Deadline: 07 September, 2020

Location: Nairobi, Kenya

Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) has opened applications for the role  of Programme Coordinator.

AGRA, founded in 2006, is an African-led African-based organisation that seeks to catalyse agriculture transformation in Africa.

Responsibilities

• Assist in collecting and sharing data for the programme’s Food Security Monitor
• Contribute to the development of a common framework and a coalition of partners with which to engage government and agree on shared priorities for policy predictability and mechanisms to incentivise private sector investment in agribusiness
• Contribute to the provision of technical assistance and backstopping to governments through ministries of agriculture and trade to diagnose and assess, prioritise and reform policies, laws, regulations and administrative practices that constrain intra-regional trade
• Build the capacity of governments and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) to lead and manage policy reform with respect to regional food markets
• Identify and monitor key trade/market trends and contextual dynamics which inform issues of regional food trade policies and initiatives in AGRA-focus countries
• Provide technical support in developing regional food value chains and market systems that expand market opportunities for farmers and strengthen market transparency and efficiency
• Commission studies that will provide the evidence necessary to initiate dialogues with key decisionmakers on policy options that enhance regional trade
• Initiate and coordinate dialogues/engagements between national governments and private sector companies that create/appraise reforms and articulate optimal solutions needed to improve policy and regulatory predictability to unlock regional food trade and investment
• Contribute to the development and review of policy pieces and collateral for engagements with crucial stakeholders as part of the Regional Food Trade Unit’s influencing strategy
• Support the development and management of policy sub-grants to national, regional and international technical assistance providers to deliver the regional food trade and resilience initiative
• Provide technical assistance to grantees and assist in monitoring progress of implementation of Food Trade and Resilience Programme grants
• Track and provide regular intelligence on key policy and political trends in the region and AGRA-focus countries relevant to improving regional food trade
• Carry out light policy and political analysis of key policy dispensations in focus countries and regions and review of regulations and capacity gaps affecting regional trade
• Contribute to partnership development with national, regional and continental partners (i.e., governments, private sector, multilateral and bilateral partners, civil society) operating in the regional food market space
• Work with AGRA’s advocacy, communication and knowledge management units to highlight the implications of improved trade barriers and regulatory frameworks on the economy and food security
• Support the resource mobilisation of country and regional level work that seeks to increase intra-Africa food trade through policy predictability and market system development
• Work with the strategy and analytics team to conduct robust analytics of optimal cost and benefits of policy pathways that suit contextual realities of food trade and regional markets
• Support the development of quarterly and annual reports and other reports, as needed, in compliance with the requirements of DFID and other partners; as well as provide regular verbal and written updates and briefings on programme operations, achievements, and problems to the head of Regional Food Trade and other programme staff
• Undertake other assignments as may be assigned by the head of Regional Food Trade from time to time
• Represent the programme where necessary

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics or a relevant discipline
• A master’s degree will be an added advantage
• Five years, minimum, of experience in food trade and markets, agricultural development, economic policy and resilience/climate smart agriculture
• Demonstrated understanding of Africa’s policy and political economy landscape as it relates to intra-regional food market and food trade
• Deep knowledge of regional food trade and market systems development and the demonstrated ability to catalyse change in addressing market challenges
• Possess a good understanding of agriculture market development efforts in public, private and donor sectors in Africa
• Demonstrated ability to make a major contribution to the direction of AGRA’s Regional Food Trade Programme strategy and to deliver its goals and objectives
• Demonstrable ability to work in complex work dynamics and challenges
• Able to adapt rapidly to new technical areas
• Ability to develop sound project reports that can be understood by a wider stakeholder audience
• Strong analytical, critical thinking, problem-solving, programming and decision-making skills
• Good team working skills
• Ability to process multiple tasks at once; and with exceptional attention to detail
• A desire to keep ahead of new and evolving discourse around policies in agriculture as well as food trade and market trends and resilience
• Ability to move from programme concept to on-the-ground reality in line with AGRA’s mission
• Good command of English required and a working knowledge of French would be an additional advantage
• Ability to travel between 25 percent and 35 percent domestically and internationally to engage AGRA teams and government units in AGRA-focus countries

To apply and for more information, click here.

Photo source: ELSA lnternational