International and National Consultants at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) helps developing countries attract and use aid effectively. In all our activities, we encourage the protection of human rights, capacity development and the empowerment of women.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: International +National Consultant (Review UNDP/BMGF Support FMARD)

Location: Abuja
Type of Contract: Individual Contract
Post Level: International Consultant
Duration of Initial Contract: 20 days
Expected Duration of Assignment: 20 days
Slot: 2

Background
In 2011, the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGoN), through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), made a paradigm shift from a government-led endeavor towards treating agriculture as a business with private sector investment as a driver and the government as facilitator. The aim is to establish a sustainable agricultural sector in Nigeria that raises incomes of the rural population whilst underpinning the national economy and improves nutrition.

In order to operationalize the paradigm shift FMARD has requested UNDP and BMGF in 2012 to provide expertise and develop capacity in FMARD. This was in the form of embedded advisors with catalytic funds to initiate strategic interventions in key areas of FMARD namely Agribusiness, Knowledge Management, M&E, Policy and Organization & Management.

Embedded advisors came onboard and activities were carried out as of mid 2012. Early 2014 a strategic planning exercise was organized to align project activities towards current priorities of FMARD and further structure the support. For each of the 4 workstreams activities were identified with budget lines and outputs for a) internal capacity building, b) development of institutional mechanisms and 3) development of key products. Capacity development widely defined in terms of a) the numbers and skills of people, b) institutional processes and environment and c) enabling system & tools was identified as a common element in all areas.

Objectives

• Review the relevance of the project and impact of project interventions and contribution in building institutional capacity of FMARD in terms of changes in capacity of FMARD to develop and implement effective policies, including coordination of stakeholders, to foster sustainable and effective agricultural development with its goals on production, nutrition and trade;
• Assess if the outputs and outcomes as outlined in the project document have been achieved and identify challenges in the implementation of the project;
• Assess the appropriateness and relevance of the project strategy in achieving the stated outputs and outcomes;
• Identify weaknesses in the project design and implementation and provide recommendations for improvement;
• Review and assess the efficiency of implementation and management arrangements of the Project;
• Make recommendations for the design of any future support to FMARD based on lessons learned.

Duties and Responsibilities

• The review is conducted at the request of FMARD and UNDP to determine progress in achieving objectives of the project, the progress made with implementing activities and outline challenges faced in programmatic and organizational areas.

Expected Outputs and Deliverables
The following deliverables are expected:

• Inception Report, detailing scope and methodology, including data collection methods as well as approach for the Review. The inception report should also contain a brief work plan with timelines for agreed milestones;
• Draft Review Report, which will be shared with FMARD, UNDP;
• Final Review Report, incorporating comments from FMARD, UNDP.

Scope of the Review

• The Review will cover the period from the inception of the project in 2012 to July 2015. The Review exercise will be focused, consultative and participatory, entailing a combination of a desk review, analyses and interviews.

The following approaches will be used for analysis:

• Desk review of relevant documents (list and documents see below);
• Discussions with UNDP Nigeria senior management, FMARD senior management and Project Coordinator;
• Interviews with relevant project staff, FMARD staff at federal and state level, agricultural stakeholders including donors (IFAD, GIZ, World Bank, FAO, USAID), private sector organizations (including NABG, MBAs as NPC, NBS, NASDRA) and CBOs/ farmers organizations.
• The Review Team will consist of two consultants (one International and one national) with a focus respectively on (a) agricultural sector development and (b) institutional change and operational issues.

Required Skills and Experience

Agricultural sector expert/Teamleader- International
Education:

• University degree (MSc. or higher) in Public Administration, Agriculture, Sustainable development, Economics, Development planning, Business Administration or related field.

Experience:

• Over 15 years professional expertise in international development co-operation, governance issues and especially in the agricultural sector with a clear understanding of the Policies, programs, processes, mechanisms and roles of stakeholders, including the private sector;
• Demonstrated analytical, communication and report writing skills;
• Extensive experience in conducting Reviews, with a strong working knowledge on institutional capacity building/development and institutional change;
• Good professional knowledge of the Africa region and the Nigerian agricultural sector.

Language:

• Excellent command of English

Institutional and Organizational change expert- National

Education:

• University degree (MSc. or higher) in Public Administration, Agriculture, Sustainable development, Economics, Development Planning, Business administration or related field.

Experience:

• Over 10 years professional expertise in international development co-operation, governance issues and especially in the agricultural sector with a clear understanding of the Policies, programs, processes, mechanisms and roles of stakeholders, especially the private sector;
• Extensive experience in conducting Reviews, with a strong working knowledge on institutional capacity building/development and clear vision on the role of knowledge management for institutional change;
• Extensive knowledge of result - based management (RBM), Monitoring and Evaluation methodologies and approaches; impact assessment/development of programming/strategies; programme/project evaluation;
• Good professional knowledge of the Africa region and the Nigerian agricultural sector;
• Demonstrated analytical, communication and report writing skills.

Language
Excellent command of English.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

• Acting as a team player;
• Diplomatic skills and behavior.

Functional Competencies:

• Ability to work under pressure and deliver high-quality products in time;
• Accurate and organized mode of working;
• Ability to interact effectively with different stakeholder groups.

Reporting:

• Strong analytical skills and reporting skills, both oral and written;
• Good writing skills:
• Ability to review, edit and critique peer reports.

Application Closing Date
17th August, 2015.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online