Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
3. ADVOCACY & RESOURCE MOBILISATION OFFICER
FARA is the apex organization for agricultural research for development in Africa. The FARA Secretariat is the lead institution for pillar IV of NEPAD’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) which encompasses agricultural research and technology dissemination and adoption. FARA works closely with the sub-regional organisations (SROs) and the national agricultural research and extension systems to ensure effective implementation of CAADP activities.
FARA’s mission is to create broad-based improvements in agricultural productivity, competitiveness and markets by supporting Africa’s sub-regional organisations in strengthening capacity for agricultural innovation. FARA aims to achieve this through five key results i.e. the establishment of appropriate institutional and organisational arrangements for regional agricultural research and development, ensuring that broad-based stakeholders have access to the knowledge and technology necessary for innovation, the development of strategic decision making options for policy, institutions and markets, the development of human and institutional capacity for innovation and ensuring that platforms for agricultural innovation are supported.
FARA aims to deliver the above five results through the following five networking support functions;
1. Advocacy and resource mobilisation – will support the SROs and their NARSs in establishing appropriate institutional and organizational arrangements (Including a conducive policy, research infrastructure and financial environment) for regional agricultural research and development.
2. Access to knowledge and technologies – will empower researchers and end users through access to information, learning opportunities, and new technologies. This will be achieved through mechanisms for information exchange, decision making tools for transformation of information into knowledge for innovation, and mechanisms for exchange of technology-based innovations between sub-regions.
3. Regional policies and markets – will promote and facilitate policy analyses and market research. This provides policy makers, particularly at the continental ministerial level, with research based options. It also provides information that will empower Africa’s delegates in international trade and environmental treaty negotiations, and improve broad-based inter and intra-regional markets.
4. Capacity strengthening – will ensure that Africa has the human and institutional capacity, public and private, to achieve improved broad-based agricultural productivity, competitiveness and markets which will contribute to achieving the African Vision of 6% percent annual growth in agricultural production.
5. Partnerships and strategic alliances –will catalyse and facilitate the establishment of partnerships that bring together the range of expertise and sufficient capacities to achieve FARA’s Specific Objective. These partnerships will be able to draw on all FARA stakeholders, African and non-African, depending on the task at hand. They will create the capacity for agricultural innovation that, linked with the other supporting functions, will bring about the improvements in the efficacy and impact of African agricultural research and development.
Each of the five networking support functions have identified and will continue to identify key time bound activities that will help in achieving FARA’s mission and objectives.
FARA is seeking applications from qualified candidates for the following positions;
1. POLICY AND MARKET DIRECTOR – Ref: FARA/Adv/PMKTS/08
S/he will be responsible to the Deputy Executive Director and will perform the following duties;
• Develop and implement the Regional Policy and Market ((Networking Support Function 3) strategy to effectively achieve its objectives;
• Ensure the appropriate use of data, particularly market data and other forms of evidence that can inform strategy and ongoing decision-making;
• Work closely with FARA management and SROs and the National Agricultural Research Systems (NARs) to develop marketing strategies for agricultural value added products, high value foods, locally, regionally and continentally;
• Conduct market and other relevant agricultural research and feasibility studies. Develop relevant database and statistical data for dissemination and sharing with FARA stakeholders;
• In collaboration with the SROs, IARCs, CG Centres and NARS, encourage sharing of information on policy instruments that could be disseminated across the African continent to assist with improved agriculture;
• Convene analysts and decision makers to examine the policy and institutional factors that constrain the emergence of a dynamic, sustainable and equitable agricultural sector in Africa, design strategies for reform, and facilitate the formation of partnerships and collaborative action;
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of the most recent trends and emerging policies and institutional issues that affect African agriculture in general, and the poor and vulnerable food producers and consumers in particular;
• Assist Project Leaders to understand and incorporate appropriate policy component project design.
• Work closely with other Networking Support Function Directors to ensure that each programme strategy has a practical and appropriate policy component relevant to African Agricultural Development;
• Identify relevant organizations, institutions, partners and agencies for the collaboration of Policy and markets matters with a view to their strengthening and implementation;
• Coordinate the development of progress reports of the NSF3;
• Supervise the Policies and Markets (NSF3) staff;
• Any other duties as will be assigned by FARA management
Required
PhD or a Master’s degree in Agricultural Economics, Natural Resources Management, agricultural education and extension or a related field. Preferable; training and experience in a mix of evaluation, economics and agriculture. Must demonstrate proven knowledge of agricultural development in Africa. Over 10 years working experience in African Agricultural policy and market research. Experience conducting or managing multi-method
programme and strategy evaluations; demonstrative quantitative analytical skills; experience setting strategic priorities for complex research and development organizations in dynamic environments.
2 POLICY AND MARKET ANALYST-Ref: FARA/Adv/PMktsA/08
S/he will be responsible to the Director, Policy and Market and will perform the following duties;
• Assist the NSF 3 Director to maintain up-to-date knowledge of the most recent trends and emerging policies and institutional issues that affect African agriculture in general, and the poor and vulnerable food producers and consumers in particular;
• Assist with the establishment and maintenance of strong contacts with key African policy analysts and regional policy makers;
• Support the Networking Support Function Directors in their efforts to ensure that each programme has practical and appropriate policy components relevant to African Agricultural development;
• Review and analyze available country legislation to determine national and regional policy bottlenecks and their impact on agricultural productivity and develop mechanisms to address them. Give recommendations regarding passed legislation.
• Work with FARA professional staff to develop relevant databases and statistical data on agricultural policy for dissemination and sharing with FARA stakeholders.
• Assist the NSF3 to identify relevant organizations, institutions, partners and agencies for collaboration on Policy matters with a view to their strengthening and implementation;
• Advice management of FARA and work closely with SROs and NARS to promote the sharing of information on policy instruments that could be disseminated across the African continent to assist with improved agricultural productivity;
• Draft, on a timely basis, relevant technical progress reports;
• Assist the Director and FARA management to convene analysts and decision makers to examine the policy and institutional factors that constrain the emergence of a dynamic, sustainable and equitable agricultural sector in Africa, design strategies for reform, and facilitate the formation of partnerships and collaborative action;
• Any other duties as will be assigned by the Policy and Market Director and FARA management.
Required
PhD or a Master’s degree in Agricultural Economics, Natural Resources Management, agricultural education and extension or a related field. Preferably, training and experience in a mix of evaluation, economics and agriculture. Must demonstrate deep knowledge of agriculturl development in Africa. Over 5 years working experience in African Agricultural policy and market research. Demonstrative quantitative analytic skills; experience setting strategic priorities for complex research and development organizations in dynamic
environments.
3 ADVOCACY & RESOURCE MOBILISATION OFFICER-Ref: FARA/Adv/AdvRMO/08
S/he will be responsible to the Advocacy & Resource Mobilisation Officer and will assist him/her in performing the following duties;
• Develop and implement a strategy for advocacy and resource mobilization for FARA and its Secretariat.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of the most recent trends and emerging advocacy and institutional issues that affect African agriculture in general, and the poor and vulnerable food producers and consumers in particular;
• Work closely with FARA’s Networking Support Function (NSF) Directors to understand and incorporate appropriate advocacy components in their initiatives and projects;
• Work closely with the Deputy Executive Director, the Executive Director and other professional colleagues to track progress in the adoption and implementation of the Framework for African Agricultural Productivity principles across the African region;
• Collaborate with the SROs, IARCs, CG Centres and NARS, to encourage sharing of information on advocacy and resource mobilization instruments and learning to assist with improved agricultural productivity;
• Develop proposals for harmonized investments in African Agricultural research;
• Develop NSF 1 progress reports
• Convene analysts and decision makers to examine the policy and institutional factors that constrain the emergence of a dynamic, sustainable and equitable agricultural sector in Africa, design strategies for reform, and facilitate the formation of partnerships and collaborative action;
• Any other duties as will be assigned by the Advocacy and Resource Mobilization Director and FARA management.
Required
PhD or MSc in Agricultural Economics, Natural Resources Management, agricultural education and extension or a related field; Preferable, training and experience in a mix of evaluation, economics and agriculture. Must demonstrate deep knowledge of agricultural development in Africa; Over 5 years working experience in Advocacy and Resource Mobilisation. Demonstrative quantitative analytic skills; experience setting strategic
priorities for complex research and development organizations in dynamic environments.
Compensation
These are Professional category positions and FARA offers competitive international terms of employment. FARA is an equal opportunity employer and applications are encouraged from women.
Applications
Please send (preferably via e-mail) comprehensive curriculum vitae, together with the names, addresses, e-mail addresses, telephone and fax numbers of three referees to:
Dr. Monty P. Jones, Executive Director, FARA, PMB CT 173, Cantonments, Accra, Ghana; Fax: +233 21 773676, Email: ed@fara-africa.org
NB
Please use the reference code as your subject in sending the emails and application letters.
Applications will be accepted up to 15th June 2008.