Agro-Industry / Value Chain Consultant - AHAI 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 invite suitably qualified candidates to indicate their interest in joining the Department in the capacity below:

Job Title: Expression of Interest (EOI) for an Agro-Industry / Value Chain Consultant - AHAI

Location: Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
Consultant type: Individual Consultant
Job family: Agriculture, Human and Social Development;
Department issuing the request: Agriculture and Agro-Industry Department Place of assignment: The Consultant will be based at the Bank’s Headquarters in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire for the duration of the contract.
Duration of the assignment: 6months
Tentative Date of commencement: 18April 2023

Brief Description of the Assignment

• Working from the African Development Bank’s (AfDB) Headquarter in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, the senior Consultant will support the teams working on Feed Africa initiatives and flagships namely: African Agricultural Value Chain Flagship (AAVC), Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) program, the SAPZ flagship of Feed Africa, the Post-Harvest Loss and Agro-Processing (PHAP) Flagship. 
• The broad objective of the assignment isto supports the work on agriculture value chain development, interventions and impact in Regional member Countries (RMCs).
•  In particular, to increase relevance, greater focus could be given to generating a clear approach and guidance on how to incorporate AVCD features in project design, particularly in applying value chain analysis, focusing on responsiveness to markets, and profitability while supporting sustainability.
• The consultant will ensure that recommendations from the IDEV study are being mainstreamed into the Bank’s Feed Africa interventions (flagships) and projects. In addition, the Technical consultant is expected to support the work on the the Bank-specific AVCD framework approach/policy which will include a common terminology; a consistent set of fundamentals, technical guidelines and toolkit to be used by operations staff provide value chain training at the division and complex levels and as required throughout the Bank. The senior consultant will work under the overall guidance of the Agribusiness Development Division Manager (AHAI.1).

Introduction 

• The African Development Bank approved the Feed Africa Strategy for Agricultural Transformation in Africa (2016-2025) and its delivery which currently guides the work of the Agriculture and Agro-Industry Department (AHAI) and Agricultural Finance and Rural Development Department (AHFR).
• Feed Africa strategy is one of the Bank’s High 5s operational priorities, a blueprint for African countries to embark on a course of sustainable transformation.
• The Bank, through the Feed Africa Strategy, has adopted a commodity value chain approach aimed to transform the entire agriculture value chain through a targeted investment strategy involving an initial set of agricultural commodities (also referred to as Priority Intervention Areas) and agro-ecological zones, identified as being initial lead areas for investment.
• The strategy, which aims to end hunger and rural poverty in the next decade through self-sufficiency and export leadership in 18 priority commodity value chains has identified a set of Priority Intervention Areas (PIAs), characterized by agricultural commodities and agro-ecological zones, and they include:
  • Achieve self-sufficiency in key staples (rice, wheat, fish);
  • Move up the value chain in key export orientated commodities (cocoa, coffee, cotton, cashew, cassava and horticulture); 
  • Create a food-secure Sahel (sorghum, millet, cowpea, livestock); and,
  • Realize the potential of the Guinea Savannah (maize, soybean, livestock) 
• These will be achieved through 7 mutually reinforcing enablers that is: 
  • Increased productivity, 
  • Increased value addition, 
  • Increased investment in hard and soft infrastructure, 
  • Expanded agricultural finance,
  • Improved agribusiness environment, 
  • Increased inclusivity, sustainability, nutrition, and 
  • Create opportunities for youths and women.
• The rational for the Agriculture Value Chain approach stems from the response to the Action Plan for Agricultural Transformation in Africa resulting from the Dakar High Level Conference which states need “To execute a bold plan to achieve rapid agricultural transformation across Africa through realizing the value of increased production though catalyzing investments into activities to add and fully realize production value, coordinating investments into markets structures; inputs/agro-processing and storage market to drive overall competitiveness of value chains, support/create market governance mechanisms, reduce post-harvest waste and loss to raise level and cost-effectiveness of production.
• The Agriculture Value Chain methodology is central to the Bank’s agricultural sector portfolio and the Feed Africa Strategy (2016-2025). Although most of the fundamentals for AVC development are evident to a varying extent throughout the Bank’s interventions, the evaluation results from the Bank’s Independent Development Evaluation (IDEV) department conducted over the period 2005-2016 revealed a substantial potential for strengthening the AVC approach within the Bank’s strategies and operations to achieve the intended outcomes of the Feed Africa Strategy.
• Realizing the objectives set forth in the strategy via an AVC methodology requires a public sector-enabled and private sector-driven approach to increase productivity; value addition; investment in 
• 3infrastructure as well as promote an enabling agribusiness environment and increased capital flows for inclusive and sustainable food and nutrition security. The Bank wishes to recruit the services of an individual consultant to support its work on agriculture value chain development, interventions and impact in Regional member Countries (RMCs).
• In particular, to increase relevance, greater focus could be given to generating a clear approach and guidance on how to incorporate AVCD features in project design, particularly in applying value chain analysis, focusing on responsiveness to markets, and profitability while supporting sustainability.
• The consultant will ensure that recommendations from the IDEV study are being mainstreamed into the Bank’s Feed Africa interventions (flagships) and projects.

Objectives of the Assignment

• The objective of this assignment is to support the Agriculture and Agro-industry Department and liaise with other departments to facilitate a collaborative and unified approach to value chain management in the implementation of the Bank’s Ten-Year Strategy (TYS), the High5s agenda. 
• The Consultant will work across the Bank teams on Feed Africa initiatives and flagships, including but not limited to: Agricultural Value Chain flagships(AAVC), Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) program, the SAPZ flagship of Feed Africa, the Post-Harvest Loss and Agro-Processing (PHAP) Flagship; etc

Scope of Work
The Consultant will be required to: 

• Support and interface with Agriculture Finance and Rural Development Department in designing and implementing the Staple Agro-Processing Zone (SAPZ) flagship of Feed Africa in regional member countries.
• Support the scoping assessment of the establishment of processing clusters and the feasibility for the establishment of wholesale markets that support the implementation of Feed Africa initiatives and projects.
• Work across all the Flagships of the Feed Africa Flagship, with the purpose of integrating them to achieve its strategic objectives.
• Support the Food Safety Initiatives of Feed Africa in its mainstreaming within value chain projects as well as supporting and developing studies, briefs and background papers, related thereto
• Under the auspices of AHAI.1 Division, the consultant will support the Department’s / Division’s staff to promote the development of innovative, sustainable, and inclusive agribusiness value chains that are public-sector enabled and private-sector driven within the Bank’s lending program.
• Finalize the Agriculture Value Chain Development Support Concept Note and other supporting documents to leverage partnerships as well as mobilize resources through proposal, dialogues and presentations.
• Identify, develop and submit proposals for financing under the Bank’s internal Trust Funds such as KOAFEC, TSF, and FAPA for at least 4 value chain opportunities in regional member countries that contribute to the objectives of the Feed Africa Strategy.
• Assist in review of technical documents and papers, including preparing PowerPoint presentations around the role incumbent;
• Undertake any other assignment as determined by Management and technically support Task Managers in project design
• Deliverables: The deliverables / outputs of the assignment would include but not limited to the following:
• A monthly report of activities and achievements
• An approved Concept Note, PowerPoint presentation and Board information note on the Agriculture Value Chain Development Support initiative.
• At least 4 proposals submitted to Trust Funds and 3 proposals financed for implementation on an agriculture value chain/ food safety initiative or project.
• A standardized checklist for the implementation of value chain-related projects that are public sector enabled and private sector is driven.
• Feasibility analysis for the establishment of wholesale markets on specific value chains and countries.
• Technical annexes on agribusiness landscape during project identification, preparation and Appraisal.

Qualifications and Experience

• The consultant should have at least a Master's Degree in Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural Economics or equivalent experience, Agribusiness Management, Land Use Management or any other tenable qualifications; with considerable knowledge and experience in issues of SAPZs, agro-processing, value chain development and management; including experience with private sector development.
• The candidate must have at least 15 years’ experience working in his/her area of specialty; with previous experience working with multi-lateral development institutions and the private sector.
• Working experience within multicultural teams and international organizations or companies and highly knowledgeable of Africa’s social, agricultural and rural development and economic development issues, questions and challenges;
• Proven experience in identifying, designing and implementing solutions for enhancing productivity and commodity value addition in a Multilateral Development Bank.
• Excellent understanding of Bank policies, programs and projects either within AfDB or in a similar organization
• S/he must have extensive knowledge and experience of in working in Africa;
• The consultant must be conversant with the Bank’s project cycle activities;
• S/he should have excellent communication skills and be proficient in both written and spoken English/French

Duration of the Assignment:

• The assignment is expected to be carried out for 6 months.
• Location: The Consultant will be based at the Bank’s Headquarters in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire for the duration of the contract.

Reporting Requirements:

• The Consultant will report to the Director of the Agriculture and Agro-Industries Department (AHAI).S/he will be directly supervised by the Manager of Agriculture and Agro-Industry (AHAI1).

Application Closing Date
31st March, 2023 (17:00 GMT).

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates are required to express their interest by submitting their CV and Cover Letter detailing their qualifications and experiences to: [email protected]  and copy: [email protected]

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