AGRA

Location: Nairobi, Kenya

Job Reference: SCFIC/CTE/01/2024

AGRA and its Work

AGRA is an African-led institution that actively supports the drive towards inclusive agricultural transformation and sustainable food systems. We do this by empowering the continent’s 33 million smallholder farming households to transform their agriculture from a struggle to survive to profitable businesses. The continent’s farmers regularly face challenges, and we aspire to provide uniquely African solutions that respond to their agricultural and environmental challenges, leading to increased harvests for reduced hunger and more income. 

Working in alignment with the development priorities of our focus countries, we enable farmers to access improved and high-yielding seeds, gain knowledge on sustainable farming, and linkages to profitable markets. 

In our work, we aspire to build the alliances, partnerships, and networks required to drive an inclusive agricultural transformation. We work with our partners to create an equitable youth-friendly environment that harnesses the youth dividend on the continent to drive growth and facilitate open employment opportunities for young women and men. We achieve our key objectives through a focus on the following four areas of intervention:

1. Policy and state capability – We support governments in creating an enabling environment for private sector involvement in agricultural transformation. 
2. Seed systems – We trigger higher productivity by increasing the availability and access to improved seeds by farmers allowing them to increase their harvests for food security and better incomes. 
3. Sustainable farming – We support farmers in building resilient farming systems for sustained high yields through interventions such as mechanization and irrigation. 
4. Inclusive markets and trade – We work to increase the linkages between farmers, and other market actors for a positive, sustained cycle of commercialization and reinvestment.

Implementing Our New Strategy Through People

People are the heart of our organization and remain the true drivers of our delivery and our impact.

We work with incredible people and partners who have roots in farming communities across the continent combined with an inclusive and diverse workforce from over 24 nationalities. Our commitment to a call to action goes beyond ourselves as we arise to catalyze African Food Systems transformation by being Deeply collaborative, Executing Excellently, Sincerely Constructive and Increasingly Entrepreneurial aligned with our values of (I-RISE; Integrity, Respect, Innovation, Stewardship and Equity).

We are looking for people who are passionate about Africa to join our innovative, growing, and multidisciplinary team. Together, we can grow Africa’s food systems improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. Want to join us?

The Position

Specialist, Continental Frameworks, Implementation and Compliance  

Job Reference: SCFIC/CTE/01/2024, Based in Nairobi, Kenya with frequent travel, approximately 30% .

Reporting to the Head of State Capability Unit, the Specialist Continental Frameworks, Implementation and Compliance will be responsible for designing, overseeing implementation and progress reporting of State Capability interventions aiming at sstrengthening continental frameworks, institutions, and coordination mechanisms, especially targeting youth employment in agri-food sector, including strengthened accountability to gender & youth indicators. 

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Support the continental (AUDA/NEPAD, AUC), RECs and other relevant regional institutions in the design and implementation of RAIPS, flagships, business cases for resource mobilization and public private partnerships to  facilitate their effective implementation, hence enabling opportunities for youth and women employment.
• In collaboration with other team members across relevant Units, support RECs to drive domestication and harmonization of key continental frameworks, policies and strategies at country level.  

• Support RECs to mobilize public and private sector resources to support implementation of regional flagships and business cases for PPP. 
• Support coordination mechanisms at regional and continental levels that reduce fragmentation of efforts and increased alignment for youth and women employment, including strengthened accountability to gender and youth indicators.
• Support tracking and monitoring the progress of regional and continental projects, programs and adjusting as necessary, to ensure the successful completion of each intervention.
• Develop a capacity building program for relevant staff of continental and regional mandated institution to enhance their capacity to implement, coordinate and monitor continental agri-food systems commitments, especially those affecting youth and women participation.
• Enhance State Capability contribution to the delivery of the work of other business lines, especially at regional and continental level.
• Contribute to engagement support with investment and implementing partners on all programming aspects and supporting documentation, as needed.
• Analyze the contribution of State Capability supported flagships in delivering national, regional, and continental development goals, especially those linked to youth and women employment.
• Support private sector interventions in delivery of flagships, RAIPs and NAIPs, by facilitating public private dialogues aimed at promoting an enabling environment for youth and women participation.
• Contribute to the coordination of implementation of State Capability Unit activities in a timely manner. 
• Contribute to preparation of proposals for donors and development finance institutions to leverage additional resources for national, regional, and continental agricultural transformation strategies and plans.
• Serve as point of contact for State Capability work on supporting regional and continental mandated institutions, specifically on aspects related to institutional capacity strengthening, harmonization and domestications relevant frameworks, policies, and strategies.
• Collaborate with other units such as risk management, procurement and Internal Audit to direct compliance incidents associated with AGRA’s State Capability Work with continental and regional institutions.
• Identify areas of potential vulnerability and compliance risk; develop and implement action plans to prevent, detect and / or mitigate compliance issues and provide general advice to avoid similar situations in the future.
• Contribute to the design and monitoring of state capacity strengthening interventions (grants, technical assistance and consultancies).
• Build capacity for AGRA Country Program Leads to ensure close coordination and monitoring and reporting of flagship programs at national level.
• Document best practices on investment designs, program and project delivery deriving from AGRA’s resources or other technical and financial partners.
• Produce knowledge products (reports, power point presentations, outcome stories, blogs, news articles and briefs) on AGRA state capability work with continental and regional bodies.  
• Offer technical assistance for implementation of AGRA State Capability activities (grants, consultancies, and technical assistance projects) at regional and continental levels.
• Produce regular reports for progress tracking by AGRA’s management, PIATA partners and other funders, and stakeholders.  The reports will be based on funders’ and AGRA’s reporting requirements.
• Identify, key elements for the State Capability dashboard to track implementation of unit’s work under AGRA strategy 3.0. This should be done while having in mind integration of other AGRA bodies of work.
• At the beginning of every year work plan, support State Capability Unit prepare the dashboard for the year and support tracking of the performance during implementation period.
• Track the number of farmers, youth and women reached directly and/or indirectly though State Capability investments with regional and continental organizations.
• Track number of work opportunities created for youth and women through State Capability investments at regional and continental levels.

Key Qualifications and Experience required:

• Master’s in agriculture economics, general agriculture, social sciences, development economics, project planning, business administration or any relevant fields, with a focus on economic policy, social development, public administration, and project management.
• Experience of end-to-end project management, including scoping and design, resourcing, risk management and quality assurance.
• Experience in the agriculture and development sector – preferably in sub-Saharan Africa. 
• Experience in working with development partners and government agencies.
• Experience in project proposal writing. 
• Experience engaging and managing consultants and managing budgets.
• Experience in working with multi-stakeholders.
• Understanding agriculture and agri-food system issues in Africa.
• Experience planning workshops and events, organizing logistics.
• Good command of English and working knowledge of French will be an advantage.
• Demonstrated ability to make a major contribution to the direction of AGRA’s State Capability unit and to deliver its goals and objectives. 
• Strong relationships with key national, regional and international partners working on state capability and policy aspects.
• Demonstrable ability to work in complex work dynamics and challenges. Able to adapt rapidity to new technical areas.
• Experience in working with key funders/donors in agri-food sector and development, the African Union  and at least one REC is desirable.
• Strong analytical, strategic thinking and planning skills as well as ability to work under tight deadlines.
• Qualitative and Quantitative data analysis skills are an added advantage.
• Experience in developing and managing strong partnerships and relationships inside and outside the organization, managing conflicts, and building consensus. Comfortably engages with senior decision makers within organization and constructively challenges colleagues, clients and stakeholders.
• Excellent oral, facilitation and written communication skills; works well in diverse teams, with efficiency and diplomacy.
• Proficiency in both English and French languages will be an added advantage.

If you believe you are the right candidate for this position, kindly submit your application with a detailed CV (including your e-mail and telephone contacts) to recruit@agra.org. Please quote the job reference number in the subject line of the application e-mail. 

Applications must be received on or before 2nd February 2024. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

For more information on the AGRA, visit www.agra.org. 

AGRA is an Equal Opportunity Employer