Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
FARA seeks to recruit a Communication and Public Awareness Specialist who will be based at the FARA Secretariat in Accra, Ghana.Working under FARA’s Networking Support Function 2 and reporting to the Director, Access to Knowledge and Technologies (NSF2), the successful candidate shall perform inter alia the following duties:
• Update and implement FARA’s communication strategy i.e. produce and disseminate public awareness materials such as case studies, policy papers targeted at development partners and policy makers
• Build on the FARA communication strategy to develop a specific strategy to target the media i.e. relate with the International and African Press Agencies in preparation for major FARA events such as the FARA General Assembly held triennially; drafting press releases, and opinion pieces on agricultural research issues in Africa and other related to the activities of the FARA secretariat and FARA forum
• Support to the national RAILS teams to relate with their local media and capture local press stories on agricultural research for development
• Contribute to the regular updates of FARA information and communication tools relevant for FARA and its network.
• Edit communication materials released by FARA Secretariat
• Monitor events or developments at the Global level, FARA Programme sites, SROs and NARS level and identify agricultural research opportunities to inform relevant FARA’s policies, programmes and advocacy functions
• Coordinate FARA’s response to requests for information in a timely, cost effective and appropriate manner on various issues raised by FARA Stakeholders
• Any other duties as that might be assigned by NSF2 Director or FARA management
Compensation
This is a full-time internationally recruited staff position (categorized as Professional Staff within FARA
Secretariat). FARA offers competitive terms of employment.
Applications
Please send (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; Email: ed@faraafrica.org ; Fax: +233 21 773676. Applications will be accepted up to 28th January 2010. More information
Networking
Support Function-1 is responsible for advocacy and resource
mobilization on behalf of the Forum’s stakeholders and coordinates the
Secretariat’s lead role in the implementation of CAADP Pillar IV. The
unit supports the integration of FAAP principles and the inclusion of
Pillar IV issues in agriculture sector investment programmes developed
within the CAADP framework as well as assisting with the evolution and
reform of national agricultural research systems at sub-regional and
national levels. NSF-1 leads the process to promote the awareness of
key players in Pillar IV implementation.
FARA is seeking to
recruit a Consultant for six-months to provide technical support to
assist with the expected increased activity in Pillar IV implementation
in 2010.
The consultant will work with the Director, Networking
Support Function 1 and the NSF1 team in achieving the goals of the
Pillar IV process.
More information Terms for reference
Background
The
Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) is the apex
organization for agricultural research for development in Africa. As
the lead institution for NEPAD’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture
Development Programme (CAADP) pillar IV, which encompasses agricultural
research and technology dissemination and adoption, FARA seeks to build
the capacity for agricultural innovation and to make agriculture the
continent’s engine for economic growth. FARA works closely with
sub-regional organisations (SROs) and 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’s activities are undertaken through its
Networking Support Functions.
In order to provide support to
FARA in a harmonized and programmatic manner, FARA’s group of
development partners proposed and established a recipient-executed
Multi Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) at the World Bank to facilitate
joint-financing and to assist the further institutional development of
FARA. The Trust Fund will provide substantial funding for activities in
FARA’s MTOP. In order to ensure that the funds are used properly for
the purpose for which they are intended and accounted for in accordance
with the World Bank procedures, it is mandatory for the accounts to be
audited by an independent Auditing Firm.
FARA is therefore
calling for proposals to engage the services of an Auditing Firm for
the provision of independent external audit services of its annual
operations.
Objective
To audit the FARA Financial
Statements in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.07(b) of the
Standard Conditions of the World Bank. Each such audit of the financial
statements shall cover the period of one fiscal year (January to
December). The audited Financial Statements for each such period should
be furnished to the World Bank not later than six months after the end
of the period. In this regard, therefore, FARA is calling for proposals.
Scope of the Assignment
The
audit will be conducted in accordance with International Standards on
Auditing (ISA) as published by the International Auditing and Assurance
Standards Board of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC),
with special reference to ISA 800 (Auditor’s Report on Special Purpose
Audit Engagements) and to relevant World Bank guidelines. In conducting
the project audit, special attention should be paid to the following:
a)
Funds have been used in accordance with the relevant general
conditions, relevant financing agreements and disbursement letter, with
due attention to economy and efficiency, and only for the purposes for
which the financing was provided;
b) Counterpart funds (if any) have
been provided and used in accordance with the relevant general
conditions, relevant financing agreements and disbursement letter, and
only for the purposes for which they were provided;
c) Goods and
services financed have been procured in accordance with the relevant
general conditions, relevant financing agreements and disbursement
letter;
d) Necessary supporting documents, records, and accounts
have been kept in respect of all Project ventures including
expenditures reported via Summary Report (or Interim Un-audited
Financial Reports (Interim Reports)) if used as the basis of
disbursement), or Designated Accounts (DAs). Clear linkages should
exist between the accounting records and the financial reports
presented to the Bank.
e) Where Designated Accounts have been used,
they have been maintained in accordance with the provisions of the
relevant general conditions, relevant financing agreements and
disbursement letter.
f) The PFS have been prepared in accordance
with generally accepted accounting principles and practices and
relevant World Bank guidelines, and give a true and fair view of the
financial position of the Project as at financial year-end and of the
resources and expenditures for the fiscal year then ending.
g)
Review the compliance on each of the financial covenants as per the TF
Agreement especially to ensure compliance for the conditions under
which the tranches were released.
Audit Reports
The auditors will issue an audit opinion on the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) Project Financial Statements
In addition to the audit opinion, the auditor will prepare a "management letter," in which the auditor will:
a)
give comments and observations on the accounting records, systems, and
controls that were examined during the course of the audit;
b) identify specific deficiencies and areas of weakness in systems and controls and make recommendation for their improvement;
c) report on the lack of compliance of each financial covenant in the relevant financing agreement;
d)
communicate matters that have come to their attention during the audit
which might have a significant impact on the implementation of the
project;
e) bring to the borrower's attention any other matters that the auditor considers pertinent; and
f) include management's comments in the final management letter.
Deliverable and time schedule:
The
firm shall submit Draft Final Report in hard copy and an electronic
version within seven (7) days upon completion of assignment to the
Executive Director
The Final Report, in five (5) hard copies and an
electronic version shall be submitted to the Executive Director within
seven (7) days on receipt of FARA’s comments.
Duration of Assignment:
The
contract will cover 3 financial years and each financial year’s audit
will be for Ten (10) Man-Days with possibility of extension.
Location of Assignment:
The assignment will be carried out at the FARA Secretariat, 12 Anmeda Street, Roman Ridge, Accra, Ghana.
Requirements
The
Lead Consultant should be an internationally qualified auditor (CPA or
its equivalent) with experience in public accounting and financial
management and should have a minimum of five years experience in the
field with experience in statutory and project auditing. The Firm
should have strong knowledge and experience (minimum of 10 years) in
public account auditing. The firm should have Specific experience in
World Bank Accounts auditing.
Applications
Please send
(via e-mail) expression of interest, Proposals (both technical and
financial), and comprehensive curriculum vitae of the audit team
members, to: Dr. Monty P. Jones, Executive Director, FARA, PMB CT 173,
Cantonments, Accra, Ghana; Email: ed@fara-africa.org; Fax: +233 21
773676. Applications will be accepted up to 28th February 2010.
(Download as PDF file)
Background
The
Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) is the apex body for
Africa’s agricultural research for development. It is a continent-wide
umbrella organization bringing together and forming coalitions of major
stakeholders in agricultural research and development in Africa. The
FARA Secretariat was created in 2002 and is based in Accra, Ghana. FARA
complements the activities of national, international and sub-regional
institutions to deliver more responsive and effective services to its
stakeholders. It plays advocacy and coordination roles for agricultural
research for development (which includes the activities of agricultural
research per se, but also, inter alia, agricultural advisory services,
agricultural training, and education institutions). Its mission is the
creation of broad-based improvements in agricultural productivity,
competitiveness and markets by supporting Africa’s sub-regional
organizations in strengthening capacity for agricultural innovation.
In
order to provide support to FARA in a harmonized and programmatic
manner, FARA’s group of development partners proposed and established a
recipient-executed Multi Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) at the World Bank to
facilitate joint-financing and to assist the further institutional
development of FARA. The initial funding to the MDTF is provided by
Canada through CIDA, European Commission and United Kingdom through
DfID. The Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other donors such
as JICA, USAID, etc. may also join the group as soon as their
respective internal decision making process permits. The Strategic
Plan, the Medium Term Operational Plan (MTOP) 2008 – 2012 and annual
plans will be the basis for which coordinated support will be provided
by all donors. The Trust Fund will provide substantial funding for
activities in the MTOP of FARA.
In order to ensure that the funds
are used properly for the purpose for which they are intended and
accounted for in accordance with the World Bank procedures, it is
mandatory for the accounts to be audited by an independent Auditing
Firm. FARA is seeking to engage the services of an Auditing Firm to
audit the accounts which are being kept and operated for the
implementation program.
Objective
According
to the MDTF Grant Agreement, FARA is expected to appoint an external
auditor with the terms of reference, qualifications, and experience
satisfactory to the World Bank. FARA shall have its Financial
Statements audited in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.07(b)
of the Standard Conditions of the World Bank. Each such audit of the
financial statements shall cover the period of one fiscal year (January
to December). The audited Financial Statements for each such period
should be furnished to the World Bank not later than six months after
the end of such period.
The Scope of the Assignment
The audit
will be conducted in accordance with International Standards on
Auditing (ISA) as published by the International Auditing and Assurance
Standards Board of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC),
with special reference to ISA 800 (Auditor’s Report on Special Purpose
Audit Engagements) and to relevant World Bank guidelines. In conducting
the project audit, special attention should be paid to the following:
a)
Funds have been used in accordance with the conditions of the relevant
general conditions, relevant financing agreements and disbursement
letter, with due attention to economy and efficiency, and only for the
purposes for which the financing was provided;
b) Counterpart funds
(if any) have been provided and used in accordance with the relevant
general conditions, relevant financing agreements and disbursement
letter, and only for the purposes for which they were provided;
c)
Goods and services financed have been procured in accordance with the
relevant general conditions, relevant financing agreements and
disbursement letter;
d) Necessary supporting documents, records, and
accounts have been kept in respect of all Project ventures including
expenditures reported via Summary Report (or Interim Un-audited
Financial Reports (Interim Reports)) if used as the basis of
disbursement), or Designated Accounts (DAs). Clear linkages should
exist between the accounting records and the financial reports
presented to the Bank.
e) Where Designated Accounts have been used,
they have been maintained in accordance with the provisions of the
relevant general conditions, relevant financing agreements and
disbursement letter.
f) The PFS have been prepared in accordance
with generally accepted accounting principles and practices and
relevant World Bank guidelines, and give a true and fair view of the
financial position of the Project as at financial year-end and of the
resources and expenditures for the fiscal year then ending.
g)
Review the compliance on each of the financial covenants as per the TF
Agreement especially to ensure compliance for the conditions under
which the tranches were released.
Project Financial Statements
. The Project Financial Statements should include:
a)
the cash receipts and payments of the project during the 3years ended
December 31, 2009, 2010 and 2011 showing the World Bank, project funds
from other donors, and counterpart funds separately (if applicable),
b) a Summary of Summary Reports used as the basis for the submission of withdrawal applications in the notes, as appropriate;
c) A Statement of Designated Account in the notes, as appropriate; and
d)
a Balance Sheet showing Accumulated Funds of the Project, bank
balances, other assets of the Project, and liabilities, if any.
As
part of the audit of the PFS, the auditor is required to audit all
Summary Reports and Interim Un-audited Financial Reports (Interim
Reports) used as the basis for the submission of withdrawal
applications as per the relevant sections of the Trust Fund Agreement.
Designated Accounts
In
conjunction with the audit of the Project Financial Statements, the
auditor is also required to audit the activities of the Designated
Accounts associated with the Project. The Designated Accounts usually
comprise:
a) deposits (tranche releases) and replenishments received from the Bank;
b) payments substantiated by withdrawal applications;
c) interest that may be earned from the balances and which belong to the borrower; and
d) the remaining balances at the end of each fiscal year.
The
auditor should pay particular attention to the compliance with the
Bank's procedures and the balances of the Designated Accounts at the
end of the fiscal year (or period). The auditor should examine the
eligibility of financial transactions during the period under
examination and fund balances at the end of such a period; the
operation and use of the DAs in accordance with the relevant general
conditions, relevant financing agreements and disbursement letter, and
the adequacy of internal controls for this type of disbursement
mechanism.
Audit Reports
The auditors will
issue an audit opinion on the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
(FARA) Project Financial Statements (refer to the “Project Financial
Statements” paragraph above for a definition of the statements included
therein).
In addition to the audit opinion, the auditor will prepare a "management letter," in which the auditor will:
a)
give comments and observations on the accounting records, systems, and
controls that were examined during the course of the audit;
b) identify specific deficiencies and areas of weakness in systems and controls and make recommendation for their improvement;
c) report on the lack of compliance of each financial covenant in the relevant financing agreement;
d)
communicate matters that have come to their attention during the audit
which might have a significant impact on the implementation of the
project;
e) bring to the borrower's attention any other matters that the auditor considers pertinent; and
f) include management's comments in the final management letter.
General
The
responsibility for the preparation of financial statements including
adequate disclosure is that of the Executive Board and management of
FARA. This includes the maintenance of adequate accounting records and
internal controls, the selection and application of accounting
policies, and the safeguarding of the assets of the entity. As part of
the audit process, the auditor will request from management written
confirmation concerning representations made to the auditor in
connection with the audit.
FARA will co-operate fully with the
auditor and will make available to the auditor whatever records,
documentation and other information is requested by the auditor in
connection with the audit. The auditor should be given access to all
legal documents, correspondence, and any other information associated
with the project and deemed necessary by the auditor. Confirmation
should also be obtained of amounts disbursed and outstanding at the
Bank and of amounts disbursed under TF Agreement.
It is highly
desirable that the auditor become familiar with the relevant World Bank
guidelines, which explain the Bank's financial reporting and auditing
requirements. These guidelines include:
• Operational Policy 10.02 and Bank Procedure 10.02, Financial Management
• Financial Management Practices in World Bank Financed Investment Operations, dated November 2005
• World Bank Disbursement Guidelines for Projects dated May 2006
Deliverable and reporting time schedule:
The
firm shall submit Draft Final Report in hard copy and an electronic
version within seven (7) days upon completion of assignment to the
Executive Director
The Final Report, in five (5) hard copies and an
electronic version shall be submitted to the Executive Director within
seven (7) days on receipt of FARA’s comments.
Duration of Assignment:
The
contract will cover 3 financial years and each financial year’s audit
will be for Ten (10) Man-Days with possibility of extension.
Location of Assignment:
The assignment will be carried out at the FARA Secretariat, 12 Anmeda Street, Roman Ridge, Accra, Ghana.
Requirements
The
Lead Consultant should be an internationally qualified auditor (CPA or
its equivalent) with experience in public accounting and financial
management and should have a minimum of five years experience in the
field with experience in statutory and project auditing. The Firm
should have strong knowledge and experience (minimum of 10 years) in
public account auditing. The firm should have Specific experience in
World Bank Accounts auditing.
Applications
Please
send (via e-mail) expression of interest, Proposals (both technical and
financial), and comprehensive curriculum vitae of the audit team
members, to: Dr. Monty P. Jones, Executive Director, FARA, PMB CT 173,
Cantonments, Accra, Ghana; Email: ed@fara-africa.org; Fax: +233 21
773676. Applications will be accepted up to 28th February 2010.
FARA is seeking to engage consultants for the following;
A: Undertake targeted Key Informant Interviews and coordinate the development of a continental strategy for Capacity Strengthening for Agriculture & Natural Resources in Africa and: Ref. No. NSF4/4.5.1.3
B: Undertake E-consultation for the development of a continental strategy for Capacity Strengthening for Agriculture & Natural Resources in Africa: Ref. No. NSF4/4.5.1.2
1. Background
FARA is developing strategy for Capacity Strengthening for Agriculture & Natural Resources.
As a stakeholder organisation FARA’s mandate is to catalyse, facilitate and support networking amongst its stakeholders so that they will collectively have greater impact. A first step in fulfilling these networking support functions is for FARA’s NSF4 to be knowledgeable about who is doing what capacity strengthening, where, with whom and how as a basis for determining where and how to add value to the overall investment in African agricultural capacity strengthening.
Budgetary constraints and the after effect of the structural adjustment programmes which curtailed recruitment in many countries resulted in serious capacity deficiencies in both management and science of African agricultural research and capacity strengthening institutions. These effects are preventing institutions from properly fulfilling their mandates. Human and institutional capacity weaknesses pervade all aspects of the agricultural innovation system and a major problem facing agricultural development in Africa.
The process for developing FARA’s NSF 4 Capacity Strengthening Strategy for Agriculture & Natural Resources, will therefore adopt a fully participatory model involving the major FARA partners and capacity strengthening project implementing entities in Africa.
The process will consist of the following key components
i. Preparation of a Concept Note outlining the process and the financial implications for approval by the Executive Director of FARA
ii. Management of an E-Consultation, and in consultation with the SROs, and involving targeted capacity strengthening experts throughout Africa,
iii. Analysis of the output of the E-Consultation, preparation for a briefing and planning meeting to carefully define the next steps for the NSF4 Capacity Strengthening Strategy development process
iv. Identification of Key informants with considerable experience in capacity strengthening activities and field work on Key Informants Interviews
v. Collation, analysis and preparation of a draft NSF 4 Capacity Strengthening Strategy Document
vi. Validation of the Capacity Strengthening Strategy by a small expert group in a 3 day workshop.
vii. Revision and production of the final draft of the Continental Capacity Strengthening Strategy Document for endorsement and approval by the FARA Executive Board
viii. Publication and distribution of the strategy document.
ix. Development of implementation plan
2. Objectives
The purpose of developing the NSF4 strategy is to establish how FARA as a Forum can add value to Africa’s investment in strengthening Africa’s capacity for innovation in agriculture and related industries
The objectives are to validate the following priorities for the Forum, facilitated by the Secretariat and determine how best to address them:
i. To be a centre of knowledge on African agricultural capacity strengthening
ii. To apply a continental perspective to strengthening the capacity of agricultural research and capacity strengthening institutions
iii.To apply a continental perspective to strengthening Africa’s capacity to build capacity in agriculture and natural resource management
iv. To apply a continental perspective to strengthening Africa’s capacity to empower rural communities and individuals with learning opportunities
v.To determine how tertiary institutions can contribute most effectively to African agricultural development through research and training and how they can be incorporated in Africa’s agricultural investment budgets.
A: Undertake targeted Key Informant Interviews and coordinate development of a continental strategy for Capacity Strengthening for Agriculture & Natural Resources in Africa and: Ref. No. NSF4/4.5.1.3
Scope of Services
The Consultant will work under the close supervision of the Director NSF 4 and will perform the following tasks
i. Prepare and facilitate the briefing and planning meeting of the process for the E-consultation for the FARA Capacity Strengthening Strategy.
ii. Oversee the conduct and analysis of the E-consultation in NSF4 Capacity Strengthening Strategy.
iii. Prepare, in consultation with the Director NSF4, a checklist of key informants to critically review, fine tune and contribute to the materials obtained from the E-Consultation
iv. Undertake field mission to selected countries to undertake key informant interviews and to obtain more information needed to enlarge and enrich the contributions from the E-Consultation.
v. Collate, and analyse the outputs from these consultations and prepare a consolidated draft FARA Capacity Strengthening Strategy Document
vi. Facilitate a 3 day validation workshop for the Capacity Strengthening Strategy Document by a small expert group (max. 10 persons) to finalize the NSF4 Strategy Document.
vii. Study the comments from the FARA Governing Board, review and incorporate them to prepare a final working NSF4 Strategy Document which will be validated by a core group of experts in a 3 day workshop at FARA.
viii. Using the output of the validation workshop, revise and produce the final NSF4 Strategy Document for approval (for review by the Programme Committee of the FARA Governing Board and endorsement by the FARA Governing Board).
ix. Perform any other related CaSt tasks that may be assigned by the Director NSF4.
Reporting and time schedule of deliverables
A Final NSF4 Capacity Strengthening Strategy Document which should be in a form ready to be published and distributed to members of the FARA Forum and to the international agricultural development community within five days on receipt of final comments.
Requirement:
The Coordinating Consultant should have the following qualifications:
• Higher degree, preferably a PhD, in agricultural sciences, biological sciences or related disciplines.
• Familiarity with African agricultural research and development issues, especially with organization of the coordination of agricultural research and development initiatives at sub-regional and continental level in Africa.
• At least 10 years of proven experience in developing and managing training and capacity building programmes in African agriculture.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English and a working knowledge of French will be an advantage.
Assignment period
The consultancy is for 28 working days from 26th Feb – 6th April
B: Undertake E-consultation for the development of a continental strategy for Capacity Strengthening for Agriculture & Natural Resources in Africa:
Ref. No. NSF4/4.5.1.2
Scope of Services
The Consultant to undertake the E-consultation will work under the close supervision of the Coordinating Consultant and the general guidance of the Director NSF4 and will perform the following tasks:
i. Identity appropriate capacity strengthening (CaSt)experts in African agricultural research and development and compile briefs of the experts, with details of their names, postal addresses, and e-mail addresses for review by the Director NSF4 and the NSF4 Strategy Document development Coordinating Consultant.
ii. Prepare Guidelines for the contributions to the Capacity Strengthening Strategy, taking into account the Four Pillars of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP)
iii. Communicate electronically with the carefully selected Capacity Strengthening experts to contribute to the NSF4 Capacity Strengthening Strategy document.
iv. Collate and analyse the responses obtained from the E-Consultation and prepare a consolidated report of the contributions from the consultation for review by the Co-ordinating Consultant and the Director NSF4.
v. Perform any other related tasks that may be assigned by the Director of Capacity Strengthening.
Reporting and time schedule of deliverables
i. A Consolidated Database of Experts in Capacity Strengthening (CaSt) experts in Africa and
ii. Detailed Report of the contributions of CaSt Experts from the E-Consultation to the NSF 4 Capacity Strengthening Strategy Document within two days on receipt of final comments.
Requirement:
The Consultant to manage the E-Consultation should have the following qualifications
• University higher degree in agriculture, information sciences or related disciplines.
• High level of computer literacy and at least 5 years experience in the development and management of websites and proven expertise in coordinating e- discussion groups.
• Familiarity with African agricultural research and development issues, especially with organization of the coordination of agricultural research and development initiatives at sub-regional and continental level in Africa.
• Should be proficient in written and spoken English and have a working knowledge of French.
Assignment period
The consultancy is for 8 working days from 1st March– 10th March
Applications
Technical applications should be sent preferably via email to: Dr. Monty P. Jones, Executive Director, FARA, PMB CT 173, Cantonments, Accra, Ghana; Email: ed@fara-africa.org; Fax: +233 21 773676.
FARA is seeking to engage consultant to undertake production of a video documentary
Background
Strengthening Capacity for Agricultural Research & Development in Africa (SCARDA) is a DFID-funded programme employing an integrated and holistic approach to institutional and human capacity strengthening involving 12 focal institutions (FIs) within their respective national agricultural research systems (NARS) in 10 African countries spread across the three sub-regions of Sub-Saharan Africa. The goal of SCARDA is to reduce poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa by improving the capacity and performance of participating NARS in key areas of their agricultural research for development (AR4D) functions.
The Programme is coordinated by the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) Secretariat and implemented in accordance with the “subsidiarity principle” by the sub-regional organizations (SROs), viz.: Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA), Counseil Ouest et Centre Africain pour Recherche et le Development Agricole/West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF/WECARD) and the Southern African Development Community - Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Directorate (SADC-FANR). The implementing SROs are each supported by a lead service provider (LSP) and other service providers (SPs) all competitively engaged to deliver on specific and tailor-made capacity strengthening activities through a quality assured contracting process. The Natural Resources Institute (NRI) of the University of Greenwich in the UK also plays an active backstopping role in the implementation of SCARDA activities.
Purpose of Consultancy
SCARDA’s implementation phase commenced in March 2008 and is due to end on 30th June 2010. The program has a functional performance management plan to ensure performance-oriented monitoring of activity implementation. One of the objectives of SCARDA’s performance management plan is to provide a shared framework for regular reflection, documentation, lesson learning and to gather evidence to inform the evaluation of the program’s outcomes, including its contribution to FARA’s strategic objectives and results framework. Methods for measuring progress against populated baselines include qualitative assessments captured through stakeholder and FI employee feedback surveys. The added value provided by SCARDA to the FIs is to be captured through case studies incorporating ‘storylines’ as well as identification and documentation of unexpected positive outcomes.
FARA would now like to engage a consultant to undertake production of a video documentary with a detailed narrative on positive outcomes and added value arising from the implementation of SCARDA activities. The documentary will be based on captured interviews with key SCARDA implementing partners to highlight how SCARDA addresses the FARA results framework, the capacity strengthening activities undertaken by SCARDA, and key positive outcomes that have been realized.
Scope of the Consultancy
The consultant will design an appropriate approach and schedule to enable field capture of targeted video shootouts in the SROs and FIs within 2 weeks. In addition to existing video footage, photographs and library materials, the consultant will compile a 15 to 30-minute comprehensive documentary on SCARDA. The assignment calls for tight itineraries and strict logistical outlay that demand very careful planning.
Outputs/Deliverables
A 15 to 30-minute video documentary in both English & French on at least 20 CDs and DVDs
Reporting & Time schedule
Orientation: 2 days
Video shooting & editing: 2 weeks
Production & submission: 1 week
Total: 3 weeks, 2 days
Supervision & Coordination
The overall coordination of the assignment will rest with the Director, Capacity Strengthening, FARA, with supervisory roles devolved as follows:
SCARDA Program Officer (FARA Secretariat)
SRO Focal Persons (ASARECA, SADC/FANR, CORAF/WECARD)
LSP Contact Persons (RUFORUM, ANAFE, AGHRYMET)
SP Contact Persons (PICO Team, GIMPA, ESAMI)
FI Contact Persons: ASARECA (ISAR, ISABU, ARC); SADC/FANR (UNZA, NUL, DAR); CORAF/WECARD (CRI, IER, NARI, CRAL).
Qualification & Experience required
Qualified consultancy firms must demonstrate:
• Reasonable experience in the production of audiovisual documentaries of scientific, technical, development or capacity strengthening cast
• Ability to undertake the task backed by evidence of successfully completed tasks of a similar nature
• Good knowledge and understanding of the operations of sub-regional organizations and national agricultural research systems in Sub-Saharan Africa
• Bilingual orientation (English & French)
Application
Please send (via e-mail) expression of interest, Proposals (both technical and financial), and comprehensive curriculum vitae of consultant to: Dr. Monty P. Jones, Executive Director, FARA, PMB CT 173, Cantonments, Accra, Ghana; Email: ed@fara-africa.org; Fax: +233 21 773676. Applications will be accepted up to 1st March 2010.