Regional Senior Project Officer II – RBoA Focal Person (Re-advert) – Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA)

Agriculture, Development and Project Management

Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA)

BACKGROUND:

The Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA) has been established by the Government of Ethiopia (GoE) to identify and address systemic bottlenecks to Ethiopia’s agricultural development. The Agency does this through problem-solving, implementation support, and capacity building of stakeholders involved in implementation of interventions that address the systemic bottlenecks. The Agency reports to a Transformation Council chaired by the Prime Minister and whose co-chair is the Minister of Agriculture. 

The programmatic focus of the Agency responds to a core set of needs identified by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Transformation Council. Within the Agency, issues are divided into four different groups:  Production and Productivity which includes Inputs and Crop Protection, Livestock, Research and Extension, Mechanization, Rural Finance & Agro-Processing Value Addition; Agribusiness and Markets including Market Services, Market Infrastructure, Commercial & Contract Farming, Domestic and Export Market Development, and Cooperatives Development; Environmentally Sustainable and Inclusive Agricultural Growth including Sustainable Irrigation & Watershed Management, Sustainable Land Management, Gender Equality and Nutrition, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management, and Planning and MLE; and Enhanced Implementation Capacity which includes ICT, Private Sector, and Organizational and Human Capacity. Across the programs, the ATA engages public, private and non-governmental stakeholders to support strategic planning, manage and strengthen implementation capacity and test innovative models.

Our Culture

We have an exceptional team of highly competent employees with a proven track record of success in managing complex activities and achieving transformational results.  Our culture is one where talented, dedicated and adaptable individuals are committed to doing their best and exhibit great team work to achieve excellent results. 

At ATA, we provide an exceptional platform for people who want to achieve their highest potential and make a meaningful contribution in changing the country’s agricultural sector.  We offer rewarding work in a young, fast-paced growing organization with passionate, committed, motivated colleagues and excellent career development and training.  We recognize our most valuable assets are our staff and are committed to providing our employees with the tools, training and mentorships necessary to achieve their career goals. 

ETHIOPIAN AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION INSTITUTE

Terms of reference

“Food security and Agriculture Rehabilitation measures in Conflict Affected Regions of Ethiopia – FARM” Project 

 BACKGROUND:

The Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI) is a strategy and delivery-oriented government Institute created to help accelerate the growth and transformation of the country’s agriculture sector. The ATI envisions to be the leading center of innovative solutions for the transformation of Ethiopian Agriculture by 2030.

The Institute focuses on two primary national approaches to catalyze agricultural transformation. First, we support the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), its affiliate institutions, and other partners to identify and address systemic bottlenecks within an Agricultural Transformation Agenda. Second, we support Regional Governments to accelerate the development of high-priority commodity value chains in clearly defined geographic clusters, through the Agricultural Commercialization Clusters (ACC) Initiative.

Our major activities include conducting strategic and analytical studies, providing technical implementation support, coordinating platforms to better integrate partners and projects, and designing and directly leading a number of implementation projects. Our headquarters are in Addis Ababa, and we have regional offices in Amhara, Oromia, SNNP, Sidama, South-West, and Tigray regional offices, allowing us to work closely with a wide range of public, private and development sector partners across the country.

Our Culture

We have an exceptional team of highly competent employees with a proven track record of success in managing complex activities and achieving transformational results.  Our culture is one where talented, dedicated and adaptable individuals are committed to doing their best and exhibit great team work to achieve excellent results. 

At ATI, we provide an exceptional platform for people who want to achieve their highest potential and make a meaningful contribution in changing the country’s agricultural sector.  We offer rewarding work in a young, fast-paced growing organization with passionate, committed, motivated colleagues and excellent career development and training.  We recognize our most valuable assets are our staff and are committed to providing our employees with the tools, training and mentorships necessary to achieve their career goals.

 POSITION SUMMARY:

The Senior Project Officer II – ARBoA focal person is responsible for supporting the implementation of the FARM project and the achievement of its planned results to a high level of quality and in a timely manner. To achieve this, he will coordinate with other PMU members and liaise regularly with Amhara region project stakeholders at regional, zonal, woreda and kebele level. He is the relay of the Team leader in the Amhara region and will closely coordinate with him and the rest of the PMU at central and regional level in order to ensure the smooth exchange of information with local stakeholders and an efficient project implementation at field level.

Based in ARBoA, he/she will liaise closely with ARBoA personnel and ATI regional management as well as with all other regional authorities and actors implicated in the project (ARARI, Sirinka Agriculture Research Center -SDAC, Sekota Dryland Agriculture Research Center – SDARC, PSNP, Seed Producer Cooperative Unions – SPCU, ASE, local authorities at zonal, woreda and kebele level, Dessie Tissue Culture Center -DTCC, Dessie Plant Seed Laboratory, Jari Agricultura Research Center, Farmer Training Centers -FTC…). He/she will report to the Project Manager globally, as well as to the ATI regional senior Director and the Head of regional BoA (functional reporting).

 ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

• Support the coordination of project implementation and achieve planned results to international quality standards, including logistics, procurement, political, bottlenecks in implementation, project management compliance, etc
• Liaise with FARM project stakeholders at regional and subregional level and coordinate the implementation of activities at regional level with the FARM project team.
• Provide technical and strategic advice to all members of the PMU and facilitate capacity building when needed.
• Support the monitoring of project progress and the evaluation of results.
• Support the identification of external technical support needs for effective project implementation.
• Help organise and oversee short term missions
• Assist in administrative and financial management for regionally procured services and products, including procurement of goods and services, budget and expenditure analysis or contractual management.
• Assist in beneficiary targeting (with the PSNP for component 1), based on the established criteria in the region.
• Support the drafting of project related reports through regular reporting on regional activities to the FARM project manager (in a format to be agreed with the TL) in a timely manner and including reporting on ESMF and GAP implementation status and complaint and resolution status.
• Contribute to ensure coordination and harmonisation of FARM project activities with those of government authorities and other Development Partners active in the Amhara region.
• Contribute to build partnerships whenever relevant and possible.
• Contribute, in coordination with the TL, to support the establishment and facilitate strategic dialogue between AFD, project staff and Government officials at regional and local levels, in project´s areas of work, particularly seed value chain development and agroecology
• Facilitate knowledge management, particularly in terms of lessons learned and best practices which may feed a dialogue with government authorities and other DPs as well as contribute to future interventions and policy making.

• Master’s degree or above in Agriculture, Agricultural economics, Economics, Rural Development or related fields.
• AT least 8-year experience of the implementation of agricultural development projects.
• Experience in working with multi-dimensional teams and complex work programs.
• Analytical skills, including livelihood and farming system analysis.
• Knowledge of Ethiopia with knowledge of the Ahmara region context a very strong asset.
• Experience in crop and livestock value chains, particularly seed (formal and informal), support or management would be a strong asset.
• Proficiency in oral and written communication in English and Amharic.
• Experience in agroecology would be a strong asset.
• Familiarity with Ethiopia’s agricultural research system is an asset.
• Experience in Participatory Guarantee Scheme (PGS) establishment is an asset.
• Inclination towards participatory management (at team and beneficiary level), capacity to implement and experience of participatory planning methods.
• Desire of improving the lives of smallholder farmers.
• Leadership, autonomy, and integrity.
• Strong capacity to facilitate teamwork.
• Conflict management capacity.
• Willingness to undertake frequent field visits.
• Computer literacy.

Lien