference for studies proposed for AFFM financing and participate in the evaluation and processing, and supervision of related projects and activities.
• Conduct field missions to identify, prepare, evaluate and / or oversee the implementation and monitoring of AFFM projects, programs to support the implementation of the AFFM strategic plan and the Bank’s Feed Africa Strategy.
• Maintain good relationship with executing agencies, research institutions, scientists, specialized institutions and/or technical service providers involved in the AFFM projects/activities.
• Monitor project implementation by recipients, provide required technical assistance and follow up project periodic reporting.
• Contribute to implementation of other activities in the AFFM annual work program; contribute to AFFM periodic reports and annual report.
• Review studies and progress reports on projects and make proposals for actions to be taken by the AFFM and the executing agencies.
• Undertake any other assignment relevant to the successful implementation and performance of the AFFM.

Expected Deliverables

• Various Reports: For specific tasks, project appraisal reports (PAR), back to office reports (BTOR), etc.
• Project’s specific periodic reports
• AFFM periodic reports
• Topical papers/briefing notes/ talking points, PPT etc. as assigned by the Coordinator
• Any other documents in line with the assignment for the AFFM Management review/approval.

Required Skill, Qualification and Experience

• The Consultant must hold a Master's Degree (MSc.) in Agriculture, Agricultural Economics or any other related discipline.
• A minimum ten (10) years of relevant experience with particular expertise in fertilizer industry, crop productivity, soil sciences (fertility and health) in Africa.
• Must have proven experience with agricultural productivity, quality improvement and sustainable land use.
• Ability to apply systems perspectives to plant analysis, soil fertility management and soil health issues.
• Capable of providing methodological backstopping for agricultural innovation pilots and tests.
• Has experience with innovative agricultural community-based, participatory, field-oriented research and extension approaches (farmer field schools, farmer research and extension groups, participatory variety selection, multi-locational trials, etc.).
• Can deliver training sessions on agronomy to AFFM projects beneficiaries, develop and elaborate user-oriented field notes and leaflets (for extensionists, farmers, cooperatives, Etc.).
• Ability to build partnerships, possess experience working with Government organization, private Sector, national/international development agencies, research institutions, with a good understanding of key players in the fertilizer sector in Africa.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in multi-cultural environments and in interdisciplinary team to be creative and innovative, with a demonstrated Integrity and ability to work in team.
• Ability to produce well researched documents and communicate in one of the Bank’s two official languages of English or French. Capacity to use both will constitute an added advantage.
• Proficiency in the use of standard Microsoft software, especially MS Office environment.
• A track record in successful development and implementation of donor funded projects.

Duration and Location:

• The consultancy is scheduled to last for a period of Six (6) months starting from March 15th, 2023, latest.
• The duty station for this assignment is the African Development Bank Headquarters in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. It may however be remotely based on Covid-19-related travel restrictions and pending further implementation of the Bank’s “Return to Office” policy. Regardless of location, the successful candidate must secure reliable technology and network connection to smoothly implement her/his duties virtually.

Application Closing Date
24th February, 2023 at 05:00 pm GMT.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should submit their Expressions of interest to: affm@afdb.org using "Expression of Interest for an individual consultant Agronomist- AFFM" as the subject of the email.

To the attention of the AFFM Coordinator
African Development Bank - Africa Fertilizer Financing Mechanism
P.O Box: 1387 - Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
Tel: +225 20 26 54 05

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Click here for the Job Description (PDF)

Note

• Any submissions received after this time will not be considered. Interested individual consultants may obtain further information at the address provided below during the Bank’s working hours: 8h00am to 05h00pm GMT.